Digital health company’s newest initiative gives thousands of people access to online tools to help improve behavioral health in the US and Canada
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., Oct. 30, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- TAO Connect, a digital health company aiming to make behavioral health therapy more accessible, efficient and effective, today announces it has been awarded $141,799 from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to develop a French language version of its therapeutic software. In addition, the company was also named the “Best Use of Technology in Employee Assistance” from the Employee Assistance Professionals Association (EAPA).
“This grant, paired with our recent recognition from the EAPA, gives us the opportunity to extend our reach in Canada and other areas where French resources are needed,” said Dr. Sherry Benton, founder and CSO of TAO Connect. “As a company, we’re focused on increasing access to behavioral healthcare, and through this grant, we’ll be able to help people who were previously not able to access affordable, effective care.”
The translation covers all aspects of TAO Connect’s current platform, including its AI-based practice tools. The first step is using voice over technology along with reworking text on all slides. Next, the new patient data is used to develop an intelligent system in the new language. The Technology Enhancement for Commercial Partnerships (TECP) funds are then used to create the official French language version of TAO Connect and begin collecting and organizing data for development of the intelligent messaging and recommendation system.
Currently, TAO Connect is available to 375,000 college students in Canada, including the Association of Atlantic Universities and 48,640 of its students. The province of Newfoundland and Labrador also license TAO Connect as part of its provincial behavioral health system.
With companies providing health resources in Canada required by law to offer their resources in both English and French, this feature will strengthen other health systems’ and schools’ ability to utilize TAO Connect’s services.
“From employee assistance, to student health, to general consumer self-help – we are working hard to make our behavioral healthcare services available to everyone, no matter who they are or what they need,” said Bob Clark, CEO of TAO Connect. “This is a big step forward for technology’s role in behavioral therapeutics, and we’re honored to be on the receiving end of the NSF’s trust and support toward this goal.”
The “Best Use of Technology in Employee Assistance” EAPA was presented to the St. Pete-based company for its cutting-edge use of technology in the delivery of employee assistance services at the EAPA 2018 Conference and Expo in Minneapolis, Minnesota on October 11, 2018.
TAO Connect is available through a self-help subscription plan, or via employer or university. It’s currently in use by more than 122 universities in the US, Canada and the Caribbean. For more information about TAO and its technology, visit www.TAOConnect.org.
About TAO Connect:
TAO Connect is a virtual platform committed to reducing behavioral health disparities by bringing affordable, effective, and accessible treatment to people who have had limited access in the past. The online program provides therapy for common behavioral health problems using a comprehensive platform of virtual tools for therapists and clients. The tools provide information about client education, interaction, accountability, and progress assessment to facilitate effective results.
Founded in 2014 by Dr. Sherry Benton, TAO facilitates a need for online counseling in educational environments, as well as rural areas around the country where mental health counseling is more difficult to acquire. The company’s model utilizes a low intensity-high engagement method which provides clients with shorter, more frequent counseling sessions in replacement of longer, more sporadic sessions.
Media Contact
Daniel Tummeley
Uproar PR for TAO Connect
321-236-0102
dtummeley@uproarpr.com