Vancouver BC – June 9, 2020 – The Digital Technology Supercluster announced its co-investment into a $2.5M project to deliver a suite of interactive digital therapy tools to healthcare organizations for readily accessible and personalized mental health care for their workers.
Led by Starling Minds, one of Canada’s leading online cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) platforms, the project will deliver to healthcare organizations an engaging, scalable, cost-effective, and proactive suite of digital mental health tools. The tools will be immediately available to help healthcare workers combat both personal and workplace stressors unique to their profession and compounded by extraordinary situations like COVID-19.
This project aims to establish a strong foundation for healthcare organizations to safeguard frontline workers’ mental health, who are the foundation of a high-functioning healthcare system.
“The co-investment in this project from the Digital Supercluster and Federal government demonstrates a strong commitment to the mental health of Canadian healthcare workers. We are honoured to be a chosen solution to help make mental health as common and accepted as physical fitness,” says Peter Oxley, Chief Executive Officer at Starling Minds. “Thank you to Navdeep Bains, Ministry of Innovation, Science and Industry, and the Digital Technology Supercluster for their endorsement in our technology and our team and mission.”
“We are deeply grateful to organizations such as Starling Minds for supporting Canadians impacted by the complex mental health challenges that COVID-19 has created,” said Sue Paish, CEO of the Digital Technology Supercluster. “By leveraging collaborative innovation we can create and deliver life-changing technologies to address the psychological impacts COVID-19 has had on our healthcare workers, our communities, and workforces, now and for future pandemics.”
Starling has already helped thousands of individuals improve their mental health by providing cost-effective, timely, on-demand access to online CBT through an employer, union, or insurance provider. Approximately 80% of healthcare workers within Starling’s COVID-19 program found that the online CBT therapy tools help combat stress, anxiety, and worry during pandemics.
Dave Keen, Executive Director, Workplace Health at Fraser Health, Canada’s largest health authority shares, “We are proud to contribute to this project to help address the challenges facing the healthcare sector. Healthcare workers are fundamental to keeping our healthcare systems, communities, and citizens healthy and safe. Protecting their mental health will be essential in those efforts.”
Starling Minds’ solution will be available to Canada’s healthcare organizations to support the mental health of all healthcare workers. Learnings from the COVID-19 pandemic will be applied to help prepare for future disasters and pandemics in a cost-effective and scalable manner across key sectors of the workforce.
To learn more about Starling’s Digital Supercluster Project, go to https://www.digitalsupercluster.ca/supercluster-using-digital-technologies-to-create-a-safe-return-to-work-environment-and-supports-for-mental-health-wellness/.
ABOUT STARLING MINDS
Starling Minds™ is a leading digital mental health platform that empowers organizations to cost-effectively support the wellbeing of their most important asset – their workforce. By using personalized and online Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) available on-demand, Starling helps to overcome barriers that prevent most people from seeking mental health support – cost, access, and stigma.
ABOUT DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY SUPERCLUSTER
The Digital Technology Supercluster solves some of industry’s and society’s biggest problems through Canadian-made technologies. We bring together private and public sector organizations of all sizes to address challenges facing Canada’s economic sectors including healthcare, natural resources, manufacturing and transportation. Through this ‘collaborative innovation’ the Supercluster helps to drive solutions better than any single organization could on its own. The Digital Technology Supercluster is led by industry leaders such as D-Wave, Finger Food Advanced Technology Group, LifeLabs, LlamaZOO, Lululemon, MDA, Microsoft, Mosaic Forest Management, Sanctuary AI, Teck Resources Limited, TELUS, Terramera, and 1Qbit. Together, we work to position Canada as a global hub for digital innovation. A full list of Members can be found here.
ABOUT THE COVID-19 PROGRAM
The COVID-19 Program aims to improve the health and safety of Canadians and support Canada’s ability to address issues created by the COVID-19 outbreak. In addition, the program will build expertise and capacity to anticipate and address issues that may arise in future health crises, from healthcare to a return to work and community. More information can be found here.
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