Free Mental Health Text Service Available to Many DC Youth

From NBC-TV Washington:

Young people who need someone to talk to might not walk into a school counselor’s office, but they just might text with a mental health coach.

Free emotional support services are now available via text message to many D.C. youth insured through Medicaid….

AmeriHealth Caritas, which manages Medicaid for more than 120,000 D.C. residents, now offers emotional support coaching via text to members ages 13 to 20. The program run in partnership with the tech startup MindRight is the first of its kind for Medicaid recipients in the District.

MindRight seeks to provide safe, private spaces for youth, especially those from low-income backgrounds or communities of color, to work through problems, founder and CEO Ashley Edwards said.

“We know that so many young people, by virtue of the realities they’re living day to day, have to be so strong and only show strength day to day, because that’s how they cope,” Edwards said. “MindRight is a chance where they can actually process pain and express joy in a place where it will be received and celebrated, and they won’t be judged for it.”

Youth can text with MindRight coaches 24/7 and set up regular times to talk.

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