Society for Digital Mental Health

What Society for Digital Mental Health does

The Society for Digital Mental Health (SDMH) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit professional membership organization founded in 2021 to advance digital mental health research, policy, and practice in the United States. The organization grew out of the 2019 Banbury Forum, a convening of healthcare, payer, research, policy, investment, and patient-advocacy stakeholders that identified the research-to-practice gap in digital mental health. SDMH operates as a "big tent" cross-sector community with individual and corporate membership tiers open to academic researchers, clinicians, digital mental health companies, healthcare systems, payers, policymakers, and people with lived experience. Headquartered in Irvine, California, the organization is led by President Dr. Stephen Schueller (UC Irvine), Executive Director Dr. Lisa Palko, and a board that includes a past president (Dr. David Mohr of Northwestern), a Policy Committee Chair (Megan Coder of Digital Health Policy), and representatives from academic, industry, and capital backgrounds.

SDMH's offerings are programmatic rather than commercial products. Its flagship is an annual virtual conference (fifth edition in 2026, hosted on Zoom Events), complemented by four Special Interest Groups covering AI, Health Equity, Industry, and Student & Trainee domains. The organization publishes educational resources including an Implementation Playbook for evidence-based digital mental health treatments, white papers on digital health power and on the responsible integration of generative AI and large language models in mental health care, and an archive of webinars and conference recordings on a YouTube channel. SDMH also curates a directory referencing external evidence-based tool evaluators (One Mind PsyberGuide, APA App Advisor). The organization has no proprietary technology platform, mobile application, or APIs; its digital footprint is a WordPress website, LinkedIn and X social channels, and the Zoom Events conference platform.

The revenue model combines three streams: recurring membership dues (individual and corporate tiers on a rolling 12-month basis), multi-tier corporate sponsorships (founding, annual, conference, and exhibit levels), and tax-deductible charitable donations via PayPal or check. Founding sponsors include BrainFutures, The Bowman Family Foundation, Boehringer Ingelheim, and Otsuka; 2025 annual sponsors include Modern Health, High Lantern Group, and Office of the CEO. SDMH is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors and operates with an 8-person staff. Strategic positioning emphasizes regulatory engagement (including FDA Digital Health Advisory Committee testimony on generative AI) and reimbursement advocacy with CMS.

Name

Society for Digital Mental Health

Legal name

Society for Digital Mental Health

Website

https://societydmh.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Society for Digital Mental Health is a 501(c)(3) non-profit professional membership organization founded in 2021 that convenes researchers, clinicians, industry, policymakers, and people with lived experience to advance digital mental health research, policy, and practice through annual conferences, Special Interest Groups, and educational publications.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Association / Digital Mental Health Advocacy

NAICS

Professional Organizations (81392), Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (541720), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Behavioral Health & Neurocognitive Therapeutics (Digital) (HLACANAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Health, Wellness & Patient Communities (MPACAJAL)

Keywords

• Digital mental health
• Professional membership
• Mental health research
• Digital therapeutics
• Behavioral health policy

Headquarters

HQ city

Irvine

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: The organization offers individual and corporate membership tiers, with sponsoring members joining on a rolling 12-month basis beginning on the 1st of each month.
2. Sponsorships: Corporate sponsors at various tiers support the organization, including founding sponsors (BrainFutures, The Bowman Family Foundation, Boehringer Ingelheim, Otsuka) and annual sponsors (Modern Health, High Lantern Group, Office of the CEO, and others). Conference sponsorship packages with different engagement levels are also offered.
3. Donations: As a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, SDMH accepts tax-deductible charitable contributions from individuals, corporations, and private/family foundations. Donations can be made via PayPal or by check mailed to their office.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Society for Digital Mental Health is a 501(c)(3) non-profit professional organization that advances digital mental health research, policy, and practice. It serves as a cross-sector convener for clinicians, researchers, technology developers, payers, policymakers, and patient/caregiver advocates through annual conferences, Special Interest Groups, peer-reviewed publications, webinars, and formal advocacy such as comments submitted to the Federal Trade Commission.

