The powerpoint serve as an investor presentation that outlines the need for Divergent, Divergent's purpose, and Divergent's Goals.

1. DiVergent
Diversifying the Conversation

2. Minorities Receiving Mental Health Services
 Fewer than half of all adults in the U.S. who experience a mental health disorder receive
treatment but individuals belonging to various racial and ethnic minority groups receive
treatment at significantly lower rates than non-Hispanic whites.
 On average, by race, groups experience mental illness at varying, but sometimes similar, rates to
non-Hispanic Whites, but African Americans receive treatment at a 50% lower rate than Non-
Hispanic Whites; Hispanics or Latinos at a rate of 60% lower; American Indian/Alaska Native 40%
lower, and Asian American 70% lower (US Department of Health and Human Services Office of
Minority Health).

3. Mental Illness By Race

4. Critical Barriers faced by Minorities
 Less access to treatment: access refers not just to the availability of mental health services, but to
logistical barriers such as transportation, childcare, obtaining time off from work, etc.
 Poor quality care: many factors may contribute to poor quality care including less participation in
treatment decisions and not understanding a diagnoses or treatment.
 Higher levels of stigma: spiritual, religious or cultural beliefs about mental illness vary among
groups and a lack of accurate information can inhibit persons in need from seeking treatment.

5. Critical Barriers Cont.
 Culturally homogeneous mental healthcare system: ethnic minorities are under-represented in the
provider population who “often know little about the cultural values and backgrounds of the patients
they are treating, or about the traditions of healing and the meaning of illness within their cultures”
Satcher, Dr. David, DHHS (2001).
 Racism, bias, or discrimination in treatment settings: low income and ethnic/racial minority individuals
may be hesitant to engage in mental health care because of fear or mistrust due to historical
persecution and racism (Santiago et al., 2013) within the mental health care system, which has led to
misdiagnosis and inappropriate treatments.
 Language barriers: mental health professionals that can provide direct care in languages other than
English are lacking in many areas, even where minority group populations whose first language is not
English are high.
 Lower rates of health insurance: poverty is not only a contributor to mental illness, but “lack of money”
is often an important reason provided by many individuals belonging to minority groups for not
seeking treatment.

6. Psychology Workforce Demographic (2013)
The active psychology workforce was considerably less diverse compared to the overall U.S. workforce (i.e.,
the workforce across all fields, including psychologists), and slightly less diverse compared to the general
doctoral/professional workforce (i.e., the workforce with doctoral or professional degrees across all fields,
including psychologists).

7. Psychology Workforce Demographic Within
Various Areas

8. Who is Divergent?
 Divergent is an app that will provide online
therapy service to potential clients from the
touch of their fingertips.
 Divergent will render therapeutic services via
telecommunication:
 Individual
 Groups
 Locations of Culturally Competent Therapeutic
Services (For Individuals who desire In Person
Therapy)

9. How is Divergent different from other
therapy apps?
1. Divergent plans on focusing its attention and efforts on treating the minority population that is
often overlooked in traditional therapy practices.
2. Cultural Awareness/ Cultural Competency:
 Divergent will highlight, promote, and cultivate diversity by hiring clinicians who are reflective of
the target demographic we a trying to reach.

10.  Provide easy access to culturally competent
clinicians who are reflective of the population in
which they serve
 Provide affordable services
 Remove the stigma from therapy by allowing
the customers to receive services in an
environment in which he/she feels comfortable
 Serve as a resources to a demographic that is
often overlooked
Divergent’s Mission

11. How Do We Achieve Divergent’s Mission?
 Divergent will use the diversity amongst the staff of clinicians to attract a diverse client base.
Basically, Divergent will use DIVERSITY to attract DIVERSITY.
 Due to Divergent being an online therapy app, it does the following:
 It eliminates the stigma associated with traditional therapy
 The lack of overhead cost associated with traditional therapy will allow the company to provide services at an
affordable price.
 Easily accessible services at the touch of a client’s finger tips.

12. Divergent
So How Can You Help “Diversify the
Conversation”?

13. With Your Help
 Your investment will be used for:
 Development and Design of Application.
 icloud Server
 Secure Video Conference System
 Secure Therapy Note System
 Website Design
 Consultant Services
 Marketing

14. Reference
 Buque, M. (2018). “Is Psychotherapy for People of Color?”. [online] Psychology Today. Available at:
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/unpacking-race/201707/is-psychotherapy-people-
color [Accessed 31 May 2018].
 Racial/Ethnic Composition of Active Psychologists, 2013. Source: 2013 ACS files from U.S. Census
Bureau. Note: Totals do not sum to 100 percent due to rounding.
 St. John, T. (2016, August 02). 8 Reasons Racial and Ethnic Minorities Receive Less Mental Health
Treatment. Retrieved May 30, 2018, from http://www.arundellodge.org/8-reasons-cultural-and-
ethnic-minorities-receive-less-mental-health-treatment/