Transforming Mental Health Across Latin America
Evidence-based care delivered by communities and local government partners
Transforming Mental Health Across Latin America
Evidence-based care delivered by communities and local government partners
The Gap in Mental Health Care
In Ecuador, nearly three out of four people struggling with mental health receive no formal support.
Left untreated, these challenges impact health, livelihoods, and families. Clinic-based care alone isn’t enough.
Vida Plena works differently: scaling evidence-based group therapy through communities and public partnerships.
Current locations: Quito, Imbabura
Planned Expansions: Amazon / coastal regions
Mental Health that Scales
We train local communities and partner with governments to deliver evidence-based care.
Train Community Facilitators
Community Outreach
Deliver Group Therapy
People Heal & Thrive
We train local community members to deliver the World Health Organization’s top-recommended depression treatment. Our facilitators are trusted neighbors who understand their community’s needs.
Mental Health that Scales
We train local communities and partner with governments to deliver evidence-based care.
Train Community Facilitators
Community Outreach
Deliver Group Therapy
People Heal & Thrive
We train local community members to deliver the World Health Organization’s top-recommended depression treatment. Our facilitators are trusted neighbors who understand their community’s needs.
Proven Results Across Ecuador
Evidence-based care delivered by communities creates lasting change
people treated in our first 3 years
%
with clinical depression clinically improved or recovered
%
sustain improvement 6 months later
Voices from our communities
Research & Academic Partners
Delivering WHO’s, top-recommended g-IPT methodology and partnering with Columbia University Global Mental Health Lab
Implementation Partners
Working with government teams across Ecuador to deliver community-based interventions
Real Stories
From the Field
New Partnerships, Research, and a Few Adventures Along the Way
Over the past few months, we've launched new partnerships, trained facilitators across Ecuador, welcomed research collaborators, and had opportunities to share our work internationally. Here are a few highlights. Bringing Care to More Corners of Ecuador One of our...
Team retreat: reflections and planning tastes better with marshmallow s’mores
Liked a worried mother hen, I counted heads as the team climbed into the public bus, off to our retreat in the Andean countryside – the smoking Cotopaxi Volcano warnings be damned. Two days of togetherness to collect our reflections from the pilot last fall, and dream...
How much good can happen for $17?
When I created Vida Plena, it was clear that one of our key principles needed to be the thoughtful use of the resources entrusted to us. I’ve been part of too many organizations in the past that – while based on good intentions – really had no way of knowing how much...
New Partnerships, Research, and a Few Adventures Along the Way
Over the past few months, we've launched new partnerships, trained facilitators across Ecuador, welcomed research collaborators, and had opportunities to share our work internationally. Here are a few highlights. Bringing Care to More Corners of Ecuador One of our...
Team retreat: reflections and planning tastes better with marshmallow s’mores
Liked a worried mother hen, I counted heads as the team climbed into the public bus, off to our retreat in the Andean countryside – the smoking Cotopaxi Volcano warnings be damned. Two days of togetherness to collect our reflections from the pilot last fall, and dream...
Our Work in Action