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

NEW YORK, December 15, 2022 – Mantra Health, the preeminent digital mental health provider for young adults, announced today the official launch of its annual Provider Diversity Scholarship. Created for graduate and postdoctoral students from historically marginalized and underrepresented communities who are actively pursuing a degree related to mental health, this scholarship aims to address the lack of diversity and representation among mental health professionals in higher education.

“It is critical that the population of providers reflect the demographics of young adults on campus today,” said Ed Gaussen, Co-Founder and CEO of Mantra Health. “We must reduce barriers for students of color, LGBTQ+ students, and those whose backgrounds and identities are unrepresented in the field. We hope this scholarship will help support aspiring providers and contribute to a more diversified pool of mental health providers.”

Nearly half of today's college students are students of color and approximately one in five Americans aged 19 to 25 identify as a member of the LGBTQ+ community. Despite this, the majority of college counseling providers are still white and cisgendered female, data that was similarly reflected in Mantra Health’s fall 2022 College Counseling Center Diversity Survey. The AUCCCD Annual Survey also found that 70% college counseling center directors identify as cisgender females, 59% are white, and less than one in ten have a disability. This lack of representation, in addition to cultural stigma, discrimination, language barriers, and other factors, can prevent students of diverse backgrounds, including international students and first-generation students, from accessing and utilizing mental health services.

“Inclusion is key when it comes to breaking mental health barriers,” said Helen Macharia, APRN, FNP-C, PMHNP-BC, a Mantra Health provider. “Diversity ensures patients have access to clinicians and providers they can identify with and relate to, one way or another.”

Alecia Sundsmo, PsyD, Executive Director of Therapy at Mantra Health, says, “The world and the people we serve are unique. Our goal is to inspire future mental health providers to consider a career in counseling services, and bring their diverse backgrounds, identities, and experiences to the field. Students want to see themselves reflected in the provider pool and this scholarship program is helping make that possible.”

Mantra Health awarded Merari Flores Saldana, MSW, RCSWI, from Florida State University its Provider Diversity Scholarship in 2021, who is now a therapist at Rogers Behavioral Health. Flores Saldana said, “The continuation of this scholarship will enable more students to pursue a career in a field that’s difficult to access for a person of color. I’m excited to see greater diversification in the fields of social work, therapy, and medicine.” 

Those eligible for the scholarships include graduate and postdoctoral students of color (e.g., Black, Hispanic and Latinx, Native American, Asian, and Pacific Islander), students who identify as LGBTQ+, or other marginalized or underrepresented students who are actively pursuing a degree related to mental health and are completing fieldwork in a college or university counseling center in the U.S.

The application period closes on March 15, 2023. Three scholarships will be awarded for $3,000 each, totaling $9,000, and winners will be announced in May 2023. Eligible students can apply here. 

If you wish to learn more about the state of diversity in college counseling, you can download our Advancing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in College Counseling resource. 

Mantra Health is an award-winning digital mental health clinic on a mission to improve access to evidence-based mental healthcare for young adults. Through augmenting high-quality clinical services with software and design, we aim to improve the mental health of over 40 million young adults through partnerships with higher education institutions and health insurance plans. Mantra Health was named a Mental & Behavioral Health Rising Star at the 2022 UCSF Health Hub Digital Health Awards. The Mantra program has been deployed across 110 campuses with over 800,000 students, including at Penn State University, MIT, Cornell University, and Miami Dade College.

Mantra Health Supports Provider Diversity in College Mental Health with Annual Scholarship 

Contact: Don Martelli at 617-413-6773 or don@thebelfortgroup.com

NEW YORK, November 30, 2022 – Penn State University has expanded its partnership with Mantra Health, the nation’s leading digital mental health clinic for young adults, as part of its commitment to provide students with clinically comprehensive mental health services. Mantra Health will now work with Penn State Intercollegiate Athletics to provide mental health support to its student-athletes.

Penn State University established a partnership with Mantra Health in 2020 for psychiatric services, and is now expanding that relationship to provide student-athletes with evidence-based therapy. Working collaboratively, Mantra Health and Penn State Athletics will now be able to provide more than 850 student-athletes with virtual therapy that’s accessible on nights and weekends. 

