Technology launched by an entrepreneurial mental health provider in Chattanooga is making it easier for therapists to become licensed and for people in need to access their services.
“More and more people want access to providers,” says Rachel McCrickard, who founded mental health app Motivo in 2017. “They want easy and accessible care that lines up with their lifestyle.”
But Motivo doesn’t deliver counseling – instead, it helps mental health professionals become licensed to practice in their states, creating more counselors available to those in need. According to data from Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 55 percent of U.S. counties have no practicing mental health professionals.
“As a country, our response to the shortage of mental health professionals is [virtual counseling], but rural areas are resource poor. They don’t have access to reliable internet, so that doesn’t really solve the problem,” McCrickard says. “Motivo will actually help get more providers into these areas. Boots on the ground so to speak.”
Contributed photo from Motivo / Rachel McCrickard, founder of Motivo.Therapists must complete two years of supervised care after they receive their degree in order to become licensed to practice on their own. This process can cause problems for some, including Motivo founder McCrickard.