(Boston, MA – October 3, 2022) – InStride Health, technology-enhanced mental health treatment for children and adolescents struggling with moderate to severe anxiety and OCD, announces its formal launch. Working in collaboration with McLean Hospital—America’s top-ranked psychiatric hospital and an affiliate of Harvard Medical School—InStride offers evidence-based treatment that is accessible, affordable and effective. In addition, InStride announces investments totaling $26M from .406 Ventures, Valtruis, and Mass General Brigham Ventures, which will accelerate the expansion of InStride’s innovative treatment offerings.
Responding to the rapidly growing pediatric mental health crisis, InStride’s model is based on strong clinical outcomes data and years of hands-on experience. InStride’s clinical co-founders, Mona Potter, MD, and Kathryn Boger, PhD, ABPP—both Harvard-trained clinicians—previously co-developed the McLean Anxiety Mastery Program (MAMP). MAMP is nationally recognized for its innovative approach in treating children and adolescents struggling with moderate to severe anxiety and OCD, and its success serves as the foundation for InStride’s care model.
InStride patients and their families engage in a tailored outpatient virtual care journey that includes individual and group therapy, coaching, and medication management delivered by a highly experienced coordinated care team of psychiatrists, therapists, and coaches. Covered by insurance and leveraging technology, InStride’s model emphasizes the human touch. This unique approach improves access and affordability while providing rapid, sustainable results that also address or prevent progression of common secondary issues such as school nonattendance, substance use, depression, and suicidality. Currently operating in Massachusetts, InStride has already begun the process to expand nationally.
“Over almost two decades of clinical work, I have seen how exhausting and overwhelming anxiety and OCD can be for families,” said Mona Potter, MD, chief medical officer and co-founder, InStride Health. “I also have seen how life-changing the right treatment can be. It has been heartbreaking to see how hard it is for families to get help, with too many kids unnecessarily ending up in ERs or inpatient units. This is why it was essential for us to build InStride and become a bigger part of the solution.”
InStride-McLean Collaboration
McLean Hospital, part of Mass General Brigham, is a world recognized leader in psychiatric care, research, professional and community education, outreach, and advocacy and is providing a range of advisory services to further InStride’s growth.
“InStride’s strategic collaboration with McLean, distinguished by their excellence in clinical care, cutting-edge research, and clinical training, positions us to respond to an urgent need to provide effective and accessible care for children and adolescents with moderate to severe anxiety and OCD,” said John Voith, chief executive officer and co-founder, InStride Health.
“There is power in the InStride-McLean collaboration,” said Scott L. Rauch, MD, president and psychiatrist in chief, McLean Hospital. “During their tenure at McLean, Drs. Potter and Boger demonstrated deep expertise and passion for helping children and families with anxiety. They are leaders in pediatric mental health and we are thrilled to work with them as they expand access to outpatient anxiety care and achieve their vision.”
Healthcare-focused Investment
InStride also announced it has raised $26M from leading healthcare investors including .406 Ventures, Valtruis and Mass General Brigham Ventures.
“We could not be more excited to be partnering with InStride’s world-class team, including our partners at McLean, to expand access to this clinical model we know can radically improve the lives of thousands of children and their families,” said Liam Donohue, founding partner, .406 Ventures.
“Valtruis partners with entrepreneurs and leaders like InStride Health whose solution can help advance our healthcare system into a modern value-based care system that lowers costs, expands access, improves the patient experience, and enhances outcomes for all. We are excited to support InStride as it scales its proven model to help more patients and families,” said Anna Haghgooie, managing director, Valtruis.
ABOUT INSTRIDE HEALTH
Co-founded by the clinicians who co-developed the McLean Anxiety Mastery Program (MAMP) at McLean Hospital, the nationally recognized program for children and adolescents with moderate to severe anxiety and OCD, InStride Health offers technology-enhanced mental health treatment. Through this innovative care model, InStride is leading the way to provide desperately needed access to more effective treatment of anxiety and OCD. Driven by the belief that children and families living with mental health struggles deserve better access and outcomes so they never have to worry alone, InStride is more than a continuum of care—it’s a pathway to a healthier life and hope for a more promising future.
ABOUT McLEAN HOSPITAL
McLean Hospital has a continuous commitment to put people first in patient care, innovation and discovery, and shared knowledge related to mental health. It is consistently named the #1 freestanding psychiatric hospital in the United States by U.S. News & World Report. McLean Hospital is the largest psychiatric affiliate of Harvard Medical School and a member of the Mass General Brigham healthcare system.
ABOUT .406 VENTURES
.406 Ventures is an early-stage technology venture capital firm investing in digital health and enterprise technology companies founded by visionary entrepreneurs. The firm leads, or co-leads, first institutional investment rounds in market-changing digital health and enterprise IT companies and world-class operators, who move quickly and embody successful entrepreneurial DNA with their passion, creativity and endurance.
Valtruis, a Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe company, provides a unique platform that invests in and partners with disruptive leaders whose mission is to align and transform healthcare through what is truly value-based care.
ABOUT MASS GENERAL BRIGHAM VENTURES
Mass General Brigham Ventures is an early-stage venture firm focused on investing in new life science technologies that emerge from the Mass General Brigham hospital research community. Founded in 2008, the firm has over $450 million in capital under management with a mission to bring bench-to-bedside innovations to market to solve unmet medical needs for the benefit of patients worldwide.