By Gary Symons
TLL Editor in Chief
The mental health platform Innerworld has announced a new collaboration with the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), aimed at improving veterans’ overall well-being.
Innerworld is a mental health and wellness company that uses advanced technology to offer 24/7, always on access to mental health tools and resources. The company was founded by Noah Robinson, who developed a treatment regimen known as Cognitive Behavioral Immersion (CBI), and by the singer-songwriter and mental health pioneer Jewel.
The Innerworld platform offers anonymous peer-to-peer support via self-created avatars, who are then led by guides trained in Cognitive Behavioral Immersion. CBI is a form of psychological intervention developed by Robinson at Vanderbilt University that has demonstrated efficacy for a range of problems including depression, anxiety disorders, substance use disorder, and more.
“Accessible mental health tools are so critical and veterans are such an important part of our society,” said Jewel. “We’re excited to continue sharing Innerworld’s proven resources with veterans in a new capacity.”
The platform recently received a $2M grant from the National Institute of Mental Health to continue their research on how CBI tools help to reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety.
The collaboration with the VHA will roll out across six Veterans Administration medical centers (VAMCs) and Veterans Health Care Systems (VHCSs) in Houston, Detroit, New Orleans, Orlando, Palo Alto, and the greater Gulf Coast. A total of 100 Meta Quest headsets equipped with the Innerworld app will be distributed to the sites, offering veterans an immersive and safe space to engage in peer-to-peer support and access proven mental health tools and resources, building a virtual community with resources available around the clock.
Robinson says Innerworld shares VHA’s dedication to supporting veterans’ well-being and already boasts an established community of over 3,000 veterans and their family members. Veteran members have the ability to participate in all virtual programming as well as veteran-specific programming, and also have the opportunity to become paid, trained guides to facilitate meetings. You can hear current veteran members discuss their experiences with Innerworld HERE.
“We are honored to collaborate with the Department of Veterans Affairs in this transformative endeavor,” said Noah Robinson. “This collaboration comes at a pivotal time as we face high rates of veteran suicide. Our platform provides a virtual sanctuary where all veterans can connect, share experiences, and receive the support and tools they need and deserve, regardless of time or location.”
Innerworld has gained national media attention for its innovative approach to combating the global mental health crisis amid a national therapist shortage. The platform has been featured on CBS Mornings, Fox & Friends, MSNBC’s Morning Joe, and Tamron Hall Show, and in Fast Company, Forbes, People, Women’s Health, and more. You can watch the trailer for Innerworld HERE.
Innerworld is collaborating on the project directly with VA Immersive, a division of VHA’s Office of Healthcare Innovation and Learning (OHIL), through a cooperative research and development agreement. VA Immersive says it sees ITx as critical to the future of health care and aims to scale exciting new immersive technologies across the nation’s largest integrated health care system.
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