As a dual-certified nurse practitioner in primary care and behavioral health, Amy Edgar recognized the medical community’s tendency to separate primary care and mental health.
Then, in 2014, he founded Blackbird Health, a youth mental health company aimed at solving this problem.that announced Last week, it raised $17 million in Series A funding.
“We wanted to be a one-stop shop, which means the moment a customer walks in the door, we do everything we can to understand what’s going on. We should have access to service providers to address anything we find,” Edgar said in an interview. Viv Tuesday in Los Angeles. She is the company’s chief clinical officer.
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania blackbird health We provide virtual and in-person care to children and youth struggling with social, developmental, and school-related challenges. We focus on finding the root cause of symptoms and specialize in a variety of conditions including anxiety, depression, ADHD, speech disorders, autism, and more. Patients begin with an intake meeting and screening, followed by an assessment process to understand the patient’s strengths and challenges. Patients then receive a diagnosis and individualized treatment plan, and are assigned to a care team. The company’s services include behavioral therapy, individual and family counseling, speech therapy, and more. We operate in Pennsylvania and Virginia and have a network of insurance companies.
The $17 million Series A funding round was led by Define Ventures, with participation from: Frist Cressey Ventures and GreyMatter. In total, the startup has raised approximately $23 million.
Define Ventures chose to invest in Blackbird Health because it provides personalized care that identifies the root cause of symptoms.
“Blackbird Health represents the future of mental health care – a future defined by innovation and a commitment to significant cost savings and superior outcomes, with its personalized, technology-driven solutions and I see a huge opportunity in focusing on understanding the underlying drivers,” Chirag Shah, partner at Define Ventures, said in a statement. “Our investment in Blackbird is based on our long-held belief that the most successful models in pediatric mental health must fundamentally focus on quality care. We embody this better than any other organization we’ve ever seen.”
With this funding, Blackbird Health is focused on expanding service delivery and care. We are also investing in enabling technology.
“We’re really looking at the patient experience and the efficiencies that we can get from technology,” Edgar said.
Ultimately, the company is focused on making care more holistic rather than fragmented.
“We live in a reductionist world,” Edgar declared. “The question is, how do we break this down and understand these parts? The problem we’re trying to solve is actually the opposite. How do we understand the whole thing and understand this part? It’s about identifying strengths and weaknesses and helping them develop.”
Other mental health startups supporting young people include Brightline and Charlie Health.
Photo: SI Photography, Getty Images
