Digital Outreach for Obtaining Resources and Skills

DOORS

A digital literacy training program

Supported by the Sidney R. Baer, Jr. Foundation

About Our Program

Closing the digital divide for individuals with serious mental illness

Since individuals with serious mental illness (SMI) are at high risk of digital exclusion due to low digital literacy, our team created DOORS: a community-created, research-backed digital literacy training program that teaches essential laptop and smartphone skills through distinct learning modules, PowerPoints, and handouts.

Consisting of eight core learning modules, the program is designed to be hands-on, interactive, and adaptable to a specific person or population.

The Need

Technology use is now recognized as a social determinant of health

Amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic, reliance on digital tools to deliver healthcare and participate in research has increased exponentially. While digital tools can increase access to care and expand research methods, individuals in underserved populations — such as people experiencing addiction — are largely "digitally excluded" and subsequently underrepresented in research. This phenomenon has been coined "The Digital Divide."

In a 2024 report, Sit et al. noted that healthcare workers need ongoing education in mental health and digital tools to fully support patients and connect them with additional resources. Our Digital Navigator training aims to bridge this gap.

      Our Goal: With over seven years of experience running digital equity programs at community sites, our ultimate goal is to reduce barriers for patients getting treatment for their mental health by helping them meaningfully engage with technology and harness digital tools toward their recovery.
    

Volunteer With Us

An ideal role for undergraduates seeking hands-on clinical experience

We are currently seeking volunteers for the DOORS program! Through providing digital skills training, your work contributes to health equity by increasing access to digital health tools — including patient portals, telehealth services, and mental health applications.

⏱️ Time Commitment

Minimum 1–2 hours per week at sites around the greater Boston area.

□ Ideal For

Undergraduate students looking for experience in psychiatric services, senior services, or healthcare settings.

□ Get Started

Fill out our Volunteer Interest Form and a team member will match you with an opportunity. Questions? Email [email protected]

Curriculum Overview

Multi-session curriculum available for both smartphones and laptops

Our curriculum engages group learning and problem solving to equip participants with digital skills and online resources that are easy to access, appealing to use, and relevant to daily life. Each session includes slides and handouts.

Session 1: The Fundamentals
Session 2: Accessibility
Session 3: Navigating the Internet & Online Safety
Session 4: Communicating via Messages
Session 5: Communicating via Video Call
Session 6: Staying Organized
Session 7: Expanding Your Knowledge via YouTube
Session 8: Well-Being & Fun
Session 9: Using Artificial Intelligence Safely

Request Full Access to DOORS Materials Smartphone Materials Laptop Materials

Teaching & Assessing Digital Literacy

Personalized learning starts with understanding baseline needs

Our lab has created a one-page Technology Use Survey that quickly assesses a client's baseline digital needs and literacy. We also created a Module Matching Guide that interprets survey results and determines which DOORS modules a client or group would benefit most from.

These tools are designed to be delivered before initiating digital literacy training to enable proactive tailoring of the DOORS curriculum, allowing DOORS to be offered in a personalized manner instead of across all sessions.

Digital Navigator Training

Empowering health workers to promote digital equity

Our team has developed a 1–2 day Digital Navigator Training Program to empower peer advocates and existing health workers to promote digital equity within their communities. A digital navigator is a "member of the clinical team whose goal is to support the uptake and implementation of technology into care."

Designed as an introductory-level healthcare role, it leverages the innate technological knowledge of young people and expands the digital equity workforce. No formal degree is required, further reducing barriers to expanding the mental healthcare workforce.

□ Module 1

Troubleshooting & Digital Autonomy

□ Module 2

DOORS & Digital Competence

□ Module 3

Healthcare & Digital Relatedness

□ Module 4

Motivational Interviewing & Digital Navigation

      Training Manual: We've created a comprehensive Digital Navigator training manual compiling all associated materials — including how to assess digital literacy, run DOORS sessions, operate a virtual Digital Clinic, and navigate the MINDapps database with clients.
    

Inquire About Training Learn More About MINDapps

Accessible & Scalable

As digital mental health interventions gain prominence, it is important to create sustainable digital equity tools that can be shared and replicated at scale. Our Digital Navigator Training, mental health app database (MINDapps), and DOORS are all designed for dissemination at scale. To extend capacity and promote uptake by other teams and community partnerships, we have developed training and dissemination materials for each initiative.

What Participants Say

I am overwhelmed by your kindness and generosity. I am an absolute novice who learned from you the initial steps so that I am less intimidated by the technology. They're tricky, but I am moving forward slowly.

Thank you for presenting such an informative and enjoyable course. I was really interested in how you merged health issues with smartphones. I found out that smartphones can really enhance one's health and mental health.

This is good education for people who do AND don't have a smartphone. Good for all people, disabled or well/healthy.

Community Partnerships

The Division of Digital Psychiatry lab at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) recognizes the importance of communication between all parties to implement any digital equity initiative successfully. We have developed internal communication platforms and techniques that facilitate inclusive discourse and promote real-time program adaptation and improvement.

The overarching goal is to bridge communication gaps and reduce harm and bias by ensuring transparent dissemination of research findings and fostering robust community engagement — centering community voices and needs.

Bowdoin Street Health Center Center Club Boston Edinburg Center

From the Field

Updates, stories, and insights from the DOORS team

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February 2026

Welcome to Our Blog

We're launching this space to share regular updates about the DOORS program — stories from the field, research highlights, volunteer spotlights, and more.

□

February 2026

Volunteer Spotlight: Spring 2026

Meet the undergraduate volunteers making a difference this semester across our Boston-area partner sites.

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January 2026

New Session 9: AI Safety

A look at our newest module on using artificial intelligence safely — why we created it and what participants are learning.

Relevant Publications

Alon, N., Perret, S., Cohen, A., Partiquin, M., LeMelle, S., Boyd, C., Aguilera, J., Reat, C., Hough, E., Walsh, J., Dwyer, B., Hogan, J., Smith, A. H., & Torous, J. (2024). Digital Navigator Training to Increase Access to Mental Health Care in Community-Based Organizations. Psychiatric Services, 75(6), 608–611.

Alon N, Perret S, Torous J. (2023). Working towards a ready to implement digital literacy program. mHealth, 9:32.

Camacho, E., & Torous, J. (2023). Impact of Digital Literacy Training on Outcomes for People With Serious Mental Illness in Community and Inpatient Settings. Psychiatric Services, 74(5), 534–538.

Rodriguez-Villa, E., Camacho, E., & Torous, J. (2021). Psychiatric rehabilitation through teaching smartphone skills to improve functional outcomes in serious mental illness. Internet Interventions, 23, 100366.

Hoffman L, Wisniewski H, Hays R, Henson P, Vaidyam A, Hendel V, Keshavan M, Torous J. (2020). Digital Opportunities for Outcomes in Recovery Services (DOORS): A Pragmatic Hands-On Group Approach. J Psychiatr Pract, 26(2), 80–88.