The Consortium of Universities of the Washington Metropolitan Area Announces Mantra Health as a Preferred Vendor to Increase Access to Clinically-Informed Collegiate Mental Health for its Member Institutions

Member institutions can expand mental health services with a virtual network of diverse providers offering therapy and psychiatry sessions, and 24/7 on-demand support for students who need immediate mental health, substance use, or suicide crisis care.

WASHINGTON and NEW YORK , April 4, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Consortium of Universities of the Washington Metropolitan Area ( the Consortium) announced a relationship today with Mantra Health, the preeminent digital mental health clinic for young adults. The Consortium's 20 member and affiliate institutions now have a trusted vendor to expand student mental health services beyond what's currently available on campuses. In particular, Mantra Health would offer an immediate solution to the provider staffing shortages that many college counseling centers are currently experiencing, drastically shortening appointment wait time and ensuring students have the help they need at this crucial time in the school year. Mantra's clinically-informed program includes teletherapy, telepsychiatry, and suicide prevention care and training from a large network of diverse providers who specialize in culturally competent care.

For college seniors, the spring semester is both exciting and anxiety-provoking. The college years are a gradual transition from the dependent living of adolescence into fully independent adulthood. With finals and graduation quickly approaching, the transition into adulthood which is full of positive potential can also be overshadowed by the unknown. A study of college graduates found that uncertainties about the future can cause significant, sometimes paralyzing, distress and anxiety.

In the face of heightened mental health needs on college campuses this time of year, counseling centers have observed large increases in treatment-seeking, coupled with provider staffing shortages. This shortage has left the majority of college students suffering from mental health concerns without treatment. Mantra Health gives on-campus counselors the ability to refer students to a large network of diverse providers via telehealth. Mantra also works with each campus to create pathways for students to sign up directly online as an alternative, and referral pathways for non-clinical staff who are trained to identify students in need of support, all with the goal of increasing ease of access to mental healthcare for every student.

On average, students referred to a Mantra-affiliated provider will have their first appointment within a week, compared to a 6-8 week wait time that most campuses are currently experiencing. In addition to a shorter wait time, students benefit from receiving dedicated care from the same mental health professional every virtual video appointment, flexible evening and weekend appointments, 24/7 messaging, and access to self-care resources. These have all led to an increase in more positive outcomes for students. In fact, in a recent Mantra NPS Survey 81% of students attributed Mantra's program to helping them stay in school.

"Our focus is to be able to provide resources to our members. Mantra Health helps promote access, social mobility and equitable economic development for students and we realize the critical role mental health plays in achieving these goals during school and after graduation," said Andrew Flagel, Ph.D., President and CEO of the Consortium of Universities of the Washington Metropolitan Area. "We are delighted to welcome Mantra Health to help support the mental health and wellbeing of our students while also being able to alleviate some of the pressure on our members' counseling centers given the urgency for care during this time of year."

Another challenge college students face when seeking mental health treatment is finding matches between a mental health provider and a patient with similar backgrounds and identities. It can be challenging given the lack of diversity in the mental health industry. A recent study found that only 10.4% of practicing psychiatrists are Black, Latinx, or Native American, compared with 32.6% of the U.S. population. In contrast, more than 50% of Mantra-affiliated providers identify as BIPOC or LGBTQ+, making it easy for students to match with a provider that represents shared experiences.

"We recognize that the Consortium includes private universities, state public universities, community colleges, and minority-serving institutions who each have a unique set of challenges when it comes to delivering mental health services to their diverse population of students," said Ed Gaussen, CEO and Co-Founder of Mantra Health. "We're honored to have the opportunity to partner with the nation's flagship educational consortium to bring access to culturally competent providers and quality mental health to help set their students up for success while in school and as they transition into adulthood post-graduation."

With this engagement, Mantra Health will be hosting a series of educational webinars on current topics in collegiate mental health for Consortium members. The next two webinars in April and May are on Funding Sources for Mental Healthcare on Campus and Addressing Mental Health Equity Gaps on Campus.

About The Consortium of Universities of the Washington Metropolitan Area
One of the largest and most diverse educational alliances in the nation, the Consortium of Universities of the Washington Metropolitan Area (the Consortium) was founded to foster collaboration across the National Capital Region. The Consortium is a powerful unifying voice for our members, and a force for access and equitable economic and workforce development. The Consortium encompasses a broad portfolio of programs and initiatives, developing projects to enhance private/public partnerships while leveraging the reputation and talent of our diverse members and their location in the world's greatest college town.

About Mantra Health
Mantra Health is a digital mental health clinic on a mission to improve access to evidence-based mental healthcare for young adults. Through augmenting high-quality clinical services with software and design, we're on a mission to improve the mental health of over 20 million university and college students through partnerships with higher education institutions and health insurance plans. As of Spring 2022, Mantra's program has been deployed across 52 campuses with over 480,000 students including Penn State, MIT, Cornell, and Miami Dade College. Learn more about Mantra Health at MantraHealth.com.

Media Contact:
Laurel Getz
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SOURCE Mantra Health