Articles and research from our team on the future of mental healthcare for young adults.

Meet Dr. Larry Ozowara, Mantra Health’s New VP of Care Delivery

When Mantra Health’s new VP of Care Delivery Larry Ozowara, MD, was a Division 1 wrestler at Stanford University, he experienced performance anxiety, but didn’t know how to identify it at the time. Without easy access to mental health care, the problem persisted. 

“Despite majoring in psychology and getting a master's in psychology, I still didn't understand everything that was happening to me,” he says. “If I had a way of accessing mental health services more easily, it probably would have changed the outcome of my wrestling career.”

That experience is one of many reasons why Dr. Ozowara is so enthusiastic about his new role at Mantra Health, which started at the beginning of July. He understands the tremendous need for more effective, accessible mental health care on college campuses, which can make a significant difference in a young person’s life.

Following His Passion and Curiosity for Psychiatry

Dr. Ozowara was interested in a career in psychiatry in large part because he was stimulated by the challenges that persist in the field. After completing his BA and MA in psychology at Stanford, Dr. Ozowara went on to pursue a doctor of medicine (MD) degree at Stanford, and focused on biomedical ethics. 

He initially thought he’d become a neurologist, but had a realization in his third year of medical school. While diagnosis of neurological conditions had drastically progressed over the years, development in treatment was still slow to advance, while the opposite held true in psychiatry. While it was hard to diagnose psychiatric conditions, there seemed to be a more robust and effective set of treatments available on the market, with more in active development. 

“If you get dementia, there's only so many things you can do. You can't really change the trajectory of somebody's condition,” he says. “Whereas in psychiatry, it's almost the reverse. You may not have the most sophisticated diagnostic tools, but in terms of treatment, there are so many different ways that you can treat someone's depression or anxiety. That's what really interested me in the field.”

Dr. Ozowara went on to complete his psychiatry residency at Columbia University, then spent two years as an assistant professor of psychiatry at New York University, followed by another two years as assistant professor of psychiatry at University of California, Los Angeles, before working as the medical director of Valera Health.

“As I started to do this work more and more, I realized that the way in which mental health care is delivered is usually inefficient and sometimes ineffective,” says Dr. Ozowara. “Getting into the digital health space where I can actually be the driver of those changes was really exciting.”

Driving Process Improvements for Better Care Delivery

In his newly developed role of VP of Care Delivery, Dr. Ozowara is focused on three areas:  therapy, medication management, and on-demand emotional support services. He’s working on improving and streamlining existing processes, as well as managing and overseeing Mantra Health’s in-house network of providers. 

He wants to standardize various processes and implement new technology to enable more efficient and reliable care, such as automating the process of medication refillment. “With new systems and processes, we’ll be in the best position to help our patients get their needs met sooner or faster, while at the same time helping our providers focus solely on patient care,” he says.

He also wants to remind Mantra Health providers that their work is valued and their needs are being considered at a larger scale. He’s found that it’s all too common for providers in healthcare, whether it’s at digital organizations, hospitals, or outpatient clinics, to go unrecognized and undervalued.

“I want to be the person who changes that perception and experience for providers,” he says, and adds, “Clinical excellence starts with provider experience.”

Paving a New Path for the Mantra Health Clinic

“Since welcoming Larry, our new VP of Care Delivery, to the team, we’ve been able to seamlessly connect Care Operations and Care Delivery,” says Alicia Eggen, LMFT, VP of Care Operations at Mantra Health. “Larry’s innate ability to strike a harmonious balance between clinic needs and our overarching business objectives has not only enriched our collaboration but has paved the way for a seamless, efficient, and patient-centered care approach. Together, we’re not just defining standards, but elevating them.”

“I'm excited to figure out ways to improve care quality and clinical excellence, and to do that in a smart and cost-effective way,” he says. Doing so will bring better, more accessible mental health care to students. 

While the world of psychiatry is typically bifurcated into adult psychology and child psychology, with young adults typically falling between these two categories, it’s an ongoing challenge for young adults to get the quality care they need. 

“There’s this middle ground of young adults who are coming into their own, who have their own unique set of needs that don’t always respond to the traditional way of doing mental health care,” Dr. Ozowara says. “It’s really important to figure out ways to meet students where they are and improve the ways they access services.” 

