Modern Health wants to better serve their international community with a new DEI council

Mental health care isn’t one-size-fits-all — and Modern Health is dedicated to tailoring their solutions to all of their users, no matter where they are or how they identify.

The preventative mental health care platform recently launched the first phase of their Global Inclusion Council. The group is made up of licensed therapists and certified coaches from nine different countries who will share their knowledge and insights, in an effort to ensure that mental health care reaches a more diverse population in the workplace and beyond.

The council will meet on a monthly basis and give the Modern Health team feedback on how the app is performing and what they can do better. Members of the council will also weigh in on emerging mental health trends, and provide recommendations for content and services the app can offer.

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“How we understand mental health is different by culture, by country and by region,” says Jessica Jackson, Modern Health’s global diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging care lead. “I started thinking about how we’re making sure that the products and services we're offering are localized. How can [we] make sure [we’re] meeting the needs of our members in Japan or Brazil or Canada?”

Jackson says Modern Health’s council members come from a variety of backgrounds and social identities, to ensure that all of their users have access to culturally competent care. Without it, minorities and other diverse populations may avoid care or feel ostracized because they cannot find providers that specialize or relate to their experience or understand their needs.

In research conducted by Mental Health America, more than half of all LGBTQ respondents reported that they have faced cases of providers denying care and using harsh language that lead some people to avoid seeking care altogether. And in the adult Black community, 20% are more likely to experience serious mental health problems, according to Columbia University Department of Psychiatry. However, only one in three African-Americans who need help actually receive it.

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“Many of the symptoms of racial trauma mimic depression,” Jackson says. “So if the provider hasn’t been trained culturally, they're not going to explore past the symptoms of depression and [the patient] is going to say, ‘Well, why isn't the treatment working?’”

While the creation of this council signals significant progress for more equitable mental health care access, Jackson says there’s still room to grow. In the future, Modern Health hopes to expand the council so there’s a seat at the table for a representative of every country in which the platform serves its users.

“Even if it's only ten people who start using mental services based on [the changes made by the council], that's ten more people that wouldn't have been reached if we hadn't tailored some things.” Jackson says.