Hurdle Appoints Behavioral Health Executive Krystle Herbert as New Head of Clinical Care

WASHINGTON, April 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Hurdle, an innovative digital mental-health platform company, announced today that Krystle Herbert has joined the company as its Vice President of Clinical Affairs. Dr. Herbert has been a leader in behavioral health for more than two decades. In her role, she will oversee and support clinical operations, clinical policy development and compliance, clinical quality of care, and scaling efforts within the organization.

"We are tremendously excited that Krystle will assume the role of VP of Clinical Affairs," says Kevin Dedner, Founder and CEO of Hurdle. "Her talent and extensive industry experience in designing and running mental-health programs for diverse populations will no doubt be invaluable in driving our business as we expand our services."

As an independently licensed provider, Dr. Herbert brings an impressive background in direct clinical care, having worked with various age groups and modalities. Most recently, she served as Chief Operating Officer (COO) at a behavioral health acute inpatient hospital and community mental-health center where she implemented psychiatric and psychological telehealth services. 

"I am thrilled to join Hurdle, a company that is committed to innovating mental-health care with culturally sensitive therapy," says Dr. Herbert. "There are significant gaps in mental-health care in this country, especially for people of color, and we've seen a significant surge amongst minorities over this past year. We have the novel and significant opportunity to create new solutions for underserved populations. I look forward to delivering first-in-class care particularly for those who are often overlooked."

Dr. Herbert is also an adjunct professor at Pepperdine University and at National University, where she teaches undergraduate and graduate-level psychology, marriage/family therapy, and child development courses. Previously, she was on the faculty at the University of Southern California, where she taught social work to undergraduate and graduate students. Dr. Herbert is a graduate of Pepperdine University.

In addition to Dr. Herbert's appointment, Hurdle is expanding its leadership team with several new appointments:

• Dr. Norma Day Vines joins as Clinical Advisor. She is a professor at Johns Hopkins University, and she developed the framework in which Hurdle's therapists are trained.
• Dr. Lauren Wolfe joins as Chief Strategy Officer. She is a clinical psychologist with experience developing new technologies to scale and improving evidence-based care in behavioral health.
• Eugene Saksonov joins as the Chief Technical Officer.
• Martha Temple joins as an Advisor.
• Jim Stallings joins as an Advisor.

Hurdle's platform uses a proprietary, scientifically validated tool to measure cultural responsiveness and provide appropriate training and coaching for its therapists. Research shows that therapists whose patients perceive them as having cultural humility deliver meaningfully improved outcomes.

Hurdle leverages technology to cultivate a virtual safe space with culturally intentional content and services that support self-mastery and well-being. Its suite of services includes self-care digital apps, wellness workshops, and teletherapy. 

About Hurdle
Established in 2018, Hurdle is a digital mental-health platform revolutionizing mental-health care by providing mental-health services with a focus on culturally sensitive self-care support for people of color. According to the American Psychiatric Association, African Americans often receive poorer quality of care and lack access to culturally competent care. Only one in three African Americans who need mental-health care receive it. Hurdle is working to break down the barriers to mental-health care for people of color to create an equitable behavioral health service with culturally responsive care and resources. For more information, please visit www.hurdle.co.

Media Contact:
An Phan
Pioneering Collective
Email: [email protected]

SOURCE Hurdle