With Mantra Health, Dr. Ozowara hopes to change the way care is delivered and received on college campuses, so students like his former self are able to get the support they need when they really need it. 

To learn more about Mantra Heath's clinical approach and how it can benefit your institution, fill out this form and get connected with the Partnerships team at Mantra Health. 

Moravian University President Dr. Grigsby On Innovation, Culture, and Student Well-Being 

According to his college mentor, Bryon L. Grigsby, PhD, Moravian University’s 16th president, once said, “Someday I’m going to run this place,” though now, he laughs and says, “I’m sure I meant the English Department, not the whole institution.” 

When the ‘90 alum first stepped on the Moravian campus as a freshman, he was consumed by soccer and basketball. After experiencing a career-ending injury in his sophomore year, Dr. Grigsby quickly found himself questioning his identity as a non-athlete. Thanks to the support of Robert T. Burcaw, PhD, who he now meets monthly for lunch, Dr. Grigsby changed his major to English and set out for a career in academia. 

After earning his PhD in English from Loyola University Chicago, Dr. Grigsby got a faculty position at Centenary College, where he worked for a few years before the president asked him to consider administration. He figured he’d try it out and eventually return to being a professor, but Dr. Grigsby quickly fell in love with the chaos of administration. He spent five years at Shenandoah University working in academic affairs before joining his alma mater in 2013. 

"I love this place so much. Moravian is unique in providing a community that I’ve never seen at any other institution I’ve been at. It cared for me when I was a student, even though I didn’t realize I was being cared for," says Dr. Grigsby. 

I love this place so much. Moravian is unique in providing a community that I’ve never seen at any other institution I’ve been at. It cared for me when I was a student, even though I didn’t realize I was being cared for.

Building a More Robust Campus and Seeing Higher Admissions

While many institutions are struggling to recruit students, Moravian has seen a dramatic increase in student enrollment, which is due, in part, to the many efforts being made by Dr. Grigsby and his administration. 

Over his ten-year presidency, Dr. Grigsby has enhanced the campus’s technology infrastructure, built a new-student orientation program, opened the new Center for Intercultural Advancement and Inclusion and the Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation Sciences Center, surpassed $100-million in fundraising, and launched Moravian University’s 2021-2024 Strategic Plan, among other major initiatives. 

The institution was also reclassified from a “college” to a “university” in 2021, which required a new structure, and now means the institution offers master’s and doctoral degrees, in addition to its undergraduate programs. Within the new School of Behavioral and Community Health, which opened in 2022, students can now pursue master’s degrees in clinical counseling, school counseling, and social work, as well as online certificates in specialized skills, which will help grow the network of mental health providers. 

This new classification meant new strategic hirings and the recruitment of many incredible leaders, from James Scifers, PhD, the Associate Provost and Dean of the College of Health Sciences, to Lesley R. Brown, PhD, the Associate Provost and Founding Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences to the Associate Provost of the College of Health, who are bringing new life to the institution. 

Moravian will also expand the institution’s student center, the HUB, to bring together health and counseling services and provide additional wellness offerings. When students walk in, they will be able to request a flu shot or counseling and they can leave through a private exit which Dr. Grigsby hopes will eliminate some of the stigma associated with help-seeking and reduce some of the barriers to care.

Even though he’s made many innovative changes at Moravian, Dr. Grigsby continues to ask himself, how can we continue to embrace more people within this community and support their lives outside of campus? In addition to continuing the institution’s long-held tradition of greeting every person in passing, Dr. Grigsby has put a lot of effort into fostering and maintaining a culture that’s supportive and caring. 

Every week, Dr. Grigsby hosts a dinner at the president’s house, which rotates between athletics and organizations bi-annually and gives students an opportunity to talk about their experiences, the culture, and what support they need to continue taking care of one another. By staying connected to the students on campus, Dr. Grigsby is able to mitigate problems that might arise and better recognize students’ pressing needs. 

He also hosts community-wide events, including Winterfest and Heritage Day, a day that commemorates the Moravians and prioritizes giving back. This annual event is something that many students look forward to and includes a full day of activities, including off-campus service events. Dr. Grigsby knows that building a strong sense of community is critical to student success – and that often starts with him and his administration. 

