To reduce barriers to care and encourage people to use available mental health services, ISP is based on a set of key principles.
Participant anonymity
Anonymity helps participants feel comfortable disclosing the challenges they may be facing and asking questions.
Personalized contact with counselors
Instead of computerized feedback, participants receive a response to their questionnaire with personalized support for help-seeking from a counselor.
Connection to participant’s experience
Counselors respond to participants’ experience rather than suggesting diagnoses or emphasizing the “need” for treatment.
Interactive engagement
Participants and counselors work together to lessen participants’ concerns about seeking services. Participants’ get their questions answered about available services, and select which option suits their needs and comfort level.
Together, these principles help people feel more comfortable connecting with mental health services, increasing their sense of connectedness and fostering more positive attitudes toward mental health care.