Brightside Health expands telemental healthcare offerings to teens

Brightside Health, a leading telemental healthcare company, announced on Tuesday that it will begin offering services to teenagers aged 13-17. The expansion hopes to address the growing mental health crisis among teens by delivering care nearly immediate care right where they want it – their phones.  

“Our expansion to serve teens demonstrates meaningful progress and our deep commitment to solving the hardest problems in mental healthcare,” said Brad Kittredge, Co-Founder and CEO of Brightside Health in the release. “Paired with offerings like Crisis Care for those with elevated suicide risk and IOP for SUD, Brightside Health is the most comprehensive telemental health care platform available. We’ll continue to expand our services; collaborate with commercial, exchange, and government payers to increase access; and advance mental health treatment for underserved populations.”  

Mental health care with teens’ needs in mind 

The scale of the mental health crisis among American adolescents is alarming. A 2023 study revealed that 4.5 million teenagers between 12 and 17 years old grappled with a major depressive episode, but more than two-thirds of these young people did not receive any form of mental health treatment.  

Brightside Health hopes to fill that care gap by offering therapy and psychiatry services that are designed to address the unique needs of adolescents: 

• Rapid access to care: Appointments are available within two days, including after-school hours. 

• Digital support: The Brightside Health app provides progress tracking and evidence-based skill-building. 

• Caregiver involvement: Extensive support is offered to caregivers where appropriate. 

• Specialized focus: Providers address issues such as peer pressure, social media challenges, life transitions, self-esteem, body image, trauma, and abuse. 

Privacy, a crucial concern for any teen, is at the forefront of Brightside’s design.  

“Teen patients and parents have separate accounts, logins, and portals to ensure the teen has privacy when it comes to their care,” explained Dr. Mimi Winsberg, Co-Founder and Chief Medical Officer of Brightside Health. “The teen account allows the teen to access messaging with their providers, complete assessment check-ins for symptom monitoring, and connect to their live treatment sessions. The parent account is designed for the parent to be supportive and engaged in the teen’s care, while maintaining confidentiality around the teen’s treatment. Parents may access scheduling details, medication instructions (as applicable), crisis resources (when needed), and can join treatment sessions directly from their account when they are invited to do so.” 

“Brightside clinicians are able to provide caregivers with relevant resources related to addressing their teen’s needs,” shared Winsberg. “For teens who present with suicide or self-harm risk, parents are provided with crisis resources that outline warning signs and evidence-based recommendations for supporting their teen and keeping them safe.”  

The larger trend 

Brightside joins the many companies aiming to alleviate the teen mental health crisis and aligns with a broader trend in healthcare towards increased accessibility and specialized care for underserved populations. With the rise of digital health solutions, companies like Brightside Health are leveraging technology to bridge gaps in mental health care delivery. 

“As teens are one of the most at-risk populations, this is a meaningful expansion to support our mission,” shared Dr. Mimi Winsberg, Co-Founder and Chief Medical Officer of Brightside Health. “We are dedicated to applying our methods wherever the need is greatest, ensuring superior clinical outcomes and the safest care possible.”