Product overview

The Society for Digital Mental Health is a nonprofit professional society (501(c)(3)), not a product company. Its offerings consist of events, publications, and community programs: the Annual Conference (2025 and 2026) as its flagship virtual event; four Special Interest Groups (AI SIG, Health Equity SIG, Industry SIG, Student & Trainee SIG); downloadable resource publications including the Implementation Playbook, Unlocking the Power of Digital Health White Paper, and Responsible Integration of GenAI and LLMs guidance document; a Featured Webinars library; and a directory of evidence-based digital mental health tools (referencing One Mind PsyberGuide and APA App Advisor). These offerings serve the organization's mission of advancing digital mental health research, policy, and practice rather than constituting a commercial product portfolio.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Annual Conference on Digital Mental Health
• Special Interest Groups (SIGs)
• Digital Mental Health Implementation Playbook
• Unlocking the Power of Digital Health White Paper
• Responsible Integration of GenAI and LLMs in Mental Health Care
• Featured Webinars
• Evidence-Based Digital Mental Health Tools Directory

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered co-host partner, minor and exhibit sponsor.

• University of Virginia TYDEco-host partnerStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025The 2025 Annual Conference was co-hosted with University of Virginia's Thriving Youth in a Digital Environment (TYDE) program, combining SDMH's digital mental health expertise with UVa's youth-focused digital environment research.
• YouperminorOthers · 1 January 2025Youper provided technical assistance in establishing the Society For Digital Mental Health website during its founding period.
• Digital.Healthexhibit sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerDigital.Health participated as a virtual exhibit sponsor at the 2025 Annual Conference.
• Soihtu DTxexhibit sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerSoihtu DTx participated as a virtual exhibit sponsor at the 2025 Annual Conference.
• Unstuckexhibit sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerUnstuck participated as a virtual exhibit sponsor at the 2025 Annual Conference.
• Videra Healthexhibit sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerVidera Health participated as a virtual exhibit sponsor at the 2025 Annual Conference.
• Otsuka Precision Healthexhibit sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerOtsuka Precision Health participated as a virtual exhibit sponsor at the 2025 Annual Conference.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• HIMSS (Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society): Large incumbent healthcare IT membership organization that convenes providers, vendors, and policymakers. Overlaps with SDMH on digital health policy and conferences but at much broader health IT scope rather than mental health specialization.
• American Psychiatric Association (APA): Major psychiatric professional society that engages FDA and CMS on mental health policy and publishes practice guidelines. Comparable convening power but much larger scale; competes for policy influence on digital therapeutics and reimbursement.
• American Psychological Association (APA): Largest professional association of psychologists in the US. Publishes guidance on digital tools and operates App Advisor (referenced by SDMH's resources page), making it a broader incumbent operating in adjacent digital mental health territory.
• National Council for Mental Wellbeing: Advocacy and membership organization for mental health and substance use treatment providers. Overlaps with SDMH on policy advocacy and adoption of evidence-based digital tools in community mental health settings.
• Mental Health America (MHA): Established community-based non-profit addressing mental health needs, including screening tools and policy advocacy. Overlaps with SDMH on mental health access, equity, and digital tool evaluation, but at older-vintage, non-digital-first orientation.

Direct peers

• Digital Therapeutics Alliance: Industry trade association specifically for digital therapeutics, including mental health DTx. Closest direct peer to SDMH given overlapping mission of advancing evidence standards, regulatory engagement, and convening DTx developers, payers, and researchers.
• American Telemedicine Association (ATA): Long-standing professional membership organization focused on telehealth, including behavioral health. Comparable convening model with annual conferences, policy advocacy, and SIG-style committees intersecting with SDMH's digital mental health remit.

Regional players

• Center for Connected Health Policy (CCHP): Non-profit focused on telehealth policy at the state and federal level, including behavioral health. Comparable convening and policy-advisory function but with US-jurisdictional scope and a broader telehealth (rather than mental health specific) remit.

Emerging players

• Digital Health Policy (DHP): Policy advisory firm led by Megan Coder, who also serves as SDMH's Vice President and Policy Committee Chair. Direct overlap in digital mental health policy and reimbursement advocacy, with closer commercial orientation.
• One Mind PsyberGuide: Non-profit scientific review platform that rates digital mental health tools and is explicitly referenced by SDMH's resources directory. Comparable mission of bringing evidence to bear on digital mental health product selection.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SocietyDMH
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCz5jGmpJk
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/society-for-digital-mental-health

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Society for Digital Mental Health