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By CATALYST @ HEALTH 2.0

According to the California Health Care Foundation, from 2012-2014, nearly 20% of Californian adults who sought mental health treatment did not receive it. It is believed that these figures may even be understated, as The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has cited that nearly 60% of American adults with mental illness do not receive any treatment. Unmet mental health needs in California are attributed to a lack of access to appropriate services and providers, as well as the cost of care, a factor that is often exacerbated by a lack of health insurance.

While traditional mental health services play an important role in supporting those in need, novel technologies can complement standard care delivery and provide individuals and communities with more accessible and optimized mental health services that focus on prevention, early intervention, family support, and social connectedness.

California Mental Health Services Authority (CalMHSA) hopes to leverage familiar devices as means to connect and better serve those in need. The CalMHSA collaborative is currently funding a large-scale initiative called the Help@Hand Project, to pilot and deploy digital platforms that expand the capacity and capability of county mental health systems. It aims to bring technology-based mental health solutions to the public mental health system through a highly innovative portfolio of digital solutions. This Help@Hand project will utilize applications on smartphones, tablets, digital devices, or computers as a tool to engage, support and give access to treatment using innovative virtual engagement strategies. Focus areas include:

1. Peer Chat and Digital Therapeutics
2. Virtual Evidence Based Therapy Utilizing an Avatar
3. Passive Data Collection for Early Detection and Intervention

The multi-year innovation project consists of a RFSQ open application period (September 12th – October 7th, 2019) and a subsequent pilot period that allows the opportunity for vendors to be added to the Help@Hand Product Portfolio. After a vendor is included in the portfolio, all counties participating in the project can view company and product profiles and may choose to implement technologies at a larger scale.

If you are a technology vendor looking for the opportunity to pilot your mental health and well-being digital solution with counties in California, please apply today for a chance to be part of this amazing initiative!

Applications close on October 7th, 2019 – Act fast and apply before the deadline! To learn more, visit www.helpathandca.net