Hurdle Health, a digital behavioral health platform aimed at providing culturally-intentional services, has announced that it has expanded its availability into Texas, Massachusetts and California – with more states planned for the second quarter of 2022.

The Washington, D.C-.based platform – which last year raised $5 million in funding – was originally founded in 2018 as Henry Health and provides therapeutic services addressing a variety of stressors such as racism, anger, substance use disorder and PTSD.

In announcing the expansion this year into new states, Hurdle said that it expects to conduct over 20,000 telehealth visits in 2022 and is looking to be licensed in nearly half the country by 2023.

A primary focus of Hurdle’s services are for individuals identifying as black, inedegous and people of color (BIPOC), who are provided therapy by licensed professionals trained in clinical practices such as cognitive behavioral therapy and trauma-informed care.

The company was established with the intention of closing the mental health services gap in BIPOC communities.

“We continue to be concerned about what we are learning about the mental health status of Americans, especially as it relates to the disparities among members of the BIPOC community,” Kevin Dedner, the founder and CEO of Hurdle, said in a press release.

Hurdle is now available in six states and plans to expand into Tennessee, Minnesota, Illinois, Georgia and New York in 2022.

“We’ve seen overwhelming evidence that our clients continue to benefit from our unique programs, and we’ve had to scale Hurdle quickly to accommodate the increased demand for mental health services tailored to people of color,” Dedner added.

Hurdle’s expansion plans are following the company’s strong 2021 performance, where it reported an increase in the number of specially trained, in-network therapists by over 100%.

The company also reported its employee headcount grew five-fold from previous years, along with having launched a direct-to-consumer model. Additionally, Hurdle landed contracts with a large health plan and major national employer – both of whom are unnamed.

Hurdle accepts insurance plans by payors such as United Healthcare, Aetna and Cigna. The company also accepts Medicare.

“As more health plans and employers are starting to ask what they can do to support these groups, we will be there to fill that space and continue to grow,” Dedner said.