Help Is on the Way: In a Groundbreaking Vote, Mayor Schieve, Reno City Council Unanimously Approve CARES Act Funds for Free Mental Health Services With Talkspace for Over 200,000 Residents in Reno

Talkspace, leader in digital behavioral health services, will collaborate with City of Reno and Hopeful Cities to provide all residents, 13+, free access to clinical mental health support

RENO, Nev.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Over 200,000 citizens in the city will soon be able to access free Talkspace mental health services, as the Reno City Council voted to approve CARES Act dollars to fund a groundbreaking mental health collaboration among Talkspace, the City of Reno and Hopeful Cities from iFred (International Foundation for Research and Education on Depression). This mental health support comes as Reno residents grapple with lives upended by COVID-19 – as numbers are once again rising, and threatening Reno families, schools and the local economy.

Talkspace, one of the country’s leading providers of tele-mental health and tele-therapy services, will soon provide residents, ages 13+, unlimited private messaging (text, voice, video) and video appointment services with a private therapist from Talkspace network. This is the first relationship of its kind between a city and Talkspace through the CARES Act, the COVID-19 relief legislation passed by Congress earlier this year.

"Now, more than ever, people are feeling incredibly isolated. People have been at home for months on end and our lives have changed. No one should suffer in silence," said Reno Mayor Hillary Schieve. "Everyone needs to be at the table. We need to find ways for better access and to make sure no one gets denied services based on ability to pay. I'm grateful for my entire council to realize the magnitude of this mental health epidemic.”

“Like every city and town in this country, Reno is experiencing high levels of stress right now,” said Talkspace Chief Medical Officer Dr. Neil Leibowitz. “Most people need access to care, but are not able to get it -- whether that’s because of cost, convenience or the ability to find the right provider. With today’s unanimous vote, Mayor Schieve and the City Council recognized the need to expand access to care. We are honored to serve the people of Reno, and we look forward to partnering with our network of local clinicians to provide support free of charge to Reno citizens.”

Talkspace will launch later this month as a resource option alongside Reno's Hopeful Cities program, an initiative that aims to transform the lives of Reno residents through education and training on how to build a hopeful mindset.

"I serve on several global mental health advisory boards, having been involved in WHO’s MhGap forum for many years," said Kathryn Goetzke, Founder of iFred and its Hopeful Minds program and new Hopeful Cities movement. "Hope is definable, measurable and teachable, and a protective factor against anxiety and depression. Our mission is to create a movement operationalizing hope and sharing available resources, including Talkspace, when anyone in the community feels hopeless."

As an increasing number of Nevadans report mental health concerns amid the COVID-19 pandemic, this approval by the Reno City Council marks the removal of a critical barrier to accessing mental health support services in a flexible, convenient, affordable and remote manner. Talkspace’s commercial business has numerous existing employer benefits and EAP relationships with municipalities across the U.S., including the City of Irvine and County of Riverside, California.

Local Reno therapists and therapists throughout Nevada who are interested in becoming a Talkspace provider can visit talkspace.com/join-our-network/therapist for more details. For more information about Talkspace’s comprehensive online mental health treatment options, please visit this page.

About Talkspace

Talkspace is a digital platform that connects thousands of licensed therapists and psychiatrists with people seeking mental healthcare. As a digital healthcare company, all care is delivered through an easy-to-use and HIPAA-compliant web and mobile platform. Today, the need for care feels more urgent than ever, and when seeking treatment, whether it's psychiatric, adolescent, or couples therapy, Talkspace has treatment options for almost every need. With Talkspace, clients can send their dedicated therapists text, video, and voice messages anytime, from anywhere, and engage in live video sessions. To date, over 2 million people have used the service, and over 40 Million lives are covered for Talkspace through insurance.

For more information about Talkspace commercial relationships, visit https://business.talkspace.com

To learn more about online therapy, please visit https://www.talkspace.com/online-therapy.