Illinois mandated mental health screening
Most schools don't know where to start with the new SB1560 regulation. Maro does. We handle the entire screening process… at no cost to your school or district.
Get free screening & full implementation (Illinois only)
21
Districts
60+
Schools
50,000
Illinois students

Here's what Illinois schools must have starting fall '26
This coming school year, Illinois law requires all public schools to conduct universal mental health screenings for students in grades 3–12.
Screening instrument
Must meet ISBE guidelines for 3rd-12th grade
Parent consent
Opt-in or opt-out policies communicated to families
Follow-up & referral
Documentation of what happens when a student screens at-risk
Reporting
Data must be tracked at the school, district, and state level
Step 1
Collect consent from parents, digitally
Maro automatically sends plain-English consent forms to every family, tracks who has responded, and ensures no student is screened without the right permissions in place.
Step 2
Screen students with ISBE-compliant surveys
Students complete validated screeners (like the PHQ-9 for depression and GAD-7 for anxiety) on any school device. No paper, no manual tracking, no coordination headaches.
Step 3
Analyze results + connect at-risk students to care
Instantly see which students need follow-up, pull district and school-level reports, and refer students to local providers in a few clicks. Parent communication is built- in the whole way through.

What free screening & implementation includes
This is not a free trial. It's a full-service screening implementation, granted at no cost to all approved Illinois schools.
White-glove onboarding
We set up your account, configure your screeners, and get everything ready for you to start screening.
ISBE-compliant screener library
Access every questionnaire you need including PHQ-9, GAD-7 and PSC-35, meeting all Illinois state guidelines.
Digital parent consent system
Automated consent forms sent to every family, with full tracking and your choice of opt-in or opt-out policy.
Bilingual family communications
All parent-facing materials and consent forms are available in English and Spanish languages.
District and school-level reporting
Real-time dashboards showing results across your school and district. Nobody slips through the cracks.
Follow-up and referral tools
Built-in workflows to document next steps for at-risk students and connect families to local providers.
SOPPA-compliant data protection
Maro has signed the Illinois data protection agreement. Your student data is fully encrypted and secured.
Training for all your faculty
We train your team on the platform so everyone is confident and ready before screening begins.

"Maro’s platform allows for efficient screening of several mental health concerns—including anxiety, ADHD, depression and suicide—using evidence based screeners. The survey tool we chose actually allowed us to screen for all 4 concerns at once in under 8 minutes!"
ECHO Alternative School
Regional Office of Education 21 | Illinois
Some parents will have questions. Here's how Maro prepares you.
Consent
"Did I agree to this?"
Every family receives a plain-English consent form before screening begins. Maro tracks every response, timestamps every submission, and gives your school a full audit trail.
Privacy
"Who sees my child's data?"
Student data is encrypted and stored securelyWe have strict permissions controls so that student data is only viewed in-platform by authorized school personnel. Maro is fully SOPPA and COPPA compliant.
Opting out
"Can I say no?"
Absolutely. Parents can opt their child out at any time through a digital consent form. Maro makes opting out as easy as opting in.
Follow-up
"What happens if my child screens at-risk?"
No student is flagged without a follow-up plan. Maro documents every referral, helps schools easily notify parents through the platform, and helps your school connect families to local providers.
Everything SB1560 requires. Handled by us.
If SB1560 requires it, Maro has you covered.
Included in Maro For Schools:
Full screener library including PHQ-9, GAD-7 and PSC-35
Automated plain-English consent forms sent to every family
Flexible consent settings configured to your district policy
SOPPA-compliant platform, encrypted and access-controlled
Built-in referral workflows with documented next steps
Automated family communications through the Maro platform
Real-time dashboards ready for state reporting requirements
Dedicated onboarding and training for your full team

"The consent forms are well designed and transparent, so parents have the information they need to make an informed decision."
STAR Quest Academy
Regional Office of Education 21 | Illinois
Questions schools ask before getting started
Can't find what you're looking for? The Maro team is standing by to support Illinois schools & districts.

Kristopher Tonas
Head of Partnerships
Is Maro really free for Illinois schools?
Yes. Approved Illinois schools receive full implementation at no cost. That includes onboarding, screener setup, parent consent tools, staff training, and ongoing support. There is no trial period and no hidden fees.
How does parent consent work?
Maro automatically sends consent forms to every family before screening begins. Parents receive plain-English notifications explaining what screening is, what happens with results, and how to opt out. Your district chooses whether to use an opt-in or opt-out model. Every response is tracked and stored with a full audit trail.
What happens after a student screens at-risk?
A flagged result triggers a documented follow-up workflow inside Maro. Your designated staff member is notified, next steps are recorded, and parents can be contacted through the platform. Maro also helps connect families to local mental health providers when a referral is needed.
Is Maro SOPPA complaint?
Yes. Maro has signed the Illinois Data Protection Agreement. Student data is encrypte access-controlled. We meet all state and federal student data privacy requirements including COPPA and FERPA.
How long does onboarding take?
Most schools are fully set up and ready to screen within two weeks of getting started. Our team handles the configuration, uploads your student roster, sets up parent communications, and trains your staff. You don't need any technical experience to get going.
What if we already have a screening tool?
Maro is screener agnostic. If your district already has a preferred instrument or is required to use a specific one, we can work with it. The screeners are just one piece of what Maro provides. The bigger value is everything around them — the parent consent system, follow-up workflows, staff training, family communication, and state reporting. Most schools that come to us with an existing tool find that Maro fills all the gaps their current setup doesn't cover.
Let's get your school ready for SB1560
Two minutes is all it takes. Fill out a short questionnaire about your school and we'll let you know instantly if your school is eligible for free screening and implementation.

The leading mental health screening platform in Illinois
Apply now (2 minutes)
Learn More
Get free screening & full implementation (Illinois only)
21
Districts
60+
Schools
50,000
Illinois students
Ridgewood High School
Fairfield Public School District 112
Hardin County Schools
Odin Public Schools
Peoria Regional Learning Center
Peoria Regional Learning Center
Pleasant Hill School District 69
Farmington Central Jr. High School
Geff Grade School
ECHO and Starquest Academy Schools
Elmwood Park School District
Union Ridge School District
Proviso School District
Crete-Monee School District
Noble Schools (Chicago)
District 100 (Everest)
The leading mental health screening platform in Illinois
Apply now (2 minutes)
Learn More
Get free screening & full implementation (Illinois only)
21
Districts
60+
Schools
50,000
Illinois students
Ridgewood High School
Fairfield Public School District 112
Hardin County Schools
Odin Public Schools
Peoria Regional Learning Center
Peoria Regional Learning Center
Pleasant Hill School District 69
Farmington Central Jr. High School
Geff Grade School
ECHO and Starquest Academy Schools
Elmwood Park School District
Union Ridge School District
Proviso School District
Crete-Monee School District
Noble Schools (Chicago)
District 100 (Everest)
The leading mental health screening platform in Illinois
Apply now (2 minutes)
Learn More
Get free screening & full implementation (Illinois only)
21
Districts
60+
Schools
50,000
Illinois students
Ridgewood High School
Fairfield Public School District 112
Hardin County Schools
Odin Public Schools
Peoria Regional Learning Center
Peoria Regional Learning Center
Pleasant Hill School District 69
Farmington Central Jr. High School
Geff Grade School
ECHO and Starquest Academy Schools
Elmwood Park School District
Union Ridge School District
Proviso School District
Crete-Monee School District
Noble Schools (Chicago)
District 100 (Everest)