Partnership expands access to high-quality, affordable adolescent and children's behavioral health services

SEATTLE, Feb. 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Accolade, Inc. (Nasdaq: ACCD) announced today that Brightline, a comprehensive pediatric behavioral health solution built for children, teens, their parents, and caregivers, has joined the company's Trusted Partner Ecosystem. The Brightline partnership builds on Accolade's existing behavioral health partnerships with Headspace, Lyra, and Equip and internal capabilities, including an in-house behavioral health advocacy team, Accolade Care therapists, and consulting psychiatrists.

The Physician Gap hampers access to pediatric behavioral health. Therapist and psychiatrist shortages and high out-of-network costs result in families waiting months to receive care, paying exorbitant fees, or not receiving the critical care they need. The burden of coordinating pediatric behavioral healthcare falls solely on parents, causing frustration, burnout, and career sacrifices. A survey by Brightline found 36% of parents and caregivers whose children had experienced behavioral health issues spent an average of five hours a day or more managing their children's care.

Brightline's solution engages and supports families throughout their journey by offering on-demand support to address concerns and quickly move them into care, leading to less stress and better outcomes. Brightline offers on-the-go access to content with tips and guidance for families and coaching support. Comprehensive care from therapists and prescribers covers a range of subclinical and clinical conditions like anxiety, depression, stress, ADHD, behavioral issues, and mild to moderate eating and substance misuse concerns.

"Limited access to pediatric behavioral health services is contributing to the mental health crisis in the United States," said Accolade Chief Medical Officer Dr. Connie Hwang. "Brightline bridges that gap with a family-focused care model that delivers pediatric behavioral healthcare to improve the mental health and well-being of children and adolescents."

Brightline members can access therapy and coaching appointments within one week. The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry found the average wait time for traditional pediatric behavioral healthcare is 7.5 weeks. Available in all 50 states, Brightline has relationships with national health plans and over 500 employers.

"Our in-house behavioral health team works tirelessly to connect members in need with high-quality, affordable pediatric behavioral health support. We help them move through the daunting barriers to care access," said Nancy Costlow, Accolade Senior Director, Clinical Shared Services.

Brightline CEO Naomi Allen echoes enthusiasm for the partnership. "Brightline is dedicated to improving access to personalized, pediatric behavioral healthcare that works for every family. We are thrilled to partner with Accolade to help drive awareness of Brightline's solution and improve access to a critical benefit that is missing for many families today."

About Accolade's Trusted Partner Ecosystem

Launched in 2019, Accolade's Trusted Partner Ecosystem accelerates the performance of digital health solutions to improve outcomes across valued categories for employers. Accolade's ecosystem consists of 17 partners in 11 categories, including:

• Behavioral health (Brightline, Equip, Headspace, Lyra)
• Benefits selection (Jellyvision)
• Centers of excellence (Carrum Health, Employer Direct Healthcare)
• Diabetes (Virta)
• Fertility (Carrot Fertility, Kindbody)
• Financial health (Brightside)
• Gastrointestinal (Vivante Health)
• Health equity (FOLX)
• Musculoskeletal (Hinge Health, Sword Health)
• Pharmacy (Rx Savings Solutions)
• Wellness (WellRight)

Benefits teams can confidently select from thoroughly vetted solutions and enjoy streamlined contracting and implementation. Through qualified referrals, Accolade drives more engagement with partner solutions, leading to exponentially better health outcomes and better value. Learn more here.

About Accolade

Accolade (Nasdaq: ACCD) is a Personalized Healthcare company that provides millions of people and their families with exceptional healthcare experiences so they can live their healthiest lives. Accolade's employer, health plan, and consumer solutions combine virtual primary care and mental health, expert medical opinions, and best-in-class care navigation. These offerings are built on a platform engineered to care through predictive engagement of population health needs, proactive care that improves outcomes and cost savings, and by addressing barriers to access and continuity of care. Accolade consistently receives consumer satisfaction ratings of over 90%. For more information, visit accolade.com. Follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. 

About Brightline

Founded in 2019, Brightline is the first comprehensive behavioral health solution built specifically to care for children, teens, and their families across a range of common challenges. With multidisciplinary care teams, a family-focused approach, evidence-based care delivery, and innovative technology, Brightline can support families with whatever challenges they are facing and help them thrive long-term. Learn more at hellobrightline.com.

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SOURCE Accolade, Inc.

Accolade Media Relations, media@accolade.com