FullBloom, recognized as the nation’s premier platform in child development, has recently announced its acquisition of CharacterStrong, a prominent provider of school-based mental health solutions. This acquisition is designed to significantly enhance the existing services FullBloom offers to K-12 schools, incorporating a broader set of interventions and supports that address academic, behavioral, and mental health needs. The combination of FullBloom’s extensive experience and CharacterStrong’s innovative curricula and training resources positions them to offer a more comprehensive and integrated approach to student well-being and success.
Strategic Expansion and Integration
The acquisition of CharacterStrong represents a strategic expansion for FullBloom, an organization that has long been committed to delivering personalized solutions tailored to individual student needs. As highlighted by FullBloom’s Chief Executive Officer, Jeffrey Cohen, the integration of CharacterStrong aligns seamlessly with FullBloom’s mission to provide holistic support that addresses a student’s academic performance, behavior, and mental health simultaneously. This integrated approach is expected to accelerate learning, reduce treatment costs, and enhance the overall safety and well-being of students within the school environment. FullBloom aims to build a comprehensive platform that prioritizes early identification and preventive measures for mental health concerns, ensuring that students receive the timely and appropriate support they need.
FullBloom’s strategy focuses on building an all-encompassing platform that not only addresses academic deficiencies but also prioritizes early identification and preventive measures for mental health concerns. Previously, FullBloom’s acquisition of EmpowerU, a Tier 2 service provider, demonstrated the organization’s commitment to early intervention. EmpowerU focused on pairing coaches with students to resolve mental health issues before they required more intensive and costly interventions. By integrating CharacterStrong’s resources and expertise, FullBloom further expands its mental health capabilities, moving closer to providing a full-scale set of support services that the current K-12 education market lacks.
Addressing Mental Health Challenges
A critical factor driving this merger is the increasing recognition of mental health challenges as a pressing issue within the educational ecosystem. Schools and districts nationwide face the daunting task of addressing various student needs, including their mental health, which increasingly demands professional intervention and support. CharacterStrong’s products, which include multi-tiered mental health solutions, are based on measurable tools that help educators support students with mental health challenges effectively. The addition of CharacterStrong allows FullBloom to offer robust, scalable solutions that address these challenges head-on, equipping educators with the resources needed to foster a healthier learning environment.
CharacterStrong, established in 2016, has made significant strides in the field of school-based mental health solutions. The organization has partnered with schools and districts globally, offering training to more than 240,000 educators and impacting over six million students. CharacterStrong’s approach includes implementing a multi-tiered system of support (MTSS), which ranges from universal interventions for all students to more targeted support for those with significant needs. This structured and evidence-based method is crucial for addressing mental health issues at various levels, ensuring that students benefit from comprehensive and effective support.
CharacterStrong’s Impact and Reach
By merging with FullBloom, CharacterStrong can leverage FullBloom’s scale and reach to extend its impact, supporting an even greater number of students and educators. CharacterStrong’s founding team, including John Norlin, Lindsay Norlin, Houston Kraft, and Dr. Clay Cook, will join FullBloom’s new mental health division. Their expertise and dedication to enhancing school-based mental health solutions will be instrumental in advancing FullBloom’s mission to provide holistic and integrated support to students. This collaboration signifies a substantial increase in FullBloom’s capacity to address mental health challenges more effectively, making a meaningful difference in the lives of students across the country.
John Norlin will assume a leadership role as Co-Founder of CharacterStrong and General Manager of FullBloom Mental Health. Norlin expressed enthusiasm about the merger, noting that it provides CharacterStrong with a broader platform to enhance its impact, promote well-being, build resilience, and reduce the need for more intensive mental health interventions. The integration of CharacterStrong into FullBloom’s infrastructure offers a unique opportunity to combine innovative mental health practices with FullBloom’s extensive experience in child development. This synergy is likely to yield significant benefits for students, educators, and school systems as a whole.
Leadership and Vision
FullBloom, with its nearly five decades of experience, has long been a leader in providing specialized education, intervention services, professional development, and Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy. Recently, the organization has sharpened its focus on mental health, aiming to deliver a comprehensive, wraparound service package that addresses non-academic barriers to student success. The strategic acquisition of CharacterStrong complements FullBloom’s existing services and aligns with its mission to support children academically, behaviorally, and emotionally. Together, they will work towards creating a more inclusive and supportive educational environment, where every student has the opportunity to thrive.
CharacterStrong’s approach to student well-being includes multi-tiered levels of support, ranging from universal instruction for all students (Tier 1) to targeted interventions for those with significant needs (Tier 2 and Tier 3). This tiered approach aligns with FullBloom’s strategy of providing tailored support that can meet the varying needs of students. Ensuring that those requiring additional help receive appropriate and timely interventions is a key aspect of this strategy. The merger enhances FullBloom’s capacity to serve a broader audience, supporting over 190,000 students and families, working with 1,350 school districts, and engaging 25,000 educators annually. This significant expansion underscores FullBloom’s commitment to addressing student needs on multiple fronts.
Comprehensive Service Offerings
FullBloom, celebrated as the leading platform in child development across the nation, has recently revealed its acquisition of CharacterStrong, a notable provider of school-based mental health solutions. This strategic move aims to greatly enhance the services FullBloom already offers to K-12 schools, integrating a wider range of interventions and supports that address academic, behavioral, and mental health needs. By combining FullBloom’s vast experience with CharacterStrong’s innovative curricula and training resources, the two entities are positioned to deliver a more comprehensive and cohesive approach to student well-being and success. This collaboration is expected to not only strengthen the support system available to students but also provide educators with the tools they need to foster a supportive and effective learning environment. The synergy between FullBloom’s established expertise and CharacterStrong’s cutting-edge resources promises to advance the overall quality of education and mental health support offered to students nationwide.
