iRel8 Platform

Up to 13% of women experience depression during and post-pregnancy, and one-in-five women experience at least one type of anxiety disorder during pregnancy. Poor mental health increases risk for adverse social and economic outcomes. In the US, maternal mortality rate (a common indicator of a nation’s health) is increasing, with mothers of color bearing the greatest burden and Black mothers dying at 2-3x the rate of their White counterparts. iRel8, an anonymous platform, facilitates mental wellness through the power of peer connection. Peer support is a resource that can be accessible to at-risk populations (specifically pregnant women and mothers from marginalized groups) and reduce health disparities by increasing dissemination of knowledge and support to find/seek needed resources. It empowers those with lived experience to improve health outcomes in their communities. iRel8 provides a multi-lingual platform for US-based mothers to connect and support each other with the potential to expand globally. 

Four-million women give birth each year. Of those, roughly 500,000 experience depression during and post-pregnancy. Maternal depression puts women at increased risk for higher healthcare costs, unemployment, divorce/separation, and substance use disorders. It can be challenging to treat due to fears of medication exposure, but risks are high if left untreated, including adverse child development outcomes. Society expects new mothers to radiate excitement, which increases stigma and reduces care-seeking behavior. Non-White mothers are more likely to face additional barriers to care, including limited providers with shared lived experiences and structural racism within the healthcare system. During COVID-19, the demand for mental health care increased beyond the supply of providers with maternal depression rates 8x pre-pandemic levels. Alternative, innovative solutions must be made available to improve maternal mental health, particularly for women of color to directly target and reduce inequities. Social connectedness is a known protective factor for mental illness. Anonymous, mobile-based peer support directly addresses several barriers, including stigma around care-seeking, convenient access to knowledge/resources, and normalization of the maternal mental health struggles, including medication options - it empowers women, allows their voices to be heard, and their concerns to be taken seriously and addressed by people they trust.  

iRel8 is an easily accessible mobile app available to users to get help, find healing, and seek guidance 24/7/365. It facilitates mental wellness through the power of peer connection by enhancing support and reducing stigma associated with mental health challenges. The platform provides a safe environment in which users can connect with others who have "been there, done that,” and experience a sense of belonging that facilitates access to practical help.  Peer support represents an evidence-based approach to facilitating wellbeing; it has been linked with reduced inpatient services, improved patient-provider relationships, better engagement in care, and increased empowerment/hopefulness of recovery. iRel8 allows users to communicate anonymously with peers in group chats or via 1:1 messaging and incorporates AI to facilitate equitable access to relevant resources using intervention (e.g., crisis language detection) and resource (e.g., sleep) bots. IRel8 has developed a culturally-appropriate AI framework using NLP, increasing the likelihood that users will receive appropriate resources. Users rank resources received, which informs future resources provided. Given that 97% of US adults have access to basic phone services, iRel8 has the potential to reach most mothers; it can be accessed via an app on a smartphone or via text on a basic phone. 

Vast racial gaps exist in maternal death and pregnancy complications in the US. Women of color are much more likely to develop perinatal depression/anxiety and much less likely to access quality care, which, in turn, places them and their babies at risk for a host of adverse biopsychosocial outcomes. 

Research highlights the additional inequities due to the pandemic. Single mothers and mothers in low-income families are also less likely to receive treatment. Without treatment, mothers are at greater risk for substance abuse, birth complications, pregnancy-related death, and suicide.  

Improving maternal health requires innovative solutions that involve women across risk groups. BIPOC women and women from other marginalized backgrounds must be at the forefront of the solution. iRel8's platform will engage marginalized women, giving them a voice as the experts in their lived experiences. The peer approach will allow mothers to support, advocate, share strategies and resources, and help each other improve the overall mental wellbeing of themselves and their families. In addition to increasing access to resources, iRel8 also provides an opportunity for mothers to connect with each other if seeking therapy is a barrier due to stigma, finances, or time. 

In addition, iRel8 will leverage backend user data to develop algorithms to better understand the needs of mothers. This includes developing training models to assess language being used in the app and recognize when different languages or phrases mean the same thing or are distinct constructs. The assessment of language helps increase techquity and creates parity by embracing individuals’ preferred vernacular and working to understand users’ needs rather than ignoring persons who do not speak in academic language or expecting them to conform. For example, the machine learning and AI that iRel8 is incorporating into the app will be able to flag individuals to receive needed resources which might not have received anything previously due to not speaking using “buzz words.” 

iRel8 is located in the United States. However, the program is not limited by borders and is currently used worldwide. It is accessible in over 54 languages, including Spanish and Chinese, which is relevant to global communities, as well as marginalized communities in the US, who will benefit most from this maternal peer support resource. A recent report found that over 67-million people in the US speak a language other than English in their home. We know that healthcare quality improves when information is accessible in the given language of the patient, which is why this is a critical component of the iRel8 technology.  

