Somethings stresses the importance to parents of creating spaces for teens to communicate with mentors, while the mentors can also connect with parents and provide generalized updates.<\/p>\n

Parents are expected to adhere to the vision and values of Somethings communicated when the teen joins the platform.<\/p>\n

Still, parents are not left out of the dynamic. \u201cIt\u2019s a balance,\u201d says Gilligan. \u201cThe relationship [between mentor and teen] doesn\u2019t work if there\u2019s no confidentiality. At the same time, parents getting cut out of relationships is really frustrating for them as well. . . We have a responsibility to bring parents into the relationship and help them support their teens alongside the mentor.\u201d<\/p>\n

The model seems to be working. While the Somethings team is still developing the technological infrastructure to track success metrics, drop-off in early testing is reportedly low.<\/p>\n

Mentors are trained on everything from communication to recognizing when a teen may need clinical care and refer them appropriately. Gilligan declined to share the names of clinical partners for privacy reasons.<\/p>\n

Naturally, Somethings faces competition. BetterHelp is just one of many mental health startups to emerge in recent years, a fact of which Gilligan is aware. He thinks Somethings stands alone, however, in both its express focus on younger people who need help and the tools it has designed that allow them to reach out to a mentor not on a pre-set schedule but when they most need a helping hand.<\/p>\n

Whether it\u2019s enough to create a moat for Somethings will only be known over time, but the shift in the mental health model is something to keep an eye on.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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