October 28, 2021 —Oakland, CA— Peer Health Exchange, a national nonprofit organization that builds healthier communities with young people, will deliver inclusive, youth-centered videos for young people on Ginger’s platform. This move will expand affirming content for diverse young audiences on Ginger’s app at a time when mental health supports are deeply needed by young people across the country.
Founded in 2011, Ginger’s team of entrepreneurs and data scientists at the MIT Media Lab sought to build the world’s first mental health technology platform. By combining high-quality, human care with data science and augmented intelligence, the team at Ginger created an entirely new platform for the delivery of mental healthcare, on-demand. Today, Ginger reaches millions of people around the world in 50+ countries through its partnerships with employers and health plans. In August, Ginger announced its on-demand mental healthcare access for adolescents to address the mental health crisis young people are facing due to the pandemic.
Peer Health Exchange was founded in 2003 to help young people get the knowledge, skills, and access to resources they need to make healthy decisions. During the pandemic, Peer Heath Exchange has launched a number of digital endeavors to reach young people both online and in schools with reliable, relatable health content and resources. Backed by evidence-informed practices and the voices of young people, Peer Health Exchange’s work gets young people to seek help and talk to trusted adults in their lives.
“The partnership with Ginger is significant because it aligns with what young people have been telling us,” said Christopher Wilson, Director, Digital Learning at Peer Health Exchange. “They need support coping with being isolated, caring for loved ones, and the many challenges that COVID-19 has brought on and to be able to access these resources quickly and easily.”
With the ongoing pandemic, young people have experienced increased anxiety and depression with the rates remaining higher than pre‑crisis levels even with the partial re‑opening of schools and the economy. With the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) and Children’s Hospital Association most recently declaring a national emergency in children’s mental health, citing the serious toll of the COVID-19 pandemic on top of existing challenges, it is imperative that we prioritize young people’s mental health.
"We are excited to partner with Ginger to provide young people with the support and resources they need for their mental well-being," said Louise Langheier, Co-founder and CEO at Peer Health Exchange. "With Ginger’s accessible and comprehensive digital mental health platform and our commitment to providing inclusive youth-centered resources, we see this as an opportunity to show up for young people in a way that is tailored to their individual needs."
The eighteen-month partnership will enable Ginger to improve their adolescent offerings by featuring videos by Peer Health Exchange for Ginger’s platform.
About Peer Health Exchange
Peer Health Exchange’s mission is to build healthier communities with young people. Together, we create education opportunities for peers to share the tools and resources young people need to make healthy decisions. To learn more about Peer Health Exchange, visit www.peerhealthexchange.org, and to learn about our new app selfsea, visit www.sealfsea.org.
