SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Ginger, the leader in on-demand mental healthcare, today announced Spanish language capabilities of Ginger’s entire on-demand mental health offering. Available to select Ginger clients in the fall, and all Ginger members by early 2022, Ginger in Spanish will provide members with high-quality, culturally competent care, including behavioral health coaching via text, video-based therapy and psychiatry sessions, and guided self-care content.
There are over 41 million native Spanish speakers in the United States, yet only 8,000 Spanish-speaking psychologists in the U.S. This shortage of providers and difficulty to get an appointment leads many to avoid care altogether. Studies show that Spanish-speaking clients often feel less comfortable sharing personal information or emotions with an English-speaking therapist; in fact, therapy in a native language is proven to be twice as effective. Hispanic and Latinx communities also experience higher levels of stigma towards mental illness and psychotherapy than other communities. This stigma can deter individuals from seeking care, which can worsen mental health symptoms and hinder recovery.
“Unfortunately, many of our most vulnerable people are often those who speak English as a second language,” said Desiree Pascual, chief people officer at Ginger. “Offering Ginger’s full-continuum of care in Spanish is an enormous step forward in making mental healthcare accessible to those who have been underserved for so long.”
Ginger members who prefer to receive care in Spanish will be able to access the full mobile app experience, from intake, to messaging and care delivery, in Spanish. Capabilities include:
- Behavioral health coaching: Spanish-speaking coaches will provide scheduled and on-demand coaching sessions within minutes for members. Ginger’s coaches are required to have a minimum of two years of coaching or counseling experience and a Master’s degree in psychology-related field or coaching certification from an NBC-HWC approved training program.
- Therapy and psychiatry: Members can access clinical care in Spanish from licensed therapists and psychiatrists via video within days. Ginger therapists and psychiatrists come from diverse backgrounds and are licensed as LCSWs, LMFTs, LMHCs, LPCs, and MDs. They are trained on various treatment modalities, such as CBT, and treatment specialities, such as depression, anxiety, and work stress. Ginger clinicians work collaboratively with coaches to support members between sessions.
- Guided self-care content: Members will have access to self-guided content in Spanish that tackle issues related to stress, relationships, cultural norms, and more. Content will include quick tips and activity cards, videos, classes, workshops, and audio-guided activities.
- Clinically-relevant outcomes measurement: PHQ-9, GAD-7, and Resilience surveys will be provided in Spanish to track members’ symptom improvement over time and assess clinical outcomes, all driven by the Ginger on-demand mental health system. Ginger’s on-demand, team-based care model has been shown to produce an average of 59% improvement in anxiety and 70% improvement in depression.
- Communications materials: Employers and health plan clients who launch Ginger in Spanish to their members will receive a full communications toolkit, including emails, flyers, and other materials to promote Ginger to their Spanish-speaking members.
“Medline launched Ginger earlier this year in the U.S. and we have seen meaningful engagement among our workforce. With Ginger in Spanish, we will be able to expand the program’s effectiveness with our Spanish-speaking employees and their dependents,” said Lori Buckley, vice president of benefits with Medline. “We’re especially excited for Ginger's member communications in Spanish, which will ensure our Spanish-speaking population can be successfully engaged and receive support.”
Ginger’s on-demand, team-based care model is currently available in Spanish to employees of select employer clients, and will be available to all Ginger members by early 2022. Learn more about how employers can provide inclusive mental healthcare for a multicultural workforce with Ginger on September 15, 2021 at 3:00 p.m. EDT/12:00 p.m. PDT. Speakers on this webcast will include Désirée Pascual, chief people officer at Ginger; Erika Austin, Ph.D., senior manager of coaching services at Ginger; and Enrique Rubio, founder of Hacking HR. To register, please visit: https://go.ginger.io/multicultural-workforce-mental-healthcare-inclusivity.
Ginger recently announced they will be merging with Headspace, a global leader in mindfulness and meditation. Through its Headspace for Work offering, Headspace offers its mindfulness products and services to more than 2,200 companies, such as Starbucks, Adobe, Hyatt, and Unilever, to help them build healthier, more productive cultures and higher performing organizations. The Headspace app is available in five languages across 190+ countries worldwide.
The combined entity, Headspace Health, will offer the world’s most accessible and comprehensive digital mental health and wellbeing platform. The two companies will bring together their expertise in consumer brand, evidence-based interventions, and technology to help improve resilience, reduce stress, and provide treatment to the millions of people experiencing mental health symptoms, from anxiety to depression to more complex diagnoses.
To learn more, please reach out to Ginger at theteam@ginger.io.
About Ginger
At Ginger, we believe that everyone deserves access to incredible mental healthcare. The Ginger app provides members with access to unlimited self-guided care and 24/7 on-demand coaching, as well as video-based therapy and psychiatry support. Ginger’s care providers work as a team to deliver high-quality care in a value-based model that helps members get better faster, and reduces costs for everyone. Over 25 million people have access to Ginger through leading employers, health plans, and partners. Ginger is recognized by The World Economic Forum as a Technology Pioneer, by Fast Company as one of the Most Innovative Companies in Healthcare, and by UCSF Digital Health Awards as 2020’s leading Mental Health Company. Learn more about our vision to build a world where mental health is never an obstacle at ginger.com or find us on Twitter at @CareByGinger.
