Meetopolis-App

Meetopolis is a mobile-based digital platform centered on connection and support related to mental health and substance misuse. It sits at the center of social networking, clinical care and traditional support groups by meeting people where they are (on their phones or in their communities) to connect (to peers by area of focus including depression, anxiety, addiction or to clinical therapists or both) and recover. Meetopolis is designed to reduce key barriers to more traditional treatment and support including cost, stigma, travel time and lack of representation. Users can create their own profiles to interact in digital spaces to pursue recovery. This allows individuals to choose their mode of interface with support and treatment and to connect with others based on the identities they value. This is particularly critical in underserved communities experiencing mental health disparities. For example, a biracial teen in rural Idaho may not be able to get to care for her anxiety for many reasons. Her parents can't take time off work, there aren't providers in the area, she wouldn't feel comfortable going to a provider because everyone is white and doesn't understand her struggles to connect with peers and occupy space in her identity. However, when she first downloads Meetopolis, she can instantly find that community and in a format that is first nature to her: social media. She can log on whenever she needs connection (lunch break at school or when anxiety is keeping her up at 2am). A therapist can monitor her in groups and reach out if she is concerned about her well-being and connect her to trusted and vetted clinical resources at any time. This is what promotes recovery and health. It is what we focus on for every user no matter their language, identity, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, age or stage in life and recovery. At Meetopolis, we focus on overcoming barriers to create connection and we do it in a way that makes social networking promote mental health instead of breaking it down.