HXD 2019

Rethinking Mental Health Benefits for Traditionally Under-Served Groups: How One Organization Piloted and Scaled Two Innovative Mental Health Solutions

Every year, 20% of people in the United States experience a mental health disorder. Yet, fewer than half will receive any treatment. Stigma prevents many people from ever seeking care. Those who do reach out to a provider often wait unacceptably long times for an appointment. Even individuals in ongoing treatment are unlikely to have their provider systematically measure their treatment outcomes.

While these issues affect everyone in the United States, under-served communities are disproportionately impacted. One such group is professional caregivers. Caregiving is a stressful, low-wage occupation, and many caregivers live in rural areas without access to behavioral health clinics. Compared to the general population, caregivers are more likely to have experienced a high number of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). ACEs are correlated with increased lifetime risks of physical and emotional health conditions.

This talk discusses how SEIU 775 Benefits Group piloted and scaled two innovative mental health benefits for caregivers. The first is a mindfulness course offered to caregivers as continuing education credit. The course has been highly successful in reducing caregivers’ anxiety and depression symptoms, while also decreasing stigma. The second is Ginger.io, a HIPAA-compliant mobile app that provides caregivers with access to emotional health coaches via in-app chat, 24 hours a day, as well as video chat appointments with licensed mental health providers. This service has dramatically reduced caregivers’ wait times for mental health appointments.

This talk will touch on a number of important issues for mental health innovators. How can we design mental health solutions that meet the needs of traditionally under-served communities? How do we talk about mental health in a way that increases engagement and reduces stigma? What are the best ways to measure success? And, how do we help populations with lower digital literacy access digital solutions?