We Are Transforming Mental Health Support for Students
bryt's Statewide Expansion
For some students struggling with mental health conditions, the school year will be interrupted by an extended absence. But thanks to an unprecedented $13 million state investment by Governor Maura Healey and the Massachusetts Legislature, students at more than 45 schools across Massachusetts will have access for the first time to The Brookline Center’s bryt program. In particular, the funds are accelerating bryt expansion in economically challenged and under-resourced communities, including Boston, Brockton, and Springfield.
bryt (pronounced “bright”) transforms how schools support students who have experienced a mental health disruption. Using its signature model for support, bryt helps schools implement effective interventions that enable students to successfully transition back to school after a mental health crisis. Since its launch in 2004 at Brookline High School, bryt has reshaped how schools statewide approach student mental health. Now active in over 200 schools across Massachusetts, bryt has helped thousands of students successfully resume their education with more than 85% of program participants completing their academic year and continuing to the next grade or graduation.
In announcing the investment, Governor Healey highlighted the growing need for programs like bryt. “Far too many young people in Massachusetts have been affected by a growing mental health crisis that was only amplified by the pandemic,” she said. “Every student should have the support needed to balance their mental health and education. Expanding bryt is a critical step that is bringing us closer to that goal.”
“With schools facing budget cuts due to the end of federal COVID-19 relief and rising costs, it’s become increasingly difficult to introduce critical interventions like bryt—even though they’re more needed than ever,” said Paul Hyry-Dermith, Director of bryt. “We’re proud to be able to support these additional schools with the funding they need to launch and sustain bryt programs.”
This year marks the 20th anniversary of the program’s founding at Brookline High School, and efforts are underway to create a pathway for schools nationwide to bring bryt to their students. The bryt national team is developing a strategic framework for scaling the program, with initial expansion targeted in Connecticut, New York, Ohio, and Rhode Island.
Learn more about Massachusetts’s historic bryt investment