Ieso Digital Health Joins With Colorado Health Partnerships to Bring Online Counseling to Colorado Medicaid Clients

DENVER, April 10, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Ieso Digital Health (Ieso), creator of a leading digital mental health delivery platform, is providing members of Health First Colorado (Colorado's Medicaid program) its service that allows individuals to receive psychological counseling from credentialed and Colorado licensed mental health therapists from anywhere, at virtually any time.

A United Kingdom-based firm, Ieso delivered over 10,000 therapy hours in 2016 to U.K. residents who get their care through the National Health Service. The Ieso delivery platform was validated in a 2009 random controlled trial published in the peer-reviewed medical journal - The Lancet.

Ieso delivers Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) in a private and secure virtual therapy room, at a scheduled time, during a live, online appointment using written (typed) conversation. There is no video or audio component. The service is available to persons with common behavioral health disorders such as anxiety, stress and depression. Unlike other behavioral health methods, the Ieso platform measures the rate of improvement using before and after scores of clinically validated questionnaires, such as the PHQ-9 for depression and the GAD-7 for anxiety. To date, Ieso has delivered over 400 therapy hours to eligible Colorado patients and has experienced competitive improvement rates of over 60 percent.

"We are excited to bring this counseling option to Colorado," said Arnold Salazar, executive director of Colorado Health Partnerships (CHP). "We think it will be especially appreciated by rural members and members who prefer digital forms of communication."

This service does not require a copayment and is available to Health First Colorado members ages 18 and above who live within the 43 counties served by CHP. The covered area includes the Western Slope, the San Luis Valley, Colorado Springs and southeast Colorado.

Beacon Health Options is the behavioral health management partner for CHP and is offering the service through its affiliation with Ieso. Traditional psychological services offered as a benefit of Health First Colorado (Colorado's Medicaid program) remain available.

"Beacon Health Options continually innovates and looks for new ways to improve access, quality and the affordability of the behavioral health services we provide to many Coloradans, said Myron Unruh, Beacon Health Options Vice President, Client Partnerships – Colorado. "To date, we have found the response rates and the outcomes promising for this new service. We are committed to continuing to find new ways to help improve the lives of those we serve."

All online therapy offered through this program is provided by Colorado therapists who are licensed to practice within Colorado. All therapists have at least Masters-level training.

"Online therapy is especially helpful for people who want to try therapy but can't take the time off work, can't travel to an appointment, live in a rural area with a shortage of providers, or don't feel comfortable speaking to somebody face-to-face," said Dan Clark, CEO for Ieso Digital Health. "People can receive their therapy anywhere. All they need is an internet connection, computer, tablet or smartphone."

Due to the "disinhibition effect," online therapy can sometimes work better than traditional in-person therapy. This is especially true for people who struggle to open up about their thoughts and feelings when face-to-face with a therapist. Besides allowing the people to open up more fully, the disinhibition effect can speed-up the process of getting to the heart of the issue troubling the patient.

"Re-reading their text before sending it can be helpful to both the patient and therapist as they work to get their arms around the issues being discussed," said Clark. "The text record also allows our firm to provide supervision to our counselors, allowing them to improve their performance for their patients."

Persons seeking online therapy can make appointments at any time of day, including evenings and weekends. This makes it easy to fit therapy around their life. Signing up for therapy is easy and people seeking counseling will normally get access to care within seven days.

Coloradans in the 43 covered counties can sign up for therapy, or find out more about online therapy, by going to www.iesohealth.com.

About Ieso Digital Health
Ieso Digital Health provides one-to-one therapy in real-time. Patients meet with an accredited therapist in an online secure virtual therapy room, at a time and location that is convenient to them. The use of technology and written conversation improves patient choice and offers widespread access to effective, evidence-based, therapy. Ieso treats patients dealing with depression and anxiety disorders.

Since 2011, Ieso Digital Health has received investment from Imperial Innovations, Cambridge Angels, Harvard Business School Alumni Angels of London, and Ananda Social Venture Fund.
www.iesohealth.com

2017 is a year of growth and expansion for Ieso Digital Health in the US market. The firm plans to launch in three additional states and expand within Colorado.

About Colorado Health Partnerships
Colorado Health Partnerships (CHP) is a public/private partnership providing quality mental health services to Medicaid eligible members in southern and Western Colorado. CHP was formed in 1995, when eight community mental health centers formed a partnership with ValueOptions^®, now Beacon Health Options. Together, the companies formed a limited liability corporation that contracts with Colorado's Department of Health Care Policy and Financing, www.coloradohealthpartnerships.com.

About Beacon Health Options
Beacon Health Options is a family of managed behavioral health companies that serves 50 million individuals across all 50 states and the United Kingdom. On behalf of employers, health plans and government agencies, we manage innovative programs and solutions that directly address the challenges our behavioral health care system faces today. Beacon is a national leader in the fields of mental and emotional well-being, addiction, recovery and resilience, employee assistance, and wellness. We help people make the difficult life changes needed to be healthier and more productive. Partnering with a network of providers nationwide, we help individuals live their lives to the fullest potential. For more information, visit www.beaconhealthoptions.com and connect with us on www.facebook.com/beaconhealthoptions, www.twitter.com/beaconhealthopt and www.linkedin.com/company/beacon-health-options.

Contact:
Erich Kirshner
Evolution Communications Agency
303.921.6733
[email protected]

SOURCE Ieso Digital Health

Related Links

http://www.iesohealth.com