You:Flourish App

According to the 2022 Human Rights Campaign report, the LGBTQ+ community in America is experiencing significant growth, with over 20 million individuals identifying as LGBTQ+ based on census data. Additionally, a recent Gallup poll revealed that more than 20% of Gen Z adults (ages 18-24) and over 10% of millennials (ages 25-34) identify as LGBTQ+. Given this expansion, there is a great need for behavioral health and wellness support specifically tailored to the LGBTQ+ community.

The American Psychological Association reported that more than half of LGBTQ+ adults face challenges with mental health or substance use disorders, with anxiety, depression, and suicidal thoughts occurring at a rate three times higher than that of the general population. These disparities persist due to ongoing stigma, discrimination, rejection, isolation, and bullying, as well as a lack of access to mental health professionals who understand the unique experiences of LGBTQ+ individuals. In 2020, 15% of LGBTQ+ Americans did not seek necessary medical care out of fear of discrimination, while 32% of Transgender individuals were deliberately misgendered by healthcare providers (Center for American Progress, 2020). These factors are multiplied for LGBTQ+ people with multiple marginalized identities. LGBTQ+ people of color face not only homophobia or transphobia in care settings but also racial discrimination, which further limits their access to necessary resources. For example, Black LGBTQ+ youth are significantly less likely to receive mental health care (Trevor Project, 2020), and LGBTQ+ women are more likely to experience suicidality (National LGBT Health Education Center, 2019). 

Despite the benefits for LGBTQ+ individuals of having a vetted directory of professionals with specific training in treating LGBTQ+ individuals, no existing resource is focused on lowering barriers to wellness by creating a holistic resource designed specifically for the LGBTQ+ community. Existing mental health resource directories like Psychology Today, Zocdoc, and GoodTherapy are popular web-based tools, but they fail to meet the needs of struggling LGBTQ+ people as providers are simply allowed to check a box stating they are open to serving the community. Wellness apps such as Calm, Moodfit, and Headspace have millions of downloads, and meditation and mindfulness apps make up 34% of all paid healthcare app purchases. These apps incorporate wellness content and tracking tools but fail to directly curate content for the LGBTQ+ community.  Countless LGBTQ+ Americans are deprived of essential mental health and wellness assistance because they lack access to affirming providers, a supportive community, and the resources to build self and community-care skills. 

Increasing these resources could significantly enhance and even save their lives. The availability of digital and physical spaces for LGBTQ+ individuals to connect meaningfully with others within their community is limited, and common forums for connection may lead to behaviors that worsen mental health and substance abuse issues. By combining peer support with wellness content and a vetted directory, You:Flourish is creating a unique solution to solve the mental health crisis in the LGBTQ+ community.

You:Flourish is a mental wellness application designed by the LGBTQ+ community, driven by

research and user feedback, and motivated by impact. The app has three main features. It connects the community to expert-vetted mental health providers, a supportive network of peers and allies, and wellness modules developed by community members. You:Flourish is the first ever digital space for the LGBTQ+ community focused on hope, help, and healing that provides meaningful wellness support individuals need to thrive.

You:Flourish’s provider directory utilizes a brief and thorough vetting process to screen providers based on training and experience supporting the mental health of LGBTQ+ individuals. This process provides convenience and confidence to help LGBTQ+ people feel safe when seeking care. Users can filter results by cost, insurance providers, telehealth availability, identities and more, which will lower barriers to care for low-income, BIPOC, and other users with multiple marginalized identities or those in rural areas. Crisis resources are prominently displayed on the home page for any individual in need of immediate assistance. 

Our peer network will connect users to others with shared lived experiences, facilitate mutual aid, and build collective accountability to stay on track with wellness goals. Peer support is a protective factor that can aid in recovery from substance use or mental health challenges. Our platform for LGBTQ+ individuals to meet others with similar challenges and share resources breaks down mental health stigma while providing an interface for community collaboration and encouragement. In partnership with academic researchers, we developed these features based on factors that will create lasting behavior change and long-term wellness practices. 

The wellness content library will help users build self-care and community-care skills with modules made by and for the LGBTQ+ community. The setting and tracking of wellness goals can lead to increased adherence to routines that build resilience and well-being. Through consistent completion of wellness modules, users will earn rewards from partner organizations. Our custom content library includes meditation, mindfulness, nutrition, and self-guided wellness made for and by LGBTQ+ people.

You can find the product demo at https://drive.google.com/file/d/1mNgdGAWHz7x64tlXMb3tbZqRkkQeUWbe/view?usp=share_link 

Our vision is to create a shift for LGBTQ+ people from suffering in silence to thriving in community. You:Flourish is built to connect individuals to safety-net provider organizations while supplementing clinical care with ongoing wellness activities and support from peers. Anyone who downloads You:Flourish can browse our detailed directory of mental health professionals for free and be instantly connected to crisis resources such as the Trevor Project, the 988 Suicide and Crisis Hotline, and the Trans Lifeline in times of dire need. Our directory also includes information on payment options and waiting lists that allows uninsured and underinsured individuals to find an available provider that accepts Medicaid or provides sliding-scale payment options.