“I don’t think there’s a president that doesn’t wake up every morning and check their phone to make sure that their students are alive. It’s a very stressful time,” says Dr. Grigsby. “Parents are sending their most precious gifts to [us] and entrusting [us] with that – and we’re supposed to adult them. We’re supposed to teach them self-knowledge and help them self create and give back to society and get out into the world with great jobs.” 

Not only does Moravian have a robust Counseling Center, as well as a Student Help and Referral (SHARE) Team, made up of eleven campus leaders, who meet at least once per week to discuss incoming student concerns, but they have also recently launched a Just Ask campaign, in which students can ask for support on anything from a bill to a mental health concern. Students can submit a question via the chatbot, which is immediately assessed by a campus leader who can refer them to the right department or service. Moravian has also worked with Mantra Health for the past three years, bringing more clinical support to students.

"I can’t praise Mantra enough. It’s been highly successful for us," says Dr. Grigsby. "It’s added a whole new realm of mental health services for our students. [Telehealth] is an added bonus. It produces a new group of people we weren’t serving before."

I can’t praise Mantra enough. It’s been highly successful for us. It’s added a whole new realm of mental health services for our students. [Telehealth] is an added bonus. It produces a new group of people we weren’t serving before.

Celebrating the Past and Embracing the Future 

The sixth oldest institution in the country, the first to educate women, and home of the national honor society for first-generation college students, Moravian has a long, rich history. One of its buildings, the Brethren’s House, played an important role in the Revolutionary War – and in 2024, the campus’s Historic Moravian Bethlehem will be considered for a World Heritage Site. 

While Dr. Grigsby and his administration are excited to celebrate the institution’s history, they continue to look for ways to innovate. Having acquired Lancaster Theological Seminary in recent years, Dr. Grigsby believes more mergers and acquisitions are on the horizon. He’s also looking forward to seeing the ways in which AI will transform higher education. 

“It’s a dynamic time,” says Dr. Grigsby. “You still have to become a leader, and you still have to critically think, but I think AI is going to help you do that. If you like change, this is a moment you’d be thriving in.” 

Following the Moravian mantra “hound ‘em,” which means never give up, have total persistence, show determination, and don’t take “no” for an answer, Dr. Grigsby plans to keep making positive changes for his alma mater – and will, no doubt, continue to build the type of community that helps students thrive both on campus and off. 

“Some say, ‘call one hound and the whole pack comes running,’ and I see that all the time,” says Dr. Grigsby. “This is what our students live by,” and this is what keeps Dr. Grigsby motivated. 

To learn more about our partnerships, fill out this form or contact us at partner@mantrahealth.com. 

Gemma Skuraton, DrPH, MPH, CHES, CDE, CDP, LAT, ATC, USAW, CPT, FMS, RYT-200, is a driving force. Throughout her career and in her current position as the Director of Student Wellness and Health Promotion at Georgia Southern University, Dr. Skuraton has worked to remove barriers to care and create a more equitable and inclusive environment for people in her community. 

She has led countless initiatives, including advocating for a bill in Georgia stating that reproductive health in K-12 schools needs to be medically accurate. Dr. Skuraton and her team at Georgia Southern, also worked to design an eight-hour and four-hour peer-to-peer course in collaboration with the Georgia Campaign for Adolescent Power & Potential (GCAPP), which is appropriate for college-level educators and helps de-stigmatize sexual and reproductive issues.

Another major program that Dr. Skuraton helped launch (and now oversees) is the Period Equity Movement (PEM), a multi-campus initiative designed to promote period equity and reduce learning loss from menstrual product insecurity. This program recently won the 2022-23 NASPA Excellence Awards Gold Award in the Athletics, Recreation, Counseling, Health, Wellness and related category – and has been a driving force in combating period poverty in Statesboro, Georgia.

The Rising Need for the Period Poverty Movement 

Studies have found that one in ten college students experience poverty, and 84% of students who menstruate in the U.S. have missed class time or know someone who has missed class time because they did not have access to period products. 

There’s a misconception that students are staying in their dorms and bleeding into a towel every month, Dr. Skuraton explains, but in many cases, students “can’t afford menstrual products,” and end up extending products for longer than medically indicated which can lead to public health concerns like toxic shock syndrome.

