FAQ

The BrightLife Kids experience

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Sessions with behavioral health experts

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Video sessions available in 19 languages

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Care guides to help you find local resources

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Digital library of articles and videos

Frequently asked questions

Who is BrightLife Kids for?

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BrightLife Kids is for any family living in California with kids 0-12 years old. Parents and caregivers can turn to BrightLife Kids for peer support and expert advice on how to handle behavioral challenges while teaching resilience, problem-solving, and communication. Kids benefit from resources and coaching that teach them how to manage worries, how to express big feelings like sadness, anger, or frustration in healthy ways, and how to navigate complicated or confusing social situations.

Do you need insurance?

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No. Insurance is not needed to use the BrightLife Kids program.

Is BrightLife Kids really free?

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Yes. BrightLife Kids is a program that is entirely paid for by the Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative (CYBHI). The CYBHI is a $4.7B package of investments initiated by Governor Gavin Newsom to support California’s kids. The goal is to give kids and families the opportunity to receive expert behavioral health support in an easy-to-access, digital format, at no cost to the families.

What age ranges can benefit from this?

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We offer personalized support, content, and resources for parents/caregivers of kids 0–12 years old.

What about for kids older than 12 years old?

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Our partner Kooth has created a no-cost program called Soluna that was built to support youth from 13–25 years old. Please visit SolunaApp.com to get more information.

How is BrightLife Kids different from the counselors I have at school?

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School counselors are a great in-person resource, especially for high-needs kids who need academic, career, and personal support. They also help every other student, every day. But sometimes issues or questions come up after school, on weekends, and over holidays. Or there might be times when you need to talk to someone about behavior, but the school counselor isn’t available. Think of BrightLife Kids — with our on-demand resources and video coaching — as an extra layer of support at no cost. We help boost the support at school by helping with family, relationships, and your child’s overall emotional development. Parents/caregivers and kids can get advice or information 24/7 from our library of articles and videos. They can also send a secure message to their coach anytime or schedule a private video coaching session from home, school, or wherever they are.

How do you work with school counselors or primary care providers?

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BrightLife Kids is an added layer of behavioral health support for students and families. School counselors or primary care providers can direct kids and families to BrightLife Kids for help and guidance. However, parents/caregivers and kids do not need a formal referral from anyone to access the program.

Does virtual care work well for children or is in-person care more effective?

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Virtual care for kids and their parents/caregivers has been found to be just as effective as in-person care, especially for common concerns like managing worries, sadness, anger, sleep, or tantrums. When in-person care is needed for situations that need an immediate or intensive response, or if a coach’s assessment determines a different level of care is required, BrightLife Kids will guide members to the right care in the community.

Is your team of providers diverse?

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BrightLife Kids is committed to providing our families with diverse and inclusive care. Our coaches are bilingual in English and Spanish. They come from diverse backgrounds (just like the families they work with) and are sensitive to different cultures, traditions, and ways of life. Coaches also have experience working with LGBTQ+, BIPOC, and gender-diverse populations. And BrightLife Kids has partnered with Violet to make sure our coaches have the right training.

Are services available in languages in addition to English?

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Yes. We have coaches who are bilingual (English/Spanish) and we offer live translation services that cover 17 other languages* for parents/caregivers who need it. Some of our on-demand digital resources are also available in both English and Spanish.

*Chinese, Vietnamese, Tagalog, Korean, Armenian, Russian, Farsi, Japanese, Arabic, Cambodian, Hindi, Hmong, Thai, Laotian, Punjabi, Mien, and Ukrainian

Does registration have to be completed by the parent?

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Yes, we ask that parents/caregivers complete the registration process for their kids.

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A photo of the Mackechnie family: Dawn, her partner, two children, and their dog
The Mackechnie family

“Brightline was there for our family at exactly the right time.

Having a coach on board during such a stressful time was a lifesaver.”

— Dawn Mackechnie, mom of 2

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