Manatee, mental health care for families is launching in New Jersey.

Manatee’s innovative virtual care model joins Horizon Healthcare Services, Inc. line-up of in-network providers. Manatee is a mental and behavioral health solution designed for children, adolescents and families, providing seamless access through their family app and care team of licensed therapists, parent coaches and peers.

1 out of 5 children have an emotional, mental, or behavioral disorder and in New Jersey alone, 38,000 more kids battle anxiety and depression than 6 years ago. Despite this growing need, nearly 80% of kids don't have access to the traditional care model.

“The need for child and adolescent mental health services is at an all-time high and supporting our youngest members and their families is of the utmost importance to us,'' said Rachel Goldberg, Director, BH Partnerships & Product Innovation at Horizon. “We are excited to add Manatee to our extensive behavioral health network and our growing community of virtual providers who deliver evidence based treatment through cutting edge technology to help get kids and parents the support they need in the modality that is right for them.”

Despite studies showing that family based treatment is the most effective modality across a wide range of behavioral issues, only a fraction of traditional care is focused on the whole family. Family relationships are a key driver to child wellbeing and with 1 in 14 caregivers living with mental health issues themselves, a ‘child-only’ approach often lacks engagement and outcomes.

“As a parent of 3, I know it doesn’t make sense to treat a kid in a vacuum, because they don't live in a vacuum,” said Damayanti Dipayana, co-founder and CEO of Manatee. “Kids respond to the world they live in, and most importantly, their family relationships. The focus of care must be to strengthen the family unit and empower parents to become the best parents they can be.”

Manatee is built for today’s family and treats a child holistically, taking into consideration their family relationships, school environment, and community - made possible by seamlessly integrating their technology into daily life.

Manatee’s approach is working; 93% of families complete their first 6-week care plan and 76% of children show clinically significant outcomes after only 6 weeks. Above all, in the last 12 months, Manatee’s technology identified 41 children at risk of suicide and with only a fraction of their caregivers being aware of the child’s distress.

“Great mental health care cannot be one size fits all. Our model blends clinical best practices with our proprietary tech to deeply personalize care for each family,” says Dr. Mercedes Oromendia, Manatee’s Chief Clinical Officer. “Our app extends therapy beyond a session by driving progress, skill building, and family connection. Because for each hour a family spends in their weekly session, they are spending 167 hours outside of it!”

Ultimately, Horizon partnered with Manatee to solve a massive need to support children’s mental health with a whole-family, innovative and evidence-based approach. Manatee is committed to closing the gap for the 80% of kids who need support, but as it stands today, are unable to get it.

About Manatee

Manatee builds happy families. Manatee’s virtual mental healthcare solution takes a whole family approach to mental health for children, teens and parents and focuses on deepening relationships. Founded by Damayanti Dipayana and Shawn Kuenzler, backed by leading investors and recognized across the health industry by winning the Prime Health Challenge, Children’s LA Digital Health Lab and HLTH startup competition. Learn more at getmanatee.com

About Horizon

Horizon Healthcare Services Inc, (Horizon) New Jersey’s oldest and largest health insurer is a tax-paying, not-for-profit health service corporation, providing a wide array of medical, dental, vision and prescription insurance products and services. Horizon is leading the transformation of health care in New Jersey by working with doctors and hospitals to deliver innovative, patient-centered programs that reward the quality, not quantity, of care patients receive. Learn more at HorizonBlue.com.

See full press release here.