Finally, in addition to providing users the opportunity to provide feedback on the helpfulness of resources they receive from in-app bots, iRel8 will allow users to evaluate their experiences within the app by completing feedback surveys. Feedback from users will then be used to incorporate changes into the app based on the self-identified needs of women using the app. Ultimately, this solution aims to increase access to evidence-based and equitable mental and physical healthcare for all pregnant women and new mothers, resulting in fewer deaths, pregnancy complications, and improved mental wellness. 

The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the existing mental health epidemic, especially for mothers experiencing depression, anxiety, and loneliness during pregnancy and postpartum. The iRel8 peer support platform helps mothers in marginalized communities connect digitally with peers experiencing similar struggles and addresses the behavioral health challenges experienced disproportionately by women of color. Backend AI capabilities are leveraged to understand expressed needs and ways mothers support each other and provides relevant resources when appropriate. iRel8 helps reduce perinatal depression, anxiety, and loneliness by preventing the spread of misinformation and inspiring individuals to support themselves and their communities via connection.  

iRel8 has successfully launched across multiple diverse settings, including the military, first responders, and Black mothers. User data suggests iRel8 is easy to use and does not require advanced reading ability. Outcomes from specific iRel8 programs demonstrate evidence of high engagement. From September 2019 through January 2021, ResponderRel8 (https://responderrel8.com/), a white-label created for first responders, had more than 29,000 downloads and reached almost 6,000 active accounts. In December 2020 and January 2021, daily users reached roughly 450 users/day with user engagement at 1-5 sessions/day. From October 2020 to January 2021, iRel8 launched Believe Her in partnership with Dr. Shalon's Maternal Action Project, an organization named after a Black doctor who died following childbirth due to post-delivery health complications that were dismissed by her providers. iRel8 plans to leverage this experience to develop a program to support all mothers across the US experiencing mental health challenges during pregnancy and postpartum. 

iRel8 is an anonymous peer empowerment platform for mental wellness where people "Rel8" (relate) to one another anonymously. No stigma, no barriers, and, unlike other companies, we never sell data or place ads in the app. Our goals are to stop the stigma and provide access to help and healing 24/7/365. Peer support is an effective approach to supporting others who are suffering silently. iRel8 takes a scalable, nonclinical approach to address mental health needs based on evidence-based research.  

iRel8 is uniquely positioned to help partners and their populations with a simple, user-friendly mobile application.  The innovative approach is supported by large enterprise and government entities such as the CDC, Office of the United States Surgeon General, Microsoft, FirstNet built by AT&T, CU Anschutz National Mental Health Innovation Center, UCLA, and UNC.  Furthermore, wellness has no boundaries and does not discriminate on a person's socioeconomic status, race, color, creed, or sexual orientation; iRel8 can serve approximately 6.8 billion people globally and is open to all people.   

iRel8's platform has been deployed across various verticals and has the capability to target specific communities versus broad groups (which differs from competitors’ approaches.). This includes highly relevant work to fight Black maternal mortality. Believe Her, a white-labeled iRel8 program, demonstrates the capability to serve the Black birthing community.  As an MIT Solver, we can expand to include all stakeholders within the continuum of care for maternal health. 

The platform currently serves 30,000 users. In the following year, we anticipate up to 150,000 users, and within five years, more than 20,000,000.  iRel8 stands out given our flexibility to work with various partners and serving their specific populations. This approach results in hyper-targeted peer support; for instance, First Responders want to talk with First Responder peers who can relate to their situation and help – no other app allows this. This also allows us to expand the availability of the app beyond direct-to-consumer users. We can provide iRel8 as a service for employers and organizations seeking mental health support tools for non-clinical use. Specifically, as a MIT Solver, we want to develop an iRel8 product for mothers, especially in underserved and marginalized communities. We believe that the peer support platform provides a powerful tool for connection among mothers during and after pregnancy. Therefore, efforts will be focused on this specific market to improve the product and the backend data analytics. iRel8 is a low-cost solution to address the need to help improve wellbeing and prevent severe mental illness. Through working with non-profit organizations, we believe that we can impact a lot of mother’s lives. In particular, we believe that the product can help with prevention and access individuals who are hesitant to seek formal mental healthcare during a very vulnerable time.  

