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Welcome to The Census, your biweekly roundup of what matters in behavioral health care.

Today, we’re breaking down:

• How a bean knitting socks will get you off your phone

• All your latest news headlines in under two minutes

Let’s dive in.

- Claire

P.S. I used the app while writing this, and absolutely loved it!

What we’re watching this week 

🧦 A bean is knitting socks (and knocking down screen time)

Want to beat your social media addiction? There’s a bean-based app for that.

Social media is an unavoidable part of modern life. It’s also stealing our precious time and attention:

• The United States is the #1 user of TikTok worldwide, with 148M current users in 2025.

• 22% of American teens use TikTok for 2-3 hours daily, which is 720 hours (or full 30 days) over a year.

• The average American spends 7+ hours/day looking at a screen, with Gen Z populations topping 9 hours/day.

The numbers are concerning—but a bean app is here to help.

Created by Hank Green and developer Bria Sullivan, Focus Friend is a free ADHD-friendly timer app that shuts down absent-minded scrolling.

The premise is simple: the bean wants to knit socks—but it can’t focus if you’re on your phone.

Is this app silly? 

Yes.

But do people want it?

Also yes. At launch, it was the most popular app in America, with 500K+ downloads on the Google Play and App stores.

The popularity of this app speaks volumes to how people feel about their relationship with social media apps,

And for behavioural health specialists, this could be the newest tool worth sharing with patients looking to cut back.

Now, let’s get your news headlines. 

Catch up quick

This week’s top stories

Latest news

😔 President Trump’s executive order on homelessness, mental health, and substance use to shift resources away from previous deinstitutionalization efforts.

‼️Also related: Trump and RFK. Jr. announced there is an “epidemic of autism” in recent cabinet meeting, while also cutting research funding.

🇺🇸 Eight states in the American Northeast met to discuss public health independence, citing funding cuts and health priorities as trigger.

🏥 Family Care Center opened a transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) clinic for teens and adults, hoping to better tackle depression, anxiety, and PTSD.

🗣️ Word of mouth referrals from past clients outperformed any other marketing strategy for connecting patients with SUD treatment.

📜 Earning certificates in substance abuse is proven to help health professionals expand their careers and improve patient care.

🧑‍🚀 NASA and Google to develop virtual AI physicians to support astronauts on upcoming Moon and Mars missions.

🫄ChristianaCare launched a new app for pregnant and postpartum people, made to provide mental health education and support.

🩸People diagnosed with endometriosis have a 42% higher risk of self-harm, overdose, or suicide.

📱 Neo Sophia launched free mobile AI autism screener, bringing M-CHAT-R screening tools directly to parents.

🚶Communities with more walkable spaces found to lower stress and anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic.

🖥️ Gen Z expects digital options for healthcare services and support at baseline, causing permanent shift in care delivery.

🧠 Epilepsy drugs show potential for new autism therapy, reversing hyperactivity and autism-like symptoms in the brains of mice.

👥 Teens who experience family hardships have increased risk of developing eating disorders, regardless of gender, ethnicity, or socioeconomic status.

🚗 Michigan EMS transports 12-15 behavioural health patients a day using calming, purpose-built SUVs designed to reduce overwhelm.

🐊 Florida man arrested after accidentally crashing a drone carrying meth and fentanyl into someone else’s home.

📈 Good news: Charlie Health, a leading provider of virtual behavioural healthcare, expanded services for patients aged 8-64.

Looking for a behavioral health marketing conference to add to your calendar?

Join us in October at the Mental Health Marketing Conference - we can’t wait to see you there!

Funding rounds & investor moves

💰Cascala Health secured $8.6M in seed financing to support AI-enabled clinical intelligence for outpatient care.

💸 Highmark commits $4M to Blue Fund to support 24 health initiatives across Western New York, including behavioural health programs.

Studies & opinion pieces

🏡 Autism-friendly vacation rentals make family trips more inclusive (opinion).

🦠 Children with autism, ADHD, and anorexia nervosa display features of dysbiosis, having an imbalanced microbiome in their GI tracts (study).

🚦AI chatbots should come with “green, yellow, and red” warning labels to reduce risk of mental health harm (opinion).

That’s it for this week! I’ll catch ya next time with more headlines.

- Claire :)

P.S. Whenever you’re ready, here’s how we can help.

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