The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) has named Mantra Health as it’s official digital mental health provider. Effective immediately, all 252 NAIA member institutions will have a trusted provider that they can partner with to expand student mental health services beyond what’s currently available on campuses. Mantra’s clinically-informed program includes teletherapy, telepsychiatry, and suicide prevention care and training.
Only in the last couple of years have champions like Simone Biles, Naomi Osaka, and Mikaela Shiffrin been publicly candid about the pressures elite athletes face and how it’s been a detriment on their mental health and wellness. They helped put a spotlight on an issue that is seldom discussed in the athletic world because it’s expected of them to be stoic when dealing with extreme stress. College athletes are not immune from the stress, anxiety, and depression that the pros face. In fact, balancing academics with the rigorous training, high expectations to perform, and injuries linked to college sports add an additional layer of stress and anxiety for college athletes that can put them at risk to develop or exacerbate mental health issues.
Mantra Health supports colleges that are trying to meet the increased student demand for behavioral health assistance by enabling students to access Mantra’s diverse provider group across 50 states. Mantra’s program has already been rolled out successfully at institutions with a strong student-athlete population, including Penn State, Hamilton College, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In addition to its ability to provide virtual care to students in the moment through its Patient Portal, Mantra’s Referral Portal allows non-clinical staff on-campus, including coaches and athletics staff to refer students in need directly into care.
“Mental health is just as important as physical health, so we are happy to provide our members with an option that has a wealth of experience in this area,” said NAIA President and CEO, Jim Carr. “Mantra Health’s digital approach will put mental health services within reach of our student-athletes to help them get the care they need from any location.”
With this partnership, Mantra Health will also become the new co-sponsor of the NAIA Governance Academy, which provides intense training on NAIA governance issues and strategic initiatives, introduces attendees to NAIA committee work, and prepares young minority and female administrators for committee service.
“College athletes are under acute pressure to succeed on the field and in the classroom,” said Ed Gaussen, co-founder and CEO of Mantra Health. “Mantra’s collaborative and flexible telemental health services reduce the barriers for busy student-athletes to access the care they need. They can meet with providers during weekday evenings and on weekends using video chat with 24/7 on-demand support. We’re honored to be named NAIA’s official digital mental health provider and hope we have the opportunity to help all 77,000 student-athletes within the association succeed in a healthy, positive way.”
To learn more about Mantra Health and its services for NAIA student-athletes, please visit MantraHealth.com.
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