Meet InStride Health:
Treatment That Walks Alongside Kids as They Confront Anxiety in Daily Life
By StoryStudio on October 2, 2024 11:19 AM
It’s Monday morning and a familiar scene is playing out in households across the nation: Mom is on a tight schedule to get everyone off to school, feed the dog, and make it to work on time. One of the kids starts complaining about a stomachache and begins crying and pleading to stay home from school. This same scenario has been happening for months and, now that medical issues have been ruled out, Mom believes that the symptoms truly stem from fear and anxiety. If the child stays home, she’ll fall farther behind in schoolwork, will become more socially isolated – and mom will have to scramble to put childcare in place or miss more work. At the same time, Mom doesn’t know how she will get her out of the house and to school when she is feeling like this.
This same dynamic occurs in households across the country and the local communities across the state of Virginia are no different. Nearly one third of youth in the US will struggle with an anxiety disorder by the age of 18, according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA). Social anxiety, fears/phobias, separation anxiety, and generalized anxiety are all on the rise. These conditions disrupt the lives of children and their families, and the cost of treatment is often prohibitive.
InStride Health, a specialty pediatric anxiety and OCD outpatient treatment provider, is combating these concerning trends. While InStride Health treats kids with anxiety and/or OCD across the full range of acuity, their expertise is in supporting young people (ages 7-22) whose symptoms are causing impairment in life – including school avoidance, social isolation, family disruption, and physical symptoms.
InStride Health takes a unique approach to treating anxiety – they effectively walk alongside their patients by taking treatment out of the office to help kids face anxiety and OCD where it lives—out in the real world. They use everyday tools like text, phones, and video sessions to give real-time support and exposure coaching to help kids build skills and habits to get them back on track for good. The InStride Health program is covered by most major insurance plans in the ten states in which it operates, including its recent expansion to Virginia.
SPONSORED BY InStride Health
Real-time, Real-world Support
We bring treatment to life through active engagement with real-world triggers. Our goal is to help individuals and families build skills and resilience where they're needed the most.
The InStride Health care team provides real-time care and guidance that would otherwise be unattainable in a non-virtual setting. They practice exposure therapy via text, video and phone in busy environments like schools, stores, and neighborhoods, where fears are present. They tailor the program to every individual patient and their specific needs, with InStride Health’s three-phase program evolving from an intensive start, tapering to a period of practicing and skill building, and concluding with a maintenance phase and program graduation when skills have become new habits.
Unparalleled level of care
Dr. Mona Potter, Chief Medical Officer and Co-Founder at InStride Health.
Each individual participating in InStride Health benefits from a dedicated, 3-person multidisciplinary care team consisting of a therapist, psychiatrist, and exposure coach. Working in concert with parents, school counselors, and pediatricians, the care team tailors treatment to the specific needs of the child and their family. They provide multiple ways to learn and build new habits, including through therapy, exposure coaching, and groups. Medication management is available, as needed. There are also groups specifically for caregivers so that they can learn how to best support their children.
Dedicated Team
The goal of our care team is to work ourselves out of a job. Ultimately, we strive to foster self-sufficiency rather than perpetual dependence on the treatment team, empowering kids, teens, and young adults with the skills and understanding to manage their anxiety and OCD and move forward with confidence.
Kathryn Boger, PhD, ABPP, Chief Clinical Officer and Co-Founder of InStride Health
As most pediatricians will tell you, addressing behaviors that are impairing a child’s ability to live a happy, healthy life is crucial to their development. If your child’s anxiety or OCD is leading to a restriction of activities (e.g., school avoidance, difficulty participating in social situations), family disruption and fatigue, or even physical symptoms like headaches and GI issues, InStride Health can help.
Although InStride Health’s approach to care may sound new, it’s built on an evidence-based clinical model that Drs. Boger and Potter developed and refined over a decade at the largest Harvard-affiliated medical school and #1 freestanding psychiatric hospital in the nation, ranked by US News & World Report. The cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) model, with a focus on exposure and response prevention (ERP), empowers patients to face their fears and build resilience.
Most importantly, the innovative model produces significant results, not just for the child but for parents and caregivers as well. Initial outcomes show that 90% of InStride Health graduates report a reduction in anxiety symptoms following two months of treatment1 while 91% of caregivers noted a reduction in their own distress after seven months2.
“We cannot begin to tell you what a difference we have seen in our daughter since beginning InStride,” says the parent of a recent graduate. “She’s gone from not attending her classes to going to all of them, having a part- time job after school and making new friends.”
Empowerment through Evidence-Based Care
An important differentiator for InStride Health is that its proven treatment is easily accessible and covered by most major insurances3, including Anthem BCBS, Optum/UnitedHealthcare, Oxford Health Plan, Oscar, Mass General Brigham Health Plan, Government Employees Health Association (GEHA), ConnectiCare, Horizon BCBS. There are no waitlists. Parents looking for help need only apply online and within 24 hours, an InStride Health representative will reach out to schedule a phone screening. Accepted patients typically start their treatment journey within 1-4 weeks and graduate within 4 to 12 months.
“When our pediatrician gave me referrals for my daughter, the waitlists were over 6 months!” the parent of a recent graduate recalls. “When your child is spiraling and getting worse by the day, it’s heartbreaking to think that you’ll have to wait that long for help. Fortunately, I found InStride. The team was able to start working with her right away and I quickly saw my daughter learning the skills and strategies that she needed to get better.”
How to Access Care at InStride Health
The InStride Health care team supports you and your practice by providing a streamlined referral process and important feedback at key treatment milestones.
