SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. and NEW YORK, July 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- LifeStance Health (NASDAQ: LFST), one of the nation's largest providers of outpatient mental health care, today announced it has partnered with The Mental Health Coalition. Founded and launched by Kenneth Cole, The Mental Health Coalition is a committed group of leading organizations, brands and individuals dedicated to transforming the conversation and culture around mental health. Additionally, the LifeStance Health Foundation, an organization endowed by LifeStance Health, has committed $250,000 to support the coalition's mission of offering access to vital mental health resources and necessary support for all.
LifeStance Health's partnership with The Mental Health Coalition will focus on amplifying resources and empowering people to learn about mental health, help a loved one, learn coping skills and seek support through innovative conversations on relevant topics. It will also enable The Mental Health Coalition to expand its programs to destigmatize mental health and encourage people to openly discuss and address their individual mental health needs. A key program that will be furthered by this collaboration is the Mental Health Coalition's 121 Series, a content series featuring celebrities and mental health advocates that uses the power of storytelling—one of the oldest forms of education—to inform, normalize and educate viewers about mental health. The 121 Series, like all of The Mental Health Coalition's programs, encourages people to utilize free, educational resources from its alliance of nonprofit members.
"The mental health crisis does not discriminate--every single person is affected either directly or indirectly—and we believe strongly in ensuring equitable access to high-quality mental health resources for everyone," said Mike Lester, CEO, LifeStance Health. "We're honored to partner with the Mental Health Coalition, a true leader in the nonprofit space, to work together to destigmatize the conversation around mental health and encourage those experiencing mental health conditions to address their individual needs."
The partnership comes at a time when mental health needs have never been higher. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, only 27% of total mental health needs are met at a national level in the United States. The COVID-19 pandemic brought the mental health crisis to the forefront, amplifying existing mental health challenges for many and presenting additional hurdles to accessing affordable care in a timely way.
"The stigma associated with mental health is, unfortunately, a significant reason why many people do not seek support when they're struggling. Couple that with confusion about where to find resources, and you have millions of individuals who don't know where to turn," said Kenneth Cole, founder, The Mental Health Coalition. "LifeStance Health shares our mission of not only destigmatizing mental health but also ensuring that all communities have access to the tools and support they need. We're thrilled to join forces to improve lives and tackle this incredibly important work together."
This partnership builds on LifeStance Health's recently announced "No Face" campaign, which was developed to encourage candid conversations about mental health and reduce the stigma around seeking treatment. People can join the movement to destigmatize mental health by uploading a selfie on Instagram with the hashtag #Not1Face.
ABOUT LIFESTANCE HEALTH
Founded in 2017, LifeStance Health (NASDAQ: LFST) is reimagining mental health. We are one of the nation's largest providers of virtual and in-person outpatient mental health care for children, adolescents and adults experiencing a variety of mental health conditions. Our mission is to help people lead healthier, more fulfilling lives by improving access to trusted, affordable and personalized mental healthcare. LifeStance Health employs over 3,300 psychiatrists, advanced practice nurses, psychologists and therapists and operates across 27 states and over 370 centers, as of the end of the first quarter of 2021. To learn more, please visit www.LifeStance.com.
ABOUT THE MENTAL HEALTH COALITION
The Mental Health Coalition is a coalition of the Nation's leading mental health organizations, brands, and individuals who have joined forces to end the debilitating stigma surrounding mental health and to change the way people talk about, and care for, mental illness. Our mission is to catalyze like-minded communities to work together to destigmatize mental health and empower access to vital resources and necessary support for all.
The Mental Health Coalition was formed with the understanding that the mental health crisis is fueled by a pervasive and devastating stigma, preventing millions of individuals from being able to seek the critical treatment they need. We will not relent until mental health is no longer associated with stigma, shame or judgement and all people feel empowered to openly discuss and address their individual mental health needs.
The Mental Health Coalition members include Active Minds, Alliance for Eating Disorders Awareness, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, Anxiety & Depression Association of America, Brain & Behavior Research Foundation, Bring Change to Mind, Child Mind Institute, Crisis Text Line, Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA), Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services, Fountain House, Headstrong, Jed Foundation, Mental Health America, Mindful Philanthropy, National Alliance on Mental Illness, National Council for Mental Wellbeing, National Latino Behavioral Health Association (NLBHA), On Our Sleeves, One Mind, Schizophrenia & Psychosis Action Alliance, Shatterproof, Silence the Shame, Steve Fund, Suicide Awareness Voices of Education (SAVE), Trans Lifeline, Trevor Project, UCLA Depression Grand Challenge, Vibrant Emotional Health, Well Being Trust and Your Mom Cares.
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SOURCE LifeStance Health
Public Relations Contact: Brooke Matthews, Director of Public Relations, media@lifestance.com; Investor Relations: investor.relations@lifestance.com