Ginger for Teens will provide individuals ages 13-17 with access to Ginger’s self-guided content, behavioral health coaching, and video therapy and psychiatry sessions
Select Ginger clients and members will have access to Ginger for Teens offering in August 2021 with general availability to Ginger’s 640+ employer clients and members in late 2021
Ginger, the leader in on-demand mental healthcare, today announced Ginger for Teens, an expansion of the company’s full continuum of mental healthcare for adolescents ages 13-17. Ginger’s employer clients will be able to offer the benefit to employees’ teen dependents, who will have access to a personalized care experience that includes guided self-care content, behavioral health coaching, therapy and psychiatry.
Adolescence is a period of intense physical and psychological change in which the personality is thought to crystalize. 75% of mental health issues have an onset between adolescence and young adulthood (13-24) and 20% of youth ages 13-18 have a mental health disorder. Despite this well-established need, more than one-third of youth in the U.S. are not receiving the mental health services they need. Top barriers to seeking care identified by adolescents include stigma and embarrassment; lack of mental health literacy and self-awareness regarding symptoms; and a preference for self-reliance that typically occurs during this stage of growth. Furthermore, there are approximately only 11 child/adolescent psychiatrists per 100,000 children in the U.S., the majority of whom are clustered in large urban areas on the coasts.
Ginger for Teens is a private, highly convenient way of providing adolescents with mental health support, right through a smartphone. Teens and their parents can avoid the typical long wait times for care by signing up for Ginger, providing access to care within minutes.
“As a psychologist and mother of two teenagers, I’ve seen firsthand the repercussions that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on adolescents,“ said Dr. Dana Udall, Chief Clinical Officer at Ginger. “By expanding access to Ginger’s services to this population, we’re making significant progress towards achieving our vision: a world where mental health is never an obstacle.”
Ginger for Teens will be available to adolescents by invitation from a parent who is eligible for Ginger as a benefit through their workplace. Teens and their parents can expect:
- Full continuum of care: Teens will have access to all of Ginger’s care services, which include behavioral health coaching to therapy and psychiatry. Coaching for teens will be offered during designated hours (7am-10pm PT), a clinical approach substantiated by academic literature and best practice.
- Provider-matching: Teens will be matched with coaches and clinicians who have relevant and applicable experience working with adolescents.
- Guided self-care: Teens will have access to Ginger’s self-care content, including new topic areas that are specific to the adolescent population such as mood management, identity and belonging, conflict resolution, sexuality and sexual identity, and more.
- Parental support: Parents, who already have access to the full spectrum of care for their own mental health, will also receive assistance from their own care team in order to provide the best support to their child and will have an understanding of the cadence of care and the child’s care team.
“The mental health of employees is directly related to the mental health of their households – and for parents of teenagers, finding quality care has never been more critical, nor more challenging,” said Judith Verhave, former HR leader at BNY Mellon and Fidelity Investments, and current CEO of Next Chapter Solutions. “Now more than ever, employers need to take a full-family approach to mental health. This is an essential investment that will not only have a significant impact on teens, but also a positive impact on the mental well-being and engagement of their parents, too.”
To support the development and ongoing growth of Ginger for Teens, the company has established a Teen Advisory Council, a diverse group of 15 teenagers across the U.S. Ginger’s Teen Advisory Council will help inform content development, examine app features and provide feedback, and participate in focus groups.
This offering will be available to select Ginger employer clients in August 2021, and to all Ginger clients and members by 2022. Ginger’s Chief Clinical Officer, Dr. Dana Udall, a psychologist and mother of two teens and Dr. Dena Scott, Adolescent Services Coordinator will be hosting a conversation about the state of adolescent mental healthcare in the U.S., and the pivotal role that employers can play in supporting the mental health of employees and their families on July 19th, 2021 at 4:00 p.m. EDT/1:00 p.m. PDT. To register, please visit: go.ginger.io/adolescent-mental-health-webinar.
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