Tomorrow, the Contra Costa County Probation Department will begin providing its clients with free access to mental health services through Talkspace, a New York-based company that provides access to online and mobile therapy.
The department’s Director of Field Services Edward Randle is especially excited about the potential of text-based sessions.
He says, "But I really think the text piece is really intriguing to have folks be able to just get things off their chest or off their mind and shoot it to their therapist."
In addition, Talkspace’s self-guided classes will be available both for individuals under probation supervision and eligible family members.
Randle says that the Contra Costa County Probation Department is partnering with Talkspace because issues like transportation and scarcity can make accessing mental health care in the Bay Area a challenge.
Randle hopes the company’s online services will mean more care for more people and lead to a healthier community.
He says, "The hope is to restore people where we can have folks living in the community that’s thriving, that’s making great decisions, that are addressing these underlying needs that have probably been bothering them for quite some time."
