What Meta Is and Why It Needs Providers Like You
Welcome to Meta’s blog, an online resource for providers of the Meta platform. The content on this blog provides helpful advice from industry experts in addition to updates and best practices for Meta products and services. Subscribe to the blog with your email to receive notifications of new posts.
College Can Be a Difficult Time
Many of us remember college as the best time of our life. The independence and self-discovery shaped us into the adults we became and we reflect on our time in college fondly.
Unfortunately, for a growing number of students, college is an emotionally damaging environment for those scholars unprepared to handle the academic demand, social pressures, and frightening new experiences.
Mental Health is a Growing Concern
According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, 73 percent of students experience at least one mental health crisis during college.
There is better awareness of mental health problems at colleges than ever before, as well as an increase in students seeking services. According to the Healthy Minds Study, 19 percent of students received treatment in 2007, while 34 percent sought treatment in 2017.
Colleges are Struggling to Help
Universities are struggling to meet the increase in demand for mental health services. 95 percent of college counseling center directors surveyed by the Association for University and College Counseling Center Directors said, “the number of students with significant psychological problems is a growing concern in their center or on campus.” They cite a lack of funding to hire staff as a reason schools are falling behind.
However, even the best schools in America aren’t well-equipped. The Ruderman Family Foundation graded the eight Ivy League universities’ mental health policies and gave each school a mark of D+ or less.
Meta recognizes the need for an easier way to access counselors, therapists, and psychiatrists among college students.
Meta Supplements On-Campus Services
Meta is designed to support colleges connect students to mental health services. For many college students, they’ve never had a need for counseling before, so they’re unsure how to go about seeking services.
According to surveys, college students are uneasy admitting they need help. The stigma surrounding mental health deters them from seeking somebody in person.
The App Appeals to a College Demographic
An online solution to counseling feels more natural and comfortable to a generation of people adept at utilizing mobile technology (and uncomfortable with face-to-face interactions).
College students download the Meta app for free to their smartphone, complete the same paperwork that would have to fill out in an office, search for providers that can help them, and receive counseling via video call on their phone.
To pay for their sessions, they can go through insurance or pay out of pocket.
Meta Was Designed with Providers in Mind
Mental health providers access the Meta website through their desktop or laptop computers. Providers create an account and build a profile with their specialties, headshot, introductory video, and counseling hours. Practitioners’ licenses and credentials are verified by live professionals on the Meta team.
The provider pays a subscription fee to be on the Meta marketplace, accessible by all college students for whom they can provide services. The provider uses a computer webcam to conduct counseling sessions and payments go directly into their account.
Why Meta Needs Providers Like You
No one should feel as if they have no control. Meta helps people take control of how they feel. There is still a stigma attached to mental health. That stigma shouldn’t prevent college students from finding help when they need it. Our goal is to deliver access to mental health providers for all college students.
Meta is mutually beneficial to providers and our college users. We’re already working with colleges to encourage students to download and use the Meta app. But we still need quality providers like you on the platform so students can receive the help they want.
We need qualified, caring, and motivated professionals like yourself to populate the Meta marketplace and be there for those students. If you haven’t done so already, please sign up for Meta today and take control of your practice.