“Students shouldn’t have to choose between buying food or menstrual products, and they shouldn’t have to buy or use menstrual products that are uncomfortable, unsafe, or inappropriate for their anatomy,” says Dr. Skuraton. 

The Period Poverty Movement, which started at Georgia Southern but has since spread to other campuses, aims to support menstruating students by tackling the misperceptions around period health and improving access to menstruation products and reproductive health literacy. The program is largely focused on awareness, education, and supply distribution. 

Through numerous grants and investments, including the Pad Project Grant, the program at Georgia Southern has grown to include over 60 different pantry sites, which are broken down into three different types:

The Disposable Period Pantry, in which students receive up to a month’s supply of disposable products at a time.

The Green Period Pantry, which allows students to choose from reusable and sustainable products like cups, reusable menstrual pads, or period underwear. 

Period Products On The Go, which gives students access to “as needed” pantries stocked with disposable products in each of the GS campuses.   

Simply offering products isn’t the only solution to this problem, Dr. Skuraton says. “Providing supplies was always a part of the plan,” but “a lot of the time, we need to give students more tangible support to really address the issue.”

In addition to setting up and running the pantries, the program also works with peer educators to raise awareness for sexual and reproductive health, provide educational information around menstruation, and encourage fellow students to utilize the pantries. Right now, the campus has 21 peer educators, all of whom receive comprehensive, medically accurate, and culturally relevant reproductive health peer education certificates.

The program is promoted on campus through traditional marketing efforts, as well as during on-campus events. Period Pride Picnics, geared toward people of all genders and identities, are among the most popular events on campus and are considered a “highlight of the year” for many staff members. At these picnics, students of all backgrounds and identities are encouraged to participate. 

Creating a Safe, Trusting Environment for All People Who Menstruate

To combat period poverty, institutions need to address the stigma surrounding menstruation and understand that the topic can be sensitive or triggering for many individuals, especially those who identify as LGBTQ+. 

When it comes to reproductive health, Dr. Skuraton wants people to remember that “not all people who menstruate identify as women and not all people who identify as a woman menstruate.” Changing the language to “people who menstruate” is one of the first steps that can be taken to build a more inclusive movement, Dr. Skuraton explains. 

Paying attention to what supplies are available and how they’re accessed is another factor that needs to be considered. For some transgender, non-binary, and gender non-conforming students, wearing (and changing) menstrual products can be a safety concern. It can also trigger feelings of gender dysphoria for some students, which is why the university offers menstrual underwear. 

When Dr. Skuraton first arrived on the Georgia Southern campus, the campus didn’t offer free menstrual products or contraception beyond condoms. At the time, students were even required to take their school ID to the health center to get access to condoms – and they were only allowed to take ten per month. Dr. Skuraton found this practice to be stigmatizing and concerning, so she convinced the institution to give out condoms more freely. Instead of forcing students to show ID, they gave out ten per bag, and included a consent message and instructions on how to use them.

Policing the distribution is often a barrier to access, which is why the Period Poverty Movement doesn’t track which students take which products – and allows any person on campus to access the pantries. One of the big initiatives of the Period Poverty Movement is to create safe spaces for students to access information and get supplies they need. By eliminating the fear of discrimination and de-stigmatizing the process of accessing, students are encouraged to really take advantage of the program.

As of March 2023, the program has distributed over 45,000 menstrual products, 2,500 of which were sustainable. From both the students’ and staff’s perspectives, the Period Poverty Movement has been tremendously successful. After being surveyed, 99% of students reported that having access to free products has improved their quality of life and most believe the program should continue in a similar capacity, if not expand. 

What’s Next for the Period Poverty Movement – and How to Build Your Own Program

Dr. Skuraton looks forward to expanding the program’s marketing efforts and adding new branding to the project. She also plans to bring the program to other campuses in Georgia and around the country. 

With some states now requiring institutions to provide free menstrual products to students, there’s a new incentive for some campuses to adopt this program. The challenge, of course, is finding the funding and the support to make it successful. Not every institution will have the same level of support that Dr. Skuraton and her team have received and this can make it hard to build pantries and supply the right products. 

“You have to work with the people who are willing to work with you,” she says, especially in areas of the country where there’s a significant lack of diversity or representation. 

