Behavioral Health Tech Conference Announces Winners of Inaugural Young Innovators in Behavioral Health Awards Program

• 30 winners recognized for their contributions to access, awareness, and advancement of digital mental health care for young people in the U.S.
• Awards program created in partnership with Hopelab and Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute, among others
• Winners will be celebrated at the Behavioral Health Tech Conference in November

CHICAGO, Oct. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Behavioral Health Tech Conference, the largest conference focused on expanding access to mental health and substance use services through technology and innovation, today announced the winners of its inaugural awards program, the Young Innovators in Behavioral Health Awards. Created in partnership with Hopelab and Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute, the awards program recognizes young leaders who have made significant contributions to the access, awareness and advancement of digital mental health care in the U.S.

"Young innovators are rightfully demanding a more central role in defining solutions to problems they see play out in their everyday lives, and their contributions are clearly making a positive impact on mental health across the nation," said Solome Tibebu, founder and CEO, Going Digital: Behavioral Health Tech. "We're beyond proud of this year's winners of the Young Innovators in Behavioral Health Awards and look forward to providing them with the resources, guidance, and support they need to continue showcasing their ideas and digital solutions that are creating a better, healthier future for everyone."

The program acknowledges the critical role young people, who vary from students to clinical researchers to tech entrepreneurs, play in envisioning, designing and building a future where all people, especially young people, can feel more supported and get access to the critical digital mental health resources they need. Awardees of the 2023 Young Innovators in Behavioral Health Awards are:

• Jorge Alvarez – Social Impact Strategist and Mental Health Advocate
• Akos Antwi – Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner at Revive Therapeutic Services
• Andrea Arana - Researcher and Evaluation Analyst at the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) in Central Texas
• Makayla Boney - Student
• Audra Brulc – Community Initiatives Coordinator at Healthy Minds Policy Initiative
• Jose Caballero – Program Committee Member of Mental Health America
• Jake Cooper – Chief Executive Officer and Co-founder of Grow Therapy
• Catherine Delgado – SWEAR Committee Co-Founder and Student at George Washington University - Milken Institute School of Public Health
• Devin Dihenia - Interim Associate Director of the graduate student training program and leads the DEIB program at Sharp HealthCare, and Mental Health Consultant at ReflexAI
• Carmine Di Maro – Director at the One Mind Accelerator
• Maddie Freeman – Founder of NoSo November
• Arielle Geismar – Mental Wellness Advocate and Tech Policy Strategist
• Emily Gendreau – Corporate Business Development Trainer at Aware Recovery Care In Home Addiction Treatment
• Greisy Hernandez – Mental Health Advocate and Content Creator
• Bhav Jain – Stanford Medical Student and President of The Connected Foundation
• Shrenik Jain – Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Marigold Health
• Arbaaz Karim – Co-founder of Mentall
• Bruny Kenou – co-founder of DukeLine, founder of the Lay Mental Health Advocates
• Mahmoud Khedr – Board Member of Mental Health America
• Luma Makari – Co-founder of Elggo
• Larissa May – Founder and Executive Director of #HALFTHESTORY
• Asli McCullers – Health Equity Researcher and Strategist at University of Maryland School of Public Health
• Breanna Myers - Child and Adolescent Therapist, Licensed Clinical Social Worker, and faculty member of Embody Dance Conference
• Anika Nayak – Freelance Health and Wellness Journalist
• Ben O'Keefe – Chief Executive Officer of Chaotic Good
• Trisha Prabhu – Inventor of ReThink™
• Stephen Smith – Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of NOCD
• Chipper Stotz – Head of Product at Nema Health
• Sojas Wagle – Medical student at Harvard Medical School
• Lian Zeitz – Senior Director and Co-founder of The Climate Mental Health Network

"As these talented young innovators demonstrate, young people are not simply passive consumers of mental health services but are key partners in developing solutions for the issues that impact them. We salute each of these award winners who are applying their skills, passion and lived experience to generate solutions for young Americans here in Texas and across the country," said Kacie Kelly, Chief Innovation Officer at the Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute.

"The inaugural cohort of Young Innovators in Behavioral Health represents an impressive cross-section of young leaders making significant strides in creating a more inclusive, effective mental health ecosystem. We are thrilled to support them and celebrate their achievements," said Margaret Laws, President and CEO, Hopelab.

Winners will be recognized during an awards ceremony on stage at the 2023 Behavioral Health Tech Conference in Phoenix, Ariz. on November 15. This year's event will feature keynotes and panel discussions highlighting different approaches, models, and digital solutions that can help remove barriers across the healthcare ecosystem and expand mental and behavioral health best practices to increase access to care and bolster the U.S. health economy. See the full agenda with keynote and session speakers here.

Learn more and register for the event: behavioralhealthtech.com/registration. 

About Behavioral Health Tech Conference
Behavioral Health Tech Conference is the largest conference focused on expanding access to mental health and substance use services through technology and innovation. The conference convenes health plans, employers and benefits professionals, health systems, behavioral health providers, investors, startups and policymakers to share best practices for deploying effective, scalable behavioral health solutions to all individuals. The conference will showcase the changing technological, reimbursement, and policy landscape for telehealth and other virtual behavioral health solutions. Join thousands of other healthcare professionals working to make mental health and substance use care more accessible for all. Visit us on Twitter and LinkedIn. 

About Hopelab
Hopelab is a transformative social innovation lab and impact investor working to support the mental well-being of adolescents, ages 10-25, especially BIPOC and LGBTQ+ youth. Through targeted social impact investments, youth-centered design and research support, and translational science partnerships, the organization leverages 20+ years of co-creation experience to influence systems change while centering health equity. Learn more at hopelab.org.

About Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute
Launched in 2014, the Meadows Institute helps Texas legislators, state officials, members of the judiciary, and local, state, and national leaders identify equitable systemic solutions to mental health needs and has become Texas's most trusted source for data-driven mental health policy. The Meadows Institute is making a significant impact in multiple areas, helping Texas and national leaders shift the focus of new investments toward early intervention, addressing the mental health crisis in our jails and emergency rooms, and helping all people with mental health needs recover and be well. Learn more at mmhpi.org.

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SOURCE Going Digital: Behavioral Health Tech