The mission of You:Flourish is centered around health equity for the LGBTQ+ community, with a focus on meeting the needs of individuals with intersectional identities given that this population routinely experiences increased health disparities. For populations with greater needs, such as LGBTQ+ people in rural communities, LGBTQ+ people who are disabled, LGBTQ+ people of color, Transgender people, and LGBTQ+ older adults, it is essential to find providers that understand their unique lived experience to develop a trusted and effective therapeutic alliance. But this should not come at the expense of high quality care which our vetted directory ensures. Similarly, it is important that these groups also have the ability to connect with their peers to share experiences, resources, and wellness practices that can be helpful in navigating the world as a member of a multiply marginalized community.

You:Flourish is also deploying a bulk subscription plan that will enable health systems, insurance companies, and employee assistance programs to purchase discounted subscriptions for their members. The peer community and wellness content features are appropriate solutions for asynchronous support that can be accessed outside of the clinical setting. By engaging in this sort of partnership, You:Flourish increases large-scale access to care and creates opportunities for employees to access holistic, identity-affirming care. Our vision is to create a shift for LGBTQ+ people from suffering in silence to thriving in community. Ultimately, we believe You:Flourish will provide on-demand support to LGBTQ+ people that will improve and save lives in our community.

The You:Flourish team includes members and allies of the LGBTQ+ community, personal lived experience with mental health and substance use challenges, LGBTQ+ mental health advocates, and public health and behavioral health professionals who understand firsthand the disparate impact of behavioral health challenges on LGBTQ+ people. 

Our strategic partners at CoPeace PBC (www.copeace.com), EIDOS Institute (www.penneidos.org), and VXVY Mental Health (www.vxvymentalhealth.com), also bring immense expertise in the areas of business model development, marketing and communications, and digital mental health innovation.

In addition to the experience of our team and our partners, we are also centering a community-driven design process to integrate the lived experience of community members into our solution. App development comes following two years of concept development, expert validation, and original research. Diverse focus groups and surveys with LGBTQ+ community members informed and refined the first complete iteration of the app. You:Flourish is also centering the needs and experiences of the LGBTQ+ community members through our Community Advisory Board that invites young people across the nation to provide direction and feedback throughout the development process. Similarly, our proprietary provider vetting process was created with expert validation and tested with behavioral health professionals from across the U.S.

Our product has a functional prototype as well as a minimum viable product nearing completion. 

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LGBTQ+ founders face several challenges when it comes to raising capital for their start-ups as a result of the inequitable distribution of access and resources. The grant provides vital funding to help bring our innovative solution to address health equity concerns for LGBTQ+ Americans by supporting research and development of the product. In addition to funding concerns, this grant would also provide network, impact, and visibility opportunities. The MIT Solve community is a global network of innovators, entrepreneurs, and thought leaders who are committed to addressing some of the world's most pressing challenges. As a Solve grant recipient, we would have access to this community’s experience and resources, including mentorship, workshops, and networking opportunities. Because the grant is focused on addressing health disparities and promoting equity in healthcare, it will support our efforts to provide a meaningful impact on the lives of individuals and communities who have been historically marginalized and underserved. Finally in terms of visibility, recieving this grant would provide visibility and recognition through MIT Solve's communications channels and media partners. This can help raise awareness of our work and attract additional support and resources. Overall, the MIT Health Equity Solve Grant offers a unique opportunity to advance innovative solutions to health equity challenges and make a positive impact on the world.

You:Flourish is the first company in the United States supported by evidence-based behavior change methodologies specifically for LGBTQ+ wellness. Backed by the LGBTQ+ behavioral health nonprofit Envision:You, the You:Flourish application utilizes a proprietary behavior change model to ensure impact and results. A competitive analysis by the National Mental Health Innovation Center at the University of Colorado Anschutz, an independent third party, confirmed that there is not a single company in the United States addressing this unmet need where LGBTQ+ people can find vetted behavioral health resources, connect with peer supporters in the community, and customized wellness content. These three components together are critical to the behavior change model and ultimately real results for LGBTQ+ people.

The app has a one-of-a-kind no-cost provider directory in which clinicians are vetted based on their training, expertise, and ability to provide LGBTQ+ affirming care. Users can search for providers with similar lived experience and personal identities, enabling instant rapport and establishing a safe space for treatment. After appointments, users give feedback on their providers to help ensure the directory is high-quality and community-informed. 

The peer community and wellness hub features were developed using a custom, evidence-based behavior change model to facilitate sustained engagement with wellness behaviors. You:Flourish encourages wellness by creating bonds between peers with similar lived experience and identities to increase user accountability through social presence. Reward is also a vital component for positive behavior change. You:Flourish pairs interactive resources and engaging content with gamification techniques to increase both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. Lastly, the app incorporates a wellness calendar to keep track of appointments and engage in activity scheduling and performance monitoring that allows them to identify which wellness practices work best for them.

No other app offers all these critical features in one package for LGBTQ+ individuals. We truly believe the app will make a profound difference for the well-being of our community.

