The accreditation strengthens Kindbridge’s role as a specialized referral and clinical partner for hospitals, payers and employers addressing gambling disorder and digital dependency.

DENVER, Sept. 15, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Kindbridge Behavioral Health, a national virtual behavioral and mental health provider specializing in gambling disorder, and gaming-related harm, announced today that it has earned Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval® for Behavioral Health Care and Human Services. The accreditation strengthens Kindbridge’s role as a trusted, clinical and referral partner for organizations facing these complex behavioral health needs that often go undetected and untreated and frequently require specialized care beyond the scope of general behavioral health or substance use disorder programs.

Quick Facts About Kindbridge

• Kindbridge Behavioral Health earned Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval® for Behavioral Health Care and Human Services that recognizes the company’s adherence to Joint Commission’s national standards for behavioral health quality, safety, leadership, accountability and continuous improvement.
• Kindbridge partners with hospitals, health systems, payers and employers to provide virtual mental healthcare for conditions such as depression and anxiety, along with specialized care for gambling disorder, gaming-related harm and digital dependency.
• Employers and public agencies can access Kindbridge’s services through its own Employee Assistance Program (EAP) or as a mental health benefit alongside an existing EAP. Separately, Kindbridge is also investing in clinician training and workforce development to support growing demand and expand access to specialized services across the country. 
• Kindbridge’s virtual care network spans all 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.
• Kindbridge works with seven commercial payers and Military OneSource.

Why Gambling Disorder Requires Specialized Care

The National Council on Problem Gambling estimates about 2.5 million U.S. adults meet the criteria for a severe gambling problem each year, with another 5-8 million experiencing mild or moderate gambling problems.

Despite its scale, gambling disorder remains difficult to identify and treat within many behavioral health settings. In 2013, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) reclassified gambling disorder from an impulse-control disorder to an addiction, the first behavioral addiction it recognized. U.S. billing codes, however, still classify it as an impulse-control disorder, which makes the condition harder to track and report. In addition, gambling behavior is not always included in routine screening and many behavioral health professionals receive little to no specialized training in identifying or treating it.

Kindbridge was built to close that gap. The organization provides specialized virtual care for individuals and families affected by gambling disorder, gaming-related harm and related digital dependencies. Because these conditions rarely occur in isolation, Kindbridge’s clinicians also treat the depression, anxiety and other mental health conditions that frequently accompany them, while also providing general mental healthcare for clients who come to Kindbridge without a gambling or gaming-related concern. For hospitals, payers and employers, that means a single partner can handle both everyday mental health needs and the specialized cases many other providers aren’t equipped to handle.

What Accreditation Means

The Joint Commission is the same body that accredits hospitals and health systems nationwide. Its accreditation holds Kindbridge’s care accountable at the level of the organization, not only the individual counselor. It also gives hospitals, payers and employers an independent way to evaluate Kindbridge’s quality and safety practices when considering providers, with accountability that is reviewed continuously rather than earned only once. 

“Gambling disorder and other digital dependencies are increasingly showing up in hospital emergency departments, primary care settings, workplaces and families as financial distress, depression, anxiety, suicide risk and other acute behavioral health needs,” said Daniel Umfleet, Founder and CEO of Kindbridge Behavioral Health. “Earning Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval® reflects what Kindbridge is: a clinical organization held to the standards of the healthcare industry. We’re building the clinical expertise needed to help hospitals, payers, employers and communities treat gambling disorder as a serious health condition that deserves specialized care.”

How Kindbridge Supports Hospitals, Payers and Employers

• Hospitals and health systems can refer patients to Kindbridge or partner with the organization to deliver care on their behalf, extending access to specialty treatment without building a gambling disorder program internally. Kindbridge also tracks clinical quality measures and patient outcomes to help partners evaluate effectiveness and continuously improve care delivery.
• Payers and health plans can work with Kindbridge on specialty behavioral health models for conditions that don’t fit neatly within traditional mental health or substance use disorder pathways.
• Employers and public agencies can access Kindbridge’s services through their own employee assistance program or as a mental health benefit alongside an existing EAP, giving employees and their families access to licensed clinicians for everyday needs like stress, depression and anxiety, with specialized care available when gambling or gaming is part of the picture.

“Many of the people we treat for gambling addiction are already managing depression, a drinking problem or an anxiety disorder, and some have battled these issues for years,” said Michelle Hatfield, LMFT, ICGC-II, IGDC, President and Chief Operating Officer at Kindbridge Behavioral Health. “Often, the gambling addiction is the part no one has asked about. We address all the behavioral health conditions with one clinical team.”

Services for Individuals and Families

Individuals or families seeking help for themselves or someone they love for problems with gambling addiction, gaming, or their mental health can reach Kindbridge directly at kindbridge.com or 1-877-426-4258. Care is delivered confidentially by licensed clinicians and most people are seen within days.

About the Joint Commission 

Joint Commission surveyors conducted on-site observations and interviews to identify performance strengths and opportunities for continued improvement. With decades of expertise and a data-driven accreditation process, Joint Commission helps ensure healthcare organizations adhere to leading quality and safety practices, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and commitment to better patient care.

“Joint Commission congratulates Kindbridge Behavioral Health for achieving accreditation by demonstrating its focus on delivering safe and effective care of the highest quality and value,” says Ken Grubbs, DNP, MBA, RN, executive vice president of Accreditation and Certification Operations and chief nursing officer, Joint Commission. “Through the accreditation process, we worked closely with Kindbridge to enable and affirm the highest standards of healthcare quality and patient safety. Together, we are elevating care for all patients, and we appreciate Kindbridge’s collaboration throughout this process.”

Kindbridge underwent a rigorous onsite survey in August 2026, during which a team of Joint Commission reviewers evaluated the organization’s compliance with Behavioral Health Care and Human Services standards spanning suicide risk identification and escalation, credentialing and privileging, clinical documentation and treatment planning, rights of individuals served, and governance of technology-delivered care. Kindbridge earned accreditation by demonstrating continuous compliance with Joint Commission’s performance standards across these areas.

For more information, please visit Joint Commission’s website.

About Kindbridge Behavioral Health

Kindbridge Behavioral Health is a national telehealth provider of mental and behavioral healthcare, with a specialty in problem gambling and gaming. Its licensed, multi-disciplinary clinicians deliver evidence-based, outcome-driven care designed to improve recovery, engagement and quality of life. Kindbridge is accredited by Joint Commission for its Behavioral Health Care and Human Services program. The company partners with health systems, hospitals, employers, payers, public agencies and community organizations to expand equitable access, enhance workforce wellbeing and reduce downstream healthcare costs. Kindbridge also provides continuing education units and professional training to grow the national clinician workforce equipped to address gambling and gaming disorders. Founded in 2020 and headquartered in Denver, Kindbridge was included in Becker’s Hospital Review’s “272 telehealth companies to know | 2026.”

Media Contact: Kirk Robinson, Chief Marketing Officer, Kindbridge Behavioral Health, kirkland.robinson@kindbridge.com

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SOURCE Kindbridge Behavioral Health