SimplePractice, an EHR and practice management software company, is launching a mentor matchmaking program for mental health professionals in California.
The pilot program is open for applications from all health and wellness practitioners and those currently in school. SimplePractice will make the first 50 matches and will use the pilot to gauge demand to determine how and where to expand the program next.
Unmatched California applicants and those in other states can submit for consideration and will be put on a waitlist for future matchmaking opportunities. They’ll also be invited to upcoming digital networking events.
Launched during Women’s History Month, the program aims to bring practitioners together to create a community of peers in the field, especially among therapists of color. The pilot was inspired by a February 2023 SimplePractice survey of more than 900 mental health practitioners, which revealed a deep need for this type of service. With ongoing workforce shortages and increased burnout among clinicians, there is a critical need for peer support, the company argues.
“Mental health practitioners are facing the national mental health crisis with heightened levels of burnout,” Smita Wadhawan, SimplePractice's chief marketing officer, said in the announcement. “Practitioners are at the forefront of making an impact in driving positive outcomes for their clients but many feel alone and isolated. Mentors can act as sounding boards and oftentimes provide just the right nudge or pat on the back that keeps providers going.”
In the SimplePractice survey, mental health practitioners were asked about their experience with mentorship. Nearly half said time is a barrier to connecting with a mentor. Others shared how costs are a prohibiting factor to joining mentorship programs, or not knowing they exist.
The mental health field is also dominated by white practitioners. The majority of Black respondents in the survey said that identity is important when selecting a mentor. Many said mentorship programs can validate, encourage and inspire them in their professional work, with three-quarters agreeing that mentorships are critical to success in their career.
“As a woman of color transitioning into a non-diverse arena was challenging,” Valeri Trezise, CEO at Be Still Psychotherapy, a private practice in Southern California, said in the announcement. She teamed up with colleague Prerna Rao, M.A., a licensed marriage and family therapist, to exchange support and ideas. “Having Prerna to relate to—and collaborate with—as a fellow woman of color was critical,” Trezise said in the announcement. “Understanding each other's backgrounds and the backgrounds of our clients enabled me to feel more comfortable in talking about issues and opened up more possibilities to help my patients. This relationship was an integral part in the development of my values and the lens I see through as I provide mental health care in my own private practice setting.”
Rao and Trezise’s collaborative relationship inspired the SimplePractice team to launch the survey that led to the program. The two were among four pairs of mentors and mentees selected to be highlighted by the company this month. Rao said in an interview she hopes this brings awareness and encouragement to others: “I think it’s really important to highlight women of color when it comes to the field of mental health because there’s not a lot of women of color.”