Collaboration Aims to Enhance Access to Virtual Behavioral Healthcare

Amid a rapidly growing youth mental health crisis, Brightline and Evernorth Health Services have formed a partnership to support children and their families by expanding access to behavioral healthcare resources.

Brightline is a virtual behavioral health solution that aims to promote the mental and behavioral health of children, teenagers, and their families. To address the barriers surrounding behavioral healthcare access, Brightline will now be offered as an in-network benefit through Evernorth Health Services, the pharmacy, care, and benefits solutions division of The Cigna Group. 

According to research conducted by Brightline, 35 percent of working parents spend at least five hours a week attending to their child's behavioral health, most of whom said that this disrupts their ability to work.

“As the need for behavioral health services among families is skyrocketing, access to high-quality, evidence-based treatment options has not been able to keep up. Caregivers are walking a tightrope as they juggle work demands while trying to find the right support for their family,” said Naomi Allen, Brightline's co-founder, and CEO, in a press release. “We’re thrilled to work with Evernorth Health Services to fill the gap in care and bring much-needed support to more families in need.”

Through various care teams and evidence-based programs, Brightline provides children and their families nationwide access to virtual therapy, psychiatry, and coaching. Its teams include behavioral health coaches and licensed clinicians.

Brightline services focus on improving access to personalized on-demand support through telehealth and tracking the clinical progress of the patient and their families. The company offers services through a digital platform where parents can manage appointments and access educational materials.

“Our data shows that young people are grappling with increasingly serious mental health challenges, and that they have access to services that are specially designed to support them is critical,” said Stuart Lustig, MD, board-certified child psychiatrist and national medical executive for provider partnerships at Evernorth Health Services, in a press release. “With Brightline, we will connect our youngest patients with care and treatment options quickly and efficiently, while providing peace of mind for the entire family.”

Through the partnership, Brightline's services will be available to all Evernorth clients and Cigna Healthcare customers who receive health coverage through their employer or marketplace exchange plans.

Adding virtual resources to support access to pediatric specialty care is a growing practice.

For example, in May 2022, Boston Children’s began a collaboration with Summus Global to provide pediatric patients with enhanced access to specialty care.

Specifically, the collaboration involved Summus Global working alongside the innovation team and physician faculty at Boston Children’s Hospital to develop care access strategies. Additionally, Summus noted its intentions to support the Second Opinion Program, which was developed by Boston Children’s to adjust and improve treatment. 

Another partnership in August 2022 included the Children’s Hospital of New Orleans and Cleveland Clinic working together to enhance access to pediatric radiology experts through telehealth. Their goal was to provide access to these services 24/7.