In addition to working with custodial staff and other key members of campus, Dr. Skuraton recommends connecting with your institution’s LGBTQIA+ center, Gender and Sexuality Studies Department, and/or Office of Inclusive Excellence, as well as other departments like the counseling center, the ROTC program, the athletics program, even housing and dining. Partnering with the right people will help make the program more successful and sustainable.

Ultimately, you need to be realistic about what you can do, Dr. Skuraton explains. Some institutions have the funding to put menstrual products in every bathroom on campus, others may decide to only put them in the first floor bathrooms. If you can’t do that, you can put up signs around campus that direct students to pantries where they can access the products, or you can work with peer educators to refill supplies on a regular basis.

Another key aspect to consider is which supplies to invest in. Disposable products are often cheaper, but sustainable products are longer lasting, Dr. Skuraton explains. They are also preferred by certain student populations, making them more cost-effective in the long run. 

While there are different factors to consider, Dr. Skuraton is hopeful that more and more institutions will take the initiative to address period poverty and start building programs that are just as inclusive and sustainable as the Period Poverty Movement. 

Want to be featured in our leadership series or know someone who should be? Email us at outreach@mantrahealth.com. 

Director of Student Wellness & Health Promotion Takes On Period Poverty

Partnership broadens care continuum for students seeking higher levels of care

NEW YORK, August 9, 2023 – Mantra Health, the clinically-informed digital mental health provider for higher education, today announced an innovative new partnership with Charlie Health, the nation’s leading provider of virtual high-acuity mental healthcare for teens and young adults. Mantra Health will add Charlie Health’s industry-leading virtual intensive outpatient program (IOP) to its suite of mental health services, further expanding the levels of care available to students. 

“Lack of access to IOP is a major cause of drop-out for students across the country who need a higher level of care,” said Matt Kennedy, co-founder and CEO of Mantra Health. “Our partnership with Charlie Health expands Mantra Health’s care continuum to solve this vexing problem for our patients and university partners alike. We’re going a step further by closing the care loop for our university partners through Mantra Health’s collaboration software, which will ultimately improve retention of students referred to IOP from our university partners.”

Through this first-of-its-kind partnership, Mantra Health will be able to seamlessly connect college and university students who require a higher level of mental healthcare to Charlie Health's accessible, evidence-based treatment program. The 9-12 week-long virtual IOP consists of multiple weekly sessions of facilitated peer groups, individual therapy, and family therapy. The program is designed to be comprehensive yet flexible, allowing high-acuity patients to attend treatment remotely while maintaining their regular schedules. Charlie Health’s solution boasts significantly higher attendance rates than in-person sessions (91% vs. 65%), which has resulted in patients reporting fewer depressive symptoms, suicidal ideation, and self-harm at discharge. 

"Charlie Health's collaboration with Mantra comes at a time when the mental health of young people is of the utmost concern," said Carter Barnhart, co-founder and CEO of Charlie Health. "We're hopeful that our data-backed virtual solution will empower students who are facing mental health challenges during this pivotal time to seek out the level of care they need to be successful at school and beyond.”

If a student is deemed appropriate for IOP, they can be referred to Charlie Health via Mantra Health’s Collaboration Portal. This referral can be made by the institution’s clinicians or Mantra Health clinicians and care navigators. The treatment progress will then be securely tracked and reported to ensure outcomes transparency. Currently, Charlie Health operates in 25 states, including California, New York, Texas, Colorado, and Montana, and is actively expanding. The company proudly works with the nation’s leading health insurers, including UnitedHealthcare, Humana, Cigna, BlueCross BlueShield, and Optum, among others.

This partnership, coupled with the recent announcement of Mantra Health’s Whole Campus Care solution, which includes DBT-informed wellness content and coaching as well as peer-to-peer support through Togetherall, will further advance Mantra Health’s mission to bring more accessible, high-quality care to students across the country. 

Mantra Health is an award-winning digital mental health provider for colleges and universities. On a mission to make evidence-based mental health care more accessible to students, Mantra Health partners with higher education institutions to provide undergraduate and graduate students with virtual therapy, psychiatry, crisis care, on-demand emotional support, peer-to-peer support, and wellness content. Through augmenting high-quality, evidence-based clinical services with seamless campus integration, Mantra Health aims to provide digital and clinical services to 40 million young adults. The company was named a Rising Star by the 2022 UCSF Health Hub Digital Health Awards in Mental & Behavioral Health. Mantra Health solutions have been deployed across more than 100 college and university campuses, including Penn State University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Miami Dade College, and Cornell University, serving more than 800,000 students. To learn more about Mantra Health, visit mantrahealth.com.

