13th Care Independent athlete mental health care

How it works

How matching works

We start with the athlete's context, then match around fit that respects sport life, privacy, and the kind of care people stay with. The process is calm on the surface and careful underneath.

Find care For providers
  • Trust first
  • Sport context matters
  • Continuity stays in view

Athlete journey

A calm path from intake to ongoing fit.

  • 1 Share support needs, sport context, and privacy boundaries.
  • 2 Shape the match around communication style and practical realities.
  • 3 Get introduced to a provider that feels right for the next step.
  • 4 Keep the door open for adjustment if the fit needs to change.

Athlete journey

The path stays simple: intake, preferences, introduction, ongoing fit.

The goal is not to rush to the nearest provider. It is to get the athlete to a first introduction that already respects what care needs to feel usable.

01

Intake

Athletes share the support they need, the sport context around it, and the boundaries that matter for privacy and confidence.

02

Preferences

The profile narrows on communication style, schedule, format, and any practical conditions that affect a real fit.

03

Introduction

A best-fit provider is introduced once the signal is strong enough to feel thoughtful, not generic.

04

Ongoing fit

The match is treated as something to maintain, not something to force if the relationship needs a better next step.

Fit dimensions

Good matching is wider than availability.

13th Care looks at four dimensions together so the introduction feels personal, realistic, and built around the athlete's life instead of just the open slot.

What support is needed

Performance pressure, injury response, identity stress, burnout, or transition.

What sport life looks like

Season timing, training load, travel, team dynamics, and the pace of competition.

How care should feel

Direct or reflective, structured or flexible, private, steady, and easy to trust.

What logistics actually work

Availability, time zone, location, format, licensing, and the realities around cost.

Survey and matching

How intake shapes the match

Athletes and providers each complete structured assessments. The matching system reads both sides to find where clinical fit, communication style, and sport context align.

Athlete intake

  • Presenting concerns and care goals, rated by urgency and importance
  • Sport context: sport type, competition level, season phase, team dynamics
  • Communication style preferences: direct or reflective, structured or open
  • Privacy boundaries: what stays confidential, who should never have access
  • Scheduling realities: time zone, availability windows, format preference
Fit-based match

Provider profile

  • Credential verification: licensure, background check, clinical experience
  • Sport-specific competency scores from standardized assessment
  • Populations and concerns where they do their strongest work
  • Communication and session style: structured, exploratory, direct, gentle
  • Availability, format, and insurance or payment models accepted

Matching mechanics

How the algorithm weighs fit

Clinical alignment

The athlete's presenting concerns are matched against providers who have demonstrated competency in those areas through assessment and verified outcome patterns. Clinical need carries the highest weight.

Sport context match

Competition level, sport type, and season phase are cross-referenced with provider experience. A provider who understands Division I team dynamics is weighted differently than one focused on individual endurance sport.

Communication fit

Both sides indicate preferred session style. The algorithm pairs athletes who want direct feedback with providers who lead that way, and reflective athletes with exploratory clinicians.

Bidirectional scoring

Providers indicate populations where they do their best work. The match optimizes mutual fit, not just athlete preference. A strong match is one where both sides are well-positioned.

Independence and privacy

Care should feel independent from team pressure.

Athletes move more easily when the platform makes privacy visible, keeps the support path athlete-led, and avoids anything that feels too close to organizational control.

Independent by design

  • No team-side reporting inside the athlete experience
  • Support pathways do not depend on organizational approval
  • Independence stays visible from first step to introduction

Privacy stays active

  • Preferences around confidentiality are part of the profile
  • Athletes can name what feels safe before they are matched
  • The experience is built to lower the friction of disclosure

Athlete-led support

  • The athlete's needs guide the introduction
  • Fit is measured by trust, not just open availability
  • Continuity matters more than speed to first contact

Rematch philosophy

Rematch is support, not failure.

A good match should hold. When it does not, the platform treats adjustment as a normal part of getting athletes to care that actually fits.

What changes

  • The athlete does not have to restart from zero.
  • Matching can shift when the first fit is not strong enough.
  • The goal is to keep care moving, not to defend the original pick.

Next step

Find care

13th Care is built to help athletes find support that feels independent, specialized, and worth staying with.

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