Hemingway Sessions - The Mental Health Crisis Narrative: What It Is, Why It Matters, and How It's Shaping the Way We Build
There is a widely held belief driving much of mental health innovation today: that we are in a crisis, that demand is infinite, and that scale is the solution. It's the assumption behind countless pitch decks, product roadmaps, and funding decisions.
But what if that framing is wrong or, at least, incomplete?
In this session, Dr. Ben Locke (Chief Clinical Officer at Togetherall, co-founder of the Center for Collegiate Mental Health, and one of the most forward thinkers in the field) will introduce the concept of the crisis narrative: what it is, where it came from, and how it has quietly shaped the way we think about building mental health solutions.
Ben will explore what it means to build with a clearer picture of reality. A reality that avoids the unrealistic expectations the crisis narrative can generate, and helps founders, operators, and clinicians make smarter decisions about where their product fits, who it's really for, and what a sustainable business model actually looks like in this space.
You'll leave with a sharper understanding of the assumptions that may be baked into your own work and a more grounded framework for building something that holds up over time.
Ben Locke, Ph.D., has over 20 years of clinical experience in higher education and a wide variety of mental health settings, including wilderness therapy, psychiatric hospitals, group homes, and community mental health.
They are particularly committed to college student mental health, having previously held the role of Senior Director of Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) at Penn State University. They also co-founded the Center for Collegiate Mental Health (CCMH), where they served as the Executive Director since 2005, and are an affiliate faculty member in the Counseling and Clinical Psychology departments at Penn State University.
Despite their transition out of college mental health, they remain committed to increasing the capacity of mental health treatment in all settings, including college and university counselling centers, secondary school systems, communities, private/group practices, and inpatient hospitals.