A Note for Providers
As measured by the GAD7, among program graduates with initial elevated anxiety symptoms at admission (GAD7>=8) Among caregivers of graduated patients Anthem BCBS, Optum/UnitedHealthcare, Oxford Health Plan, Oscar, Mass General Brigham Health Plan, Government Employees Health Association (GEHA), ConnectiCare, Horizon BCBS. InStride Health recommends that families call the number on the back of their insurance card to confirm coverage. Please note, not all plans under carriers are accepted. InStride Health is continually working to add new insurance options and expand to new states.
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Our collaboration with InStride Health ensures that we can connect patients with a specialized care team that provides exemplary, evidence-based treatments, all while the child remains in their home and school environment.
Bert Mandelbaum, MD, Referring pediatrician at Princeton Nassau Pediatrics
I am so grateful for this amazing program. We learned so much and continue to use the skills daily. Our lives are back on track, and our daughter is living a typical life thanks to InStride Health!
A parent of a recent graduate
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Questions? Visit InStride Health's website
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The journey towards a better life starts with early identification and the right treatment.
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I loved the inclusion of a psychiatrist in the care team and the chance to talk with other parents and build my own skills during the caregiver group sessions...
Parent of InStride Graduate
I loved the inclusion of a psychiatrist in the care team and the chance to talk with other parents and build my own skills during the caregiver group sessions. My daughter loved that she didn’t need to take time away from her other activities to focus on therapy - instead treatment was flexible enough to fit into her lifestyle. She found comfort knowing that her coach was just a text away. We both loved the results that InStride delivered!
Parent of InStride Graduate
Testimonials
I’ve referred many patients to InStride, because they truly go above and beyond to ensure that all aspects of patient care are addressed...
Manuela Villa, PhD, Psychologist at Boston Children’s Hospital
I’ve referred many patients to InStride, because they truly go above and beyond to ensure that all aspects of patient care are addressed, and their unique approach results in excellent patient outcomes and high levels of patient satisfaction.”
Manuela Villa, PhD, Psychologist at Boston Children’s Hospital
InStride Health has been a real change in the outcomes of children...
Erin Delaney, Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner at Schoolhouse Counseling Center
InStride Health has been a real change in the outcomes of children because treatment is readily available, accessible, affordable, and convenient.
I gave my friend a long list of options but put InStride at the top of the list. The InStride team responded to my friend immediately...
Ben Hillyard, M.Ed., LCMHC
As a therapist one of the most difficult calls is when a dear friend is in crisis, especially when it’s their child. You know there is often limited availability and long waitlists. I gave my friend a long list of options but put InStride at the top of the list. The InStride team responded to my friend immediately, thoughtfully guided the family throughout the process and started treatment quickly. The outcome was far better than I could have imagined and my friend is on a profoundly better path.
Ben Hillyard, M.Ed., LCMHC
Erin Delaney, Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner at Schoolhouse Counseling Center
FAQs
Do you offer in-person or only telehealth?
What is exposure therapy?
How long of a waitlist does InStride Health have?
What insurances do you accept?
Am I able to participate in therapy with my child?
Is an existing diagnosis needed to apply?
Do you offer in-person or only telehealth?
We engage patients and families in a fully virtual care journey that research has shown to be as effective as in-person treatment for youth with anxiety and OCD. The treatment plan is personalized to fit into an individual’s life, rather than the other way around. While we offer regularly scheduled therapy sessions, we also have real-time exposure coaching sessions as well as between session check-ins via phone and text to help engage kids in treatment and increase accountability. Individuals have the opportunity to be supported by their therapist/coach virtually while doing exposure exercises out in the community using portable devices and headphones.
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What is exposure therapy?
Exposure therapy is a key component of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) that involves purposely confronting the situations, objects, and places that trigger your anxiety and/or OCD symptoms to break the cycle of fear and avoidance. Your InStride therapist will work with you to develop a roadmap for exposure practice. Your therapist and exposure coach will then support you in practicing your exposures out in the real world—at school, in stores, in restaurants, in your home, and in your neighborhood—wherever you need it most and at a pace that feels right for you.
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How long of a waitlist does InStride Health have?
None! Within 24 hours of an application being submitted, a member of the InStride Health team will reach out to the child's family and treatment typically begins within 1-4 weeks, depending on the family’s schedule.
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What insurances do you accept?
In the states in which we practice, we accept most major insurers. To check if we accept your insurance, use our insurance finder (www.instride.health/insurance). We recommend that families call the number on the back of their insurance card to confirm current coverage, as we’re continually working to add new insurance options and new states. Note: At this time, we do not accept Medicaid.
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Am I able to participate in therapy with my child?
Parents and/or caregivers are an integral part of the treatment process. At a minimum, we ask that parents participate in the initial clinical and medication evaluations as well as intermittent treatment review sessions. We also highly encourage you to participate in parent/caregiver groups and additional family and/or psychiatry sessions, as needed. For young adults (aged 18+), we work with the individual and family to determine the most appropriate plan of action, based on their unique needs and circumstances.
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Is an existing diagnosis needed to apply?
No existing formal diagnosis is needed to apply. Early in our treatment process, each individual participates in a comprehensive clinical diagnostic evaluation so that an individually tailored, evidence-based treatment plan can be developed.
How do I know if InStride Health can help?
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How do I know if InStride Health can help?
If you or your child experience any of the following - school avoidance, generalized anxiety or excessive worry, obsessions and compulsions, panic attacks, social anxiety, separation anxiety, fears/phobias, perfectionism, academic anxiety, health anxiety, selective mutism, tics, hair pulling, skin picking, eating-related fears (ARFID), or PANS/PANDAS - we can help you.
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