“Less than half of female student-athletes feel as though their mental health is a priority to their athletic departments, and that’s not nearly good enough,” said Ed Gaussen, Co-Founder and CEO of Mantra Health. “We have clinically-guided therapists trained on the issues facing student-athletes, who are not only navigating the classroom and the field, but facing additional barriers to care, including busy schedules, financial responsibilities, and stigma associated with help-seeking behaviors. Mantra Health is working closely with Penn State Athletics to combat this and ensure that all student-athletes are not only aware of the services available, but are empowered to use them.” 

Depression and anxiety among student-athletes are twice as common as they were before the COVID-19 pandemic, according to an NCAA report. In addition, less than half of student-athletes said they would be comfortable seeking mental healthcare on campus, and only one-ten college athletes utilize professional mental healthcare.

“Support for strong mental health is personal to me and critical to our department," said Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics Dr. Patrick Kraft. "We have to do our part to change the way mental health is viewed and to combat the stigma surrounding it. More importantly, mental health plays a critical role in holistic student-athlete wellness and development, and we encourage our student-athletes to make it a priority and to seek help when they need it. Our efforts today will impact our student-athletes for years to come.”

Student-athletes in Penn State Athletics, which houses 31 NCAA Division I teams, will now have access to a wide network of diverse digital mental health providers.

“Student-athletes are often celebrated for their achievements on the field, but that does mean they are immune from struggling with mental health issues. At Mantra Health, we are eager to foster an environment and support system that will help these athletes thrive physically, academically, and emotionally,” said Gaussen.

Mantra Health is an award-winning digital mental health clinic on a mission to improve access to evidence-based mental healthcare for young adults. Through augmenting high-quality clinical services with software and design, we aim to improve the mental health of over 40 million young adults through partnerships with higher education institutions and health insurance plans. Mantra Health was named a Mental & Behavioral Health Rising Star at the 2022 UCSF Health Hub Digital Health Awards. The Mantra program has been deployed across 105 campuses with over 800,000 students, including Penn State, MIT, Cornell, and Miami Dade College.

Prioritizing Student-Athlete Mental Health: Penn State University Athletics Expands Partnership with Mantra Health

HUNTINGDON, November 2nd, 2022 - Mantra Health, the preeminent digital mental health provider on a mission to improve access to evidence-based mental healthcare for young adults, announced a partnership agreement with Juniata College, a private liberal arts college in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania.

Founded in 1876 as a co-educational school, Juniata College’s student body of approximately 1,600 undergraduate students will now have access to telehealth services provided by Mantra Health.

“Changing lifestyles, increased workloads, new responsibilities, and interpersonal relationships often result in high-stress levels for students and large caseloads for college counseling centers,” Ed Gaussen, Mantra Health’s CEO and Co-Founder explained. “Our mission is to relieve counseling centers of the pressure they face and enable them to focus on full campus mental wellness. Additionally, students can make appointments with clinicians of diverse backgrounds during their college schedules."

A 2021 study by the National Alliance on Mental Health reported that 57.1% of Pennsylvanians aged 12-17 with depression did not receive treatment in 2020. These same students are attending colleges, such as Juniata, and Mantra Health’s platform is designed to address the gaps in clinical services; with a focus on psychiatric care.

“Since our inception, we’ve found a great need amongst liberal arts colleges in rural areas where the campus might be located in a psychiatric provider desert. Mantra Health is excited to be partnering with Juniata College’s counseling center to collaborate on the care of their students,” Gaussen added.

"Students' mental health must be prioritized,” Jonathan Reveley-Cohen, Juniata College Lead Counselor, stated. “We hope that this new partnership with Mantra Health will help Juniata College maximize access to counseling resources, increase diversity within the pool of clinical providers, and provide students with more flexibility in accessing mental health services outside of the traditional, on-campus business hours.”

In addition to the counseling centers' in-person services, Juniata College will now provide telehealth services through the Mantra Health partnership. 

The Glaeser Counseling Service at Juniata College offers confidential individual, couple, and group counseling, drug and alcohol counseling, assessments, and short-term therapy to all full-time students. Counseling is available by appointment, and initial appointments can be scheduled through the Online Portal.

