What You Should Know:
– Ginger, a provider of on-demand mental healthcare, today announced Spanish language capabilities of Ginger’s entire on-demand mental health offering. The added capabilities aligns perfectly with the company’s recent decision to commence supporting those members utilizing Medicaid (starting in certain markets). 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.
– The announcement is also the first big news since the Headspace merger announcement that will enable Ginger to serve more of Headspace’s millions of Spanish-speaking members around the world.
Ginger’s On-Demand Mental Health Capabilities
Ginger’s on-demand mental health 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.
Why It Matters
The U.S. has 41 million native Spanish speakers, yet only 8K Spanish-speaking psychologists. That ratio is deplorable and has led to massive consequences. Months-long wait times, exacerbated stigma within the community, and higher anxiety sharing personal info with an English-speaking therapist. On top of this, it’s heart-wrenching to think how many have just avoided care all together because of these hurdles and fear-inducing elements. The mental health of our Spanish-speaking community is likely worsening significantly by the hour.
“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.”
Availability
The offering will be 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.
