Daybreak Health Launches First-of-its-Kind Teletherapy Program Designed for Elementary-Aged Students and Their Families

SAN FRANCISCO (August 29, 2023) -- Daybreak Health, the leading provider of school-based mental health services, today rolled out a first-of-its-kind Elementary Family Teletherapy program that is designed for elementary-aged students and their families. This cognitive behavioral therapy-based (CBT) program will educate and empower families, who are referred by their child’s school, with the skills needed to help their child thrive and reach their full potential.

The state of youth mental health is at a critically low point with families more worried than ever about their child’s mental well-being, especially amid back-to-school season. For elementary-aged students, a family’s role is essential to addressing mental health challenges from an early age. Nearly 50% of mental health issues begin by the age of 14, and by equipping families with the knowledge and tools needed to intervene early on, students can experience the compounded benefits over time. 

Daybreak’s unique Elementary Family Teletherapy is offered through school district partnerships, and provides high-quality, evidence-based teletherapy sessions with a licensed clinician. Families have an intake appointment within 1-2 weeks of the referral.

“When kids are elementary-aged, family involvement can have a significant impact on their success, both at home and in school,” said Juan Treviño, Clinical Director at Daybreak Health. “Each student has their own unique challenges, so we can’t expect there to be a one-size-fits-all approach to mental health support. Working with each family on a personalized program helps to teach them the skills they need to best support their child.”

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The 12-week teletherapy program is tailored to each family’s individual needs, with topics ranging from attachment styles to child development to social and emotional learning. Daybreak’s program offers:

• Access to licensed clinicians: Families can participate in up to 12 weekly sessions of teletherapy with a licensed clinician. The length of the treatment program will be determined based on the intake call, in addition to the severity of each family’s needs.
  
  
• Evidence-based teletherapy services: The program uses the philosophies and framework to equip parents with skills to deal with behaviors such as anger, aggression, difficulty following directions, school behaviors, routines or negative attention seeking, and healthy attachment rooted in evidence-based practices.
  
  
• A unique program for each family: Teletherapy sessions for parents/guardians are customized with an interactive and engaging care style. Children may also attend some sessions, as recommended by the clinician.
  
  
• Flexible session times: Sessions can be scheduled around school and working hours so that families can meet with a clinician whenever and wherever is most convenient and comfortable for them.
  
  
• Improved outcomes for students: The program incorporates CBT-specific therapeutic interventions, with desired outcomes measured through improvement in childrens’ mental health, behavior, attendance at school, and communication skills.

Daybreak realizes the importance of involving families in their child’s mental health support services. When children are old enough to participate in teletherapy on their own, Daybreak has regular check-ins with families to share what they are working on with their child in therapy. Daybreak also offers live, virtual classes for families to learn about youth mental health and how they can effectively understand, identify, and support a child's needs. 

Utilizing Daybreak’s recently announced Series B funding with over 60 district partners across the U.S., the team will continue to expand its family-focused programs to help schools meet the unique needs of students. 

“Schools play a vital role in addressing the youth mental health crisis, not only for providing services that are directly used by students, but for families as well – who are a crucial part of the solution,” said Daybreak Health CEO and Co-Founder Alex Alvarado. “Family-focused intervention has proven to be effective in resolving mental health challenges – particularly for young children who are starting to build their core behavioral skills. With the right resources in place, families can proactively become part of the solution and help to set their kids up for success.”

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To learn more about Daybreak’s Elementary Family Teletherapy program, visit https://www.daybreakhealth.com/programs. 

‍About Daybreak Health‍

Daybreak Health partners with school districts to provide personalized mental health support to empower each student to be successful—in school and life. As the leading school-based teletherapy provider, Daybreak’s programs are designed to give students access to high-quality, affordable, and culturally competent care to meet their unique needs. Our evidence-based model treats students to a place of concrete improvement to drive academic outcomes like better grades, higher attendance, and behavioral improvements. To learn more about Daybreak’s school-based mental health programs, visit daybreakhealth.com. 

‍Contact Details

Jen Weber, Inkhouse for Daybreak Health

daybreak@inkhouse.com 

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