SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Daybreak Health, the leading provider of school-based mental health services, announced today it raised $13 million in a Series B funding round, bringing its total capital raised to date to $25 million. This latest funding round, led by Union Square Ventures and joined by new investor Lux Capital and existing investors Lightspeed Venture Partners, Maven Ventures and Y Combinator, will be used to propel its geographic expansion and partner with more of the nation’s top school districts.
According to U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy, the decline in youth mental health is the “defining public health crisis of our time.” The record demand for youth mental health services disproportionately affects teens who are at the highest risk of mental health challenges including youth who identify as BIPOC, LGBTQ+, low income, live in rural areas, are experiencing homelessness, and/or come from immigrant households. Daybreak Health helps students access personalized care through the place they spend the majority of their time — school. Our schools must play a vital role in providing high-quality, affordable and culturally competent mental health services to ensure equitable access to these services.
“Daybreak is solving a critical crisis facing our nation’s youth and families,” said Rebecca Kaden, Managing Partner at Union Square Ventures. “We not only believe in Daybreak’s mission, but also its long-term vision of serving as an extension of our schools’ mental health infrastructure to make lasting, positive change for this generation. The Daybreak team is leading the way in leveraging existing school infrastructure to reach kids through the right channels and at the right moment to maximize impact. The team's combination of expertise from education, healthcare, and technology ecosystems, as well as their speed and deep empathy, sets them apart and the progress they are making in the market reflects the impact of their approach."
“Adolescence is where the foundation for one’s lifetime mental health is set, and unfortunately adolescents are experiencing more mental health issues than ever before — yet, most existing solutions focus on treating mental health in adults,” said Deena Shakir, General Partner at Lux Capital. “Daybreak’s partnerships with leading health plans across the country bolster school districts' capacity to make youth mental health programs more accessible and affordable for students and families of all socioeconomic backgrounds.”
With over 60 district partners across the U.S., Daybreak is addressing this gap in care by making experienced youth mental health clinicians accessible to students through proprietary, evidence-based teletherapy programs that support students’ unique needs. All of Daybreak’s clinicians are personally matched to each student—based on presenting needs, cultural background, language, personal preferences—and specialize across different mental health conditions and modalities of care. 81% of students who went through Daybreak’s program in the ‘22-’23 school year showed symptomatic and behavioral improvements.
“Daybreak is committed to partnering with our nation’s school districts to make mental health support accessible to all kids who need it,” said Daybreak Health CEO and Co-Founder Alex Alvarado. “We believe that every child, regardless of their background, should be able to access high-quality, personalized care that’s tailored to their specific needs so they can reach their full potential—in school and at home. Our program data shows that four out of five school counselors report noticeable improvements in student’s symptoms and 92% of families report behavioral improvements at home.”
Daybreak is working with existing district partners to bring teletherapy into their school systems in an effort to expand their mental health teams’ capacity and close a critical gap. The National Association of School Psychologists recommends a ratio of 1 school psychologist per 500 students, but they estimate there’s currently a ratio of 1 per 1,211 students. Additionally, Daybreak offers other services like mental health classes for school staff and families as well as tools for early identification of students that could benefit from mental health support.
“Our partnership with Daybreak Health has proven to be instrumental for both our staff and students,” said Dr. Hani Youssef, Superintendent for Simi Valley Unified School District in California. “Daybreak understands our mission of supporting students in becoming the best potential version of themselves. Our students have learned new strategies that they use at school and at home and have shown academic improvements despite the challenges they are facing.”
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.
