MCert
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The Standard for Clarity

The Standard
for Clarity

Fostering joint action to tackle the youth mental health crisis, MCert is your guide, providing science-backed Quality Standards to shift the digital health market from chaos to efficacy and confidence.

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About MCert

Our Mission

Youth mental health is still in crisis, with millions turning to digital tools for support. But without clear standards, it's hard to know what works or scale what does.

MCert convening

Systemic Trust

At MCert, we're collaborating with leaders to design an efficacy framework for sub-clinical mental health tools for young people to instill systemic trust across the ecosystem.

Sustainable Adoption

Our work increases sustainable adoption of effective digital tools by making it easy for payors, policymakers, and communities to identify what actually works.

Non-Partisan Standards

Our mission is to establish a verifiable, non-partisan Quality Standard that future-proofs investment across the ecosystem and advances well-being for youth.

Our Vision

A Win–Win–Win Future

MCert believes in a triple win for the digital youth mental health ecosystem — a future where all system enablers, from community leaders to youth, can easily find trusted, effective, and safe sub-clinical mental health tools.

For Youth

For Beneficiaries (Youth)

Young people deserve digital tools that are genuinely safe and effective. MCert Quality Standards give youth and their families confidence that the tools they use are grounded in evidence, designed with their well-being at the center, and free from harmful influence.

For Payors

For System Enablers (Payors)

Payors need clarity to navigate a saturated market filled with unverified tools. MCert establishes non-partisan Quality Standards that ease decision-making, build confidence, and mitigate risk — allowing payors to invest in solutions that are safe, effective, and aligned with sustainable well-being goals.

For Builders

For Builders (Innovators)

Innovators who build high-quality mental health tools deserve a clear pathway to demonstrate their value. MCert Quality Standards give builders a credible, verifiable standard to meet — unlocking trust, investment, and sustainable adoption in an otherwise crowded market.

Why Now

The moment demands
a standard

Four forces are converging to make MCert's work urgent and necessary.

No Common Language

Digital mental health tools are multiplying rapidly, yet the ecosystem lacks a shared way to define, categorize, or evaluate them — perpetuating confusion rather than clarity.

Innovation Outpacing Infrastructure

The surge of new products, accelerated by generative AI, has outpaced the systems designed to assess quality, safety, and effectiveness.

Rising Reliance on Digital Support

More people are turning to digital tools for mental health support, but many offerings remain unproven. Without clarity, system enablers risk investing in solutions that fail — or cause harm.

Unprecedented Deregulation

In the US, federal oversight of digital mental health tools is receding just as the need for accountability is growing — leaving payors and policymakers without the guardrails to make informed decisions.

Our Approach

A phased path
to lasting change

MCert takes a collaborative, phased approach to building the non-partisan infrastructure the digital youth mental health sector needs to thrive.

1

2025

MCert Founded

Eight months of research, interviews, and building relationships across the digital youth mental health ecosystem — laying the foundation for a trusted, non-partisan Quality Standard.

2

2026 · Complete

Convene the Right Minds

Brought together ~30 curated experts across payors, policy, tech, research, and community to surface core challenges, align on shared priorities, and begin shaping the foundations for evaluating digital mental health tools. Their insights anchor a trusted, non-partisan approach.

3

Q2 2026 · In Progress

Co-Create a Blueprint

Working collectively to develop a blueprint that defines clear, science-backed criteria and practical strategies for assessing digital mental health tools. This blueprint will outline a go-to-market roadmap for testing, refining, and validating Quality Standards in real-world environments.

4

2026 and beyond

Move to Action

With the blueprint established, MCert will move into active piloting with partners across sectors — demonstrating how trusted standards can simplify decision-making, unlock responsible innovation, and strengthen market confidence in digital youth mental health tools.

Throughout this work, we will center youth perspectives and equity, ensuring that our approach reflects the realities of those most impacted and creates a more inclusive, accountable ecosystem for all.

Get Involved

Join the Mission

This work depends on collaboration across sectors. Whether you shape policy, fund solutions, build products, or support communities — your expertise strengthens the standard we're creating.

Payors Policymakers Funders Builders & Founders Researchers Government Procurement Evaluators Big Tech & Social Platforms
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Contact

Get in Touch

We'd love to hear from you. Whether you're interested in our Quality Standards, exploring partnership opportunities, or joining our next convening — reach out directly.

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