New website brings mental healthcare to rural communities

Bringing telehealth to rural communities can mean the difference in whether patients receive care or not. Hospital offer telehealth for primary care, but services for mental health often are lacking.

iLookin.com is a website aimed at bridging the gap between counseling and life coaching. It offers access to online journals, community forums, webinars and access to advisors.

"iLookin.com solves three major problems. We help people who want to grow and challenge themselves who don't need a therapist and have no resources for a life coach; we 'bridge the gap' by providing services for people in rural areas who have no other options; and, we offer available resources to professionals who are providing Telehealth as an adjunct to their services," said Omega J. Galliano, MS, VP of iLookin.com.

For the seven million people in rural areas, iLookin.com is able to offer care to those outside the reach of specialized care. iLookin.com offers:  

• Accessibility: With telehealth technology, rural residents can access the mental health services not offered in their area.
• Availability: With major shortages of mental health professionals in rural areas, mental health providers can communicate with their patents through telehealth.
• Acceptability: With the negative stigma of needing or receiving mental healthcare, iLookin.com offers more choices and more accessibility to trained professionals to offer care to those in rural areas and breaking the barriers to having proper care.

"We are excited to be able to provide an efficient, effective way for people to bridge the gap of services whether it be in rural or urban areas," said Ryan W. McClellan, CEO of iLookin.com. "Our interactive system allows people the support they deserve until more traditional services are needed and established."