Safe Space™️ steps up to provide access to mental health care during COVID-19
Photo: Safe Space founders Antoinette Renee Patterson and Navaneeth Sreekandan
Singapore, 24th April 2020 – Singapore-based mental wellness startup, Safe Space™️ will provide mental health assistance for Singapore, especially for all frontline health workers. They have also announced a partnership with the Health Promotion Board (HPB), and the Tote Board.
Launched in March 2019, Safe Space™️ is showing promising traction in supporting Singapore’s residents in finding their clinical therapists and accessing affordable counselling sessions. The startup is a mental wellness digital platform that strengthens mental resilience through prevention education and tele-therapy support. It connects certified mental healthcare professionals who go through a stringent interview and vetting process, with troubled clients via online and offline counselling therapy using a digital platform.
In light of COVID-19 and “circuit breaker” measures that result in mandatory regulations for the majority of the country to stay at home, individuals and families can be left in a state of stress and uncertainty. Experts have projected that mental illness will be the “next wave” of the pandemic as seen with the rise in domestic violence cases.
This is even more apparent for frontline health workers who have been and continue working tirelessly through this period. To aid in that effort, Safe Space™️ is offering pro bono services for our frontline health workers. By connecting certified therapists with health workers, the startup aims to do their part in the fight against the pandemic.
“Mental health concerns affect people across every industry, yet most people don’t have access to convenient, affordable mental health care when they need it,” says Antoinette Renee Patterson, CEO and Co-founder of Safe Space™️.
Safe Space™️ believes that by taking a proactive step in addressing mental health and building mental resilience is essential to winning the battle against COVID-19, and is committed to creating a robust mental health community during this period.
To ensure that users are able to maintain contact, and to get the help they need, on the 12th of April 2020, Safe Space™️ successfully rolled out a working video call counselling prototype on their website (https://safespace.sg/). The video call allows users to have easy access to mental healthcare services through secure online interactions and is more effective than online chat or phone counselling. The current app is going through further development and HIPAA certification.
“Safe Space provides an option for people who are not ready for face-to-face counselling to take a small step towards it through the online platform. I applaud the team for making the option available,” says Rose, a clinical counsellor and supervisor at Restoring Peace Counselling and Consultancy.
Safe Space™️ believes that maintaining vigilance for mental health is more important now than ever. This is evident in their 25x user base growth since March 2019. The startup is currently in discussions to raise funding for their pre-seed round.
Therapists and health workers who wish to be involved in this initiative can drop a message at contact@safespace.sg.
About Safe Space™️:
Everyone deserves a confidential space to express ourselves without judgement or reserve: that’s what Safe Space™️ is here for.
We’ve created Safe Space™️ as a B2B2C digital platform that strengthens mental resilience through prevention education and tele-therapy support. Safe Space™️ provides our clients with convenient and affordable access to mental health care and support, any time they need it.
We strive to provide the best possible match for their clinical counsellor to assist them with their online & offline therapeutic needs.
As a therapist, you’ll get clients that you’re best equipped to assist, and you’ll get to call your own hours – generally from the comfort of your office or home.
