NEW YORK, May 04, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Modern Health, a leading workplace mental health platform supporting 220+ enterprises globally, today was recognized as part of Fast Company’s 2021 World Changing Ideas. The company was recognized as an honoree in the health category for Circles, the company’s recently-launched community-based care offering that provides mental health support via virtual provider-led group sessions. Available to members and non-members alike on Modern Health’s website and app, Circles provide a live judgement free space for individuals to learn, share, and find community on topics that impact their wellbeing.

“Destigmatizing mental health starts with creating community and conversation to help us know we're not alone in what we're facing," says Alyson Watson, CEO and founder of Modern Health. "We developed Circles as a way to support people through major societal and geopolitical challenges that we face on a day-to-day basis, led by therapists and coaches who understand participants' unique cultural context and community. I'm incredibly proud that Fast Company has recognized Circles for its ability to extend care at scale, while creating safe spaces for people to find community around mental health."

Circles was originally created as a resource to extend support and relief at scale at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, it has evolved into one of Modern Health’s core care offerings to offer compassionate spaces that support people of different backgrounds and life circumstances. This includes support and healing for specific groups of individuals -- including Circles for Healing Black Communities, Celebrating Transgender Voices, and Healing Asian Communities – and for individuals with other targeted mental health support needs, like Building Resilience, Quieting Negative Thoughts, Parenting Stress, Coping with Isolation, Managing Stress and Burnout, Building Healthy Habits, and more. Circles has seen immediate success: after one week, 88% of Circles were filled and 53% of registered attendees had signed up for more than one session. In just a few months, Circles have reached over 6,000 people through 250+ group sessions.

Circles utilizes a variety of clinically-informed practices and formats depending on the subject matter of the group. Members have the flexibility to choose between three Circles formats – Discussion, Workshop, or Listen & Learn – based on whether they’re looking to share and connect with others, put skills into practice or just observe and learn. For an additional fee, employers looking to bring Circles to their company can request private Circles for their employees, with a range of topics, providers, and themes.

Now in its fifth year, the World Changing Ideas Awards honors the businesses, policies, projects, and concepts that are actively engaged and deeply committed to pursuing innovation when it comes to solving health and climate crises, social injustice, or economic inequality. This year, there were 33 winners, more than 400 finalists, and more than 800 honorable mentions—with Health and Wellness, AI & Data among the most popular categories. A panel of eminent Fast Company editors and reporters selected winners and finalists from a pool of more than 4,000 entries across transportation, education, food, politics, technology, and more. Plus, several new categories were added, including Pandemic Response, Urban Design, and Architecture. The 2021 awards feature entries from across the globe, from Brazil to Denmark to Vietnam.

Showcasing some of the world’s most inventive entrepreneurs and companies tackling exigent global challenges, Fast Company’s Summer 2021 issue (on newsstands May 10) highlights, among others, a lifesaving bassinet; the world’s largest carbon sink, thanks to carbon-eating concrete; 3D-printed schools; an at-home COVID-19 testing kit; a mobile voting app; and the world’s cleanest milk.

“There is no question our society and planet are facing deeply troubling times. So, it’s important to recognize organizations that are using their ingenuity, impact, design, scalability, and passion to solve these problems,” says Stephanie Mehta, editor-in-chief of Fast Company. “Our journalists, under the leadership of senior editor Morgan Clendaniel, have discovered some of the most groundbreaking projects that have launched since the start of 2020.”

To learn more about Circles or sign up to participate visit https://circles.modernhealth.com/.

About Modern Health:

Modern Health is the comprehensive mental wellness platform that combines the WHO well-being assessment, self-service wellness kits, and a global network of certified coaches and licensed therapists available in 35 languages, all available in a single app. Modern Health empowers employers to lead the charge in acknowledging that mental health is just as important as physical health, destigmatizing the conversation, and increasing accessibility of mental health services for all.

Founded in 2017, Modern Health incorporates evidence-based psychology principles and seamless technology to serve the needs of companies globally. Headquartered in San Francisco, Modern Health has raised more than $172 million from Founders Fund, Battery Ventures, Felicis Ventures, Kleiner Perkins, Afore Capital, MGV, and 01 Advisors.

About the World Changing Ideas Awards:

World Changing Ideas is one of Fast Company’s major annual awards programs and is focused on social good, seeking to elevate finished products and brave concepts that make the world better. A panel of judges from across sectors choose winners, finalists, and honorable mentions based on feasibility and the potential for impact. With the goals of awarding ingenuity and fostering innovation, Fast Company draws attention to ideas with great potential and helps them expand their reach to inspire more people to start working on solving the problems that affect us all.

Contact:

press@modernhealth.com

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