Garnet River announced the launch of its newest mobile application, BeHerd. Developed to promote mental wellness in teens, BeHerd makes it easier to build support networks and strengthen connections with people who want to listen and are willing to help.
“BeHerd is designed to be an added resource that boosts mental health by promoting connectivity,” said Michael Conlin, app co-founder and Garnet River marketing director. “It encourages teens to share how they’re feeling in a way that feels safe, supported, and controlled. It allows them to ask for help on their terms, in their words, as they need it.”
BeHerd allows users to:
• Build a support group—their herd
• Complete quick, fun daily check-ins
• Share daily check-ins with herd members
• Be a part of other herds—and “listen” to their check-ins
• Track mood history
• Access resources
According to the Centers for Disease Control, 42 percent of high school students feel persistently sad or hopeless and only 62 percent reported feeling connected to others. The result: increased emotional distress, decreased mental health, and suicidal thoughts. Alarmingly, 22 percent of surveyed teens say they have considered suicide.
“I was a teen who struggled with mental health,” said Olivia Richards, BeHerd co-founder. “It wasn’t easy to ask for help. I had people who were there for me, but it’s hard to talk about how you’re feeling. BeHerd makes it easier to start those conversations. Even if you’re not struggling, it’s still important to check-in and stay connected.”
Said Dr. Michael Estramonte, founder of Starmount Healthcare Management and the Katie Blessing Center for Youth Behavioral Health: “Our teens are in crisis and the system to support them is strained. This is even more pronounced in underserved communities. Tools like BeHerd that meet adolescents where they’re at, on their phones, should be part of how we approach solving the problem, both as a preventative and outpatient complement to already available resources.”
BeHerd is available for download on iOS and Android in the App Store and Google Play.
For more information on BeHerd and to learn how friends, family, educators, counselors, and therapist can offer support and be advocates, visit https://beherd.me.
About Garnet River
Founded in 2000 and based in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., Garnet River provides comprehensive and flexible staffing services and business and IT solutions to public- and private-sector clients. Garnet River also has a products division, developing and supporting apps such as Apron, BeHerd, CareHerd, and Modo Bio. Garnet River is a partner with Microsoft, Cisco Meraki, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, UiPath, Cynet, Fortinet, and others. For more information, visit garnetriver.com.
Michael Conlin, Chief Marketing Communications Officer
Garnet River
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