InStride Health is helping address the pediatric mental health emergency by providing a proven care model to New Jersey children, teens, and young adults diagnosed with moderate to severe anxiety and OCD

NEW JERSEY, May 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- InStride Health, an insurance-based provider of evidence-based treatment for children, teens and young adults diagnosed with moderate to severe anxiety and OCD, is now providing behavioral health services in New Jersey. InStride's model is based on strong clinical outcomes data and years of hands-on experience gained at McLean Hospital, America's top-ranked psychiatric hospital and an affiliate of Harvard Medical School.

InStride's clinical co-founders, Dr. Mona Potter and Dr. Kathryn Boger, PhD, ABPP are both Harvard-trained clinicians who previously co-developed the innovative McLean Anxiety Mastery Program, "MAMP" -- a nationally recognized program for the treatment of moderate to severe pediatric anxiety and OCD. MAMP serves as the foundation for InStride's care model. Responding to the rapidly growing pediatric mental health crisis, millions of families in New Jersey can now receive evidence-based, personalized care that fits into their schedules, keeps kids in school, and is covered by insurance. Comprehensive treatment includes individual, family, and group therapy, coaching, and medication management.

InStride Health's clinical model is built around coordinated care teams that include psychiatrists, therapists and coaches who collaborate with the child's family, school, and pediatrician. InStride's technology-enhanced model improves access and affordability while providing rapid, sustainable results that address or prevent progression of common secondary issues, such as school nonattendance, substance use, depression and suicidality.

The Urgent Need According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, anxiety disorders affect 31.9% of adolescents between 13 and 18, but 80 percent of kids with a diagnosable anxiety disorder are not getting treatment. According to Advocates for Children of New Jersey, nearly 168,000 New Jersey children, or 10.7%, were struggling with anxiety and depression in 2020. This is up from 7.6% of children, or more than 130,000, in 2016. Furthermore, according to the National Institutes of Health, a systematic review found median rates of suicidal ideation and suicide attempts of 27.9% and 10.3% respectively, in people with OCD.

"Through nearly two decades of clinical work in academic medical centers, I've seen how well treatment works when we make it accessible, engaging and properly matched to the needs of families," said Mona Potter, MD, chief medical officer and co-founder, InStride Health. "We started InStride after getting countless calls from families who were not getting what they needed from our mental health system. We know that gap exists beyond our home state of Massachusetts, and we are grateful for the opportunity to extend our care to help fill that need in New Jersey." ABOUT INSTRIDE HEALTH Co-founded by the clinicians who co-developed the McLean Anxiety Mastery Program (MAMP) at McLean Hospital (part of the Mass General Brigham system and a Harvard Medical School affiliate), InStride Health offers technology-enhanced mental health treatment. Through this innovative care model, InStride is leading the way by providing much needed, insurance-based access to treatment that works for kids, teens, and young adults with moderate to severe anxiety and OCD. Driven by the belief that children and families living with mental health struggles deserve better access and outcomes, InStride is more than a continuum of care--it's a pathway to a healthier life and hope for a more promising future. The company was launched with $26M in funding from leading healthcare investors including .406 Ventures, Valtruis and Mass General Brigham Ventures. www.instride.health