Charlie Health is transforming the treatment landscape for teens and young adults with complex and acute mental health challenges by offering a level of care in between traditional once-weekly therapy and inpatient treatment. Since its founding in 2020, Charlie Health has established itself as the leading provider of virtual intensive outpatient programs (IOP) across 25 states. The company's evidence-based treatment program is tailored to teens and young adults most at risk for mental health crises. The 10-12 week-long program includes multiple sessions a week of facilitated peer groups, and individual and family therapy. To learn more about Charlie Health, visit charliehealth.com.

To learn more about this partnership and how it can benefit your institution, fill out this form and get connected with the Partnerships team at Mantra Health. 

Mantra Health Expands Suite of Mental Health Services in Partnership with Charlie Health

“I like being at the intersection of clinical practice, technology, and research,” says Ben Locke, PhD, the Chief Clinical Officer at Togetherall, the leading peer-to-peer community, where he oversees the clinical team across the U.S., New Zealand, UK, and Canada.

Long before joining Togetherall, Dr. Locke worked as a wilderness therapist, as well as in group homes, psychiatric hospitals, and community mental health. He eventually found his way to Penn State, where he spent nearly 20 years holding various roles such as assistant director of research and technology, clinical director, and most recently the senior director of Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS). 

Working alongside an exceptional team at Penn State, and building upon the center’s existing foundation, Dr. Locke had the opportunity to design an ideal system that effectively improved the supply and demand imbalance and addressed students’ rising mental health needs. Part of his approach included partnering with third-party providers, including Mantra Health and You at College, among others. 

Wanting to influence the collegiate mental health field at a population level and seeing how valuable and supportive these innovative telehealth services could be, Dr. Locke decided to join Togetherall in 2021 and has recently partnered with Mantra Health to bring more accessible mental health support to students across the country through the Whole Campus Care solution.

Advancing the Field of Collegiate Mental Health Through Collaboration

Many years before the college mental health landscape shifted to include the implementation of telehealth services, Dr. Locke saw a need for more data-driven solutions. He was frustrated with the way people in higher education were talking about mental health. “It was a series of opinions and data drawn from sources that were not the people engaged in mental health treatment and service."

Understanding that technology and research were just as critical to the conversation as the clinical approach, Dr. Locke helped co-found the Center for Collegiate Mental Health (CCMH) in 2004. The organization, which started as a grassroots collaborative effort has since evolved to become an international Practice-Research-Network of over 750 college and university counseling centers. 

Designed to create an infrastructure that generates high-quality data, CCMH brings together the voices and expertise of students, patients, counselors, psychologists, psychiatrists, counseling centers, vendors, and other leaders in the space. Part of why CCMH is able to achieve its desired outcomes, Dr. Locke explains, is because the organization is driven by the needs of the college community rather than the economic interest of those involved.

"The existence of CCMH and all the benefits it offers is 100% dependent on the relevant parties working in collaboration to produce data-driven insights,” says Dr. Locke, who sees the relationship between on-campus counseling centers and telehealth providers working the same way. 

Rather than acting as competitors, Dr. Locke believes counseling centers and telehealth providers can work together to fill gaps in services and achieve a much larger, long-term goal of connecting students to more accessible clinical and non-clinical mental health solutions. 

Working in Alignment with the Counseling Center 

When it comes to student mental health, Dr. Locke says the pendulum has swung from one extreme to another, and his hope is that this will soon balance out. The key, he believes, is to acknowledge the universality of human distress, which comes with feelings of sadness, anxiety, grief, and loss.

“I think we need to fundamentally take a step back and rethink our initial response to distress. In general, a student's first experience of distress should include connecting them with people and support systems rather than presuming they need professional treatment,” says Dr. Locke.

The current approach of referring nearly every student to individual counseling and escalating levels of professional treatment is no longer tenable for institutions and doesn’t necessarily fulfill students’ pressing needs, says Dr. Locke. “We need a different model that focuses on population-wide support and connecting people with appropriate resources.”