Mantra Health’s mission is to improve the mental health of over 20 million university and college students. Now is the time to democratize access to evidence-based mental healthcare through an integrated approach, working in tandem with counseling centers. Mantra Health’s platform enables colleges and universities to offer critical support and scale as needs arise.

Press Release: Partnership to Increase Mental Health Access for Juniata College Students

NEW YORK, August 24, 2022 - Mantra Health, the preeminent digital mental health clinic focused on young adults, announced today that Alecia Sundsmo, PsyD, has joined the company as Executive Director of Therapy. The former Director of Counseling and Psychological Services at Cornell University, Dr. Sundsmo brings extensive collegiate and clinical expertise to Mantra at a time of increasing demand for mental health services in higher education. 

“The outstanding team at Mantra was an invaluable partner to me during my time at Cornell University,” said Dr. Sundsmo. “Having access to experienced professionals who were able to assist me in providing quality care to our students was critical to serving our students well.”

While at Cornell, Dr. Sundsmo collaborated with Mantra as its telehealth provider, enabling student access to a diverse pool of clinicians. Keeping the clinic fully staffed through the partnership resulted in reduced wait times for student care. Her accomplishments include improving access to services for the LGBTQ+, BIPOC, and international student communities on campus as part of an effort to ensure more significant equity and inclusion in mental health care at Cornell.

“I know from first-hand experience that campuses are facing increased demand for mental health services at a time of a national provider shortage. Mantra has proven to be a critical partner in alleviating access pressure so that students can get quality care from a diverse network of clinicians promptly. Joining the Mantra Health team is an exciting opportunity to contribute to the development of innovative mental health solutions for college students and young adults.”

“Alecia’s knowledge of and passion for student mental health care will be an incredible asset for Mantra and our partners across the country. Her experience working in different models of care at several universities of varying scale was a major factor in bringing her on board, ” said Matt Kennedy, Mantra’s Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer. “We are excited to integrate her into our team, learn from her vast experience, and empower her to lead our provider group as we scale."

Outside of her experience at Cornell, Dr. Sundsmo served as Clinical Director of Mental Health Services at the University of Wisconsin, Madison and the Executive Director of the Wellness Center at Dickinson College in Pennsylvania. She also led clinical services for Grinnell College in Iowa.

“My experience at Cornell showed me firsthand that providing sufficient mental health care to meet the needs of a large student body is difficult for even well-funded counseling programs on their own,” Dr. Sundsmo said. “Mantra is pioneering a model that ensures equitable access and delivery of mental health services to students of all backgrounds while integrating its services with campus professionals on the ground to ensure a seamless transition in times of crisis. Mantra's work is critical to the future of student safety, well-being, and success.”

Mantra Health is a digital mental health clinic on a mission to improve access to evidence-based mental healthcare for young adults. Through augmenting high-quality clinical services with software and design, we aim to improve the mental health of over 20 million university and college students through partnerships with higher education institutions and health insurance plans. The Mantra program has been deployed across 50+ campuses with over 500,000 students, including Penn State, MIT, Cornell, and Miami Dade College.

Press Release: Mantra Health Taps Former Cornell University Counseling Director as Executive Director of Therapy

NEW YORK, August 18, 2022 - Mantra Health, a pioneering digital mental health clinic for young adults, announced today that it has appointed Andrew Hermalyn as its first independent board director. Hermalyn, currently President of Partnerships with digital education leader 2U, will enable Mantra Health to better connect with key higher education leaders and understand the specialized needs universities face in delivering critical mental health care for students.

“Mantra Health has been a game changer for colleges and universities struggling to meet the growing mental health needs of their students,” Hermalyn said. “I’m excited to join the board to help Mantra lead in this critical field.”

Hermalyn has been with 2U since its inception, starting his career as the company’s first intern and being named President of Partnerships in 2017. In his current role, Hermalyn is responsible for cultivating and nurturing hundreds of university partner relationships around the world. 

