CrossTx, a market-leading closed-loop referral management and care coordination software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform for behavioral and mental health networks, announced a strategic partnership with Erika’s Lighthouse to introduce new integrated programs to improve outcomes across the Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) framework for improved student mental health. Erika’s Lighthouse is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to educating and raising awareness about adolescent depression, encouraging good mental health, and addressing and, ultimately, eliminating the stigma surrounding mental health issues.
The COVID-19 pandemic has intensified a growing mental health crisis across American public schools as anxiety, depression, and other behavioral conditions manifest in young children and adolescents in middle school and high school communities across the country. During this time, many school districts faced additional severe challenges connecting their students with mental health service providers. Often a disjointed and siloed environment, school districts needed a way to integrate mental and behavioral health services with both internal resources as well as external third-party providers throughout the community. With a goal to make students safer, healthier, and more productive, many schools struggled with staff and mental health provider shortages. District staff were often overwhelmed and unable to connect students and family members with the appropriate level of mental health services.
CrossTx serves rural health clinics, critical access hospitals, and federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) in over 20 states across America. The company recently expanded to support digital behavioral health referral networks in public school districts, which led to a partnership with Erika’s Lighthouse.
CrossTx’s Chief Business Officer Daniel O’Connor shared, “CrossTx started serving school districts by mid-2021 as these customers sought a way to support improved mental health closed-loop referral management, care coordination, documentation, and outcomes reporting. With an aim to leave no child behind, both CrossTx and Erika’s Lighthouse are committed to ensuring all students across the country can access the mental health services they need, at the right time, the right place, and with the right provider.”
Chad Nybo, CrossTx’s founder and Chief Executive Officer, added, “CrossTx established a leadership position in the world of Medicare Chronic Care and referral management. Over time, we have established larger behavioral health referral networks that naturally extend to school districts, especially where mental health services are in high demand.”
Erika’s Lighthouse strives to ensure adolescents in school districts can take advantage of the range of free tools and best practices to empower students to transcend depression and other mental health conditions. The organization also works with students so they can take advantage of technology to ensure they can seamlessly and expeditiously access reliable, high-quality mental health services, regardless of their financial circumstances.
Brandon Combs, the Executive Director of Erika’s Lighthouse, said, “We are focused on programs and resources for all students that can reduce stigma, promote good mental health practices, and encourage help-seeking behavior. It is vital that, once students step forward, schools have the tools they need to connect them to care. Access to therapy and treatment should be key pieces of a school’s mental health approach.”
In addition to offering joint services to existing school district clients, both CrossTx and Erika’s Lighthouse will offer a series of webinars to educate school districts about end-to-end services to help adolescents transcend the mental health crises while bringing stable, consistent care, and ongoing support.