Technology is at the core of You:Flourish’s ability to transform the lives of LGBTQ+ people across the nation. By creating an app and leveraging digital spaces, LGBTQ+ people are able to access care irrespective of location or time restraints. There is ample evidence that utilizing technology to facilitate mental wellness has been effective in other contexts. The choice to build an app was validated by a review of the research on mental health apps which indicated that they provide accessible, flexible, and supportive services which in turn prevent the onset of crisis and advanced behavioral healthcare. Digital peer support is linked with better mental health outcomes for the LGBTQ+ community and can be a protective factor against suicide. Other research indicated that the mental health outcomes come from peer communities that explicitly focused on mental health and connected peers based on self-expressed identities and interests—which is precisely how the You:Flourish peer hub is designed. Not only does research support the use of technology in this way, but our target audience is also especially receptive to digital resources. LGBTQ+ young people turn to online resources for health information and peer health support at higher rates than the general population. Our app will also enable users to leave feedback in real time which ensures that we are continually meeting our community’s needs. Combining wellness content, peer support, and resources into one accessible, community-driven app will empower the LGBTQ+ to thrive.

You:Flourish is a behavioral health initiative of Envision:You, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization which works to eliminate behavioral health disparities for the LGBTQ+ community.

Creating an inclusive app means prioritizing the comfort and safety of individuals with various identities and backgrounds. This is particularly significant for the LGBTQ+ community, which is comprised of diverse members based on race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, ability, and more. By developing an app that focuses on the users’ experience, we can facilitate connections among individuals who share similar lived experiences and identities, as well as match them with culturally responsive mental health professionals. This approach ensures that every user feels acknowledged and appreciated.

Equity ensures that all users have access to the same resources and opportunities, regardless of their background or circumstances. In the context of You:Flourish, this means designing features and resources that are accessible to users with different levels of income, education, and ability. For example, an app that is only available in English may exclude users who speak other languages. By prioritizing equity, we can make sure that all users can benefit from the app.

Overall, IDEA principles are foundational for You:Flourish. By prioritizing inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility, we can create an app that meets the unique needs of diverse users while promoting better mental health outcomes. Additionally, focusing on IDEA principles can also help build trust and engagement among stakeholders, leading to greater adoption and impact of the app.

Provider listing fees are an important source of revenue for YouFlourish, and give mental health professionals the opportunity to expand their reach and access new potential clientele along with a strong demonstration of support to care for members of the LGBTQ+ community. Providers receive a free 90-day trial after the product is launched to be listed in the directory. Monthly listing fees commence thereafter with a tiered pricing structure with a basic recurring listing fee of $9.99/mo. The premium listing plan includes access to free training opportunities and priority placement in the resource directory for $17.99/mo.

The application utilizes a subscription-based freemium model as another revenue source. Users can freely access the vetted resource directory but need to pay a subscription fee of $4/month to participate in the peer support community and utilize the wellness hub that includes tracking features and rewards. Key sponsorships for wellness content and rewards are also a source of revenue. Chosen partners who share our commitment to LGBTQ+ well-being will have the option of sponsoring certain wellness content modules and can offer discount codes as rewards to further brand exposure and drive customers to their services.

YouFlourish can rapidly expand its user base by attracting bulk buyers who offer group rates, such as employee assistance programs (EAPs), insurance companies, inpatient and outpatient treatment centers. In turn, these organizations can provide their LGBTQ+ clients with an effective and user-friendly tool to enhance their overall well-being. This results in better outcomes, reduced severity of illnesses, improved treatment collaboration, and lower costs associated with early interventions and a dedication to well-being.

Additionally, YouFlourish’s proprietary provider vetting process presents a significant monetization opportunity. Large behavioral health service organizations already implement matching processes to pair clients with providers best suited to their needs. However, these organizations do not share You:Flourish’s expertise in vetting providers for LGBTQ+ individuals or an understanding of their unique mental health needs. You:Flourish contracts with these companies to vet a subset of their provider network and add the qualifying providers to the You:Flourish directory. Organizations will be better able to match their LGBTQ+ clients with appropriate providers, and increase their visibility to prospective clients through inclusion on the app’s directory. The company is closely examining the opportunity to establish a referral fee for every You:Flourish user that converts to a new client with a partner organization.

Finally, YouFlourish will offer users the option to participate in data collection based on their app activity. This feature has multiple benefits and creates an additional opportunity for monetization. By collecting user activity data, YouFlourish can enhance the experience by understanding how individuals use the app, such as which pages they visit frequently and the wellness activities they complete. This information will help YouFlourish refine the user experience (UX) over time, leading to higher user engagement and retention rates. On the monetization front, academic and research organizations, as well as consumer marketing agencies, are among the key groups that may be interested in purchasing or leveraging our data, among others.

Because this is an initiative of the 501(c)(3) Envision:You, You:Flourish benefits from an integrated funding model leveraging venture capital, equity crowdfunding, non-dilutive grant funding, and philanthropic donations. As the first equity holder in the new for-profit entity, Envision:You endeavors to create a sustainable revenue model from funds generated via the company’s cash flow, and a potential liquidity event, that also meets the nonprofit's mission and purpose. In addition to these funding sources, the subscription fees from users, providers, and bulk subscription purchases from organizations will lead the company to financial sustainability long term.