We currently use Machine Learning to analyze the backend data collected on the iRel8 platform. We examine topic popularity through reviewing big data across our nearly 30,000 users. This allows us to understand the topics of interest and the overall interaction of peers in relation to a specific topic. We measure the number of users in a room along with the topics discussed in specific rooms. In addition, we report several metrics including monthly active users (MAU), daily active users (DAU), session length (white-label partner specific). We are also in the process of developing an Intervention Bot. The Bot will provide a ranking algorithm. For instance, it will ask the user if the resources provided by the bot were helpful. Based on their response, triggers will identify and present resources most relevant and rated as most helpful to users, such as crisis resources or information on managing particular symptoms (e.g., PTSD, sleep).

The iRel8 Team consists of five full-time staff, including the two co-founders and three developers. Our Chief Financial Officer and lawyer are part-time. We also have two consultants with the National Mental Health Innovation Center at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Center. 

Jeff Dorchester, Co-Founder of iRel8, is a designer and entrepreneur with decades of innovation in the technology space. He previously co-founded LoylMe, and through an acquisition, Monetary. Dion Gonzales, Co-Founder of iRel8, is an entrepreneur with a history of building successful companies with three exits, including LoylMe (Co-Founder), 1to1 Loyalty (CEO), and Vitesse Worldwide (Co-Founder). 

Drs. Debra Boeldt, PhD, and Chloe Nicksic Sigmon, PhD are clinical psychologists employed at the National Mental Health Innovation Center (NMHIC) within the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Center to validate digital tools for mental health. Dr. Boeldt began expanding her knowledge of digital health at the Scripps Research Translational Institute as a postdoctoral fellow and worked for a start-up focused on personalized medicine and technology before joining NMHC as Deputy Director. Dr. Nicksic Sigmon previously conducted research focused on implementing adherent treatment at a therapy clinic. She joined NMHIC as a Program Manager to lead clinical content development and digital health research.  

Wellness has no boundaries and does not discriminate on a person's socioeconomic status, race, color, creed, or sexual orientation; iRel8 can serve approximately 6.8 billion globally and is open to all people.  We understand that health inequities are worse for marginalized communities, especially mental health. iRel8 strives to include the voice of community members in the development and refinement of the app. The importance of lived experience is at the heart of the iRel8 platform. Therefore, we are working towards multiple goals to build a diverse, equitable, and inclusive team. This includes establishing flexible work schedules to accommodate and support individuals’ needs, strengthening anti-discrimination and harassment policies, and adopting diversity program to support cultural practices. In addition, acknowledgement and awareness of unconscious bias during the hiring process and while supporting staff is essential. 

The MIT Solve program will provide an invaluable opportunity to refine and grow our technology at this point in development. We are eager to be part of a network of like-minded and impact-minded peers. We will actively leverage the expertise of coaches and mentors who have developed successful products. In addition, the strategic advice, primarily related to the business development and funding strategy, will be invaluable in our growth. As a Solver, we will also have the support to build impact measurement for iRel8 and expand evaluation for development. The program will provide iRel8 the media and conference exposure needed to also grow and assess the efficacy of the platform.  

In addition to access to impressive peers from diverse backgrounds, we are eager to join the MIT Solver network for several reasons. This network will provide us with the resources needed to expand and improve our business model, target marketing needs, improve development, address legal needs, and ultimately improve the product. Most importantly, the focus on social impact will help us reach marginalized and underserved communities, especially mothers in need of peer support.  Receiving invaluable support on monitoring and evaluation will help us improve both the quality and impact of iRel8. Although the initial financial support will help us more towards our goals, being part of the MIT Solve program will set us up for success as a company. We are excited to learn and grow from the program and building on the exposure that being a Solver will bring.

We are eager to learn from experts and gain access coaching around topics related to increasing exposure of our platform to potential users (e.g., marketing, developing strategic partnerships). Additionally, we care deeply about the quality of our product and believe that tracking data to inform future development and to measure impact is key to quality and success. We could benefit greatly from participating in a team of peers collaboratively sharing approaches and ideas for data tracking that will be greater than the sum of its parts and maximize the quality, effectiveness, and outcomes for all members. Access to the Solve network will expand our potential partnerships and provide access to new clients who may benefit from peer support. Through guidance in public relations, evaluation, and distribution, we believe that we will be able to impact millions of lives. 

