Breaking Barriers and Healing Young Minds: Introducing Backpack Healthcare

The youth mental health crisis in America has reached alarming levels, and it’s more important than ever to make specialized, quality mental health support accessible to children and teens.?

With that mission in mind, we’re thrilled to introduce you to Backpack Healthcare, the newest iteration of the pediatric mental healthcare provider Youme Healthcare. Youme Healthcare has acquired Hurdle Health — an industry leader in culturally intentional therapy for BIPOC and other marginalized groups – and rebranded to Backpack Healthcare.?

Why Backpack??

Youme Healthcare was a pioneer in treating and identifying mental illness in children, teens, and young adults, and we’re bringing that same purpose into our work at Backpack Healthcare. Our new brand reflects our mission to make comprehensive, accessible, and inclusive mental healthcare available to more children and teens.?

We all walk around carrying invisible backpacks, full of our experiences, emotions, and traumas. When this burden becomes too heavy, our mental health suffers, and mental health tools like therapy are powerful ways to lighten the load.?

“Backpack Healthcare is dedicated to revolutionizing pediatric mental health care and transforming the lives of young individuals across the nation,” said Backpack Founder and CEO Hafeezah Muhammad . “We are committed to combating the youth mental health crisis by providing accessible, personalized, and culturally sensitive care. Our mission is to ensure that no child or adolescent is left behind when it comes to their mental well-being.”

Backpack Healthcare Acquires Hurdle Health

As we work to further our reach and provide accessible teletherapy to even more people who need it, we’ve made a strategic expansion to acquire Hurdle Health.?

With this union, we’re combining Backpack’s expertise in pediatric mental health with Hurdle’s powerful track record delivering culturally intentional care to individuals from diverse backgrounds.?

“With alarming rates of depression, anxiety, and suicide among youth, especially youth of color, the world needs Backpack,” said Kevin Dedner, MPH , CEO of Hurdle Health.

Established in 2018, Hurdle’s digital mental health platform revolutionized mental health care by providing mental health services with a focus on culturally sensitive self-care support for people of color. Hurdle developed a proprietary scientifically-validated tool to measure cultural responsiveness and provide appropriate training and coaching for its therapists.

In 2021, Hurdle successfully closed a $5 million Series Seed financing co-led by 406 Ventures and Seae Ventures with participation from F-Prime.?

“Hurdle was the first mental health teletherapy company to put a multicultural framework to use in its practice. I am pleased that this legacy will continue through the capable stewardship of Backpack,” Dedner shared.

Join Us On Our Mission to Make Therapy Accessible, Inclusive, and Comprehensive

We’re excited to finally share these announcements with you and are looking forward to continued expansion in the future. To stay up to date on our latest news and resources, please subscribe to our newsletter and follow Backpack Healthcare on your favorite social media platform.

And if you’re interested in partnering with Backpack Healthcare to bring inclusive, accessible, comprehensive therapy to even more children and teens, please contact us here.