HHS Announces MENTAL Health Innovation Challenge

Challenge seeks online tool to help socially isolated Americans connect and engage

Today, the Administration for Community Living (ACL) and the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health launched the MENTAL Health Challenge to combat the social isolation and loneliness that older adults, people with disabilities and veterans often experience. A total of $750,000 in prizes will be awarded for development of an easy-to-use online system that offers recommendations for programs, activities and resources that can help users connect to others and engage in the community, based on their individual needs, interests and abilities. The winning system will be announced and demonstrated in January 2021 at CES

, an annual trade show produced by the Consumer Technology Association. It ultimately will become the centerpiece of a national public awareness campaign.