What You Should Know:
- UpLift, a technology-driven behavioral health company delivering in-network therapy and psychiatry, today announced that it has acquired TAO Connect, a therapy-assisted mental health solution with digital tools and resources designed for higher education institutions.
- With the acquisition of TAO Connect, UpLift now provides services to over 170 enterprise customers nationwide and across Canada, covering over four million people, including over two million students at more than 120 higher ed institutions in the U.S. UpLift’s full spectrum of high quality care – from preventative to treating severe mental illness – makes mental healthcare work for everyone, across all conditions, geographies and generations.
UpLift’s Innovative Approach and Impactful Solutions
The absence of affordable access to behavioral healthcare stands as a significant catalyst in the mental health crisis gripping America. UpLift offers an integrated behavioral health platform that assists patients in connecting with the appropriate team of providers tailored to their clinical and non-clinical requirements. This platform facilitates next-day, in-network therapy and psychiatry sessions through a nationwide network comprising nearly 2000 licensed providers. Introducing TAO by UpLift, a novel behavioral health program specifically tailored for students, which grants institutions access to a comprehensive mental healthcare solution for higher education. This solution ensures continuity of care, complementing the counseling services offered by institutions, all covered by insurance.
Students are in dire need of affordable care. According to the American College Health Association National College Health Assessment, 77% of college students grapple with mental health issues, with 53% not receiving care in the past 12 months. A recent survey, The College Student Behavioral Health Report, delved into the reasons behind students’ reluctance to seek care, revealing that 51% cited cost as a barrier, while 27% struggled to find available care, and another 27% cited excessively long wait times. Surprisingly, 85% of college students possess health insurance.
Similar to UpLift, TAO Connect was conceived to address the unmet need for more accessible and effective mental healthcare options, including telehealth. Initially geared towards higher education, TAO Connect’s evidence-based digital tools and resources have proven adaptable and beneficial to various other entities, such as large employers and health systems.
TAO by UpLift is currently being implemented across higher education institutions nationwide, encompassing two- and four-year public and private schools, as well as community colleges, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), and graduate schools.
UpLift leverages technology to provide students with a straightforward, personalized, fair, and accessible experience. From navigation to treatment, students enjoy round-the-clock access to care, personalized provider recommendations, treatment plans, and insights into their progress through integrated measurement-based clinical assessments. With UpLift:
1. New patients typically receive care within 1.4 days on average.
2. 93% of patients with severe depression experience a clinically meaningful reduction in symptoms.
3. 9 out of 10 patients report feeling better within 90 days.
46% of providers self-identify as BIPOC.
“We read about the crisis of care every day. College students are increasingly anxious, depressed, and struggling with loneliness and the pressure of academia, and institutions are proactively seeking ways to augment and complement their counseling services,” said Kyle Talcott, CEO and founder of UpLift. “With TAO, we are already on the ground with preventative, self-guided tools and resources, and are now expanding our offerings to complement the counseling centers with therapy and psychiatry to care for students when, where, and how they need it. At the same time, we are able to leverage our insurance model to lower the cost to higher ed customers and remove the caps on care that are all too commonly placed by existing solutions.”