Frequently Asked Questions:
What does MonUMental™ do?
- MonUMental™ is an all-inclusive, user-friendly practice management/virtual telehealth system for mental health professionals to use to properly provide AND document culturally-competent care to Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) and LGBTQ+ communities. It is designed to eliminate racial disparities in mental health care.
What are our future goals in 5 years?
- We want to be used in private practices, in HBCUs, and community/city/county/state mental health agencies so that everyone, regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, and sexual orientation, will feel safe enough to receive culturally-inclusive mental health care. We want to curate Generational Emotional Well-Being™ for all.
Why MonUMental™l/Why Care?
- 18.9M BIPOC people suffer from mental illness, yet they are reluctant to seek care due to microaggressions, unconscious racial biases, etc. Racial disparities in mental health care cost the USA $278B from 2016-2020! I want to stop the suffering and be a part of the healing.
How far are we and what are our biggest obstacles?
- We are in the pre-seed stage. Our biggest obstacles are raising money/capital so that we can expand our company, hire the right developers, and present this much-needed, first-of-its-kind, all-inclusive practice management/telehealth system to mental health providers.
Who are our competitors and how are we different?
- Jane, SimplePractice, TheraNest, TherapyNotes, and TheraPlatform are our biggest competitors with some startups like Birch Notes and IntakeQ. As Black female mental health professional, with nearly 25 years of industry experience, I stand above the others in my abilities to recognize racial biases that are inherent in many EHR's/Practice Management systems that are built via the white, heteronormative lens. In addition, my experience lends itself to recognizing how microaggressions and unconscious racial biases lends itself to inaccurate diagnosis and pathologizing behaviors that are culturally appropriate. As a user of EHRs, I also am directly connected with other mental health professionals and am able to get first-hand user experience, knowledge, and input.
How will we and our investors make money?
- SAFE investing in early round
Direct marketing to Mental Health Professionals via social media, conferences, workshops, etc.
Partnerships with other companies that serve BIPOC and/or LGBTQ+ communities
What will be our biggest risks? Why would we fail? What has to go right for us to be successful?
- The biggest reason we would fail is if we do not listen to our users, the market, etc. We plan on not just getting actionable metrics in order to build a MVP and continue to test, iterate, and pivot if needed. We need to be listen to the needs of not just the mental health providers, but also the clients that will also use this product. If we fail to listen, learn, and iterate/pivot, we will not be successful.
