Lets Talk Interactive

Over two decades, Arthur Cooksey has built Let’s Talk Interactive into a leading national developer of customizable telehealth software and solutions. But it began with two experiences that showed Cooksey the vital need for behavioral health counseling in places where there was little access to care.

Cooksey already knew the importance of counseling and mental health care. His mother, Claire Reeves, founded Mothers Against Sexual Abuse, a national organization for the prevention of child sexual abuse. She also authored “Childhood it Should Not Hurt” published July 2003, and has worked on more than 1,000 cases the last 25 years. Over the years, she would play a role in a number of high-profile cases, serving as a consultant in the case of JonBenét Ramsey as well as during the Michael Jackson trials. She joined the Kankas, parents of Megan Kanka, to help pass Megan’s law — which requires law enforcement authorities to make information available to the public in regards to registered sex offenders. Reeves has been honored by The California State Legislature for her dedication to children, and was selected as Los Angeles Woman of the Year in 1997.

In working closely with the organization and speaking with survivors, Cooksey knew he had to do something to help after seeing a lack of necessary infrastructure for accessible mental health care.

While he was with Bank of America in Charlotte, Cooksey saw the problems with access to care in rural areas. Having worked on Bank of America’s Market President team for Charlotte, he led efforts towards addressing a wide range of socioeconomic and educational issues and building community around those issues. As part of his duties, Cooksey worked directly with grassroots organizations and nonprofits, awarding grants at the community level. He would meet with grant recipients and get a more acute understanding of children's needs at a deeper level.

By giving more attention to, and incorporating mental health as a part of achieving total health care, Let’s Talk Interactive has been able to emerge as a leader in telehealth and telemedicine for over two decades.

The perspectives gained through meeting with survivors from his mother’s non-profit, along with his time at Bank of America, helped to develop the insights that would get Let’s Talk Interactive where it is today.

Cooksey’s background in telecommunications exposed him to the possibilities of high-speed internet. His community work at Bank of America and his knowledge of his mother’s work helped him recognize the lack of adequate mental health resources and specialists in rural communities.

These experiences led Cooksey to see the opportunity in leveraging high-speed internet access to connect rural communities with providers. LTI was then developed into the technological platform it is today, helping patients connect with qualified and licensed providers and gain access to quality care, regardless of geographical restrictions.

Cooksey’s 11-year career at Bank of America also provided him with valuable experience in the corporate world. There, he developed management skills and was involved with mergers, acquisitions, and personnel transitions at the executive level. It was in that environment he learned the valuable lesson that in high-stress situations, cool heads often prevail. That lesson, and many more, have helped him become an effective leader at Let’s Talk Interactive.

Now, Cooksey is seen as a thought leader in his field. Cooksey has presented to both the Florida House of Representatives and the Florida State Senate emphasizing the benefits of LTI’s telehealth and telemedicine solutions. Today, Cooksey’s vision has expanded to provide access to mental health professionals in schools and correctional facilities:

● LTI Telehealth Kiosks are in use in 63 public schools throughout the Florida panhandle as part of Florida First Lady Casey DeSantis’ Hope for Healing Initiative, which has helped over 100,000 students get mental health support.

● LTI also works with law enforcement in Franklin County, Florida helping to provide behavioral health support for inmates.

A seasoned career across several disciplines helped Cooksey to develop the knowledge, skills, the perspective that have played helped LTI emerge as a leader in telehealth and telemedicine solutions. For businesses with needs outside behavior health and the adoption of hybrid work schedules, Let’s Talk Interactive offers custom networks built for most use cases.

Author Bio: Arthur Cooksey serves as the Chairman and CEO of Let’s Talk Interactive, Inc. (LTI), leading the corporate strategy and development to drive the adoption of LTI’s suite of products and services. He founded the technology platform in 2001 as a way to provide consumers with access to qualified and licensed behavioral health professionals, which he later evolved to customized services and telehealth technology that LTI is known for today.