Moravian College Partners with Mantra Health to Extend Mental Health Services and Meet Demand for Psychiatric Care

BETHLEHEM, Pa. and NEW YORK, Sept. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- College mental health innovator Mantra Health today announced a two year partnership agreement with Moravian College of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. The partnership will ensure timely, coordinated psychiatric specialty care for all Moravian students, free of charge. Mantra Health is known for its use of telehealth technology to deliver evidence-based mental health treatment in partnership with college and university counseling and health centers, with the mission of improving the mental health of young adults regardless of their physical location or ability to pay.

The partnership will allow Moravian's on-campus counselors to make referrals to board-certified psychiatric specialists affiliated with Mantra Health, as well as to collaborate on evidence-based treatment plans, coordinate the administration of care and track patient progress over time. Mantra Health's closed-loop digital care program blends telehealth technology with patient support services, ensuring that referred Moravian students remain engaged in treatment and don't fall through the cracks.

While Moravian has a well-established health center and a robust team of on-campus health providers for its size, it has struggled to provide adequate access to psychiatric specialty care due to a lack of providers in the local community - a common challenge for schools outside of major metropolitan centers. As a state, Pennsylvania is one of the regions more severely impacted by a shortage of mental health providers, which affects 118 million people nationally.

The coronavirus pandemic has exacerbated the shortage of mental health psychiatric specialists. Rates of moderate to severe mental health conditions, including anxiety and depression, have been rising year over year in the college student population since 2007 and related symptoms have increased considerably in US adults between April and June of 2020, compared to the same time the previous year. According to an August 2020 CDC survey, more than 1 in 4 young adults aged 18-24 reported having seriously considered suicide in the previous 30 days, a significantly higher rate compared to other demographics.

Demand backlogs for psychiatric care at rural schools frequently push appointment wait times up to a month or more, posing a serious health risk to students - especially given the current state of college mental health. Conventional off-campus referrals to local providers require substantial out-of-pocket costs and scheduling challenges for students, as well as present logistical barriers to effective care coordination with on-campus health providers. The partnership with Mantra Health gives Moravian counselors the ability to get students into psychiatric care the same week and also allows them to collaborate on psychiatric medication management with a Mantra-affiliated provider, improving student health outcomes through shared medical decision making.

The Mantra Health partnership gives Moravian students free access to an extended psychiatric care team, including:

• A dedicated, board-certified psychiatric nurse practitioner with specific expertise treating teenagers and young adults
• Unlimited number of same-week virtual appointments, with daytime and after-hours availability
• 24/7 messaging with a dedicated psychiatric practitioner
• Psychiatric medication management
• Psychoeducational materials for self-management between appointments
• Patient support team that proactively reaches out to ensure student stay on track with treatment

"We chose to partner with Mantra Health for several reasons. Foremost, they are committed to providing comprehensive evidence-based psychiatric care," said Dr. Allison Blechschmidt, Counseling Center Director, Moravian College. "In addition, their integrated telehealth platform not only allows students to easily manage their treatment, but also provides our therapists with the tools to quickly make referrals and easily collaborate with our dedicated Mantra Health providers. We believe this partnership will help us be more efficient and effective at providing mental health services to our students."

"We're proud to support Moravian College in the coming years," said Ed Gaussen, CEO and co-founder, Mantra Health. "From our first interaction with the Moravian team, we understood that their pain point is similar to other rural colleges we've partnered with in the past: it's very hard to find highly qualified specialists to handle psychiatric medication management outside of major metropolitan areas. We bridge that gap and we couldn't be more excited to start supporting Moravian's students."

Mantra Health began partnering with college and university leaders in late 2019, providing a fully integrated virtual care platform that puts campus health providers and Mantra mental health specialists on the same page, getting students off the waiting list and focusing on continuity of care. Mantra Health's closed-loop telemental health platform made it possible for schools to continue to provide care with an immediate and seamless shift to 100 percent online care when campuses were required to close due to the coronavirus pandemic.

To learn more about how Mantra Health is transforming campus mental health care, visit MantraHealth.com/Higher-Education

About Mantra Health
Mantra Health's mission is to improve the mental health of young adults by making evidence-based mental health services, including psychiatric specialty care, within reach of all colleges and universities. Mantra Health partners with institutions of higher education to respond to the campus mental health crisis, making sure young people navigate the transition to adulthood with the mental health support services they need. Mantra Health's innovative closed-loop telehealth platform makes evidence-based mental health services accessible and affordable by integrating directly with college and university health, wellness and counseling centers. Learn more about Mantra Health at MantraHealth.com/Higher-Education.

About Moravian College
Moravian College is the nation's sixth-oldest college, located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, and offers undergraduate and graduate degrees that blend liberal arts with professional programs. For more than 275 years, the Moravian College degree has been preparing students for reflective lives, fulfilling careers, and transformative leadership in a world of change. Moravian College is a member of The New American Colleges and Universities (NAC&U), a national consortium of selective, small to mid-size independent colleges and universities dedicated to the purposeful integration of liberal education, professional studies, and civic engagement. Visit moravian.edu to learn more about how the Moravian College focus on education for all prepares its students for life-long success.

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Nate Hermes or Monica Miller
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SOURCE Mantra Health