Clinical Team to Double in Size Supporting National Expansion of Program To Address Suicide Epidemic
NEW HAVEN, Conn., Aug. 15, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — Vita Health, the only provider of clinically validated suicide care for adults and adolescents, has doubled its team of telehealth clinicians to expand access to critical mental health services across the US.
The expansion of the clinical team will enable Vita Health to rapidly scale and help more patients access suicide care, general therapy and psychiatry.
The need for clinicians trained in suicide prevention has never been more critical. Since 1999, rates of suicide have increased by 35%; suicide is now a leading cause of death for all ages and the second leading cause of death in 15-24yr olds.
There are no national standards requiring mental health professionals to be trained in the treatment of patients exhibiting suicidal ideation. Currently, only nine states mandate training in suicide assessment, treatment and management for health professionals, according to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, with 70% of academic institutions providing no specific suicide training for clinicians.
Vita Health trains all their clinicians in suicide intervention using scientifically validated cognitive behavioral pathways, the only proven solution for suicide risk reduction. Based on the founding team’s successful clinical trials published in JAMA and The American Journal of Psychiatry, as well as thousands of patient encounters, the Vita Health model has demonstrated reductions in suicide attempts by more than 60 percent and deaths by 80 percent.
Tracy Brubaker, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Clinical Officer at Vita Health said: “Approximately half of all Americans live in areas that lack adequate access to mental health professionals. Vita Health’s full time, licensed telehealth clinicians remove the geographical barriers to mental health care, enabling patients to access therapy from wherever they are, from the comfort of home. The continued growth of our clinical team means that we can help more people nationwide and provide an increasingly diverse choice of therapists, experienced in treating a wide range of mental health challenges.”
About Vita Health
Founded in 2021, Vita Health is the leading provider of acute, virtual behavioral health services focused on suicide care management. With specialized programs curated for adults, adolescents, college students, and veterans, Vita Health provides timely, acute teletherapy and psychiatry support on a national basis supporting suicidality and associated co-occurring conditions. Their innovative, scientifically validated behavioral pathways, are the only proven, clinically validated solution for suicide risk reduction, lowering the cost of suicide financially, emotionally and in lives saved. Integrated through partnerships with national payers, providers, and employers and universities, Vita Health’s co-founders include leading experts in suicide from several major national universities including Dr. David Rudd (University of Memphis), Dr. Craig Bryan (Ohio State University), Dr. Cheryl King (University of Michigan), Dr. Greg Brown (University of Pennsylvania) and the late Dr. Barbara Stanley (Columbia University).
For more information, visit www.vitahealth.care
Media Contact
Lindsay Gill, Punching Nun Group, 1 (802)304-6787, lindsay@punchingnungroup.com, https://punchingnungroup.com/