JOY offers solution to mental health crisis

Dave Gee, an entrepreneurship instructor at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater and Marquette University, is concerned about his college-aged students.

The Launch Pad director said, “the mental health problem is incredibly acute and pervasive across college campuses, especially post-COVID.” According to Gee, there are two key reasons college students do not receive mental health assistance: the stigma surrounding mental healthcare and the lack of access to care.

He intends to change that with his newly launched company, JOY.

JOY is an app built for college students by behavioral health researchers, therapists and AI experts. The app can be integrated directly with college behavioral health services, residence life and academic support services.

Gee sees JOY app as a “complete solution for college success and wellness.” Launched in April 2023, the app offers mental health assistance, as well as academic support, diet and nutrition guidance and other useful tools for students.

The five co-founders, all faculty members at UW-Whitewater, are CEO Dave Gee, Dr. Aruna Jha, the Chief Wellness Officer; Dr. Choton Basu, Dr. Hein Nguyen, the Chief Technology Officer; and Grace Crickette.

“All of this is to improve and save the lives of college students,” he said. “The team is passionate about and has a deep body of knowledge of college students. Our values are people, planet and then profits.”

For Gee, the issue is deeper than his professional concern for his students. The founder has struggled with his own mental health issues. “I was fortunate enough to have access to good healthcare and family support,” he said.

In a market awash with mental health apps, JOY app differentiates itself by focusing on college students. Gee explains that JOY app is a “true AI behavioral health app,” rather than a “health provider aggregating service” or a “repository of information.”

AI-based mental health services make some people uncomfortable, but Gee points out that it is already being used in the employee assistance program industry. “AI has a negative perception, even with Gen Z. Part of the challenge is overcoming that attitude,” he said.

Guided by the work of Dr. Jha, the student-centered app is designed to help students build resilience and develop coping skills. Using evidence-based methodology, the app focuses on the top five challenges faced by students: relationships, financial issues, academic struggles and career stressors. Customizable, the app allows for options like connecting struggling students with the campus tutoring center or assisting students to schedule time with a live counselor. According to Gee, the program’s lexicon is the key to its effectiveness.

JOY is designed to recognize words and phrases associated with self-harm and suicide. Users that appear to be in danger are connected with live help immediately.

The app offers a tiered level of support options to its higher education clients, including an option to connect students to live, licensed therapists. Pricing is based on the number of users with access to the program and the level of support the school chooses to provide.

The rapidly growing company is in the midst of a pre-seed funding round. Gee stated the company will use the funds to hire additional staff to support the team’s scaling goals.

JOY is scheduled to launch its project pilot in August. The company will roll out the app on four college campuses. The schools participating in the program during the fall semester are a mix of public and private institutions located in three different states.

To learn more about JOY, connect with the company here.