We would like to partner with MIT directly in a similar capacity as UNC and CU Anschutz where iRel8 can work collaboratively to gather peer-based research, open grant opportunities focused on health equity, and provide anonymous, peer-based solutions to internal and external stakeholders.  Gaining academic perspective on PR, data monitoring, and impact evaluation is exceptionally valuable and would not only provide strategic insight but would also guide our product development to ensure we continue to effectively serve our partners and their constituents. Additionally, given our focus on channel partnerships and close affiliation with Microsoft we would like to work with several Solve Members including The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Nike, Pfizer, Stand Together, and Women’s WorldWide Web (W4). 

The National Mental Health Innovation Center (NMHIC) is currently working with iRel8 to develop evidence-based peer support training modules that users can complete. The easily accessible, in-app training will directly address inequities by empowering community members to seek out and provide support through peer connections. To this end, iRel8 is committed to helping users improve the quality of their peer support skills in a manageable way that is easily accessible directly within the app. NMHIC and iRel8 will co-develop a series of engaging and evidence-based peer-support training modules to help interested users learn and enhance basic skills applicable in a peer support context (e.g., active listening, empowerment, appropriate use of self-disclosure, creating a safe space). This training will be didactic and interactive and will foster peer support guided by evidence-based principles for building rapport and will be consistent with best practices and gold standard models of peer support, such as SAMHSA's core competencies (SAMHSA, 2020). The training modules will provide psychoeducation and how-to steps focused on users with no previous clinical training or experience. The training will apply to persons from all educational backgrounds to enhance their abilities to form healthy, effective, and culturally competent peer connections. Users will be able to complete one or more of these interactive training modules through the app. Finally, they will earn a certification badge through the successful completion of quizzes based on module content. 

iRel8 has successfully launched Believe Her, the peer support platform to provide support to Black mothers to help decrease the disproportionately high mortality rate in this population driven by systemic racism and persistent inequity in healthcare. Work on this project has increased our awareness that that maternal health inequities experienced by pregnant women and new mothers extend beyond mortality rate and are experienced across multiple marginalized groups as well as for Black mothers. To this end, we would like to be able to expand our reach by creating a platform to provide support to mothers to enhance wellbeing and reduce inequitable care by increasing access to support, credible knowledge, and resources. Award money would be used to gather user input and feedback in the development of the platform and to expand our AI resources to improve the quality of the user experience (e.g., crisis intervention, relevant resource dissemination). Funds could also be allocated toward development of training modules to support new mothers in building effective peer support skills in order to offer community and support to one another, particularly in response to stressors and triggers associated with pregnancy and postpartum struggles. 

We would use The AI for Humanity Prize to build out the development of our existing AI/ML. At present, we have complete frameworks for the intervention and resource bots so that crisis language or language asking for recommendations will result in the user receiving push notifications within the app and an email with relevant resources based on the risk associated with the language and the specific content (e.g., PTSD, sleep). Further funds would allow for the resource bot AI framework to be rolled out to each room given that the specific resources will differ from room to room and characteristics of the peers/users. Funding would also support and speed up the development of an engagement bot that will utilize machine learning and a decision tree to help engage users (e.g., show users how to use the app, send push notification or email when a user has been latent for a few days, provide updates on activity occurring within the app). Increasing development of AI and ML frameworks and launching them within the app will increase effectiveness of the iRel8 platform by allowing feedback to be customized and personalized to the user and more engaged with the community as well as have increased access to useful resources. Additionally, it will allow for AI data to be analyzed on broader level to inform future developments within the platform based on users’ needs. 

iRel8 is committed to helping users improve the quality of their peer support skills in a manageable way that is easily accessible directly within the app. NMHIC and iRel8 will co-develop a series of engaging and evidence-based peer-support training modules to help interested users learn and enhance basic skills applicable in a peer support context (e.g., active listening, empowerment, appropriate use of self-disclosure, creating a safe space). This training will be didactic and interactive and will foster peer support guided by evidence-based principles for building rapport and will be consistent with best practices and gold standard models of peer support, such as SAMHSA's core competencies (SAMHSA, 2020). The training modules will provide psychoeducation and how-to steps focused on users with no previous clinical training or experience. The training will apply to persons from all educational backgrounds to enhance their abilities to form healthy, effective, and culturally competent peer connections. Users will be able to complete one or more of these interactive training modules through the app. Prize funds would be used to get user feedback on the training module content to expand their feasibility, acceptability, and effectiveness for pregnant women and new mothers both in the US and globally. We would conduct focus groups to better understand maternal health inequities experienced by users, to better understand their viewpoints and perceived needs regarding support, and to fine tune training module content to maximize relevance and usefulness to this population.