Naomi Allen
Nov 5, 2024
Nearly one year ago, Brightline launched a program built specifically to support the mental health of California families.
Proudly developed in partnership with the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) and funded through its Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative (CYBHI), BrightLife Kids was born out of a shared desire to serve kids, support caregivers, and meet the needs of families across the state.
And over the last 11 months, the State of California has made it possible for us to positively impact tens of thousands of kids and caregivers.
California has always been a place where new ideas don’t just grow — they thrive. But California doesn’t only care about being on the cutting edge, it cares about its people. The innovators at DHCS understand that early investment in mental health has a profound effect on the overall well-being of families, which is why our partnership makes so much sense.
This groundbreaking new program shines a light on the need for equitable, inclusive mental healthcare, and then delivers it to those who need it most. BrightLife Kids ensures that every family who wants it can receive free, safe, confidential mental and behavioral health support. Families don’t need a referral or insurance — just a California zip code qualifies them.
BrightLife Kids is for every California family with kids ages 0–12. We are paving a crucial path to support underserved communities who continue to grapple with two debilitating challenges — disproportionate barriers to affordable and accessible mental healthcare, and rising levels of familial, health, and financial stress.
The need in the communities we’re serving has never been more urgent. BrightLife Kids is meeting these families where they live and work, delivering the help they deserve:
According to the Healthy Places Index (HPI), more than half (53%) of BrightLife Kids families live in underserved communities.
BrightLife Kids is reaching families of multiple racial and ethnic backgrounds, with the highest percentage of families in live care identifying as Hispanic/Latinx.
Many of our coaches are bilingual in English and Spanish, and coaching sessions can be held in 17 other languages through live interpreters.
Of families in coaching with BrightLife Kids, 80% identify as BIPOC.
Overall, 5% of California families live in rural counties. And 5.7% of BrightLife Kids families live in rural counties. This shows that the program is reaching rural California families, who may otherwise not have access to expert behavioral healthcare.
CYBHI and BrightLife Kids set a goal to reach families across the state and we are actively working to exceed benchmarks. In 2024, the response to the program has been overwhelmingly positive — but not surprising. The multitudes of families that we are serving is ever-increasing, which tells us we are in the right place, with the right support, at the right time.
Here are just a few reasons why BrightLife Kids is an integral part of California’s initiative to meet the needs of young people, especially those who face the greatest systemic barriers to wellness:
The need for trusted, culturally informed and responsive mental health tools for kids and caregivers who identify as part of BIPOC and/or LGBTQ+ communities is unique — and for many, that need goes unmet.
The families we support experience more stress (particularly financial stress) than other coaching populations.
When kids struggle, so do parents — caregiver mental health declines when they are concerned about their child. And when parents struggle, the whole family is impacted.
Without access to this kind of early intervention, families are forced to wait for help until they’re in crisis, when expensive emergency care is the only option.
We are improving access to early intervention mental health care, especially in rural, remote, and underserved areas where traditional services are often limited or non-existent.
BrightLife Kids members meet with their coaches for 1:1 live video sessions, send questions through our secure chat feature, read articles in our digital library, and attend our monthly webinars. And our Community Engagement team attends events in multiple counties each month, meeting face-to-face with hundreds of new families to explain what we do and how we can help their families manage big emotions, navigate behavioral challenges, and build skills they can all use for a lifetime. Behind the scenes, they’re meeting with school districts, superintendents, and organizations to add even more school, health, and community groups to our affiliate network.
BrightLife Kids is already making a tremendous difference in the lives of kids and caregivers across the state of California. And we’re just getting started. To learn more, visit us at brightlife.kids or email [email protected].
