California turns to mental health app provider

KFF Health News published an article about California entering into an agreement with the developer of a online mental health app to help youth and young adults. The article focuses on the conflict of interest issue for the director of California's mental health commission. What seemed particularly interesting is that California signed a four-year $271 million contract for a free mental health app. In what appears to be the first year of the agreement, "roughly 20,000" children and young adults registered for the app, resulting in "only about 2,800 coaching sessions." If the cost of the contract were evenly spread across all four years, California appears to have paid an average of close to $97,000 for each session... which seems exorbitant, even with the current backdrop of a shortage of mental health therapists. Presumably, each of these sessions were conducted remotely.

While mental health is a pervasive issue, it seems that California should be able to acquire a more cost-effective solution. It appears that the director of California's mental health commission was keen on a digital solution, although it is unclear whether an expensive online presence is the best choice.