Webinar: Pioneering Behavioral Health Support for Young Californians
Between 2019 and 2021 in California, about one in three teens experienced serious psychological distress, and there was a 20 percent increase in adolescent suicides.
The State’s response to the mental health crisis includes two free behavioral health services applications: BrightLife Kids and Soluna. Both programs are free for all California families, regardless of income, health insurance, or immigration status. These apps focus on helping young people before serious mental health or behavioral issues arise.
LA Best Babies Network recently invited representatives of Brightline and Soluna to meetings of leaders in its network of home visiting organizations and Welcome Baby hospitals. Below is a recording of the presentation they gave on April 16, 2024, for Welcome Baby program managers.
In the presentation, they discuss the Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative (CYBHI), and how BrightLife Kids and Soluna factor into it. Brightlife Kids is a CalHOPE program, powered by Brightline, that offers behavioral health coaching for parents or caregivers and kids 0-12 years old. Soluna, powered by Kooth Digital Health, provides confidential chat and other online support for 13- to 25-year-olds in California. Both are funded by the California Department of Health Care Services.
How does Brightlife Kids coaching work?
- Families can view profiles of coaches and choose one who is a right fit for them
- Sessions are 30 minutes, once per week
- Sessions are virtual, private, and available in English, Spanish, and all other Medi-Cal threshold languages
- Families also have access to on-demand digital resources like articles and videos that can help between sessions
- Coaches also help families connect with other providers/services
Families don’t have to wait long to receive support because there is no waitlist for Brightlife Kids. This means families can have a coaching session and be seen within the week.
The Soluna app, for teens and young adults, offers three categories of support:
- Tier One: Self-Guided Resources (healthy habits, goal-setting, journaling)
- Tier Two: Community Support (additional activities, discussion boards, helpful articles)
- Tier Three: Professional Support (behavioral health coaching)
Watch the webinar recording here, and don’t miss the links to related resources below:
About the presenters:
Adriana de Franco is a Community Engagement Lead for Brightline, which developed Brightlife Kids. Brightline was created in 2019 to address the pediatric behavioral health crisis. They work with employers and major insurers nationwide to get families affordable, accessible mental health care. Previously, Adriana worked as a Community Engagement Manager at Unite Us. Adriana is committed to driving positive change through effective fundraising, community outreach, volunteer coordination, and engagement initiatives.
Yasmin Arias is a Customer Success Manager for Kooth Digital Health, which developed Soluna. Kooth Digital Health partners with state governments, education providers, health systems, health plan providers and workforces to help improve the prevalence of mental health issues in the U.S. Yasmin has a Bachelor’s Degree in Health Education and her philosophy is centered on empathy, optimism, and dedication.