Press & Media Coverage
News stories, press releases, awards, and research featuring BRYT, the Brookline Resilient Youth Team.
Press & Media Coverage
BRYT has been covered by regional and national outlets, recognized by leading mental health organizations, and cited in peer-reviewed research. This page collects the key stories, announcements, and awards that document the program’s growth and impact.
In the News
CBS Boston / WBZ-TV — It Happens Here
Brookline program helps kids get back to school after mental health disruptions
May 19, 2022 | Kate Merrill
A feature on BRYT’s expansion from Brookline High School to more than 230 schools across seven states, with interviews from BRYT National Director Paul Hyry-Dermith, Cambridge Rindge and Latin social worker Ashley Sitkin, and students helped by the program.
KQED MindShift / The Hechinger Report
How a Program Can Help Students Re-enter School After a Mental Health Crisis
February 9, 2020 | Alfonso Serrano, The Hechinger Report
A long-form look at how BRYT supports students returning to school after mental health-related absences, with reporting from Cambridge Rindge & Latin and Boston Arts Academy.
New England Psychologist
Program provides rest stop for students after hospitalization
October 1, 2011 | Jennifer E. Chase
An early profile of BRYT’s model at Brookline High School, noting that about 90% of participating students completed their schooling without interruption.
Press Releases
The Brookline Center — 20 Years of BRYT
The Brookline Center’s bryt Program Celebrates 20 Years of Transforming Student Mental Health Support
April 28, 2025
Announces BRYT’s 20th anniversary, the program’s growth to more than 250 schools across six states, and key outcomes including a 95% graduation rate and 78% reduction in re-hospitalizations.
Massachusetts State Investment
Details the $13 million state commitment—$3 million from federal American Rescue Plan Act funds and $10 million from the Massachusetts Behavioral Health Trust Fund—to expand BRYT into under-resourced communities.
Katherine Houle Award
bryt’s Katherine Houle Receives 2024 National School Mental Health Champion Award
Recognizes BRYT Director of School and District Support Katherine Houle for nearly 20 years of leadership in advancing school-based mental health.
Awards & Recognition
- 2014 American Psychiatric Association Gold Achievement Award — BRYT received the APA Gold Achievement Award in the community-based programs category for its innovative transition model for adolescents returning to school after a mental health emergency.
- 2024 School Mental Health Champion Award — Katherine Houle, BRYT Director of School and District Support, was honored for her leadership and vision in school mental health.
- Brookline Center Innovation Institute — In 2022, BRYT was recognized as the inaugural innovation of The Brookline Center’s Innovation Institute.
Research & Publications
- Psychology in the Schools (2017) — Peer-reviewed descriptive evaluation of the BRYT model.
- BRYT Notes (2018) — Qualitative evaluation examining BRYT’s impact on school culture, students, and families.
- Psychiatric Services (2014) — Profile of BRYT and the APA Gold Achievement Award, including program outcomes and design.
- White paper on pandemic-era transitions (2021) — BRYT guidance on supporting students returning to in-person learning during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Media Inquiries
For press inquiries, interview requests, or information about BRYT, please contact The Brookline Center communications team or visit brooklinecenter.org/centers/bryt.
About BRYT
The Brookline Resilient Youth Team (BRYT) is a Tier 3 in-school intervention operated by The Brookline Center for Community Mental Health. BRYT supports students whose learning is disrupted by serious mental health or medical challenges, providing clinical care coordination, academic bridging, and peer connection within the school environment.