Listen to this articleBelow is our recent interview with Patrick Sandone, the Founder & CEO at The Guide App:
Q: Could you provide our readers with a brief introduction to the GUIDE App?
A: The GUIDE App is the only award winning, evidence-based wellness and resilience app for members of the Armed Services, Veteran, First Responder and Corrections communities. Our unique solution was awarded Finalist status (top 2%) in the US Department of Veterans Affairs Mission Daybreak contest, completed an extensive Accelerator sponsored by the VA and, in a recent pilot study, demonstrated significant results in building wellness and resilience for members (for example, Anxiety decreased by 29%, Goal-Oriented Behavior increased by 15% and Negative Emotions decreased by 11%, on average, for members who used the app for approximately 90 minutes over 30 days). Because there is a stigma associated with seeking help and getting connected with needed resources, the GUIDE mobile app delivers small group support, a learning management system, drivers of behavior change, and an anonymous (we never collect an Personal Identifying Information) and confidential member experience (safeguarded by the leader in identity and login privacy, Okta).
Q: Any highlights on your latest announcement?
A: In our recent pilot study, The GUIDE App demonstrated significant results in building wellness and resilience for members (for example, Anxiety decreased by 29%, Goal-Oriented Behavior increased by 15% and Negative Emotions decreased by 11%, on average, for members who used the app for approximately 90 minutes over 30 days).
Q: What can we expect from GUIDE in next 12 months? What are your plans?
A: The GUIDE App has some big deployments planned for 2024 and we expect to be working with over 30,000 members of the Armed Services, Veteran, First Responder and Corrections communities by the end of the year. We will be doing a clinical trial with Penn Medical School at The University of Pennsylvania to further validate the efficacy of The GUIDE App. We are also rolling out some exciting app updates to further enhance engagement and effectiveness. For more information, visit the Proactive Wellness and Resilience App for Military, Veterans, First Responders and Corrections Officers.
Q: What is the best thing about the GUIDE that people might not know about?
A: The GUIDE App emerged from my own struggles with wellness. After successfully building my last start-up into the industry leader with over 5,000 clients and a one-hundred plus person team I had a successful exit but found myself depressed, burned out and without a purpose. I spent the next years learning about wellness and did over 2,500 hours of supervised training and 1,000s of more hours of practice on my own. Through parts work, purpose discovery, meditation and other methods I built myself into the best version of myself and saw how valuable the work was. I realized almost every person could benefit. I also realized that barriers like the stigma attached to mental health and a busy, unpredictable schedule that prevented me from engaging in wellness sooner were similar to the barriers that exist for members of the Armed Services, Veteran, First Responder and Corrections communities. This inspired me to build an app to address those barriers and connect people who may be experiencing similar challenges with accessing and engaging with the wellness support that they need. We are committed to empowering every person to build a life that they love. The GUIDE App is now the launching point for the journey to becoming one’s best.
