Mindset Care Snags $13M to Simplify Disability Benefit Applications for Those with Serious Mental Illness

Mindset Care, a startup that helps those with mental illness apply for Social Security disability benefits, has secured $13 million in funding, it announced Tuesday. The funding will help the company launch new partnerships.

Typically, the process for applying for disability benefits can be document-heavy and take weeks to complete. New York City-based Mindset Care is trying to simplify the process for those with serious mental illness and their caregivers. It has a community outreach team that works with homeless shelters, jails, veteran organizations, food drives and rehab facilities to find those who would benefit from disability benefits. Mindset Care then acts as a representative for these individuals, assisting with Social Security benefits applications by answering questions, helping complete forms and gathering necessary documentation. The company’s services are free to the individual, and Mindset is paid by the Social Security office if the application is accepted. 

“We stay on top of everything and all communication on their behalf as their legal representative with them,” said Darren Webb, co-founder and CEO of Mindset Care, in an interview. “And if needed, we will go in front of the judge with one of our full-time disability attorneys to fight for their benefits on their behalf.”

Mindset Care’s $13 million raise was led by Science Inc. and included participation from Wellington Management, Tubbs Ventures, Enable Ventures, XYZ and LivEdge Capital.

There is an immense need for Mindset Care’s support in the U.S., according to Science Inc.

“The mental health crisis in the United States demands urgent attention, and we are honored to play a part in expanding Mindset’s reach,” said Michael Jones, general partner of Science Inc., in a statement. “By increasing nationwide visibility and offering tangible support, we can address this critical issue head-on and make a meaningful impact in the lives of people who need help now.”

With the financing, Mindset Care will grow its team, including its care managers and tech team, Webb said. It is also focused on creating more partnerships with community and large organizations, such as mental health nonprofits, government agencies and homeless shelters.

Mindset Care’s funding comes at a time when about 17 million Americans have a serious mental illness and qualify for disability benefits of at least $1,500 a month. Approximately 65% of initial disability applications are denied, frequently due to errors or missing information. There is also a need for more assistance: In November 2023, the Social Security Administration reported a record backlog of more than 1 million cases.

Webb knows these challenges first-hand as a caregiver of a loved one battling schizophrenia. He initially started Mindset as a social network for mental illness caregivers but shifted the platform after going through the experience of applying for benefits for his loved one.

“I went through that process and just saw how ridiculous it was to just get the application out the door, forget everything else that comes after that,” he said. “I worked with two to three local disability attorneys. After they sent me two to three pounds of paperwork to fill out, I called them all back and said, ‘Can you DocuSign this to me?’ And they had no clue what I was talking about. So at that very moment, I knew something needed to change in this process.”

In the long term, Mindset aims to shorten the process for receiving disability benefits, Webb said.

“It should not take in this day and age 18 to 24 months for an American to receive disability benefits that they are owed,” he said. “How do we move that to a quarter?”

Picture: Feodora Chiosea, Getty Images