Share the program made for
families
supporting a loved one with mental illness

Treatment for severe mental illness is more successful when it includes family psychosocial support. Studies of similar programs have shown a 40% reduction in relapse resulting in hospital readmission1 and improvements in treatment engagement2. Contact us to learn more.

Contact us
Partner with Akin for whole-family mental health support

Akin Mental Health provides online psychosocial and peer support services for families caring for adults with severe mental illness.

  • Families learn skills for communication, reducing family stress, and contributing to the care team that support patients in their journey towards recovery
  • Families participate in our program independently - saving your practice time while providing full support
  • Fully online program can be accessed anywhere - even for family members living outside your patient’s local area

See if Akin is a good fit for your patients and their families.

In their own words

What our families say

It was helpful to hear that someone has been where I am now. Hearing that your loved ones are living productive lives has given me hope for my daughter.
Father
of a daughter with schizoaffective disorder
Akin has really been a place to educate myself. To feel empowered and get support by other family members. To know that I’m not alone in this means the world to me. I really am so thankful to have this for myself.
Mother
of a son with schizophrenia
Very informative and really eye opening. I’ve definitely told my sister that she’s being dramatic, etc before and that lesson made me realize how important it is to listen and allow people to let things out.
Sister
of a sibling with depression
How it works

The Akin Family Program

  • Weekly live group workshops accessed through Zoom
  • On demand video lessons and curated resources covering 16 core topics
  • Online community discussion with expert moderation
Benefits
What makes the Akin approach effective
Science-based curriculum
Created by experts and based in the science of Family Psychosocial services
Group support
Workshops facilitate mutual peer support in groups of 6-12 for emotional support and sharing
Flexible and convenient
Multiple weekly times for live groups including evenings
Live skill building
Dedicated skills practice with real-time feedback
Measurable outcomes
Improvements in self-rated stress, communication and crisis preparedness after 3 months
Easy set up
Minimal effort required from the care team: families participate remotely

Who we are

Akin is a group of scientists, tech developers, and other experts in effective mental health programs. Many of us have supported family members who have severe mental illness, and we all bring deep empathy and understanding to everything we do.

Stephanie Greer, PhD

Co-founder and CEO

Stephanie holds a PhD in neuroscience from UC Berkeley, and has led development of evidence based digital health products at Apple health special projects and Hopelab, and has consulted for many digital health startups.

Matthew Montañez

Co-founder and CTO

Matt has spent his career over the past 15 years building software at scale and leading technical teams. He has developed and implemented the technical strategy for multiple top App Store Health and Fitness apps.

Charlie Davidson, PhD

Clinical Lead

Charlie is a clinical psychologist with a PhD from Nebraska. For 15+ years, he has worked on psychosocial rehabilitation and recovery for and with people experiencing SMI, psychosis, and extreme states and their communities. He wrote a book on the topic and is active in research, advocacy, and professional leadership roles.

Brittany Troupe

Akin Guide

Brittany has championed personal and professional development during her 15 years in Human Resources. She is also a daughter, granddaughter, mother, and friend to many individuals living with serious mental illness, including Schizophrenia, Bipolar and Major Depressive Disorder. She is passionate about sharing hope and supporting through the heartache that so many of us experience.

Linda Boulton

Content Design Lead

Linda is an outcome-driven content strategist and learning designer with a reputation for delivering interactive learning experiences. She's developed innovative digital products to teach thousands of people how to support someone through a mental health crisis.

Shirley Glynn, PhD

Scientific Advisor

Dr. Glynn is a Research Psychologist at UCLA who has spent the past twenty years conducting research on psychosocial interventions, most especially family interventions, supported employment and social skills training, to support recovery from schizophrenia and other psychotic illnesses.

Featured articles

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Featured resources

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Questions from health care providers

FAQ

How do I get my patients and their families enrolled in the Akin program?

Get in touch and we’ll see if you’re a good fit.

What if my patients are over 18 years old?

You’ve come to the right place. 90% of families who join Akin are caring for adult loved ones. We specialize in supporting families navigating adult relationships affected by severe mental illness.

Do you provide services directly to patients?

No. Our services are for family members. We know that mental illness impacts the entire family and we’ve built Akin to help families be supported in their role in recovery.

I am a family member or patient and I have an access code from my health care provider. How do I sign up for Akin with this access code?

Sign up here and enter your access code.

I am a family member of a loved one with severe mental illness. But, I don’t have an access code. Can I still do the Akin Program?

Yes, you can still sign up without a referral from a health care provider! Get started with Akin today.

How do I refer patients and their families to Akin?

Refer a family by sending them a link to akinmh.com.

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Research studies: 1. Rodolico et al. (2022); 2. Alston, Bennett & Rochani (2019).