Institutions are already turning to telehealth providers for additional mental health support, but Dr. Locke hopes they will work more closely with third-party vendors to create an interconnected web of support, systems, and options for students, understanding that both the institution and the vendors offer their own unique benefits.

“I have a profound appreciation for the field of counseling psychology,” Dr. Locke says. “I want to enhance the counseling centers’ ability to meet needs,” and it's through these partnerships that Dr. Locke believes a more cohesive, holistic offering is possible. 

Innovating with Technology and 24/7 Clinical Moderation 

While some students need intensive treatment, many don't. Rather than referring students through complex systems of care, why not provide basic in-the-moment support? If a student’s stressed about an exam, for example, they can’t wait three weeks to see a counselor, and that might not even benefit them. Instead, they could turn to a peer who’s going through a similar experience and solve the problem in real time. 

This is one of the many reasons why Dr. Locke feels Togetherall and other wellness services can make a significant difference in students’ lives. “Human change unfolds across many weeks and months of interactions, not just during one hour sessions,” he says. 

There’s also a significant shortage of providers, putting additional pressure on college counseling centers. Rather than referring every student in distress to counseling, we should be thinking about supporting students across time, considering what they really need and when they need it, explains Dr. Locke. 

“Peer support, with its versatility and accessibility, can play a crucial role in creating a scalable model of mental health support,” says Dr. Locke. 

Togetherall combines technology with clinical rigor to provide support to students that’s responsible, safe, and effective. Within the platform, Togetherall maintains 24/7 clinical moderation using licensed mental health professionals. In addition, the company trains students to become peer supporters – and part of the 10-week comprehensive training program includes hands-on practical experience and clinical supervision. 

By training peers and exploring new provider categories, Dr. Locke aims to create a new framework for effectively meeting the diverse needs of individuals seeking mental health support. To maximize and support existing clinical services, which are essential, Dr. Locke hopes institutions will consider adding in additional services like peer-to-peer support, crisis support, and wellness content, which can fill in gaps on the care continuum and support students on various stages of the mental health journey.

To learn more about our partnership with Togetherall, please connect with us here. 

Advancing Mental Health at a Population Level with Togetherall’s Chief Clinical Officer Ben Locke, PhD 

Concerns over student mental health have risen on campuses across the country. According to the latest Healthy Minds Study, 23% of students reported severe depression, 18% reported severe anxiety, and 15% reported suicidal ideation. Among LGBTQ+ young people, in particular, 41% seriously considered suicide in the past year. 

Higher education institutions continue to face an increased demand for higher levels of care, but are far too often constrained by budget, resources, and limited access to psychiatrists and therapists with expertise in working with the college population. Looking for additional ways to support students with moderate to severe depression, bipolar disorder I and II, complicated ADHD, suicidal ideation, and other psychiatric conditions, many institutions are considering or already turning to innovative partners.

The challenge is finding the right partner who understands the nuances of collegiate mental health, has established crisis response best practices, and is equipped with the right team, systems, and resources to meet the complex needs of students with psychiatric conditions, as well as students at risk or in crisis. 

“Nobody knows the students and the community better than the people on campus,” says Nora Feldpausch, MD, Medical Director at Mantra Health. “Which is why external providers need to be transparent about their systems and protocols, be prepared and able to quickly and effectively collaborate with on-the-ground providers, and have the ability to integrate their crisis response protocols into the institution’s existing campus model.” 

Mental health crises are inevitable. Even with preventative measures in place, clinicians must always be trained and prepared to assess for crisis or suicide risk, especially in a telehealth setting. 

At Mantra Health, we’ve built a level of care into our clinical model and proprietary software systems to ensure that students are protected and the right stakeholders in our clinic and our campus partners are notified should a crisis situation arise or require de-escalation. Our approach helps on-the-ground clinical teams continuously monitor students in care, manage safety risk, collaborate directly with our team, and ultimately support student well-being and persistence. For universities and colleges without those resources, our systems reassure campus leaders that their students are being supported with the highest level of evidence-based resources and care. 