“We are excited to welcome Andrew to Mantra’s board. He joins a very talented, experienced and knowledgeable team of professionals who are dedicated to pushing our platform forward and directly impacting the lives of many college students who need access to critical mental health services,” said Ed Gaussen, CEO and Co-Founder of Mantra Health. “We know the difficult challenges campus-based clinicians face day in and day out. By adding Andrew to our team, we can expand our knowledge of challenges and opportunities in higher education and devise improved solutions to help our university partners.” 

As a Board Director, Hermalyn joins sitting members Ed Gaussen, CEO and Co-Founder, Matthew Kennedy, COO and Co-Founder, Soheil Mirpour, Partner at Global Founders Capital, and Michael Mauze, Managing Partner at VMG Partners.

“Mantra is providing vital mental health services for young people whose need is greater than ever,” said Hermalyn. “Already, it has established itself as the number one mental health and wellness partner, well-positioned to serve 40 million young adults over the next decade, and I am excited to help the Mantra team achieve even greater success.”

Hermalyn graduated from Lehigh University and lives in Manhattan with his wife and two daughters.

Mantra Health is a digital mental health clinic on a mission to improve access to evidence-based mental healthcare for young adults. Through augmenting high-quality clinical services with software and design, we aim to improve the mental health of over 20 million university and college students through partnerships with higher education institutions and health insurance plans. The Mantra program has been deployed across 50+ campuses with over 500,000 students including Penn State, MIT, Cornell, and Miami Dade College.

Press Release: Mantra Names 2U’s Andrew Hermalyn as First Independent Board Director

Higher ed digital mental health provider brings on Dr. Carla Chugani, University of Pittsburgh professor of pediatrics, psychiatry, and clinical and translational science to lead the development of digital clinical content.

As former CEO of Lantern and advisor to Spring Health and Pace, Alejandro Foung will use his deep expertise in the digital behavioral health space to help shape Mantra’s clinical products.

NEW YORK, June 29, 2022 — Mantra Health, the preeminent digital mental health clinic focused on young adults, today announced Carla Chugani, PhD, LPC has joined the company as Vice President of Clinical Content and Affairs. With extensive clinical and research experience in collegiate mental health, Dr. Chugani will oversee Mantra’s digital clinical content. In addition, Mantra named digital mental health entrepreneur, Alejandro Foung, as an advisor to its clinical products.

Mantra Health is the most clinically-informed digital mental health provider serving college students through high-quality, evidence-based therapy, psychiatry, and clinical content. Prior to joining Mantra, Dr. Chugani was a full-time assistant professor of pediatrics, psychiatry, and clinical and translational science at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine in the Division of Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine. Her research focuses on the intersection of mental health, emerging adulthood, and educational settings. Dr. Chugani has published more than 40 articles, reviews, editorials, and chapters and has been recognized for her community-engaged scholarship as a recipient of the University of Pittsburgh’s Senior Vice Chancellor of Engagement’s 2020 Partnerships of Distinction Award for research-community partnerships.

“I’m honored to join the outstanding team at Mantra Health in their mission to develop innovative solutions to support the mental health of college students and young adults,” said Dr. Carla Chugani, VP of Clinical Content and Affairs. “I'm excited to build on Mantra's model of collaborative and evidence-based care to provide equitable access to best-in-class digital mental health services for as many students as possible.”

Alejandro Foung is Mantra’s newest strategic advisor and will apply his expertise to help inform the company's clinical products and go-to-market strategy. Foung has advised digital behavioral health companies including Pace and Spring Health. Previously, Alejandro was co-founder and CEO of Lantern, a digital behavioral health company based on cognitive behavioral therapy which was sold in February 2019. His earlier work experiences included being a founding employee at consumer technology companies NexTag and Trulia which was later acquired by Zillow. 

“We’re ecstatic to be gaining a clinical and scientific leader of Dr. Chugani’s stature and a great mind like Foung to be advising us,” said Ed Gaussen, Co-Founder and CEO of Mantra Health. “Their vast experience in behavioral health will bring the latest research and new go-to-market strategies to Mantra’s clinical products and content. Our goal is to help all 20 million students in postsecondary schools achieve successful clinical outcomes and we know having the right team is critical in order to get there.”