ReflexAI

Harnessing storytelling to protect the mental health of U.S. veterans

Transcript

If you are a veteran, it’s likely you’ve encountered high pressure circumstances and extraordinary situations that most civilians haven’t. The after effects of these experiences can reverberate for decades, something that other veterans uniquely understand. These issues can be complex, but home team by reflex AI can help you navigate them. Designed with input from hundreds of veterans Home Team is a program that equips you with vital skills and prepares you to engage fellow veterans. In conversations about mental health, home team features instructional content that’s been backed by research and reviewed by clinicians. Each module provides strategies for having effective conversations about mental health and takes roughly 20 minutes to complete. Instructional content is paired with AI power chat simulations that provide an opportunity to practice in a dynamic environment without fear, judgment, or risk of disclosure. Just like pilots practice in a flight simulator, home team simulations are an opportunity to use what you’ve learned so that you can build the skills and confidence to support your fellow veterans when it matters most. If you’re one of the 20 million veterans of the US Armed Services Home Team is for you, you play a vital role in helping to solve the challenges facing our community, and we are grateful that you’re here. Get started with module one, communicating support to learn how to create a environment to have effective conversations about mental health.

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  • Customer Experience

We face a sobering reality: Seventeen U.S. veterans die by suicide every day.

Recognizing this crisis, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs launched Mission Daybreak, calling on tech innovators to develop pioneering solutions that meet the diverse needs of veterans.

Drawing on their prior success leveraging GPT-2 for crisis line counselors at The Trevor Project, ReflexAI partnered with Google.org to create HomeTeam: a revolutionary AI-driven platform that provides vital mental health support through guided training modules, for which Hello Monday/DEPT® contributed their storytelling expertise.

Through these modules, veterans learn life-saving tactics and practice strategies in AI-powered chat simulations, preparing them to have impactful conversations with peers in the real world. 

Cartoon man infant of 3 computer monitors
Drawing of a person consoling another person

Connecting with veterans

Veterans often feel isolated because they can’t discuss their experiences with people who truly understand. This, combined with the significant stigma around mental health, means that veterans are disproportionately affected by a lack of accessible care.

At the same time, research demonstrates that the strong bond between veterans makes peer support effective in preventing suicide among this at-risk group. Seeing an opportunity, ReflexAI and Google.org envisioned HomeTeam as a platform offering valuable resources and education for peer support. 

Hello Monday/DEPT® worked to design an experience uniquely suited to the needs of our veteran audience. For us, that meant finding a visual language that would connect with our audience while communicating complex and sensitive concepts.

Screenshot of website course page

Illustrations with a human feel

Our human-centric approach led to a unique illustration and animation style, which infused vitality into HomeTeam’s content.

We used hand-drawn textures to add a human touch, bringing focus to the empathy amid shared veteran challenges.

Additionally, we crafted a streamlined user interface, ensuring seamless navigation across courses and content formats. The design’s simplicity creates a supportive learning space, honoring veterans’ experiences.

Our aim was to create a sense of connectedness that would ensure HomeTeam’s training process feels supportive and respectful of the unique experiences and challenges shared by veterans. We also designed a clean and simple UI system to guide users through each course and support both video and interactive content. 

A beacon for a better future

ReflexAI and Hello Monday/DEPT®’s collaboration birthed more than a platform: Our work represents a lifeline, a beacon for veterans who feel lost. 

Within the first two months of HomeTeam’s launch, over a thousand veterans completed the training. Today, that number includes veterans from across 40 states and every military branch. 

HomeTeam has also partnered with several major organizations. Working closely with the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Purple Heart Foundation, ReflexAI has expanded and improved the program with additional personas to reach even more of the veteran community.

Two phones showcasing the app

Additionally, with the help of HomeTeam, the Veterans Crisis Line expanded their call center staff—many of whom are veterans themselves—to 2,000 individuals. The growing VCL team has responded to 9 million calls, texts, and chats to date. 

These successes demonstrate how HomeTeam has helped illuminate a path toward hope and healing for those who’ve served their nation. 

In a much larger sense, this initiative also serves as an example of what technology’s role can (and should) be in supporting mental healthcare: a carefully crafted combination of innovation and compassion.

Hometeam and ReflexAI logos

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