Mantra Health leads the industry in supporting students with high-acuity needs. We have created our own crisis response best practices, which include, but are not limited to the following:

Rigorous safety planning that meets or exceeds evidence-based standard of care requirements is available to on-the-ground clinicians and our providers during video sessions and in the student’s electronic health record (EHR). This means it can be accessed by the student or any member of the treatment team either within Mantra or on-the-ground at any time.

An alert system notifying on-demand, highly-trained Mantra Health crisis intervention experts if a clinician is navigating a student crisis and needs immediate support. Our clinical risk support expert or, if appropriate, a university crisis team member can also join the video call to support a crisis intervention. 

A trained on-demand crisis intervention team that can first guide the provider in determining if hospitalization can be safely avoided and second, if needed, ensure that the hospitalization process follows university-established protocols. 

A culturally informed script for interacting with emergency responders which equips the right people with the right information to quickly, safely  and effectively transport a student to the appropriate local crisis resources while minimizing the potential trauma of transport.  

A comprehensive record of resources that is co-developed with our partner institutions, ensuring that every Mantra Health provider understands what on-the-ground and community resources are available to each individual student and can share that information with students or family as appropriate as part of our holistic student-centered approach. 

A post-hospitalization care continuation plan personalized to each institution’s needs and resources, which is implemented upon a student’s return to campus. 

A patient population monitoring system available to clinical leaders at our partner institutions, and followed closely by our clinical team, enabling ongoing visibility into the risk levels, safety plan status, diagnoses and appointment attendance for all higher risk students in our care. This allows partner institutions the transparency needed to understand the status of every student as well as the level of support being offered that those students are getting. It also gives partners and our clinical team the information needed to collaborate effectively and efficiently on these cases when needed.

Access to the Collaboration Portal where safety plans, patient progress, and prevalent data is shared between providers in our system and our clinical partners at the college counseling center, so decisions can be made around patient care and student population needs and communication is easy, fast, and HIPAA and FERPA compliant.

Our clinical staff work closely with board-certified psychiatrists (MDs) who have experience in assessment treatment of higher risk students as well as training in telehealth crisis response. These experienced psychiatrists are also available to work with students with bipolar I and II, severe depression, suicidal ideation, and other high-risk mental health conditions. 

“No matter if a student is going in-person to their counseling center or showing up to a virtual session, you want them to have an equitable experience and receive the same high-level of care,” says Dr. Feldpausch. “We made this happen at Mantra by starting with established in-person evidence based standards and from there building out our experienced team of crisis responders, an integrated system of communication, and a standardized protocolized response that also took into account local needs and services. This ensures every student is offered the support and attention that they deserve. When a campus is looking at life and death, this quality of response is critical.” 

Supporting Students with Psychiatric Conditions

Not every student at risk is in crisis – and quality mental health care can help prevent decompensation and hospitalization. For students with complicated mental illnesses or psychotic disorders such as Bipolar I, telehealth needs to involve the right people and processes that can safely treat higher risk disorders. 

Since launching our clinical program, we have successfully supported students with complex conditions, including those with Bipolar I who developed manic symptoms, and, in many cases, were able to treat them without having them hospitalized. We have also cared for students post-hospitalization (in collaboration with campus supports) for bridged care or ongoing care, supporting student retention and success.  

Students with complex conditions can easily slip through the cracks, if collaboration doesn’t exist between telehealth providers, counseling center staff, academic supports, and others in the community. Our crisis response and collaborative systems at Mantra Health, as well as the high-level visibility that we have built for partners makes it possible to keep these students safely in telehealth care. As a result, we’re able to break down barriers to access that have historically prevented students with these mental health concerns not just from staying enrolled in school, but also from achieving their academic and personal potential. 

“It's been a pleasure collaborating with Mantra Health on telepsychiatry services. Through our partnership, we've been able to access a psychiatric provider who treats bipolar and other psychiatric conditions and an MD who consults on high-acuity cases. This has allowed us to provide additional high-quality care to students with significant needs,” says Jeffrey E. Goldstein, MD, FACEP, Director of Health Services at Lafayette College.

Want to learn more about our approach to high-acuity care? RSVP for our July 19th webinar Tackling High-Acuity Cases in Higher Education with Telepsychiatry. 

Serving High-Acuity Needs and Improving Student Mental Health Outcomes with a Telehealth Emergency Response Team