National Center for Simulation Logo

 

First Internet Virtual World for Behavioral Healthcare

InWorld Solutions Introduces InWorld, the First Internet-Based Virtual Environment Designed Specifically for Behavioral Healthcare
Company Co-Founders to Present in Plenary Session at 117th Annual APA Convention in Toronto: “Next Stop: Virtual Psychology and Therapy”

117th Annual APA Convention
Booth 1303

PALO ALTO, Calif., & TORONTO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–InWorld Solutions™ today unveiled InWorld, the first online application using virtual environments designed specifically for behavioral healthcare. Created for clinical institutions and individual therapists, InWorld helps overcome emotional and cognitive barriers to therapy, counseling, and education by engaging clients and mobilizing their active participation. InWorld can also be used for therapist training and supervision.

InWorld will be previewed to the psychology community at the American Psychological Association (APA) 117th Annual Convention taking place through August 9 in Toronto.

“We founded InWorld Solutions to bring new technology to the field of behavioral healthcare,” said InWorld Solutions co-founder and CEO Walter Greenleaf, Ph.D., a pioneer in medical virtual environments and a Stanford University-trained research scientist specializing in behavioral neuroscience and cognitive rehabilitation. “I’m excited about the convergence of several technical and social trends that enable us to provide InWorld today: the advancement of virtual environment technology, the penetration of broadband Internet, the affordability of computing power, and the growing adoption of virtual worlds.”

“The potential demand for this kind of program is enormous,” said Les Paschall, InWorld Solutions co-founder and CEO of CFG Health Systems, a 450-clinician behavioral healthcare provider in Marlton, New Jersey. “InWorld is designed to manage a wide range of disorders, and we’re seeing unprecedented levels of engagement and participation in our first use with clients who suffer from oppositional defiance disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder, as well as patients dealing with issues of anger management and substance abuse.”

APA Plenary Session: Next Stop: Virtual Psychology and Therapy

On Friday, August 7 at 10:00 a.m. in Room 716B, Greenleaf and Paschall will introduce InWorld’s innovative approach during a plenary session entitled Next Stop: Virtual Psychology and Therapy. The company will also preview the InWorld product in Booth 1303.

About InWorld

Designed to support HIPAA compliance, InWorld is convenient, easy to use, and affordable. InWorld is the first and only product to offer therapists a complete solution by combining a virtual world with important clinical functions such as session notes, appointment calendar, clinical illustrations, a clinical manual, and the management of avatars, the personalized characters used by therapists and their clients.

Interactions use speech, so keyboard skills are not required. Sessions are recorded and can be saved for review and playback from different viewing perspectives.

InWorld complements traditional talk therapy, helping the therapeutic process to go deeper and progress more rapidly for individual, family, and group therapy. In addition, InWorld can increase access to behavioral healthcare by allowing therapists and clients to meet in the same or different locations.

InWorld was developed using the On-Line Interactive Virtual Environment (OLIVE™) virtual world platform from Forterra Systems. OLIVE was selected for the high-quality virtual experience it provides users, including critical therapy and privacy features.

Pricing & Availability

InWorld, which runs on the Windows operating system and requires broadband Internet access, will be available for download from the InWorld Solutions website in October 2009. The introductory subscription-based pricing is $95 per month per clinician. Custom solutions and volume pricing are available for large clinical organizations.

About InWorld Solutions, LLC

InWorld Solutions, LLC (www.inworldsolutions.com), based in Palo Alto, California, is dedicated to bringing new technology to the field of behavioral healthcare. The company was created by a partnership of experts in the fields of neuroscience and clinical psychology from Greenleaf Medical and CFG Health Systems. In October 2009 the company will launch InWorld, the first online application featuring virtual environments designed specifically for therapy, counseling, education, training, and supervision.