Talkspace (NASDAQ: TALK), a leading online behavioral healthcare company, and Bark Technologies, the leader in online safety tech for kids, announced they will join forces to help families navigate the many challenges facing teens today.

Starting May 1, this new partnership will make Talkspace’s high-quality mental health resources available to Bark Phone and Bark app users, as well as provide an enterprise-level solution that leverages their unique capabilities.

Talkspace complements Bark’s advanced content monitoring, which helps families detect potential dangers in their children’s online activities, putting mental health support at their fingertips by connecting teens (13+) to resources and tools that help them navigate today’s emotional challenges.

The need for mental health resources for young people has never been greater. 40% of high school students recently reported feeling debilitating hopelessness or sadness (CDC, The Youth Risk Behavior Survey Data Summary & Trends Report, August 2024). In addition, 1 in 5 youth had at least one major depressive episode in the past year, yet over half of them – nearly 3 million – did not receive the treatment they needed (Mental Health America, State of Mental Health, July 2024).

Bark’s proximity to online safety issues reveals similarly eye-opening data regarding the prevalence of mental health issues in young people. In 2024, Bark analyzed 7.9 billion activities across the most common online platforms kids frequent and found that 77% of teens experienced bullying and 43% of teens experienced symptoms of depression.

“Bark understands the complex ecosystem in which teens live today, and Talkspace therapists have direct insights into the day-to-day challenges teens face,” said Brian Bason, CEO of Bark. “By partnering with Talkspace we now have a trusted resource for teens and their parents or guardians should they want professional support, and it can all take place right on their Bark device.”

Talkspace Integration within Bark

Every Bark Phone will be equipped with Talkspace, and Bark app users will be granted special access. Through this integration, teens can register with their email address and utilize Talkspace Go: Talkspace’s extensive library of teen-appropriate self-guided exercises, content and videos — all of which are developed by licensed therapists and available at no cost when accessed from their Bark Phones.

Talkspace therapy services are also available and can be activated with parental support¹. Live video sessions are covered in-network with many insurance plans, and require parental/guardian consent (which varies state-to-state). Talkspace matches members 13+ with a dedicated licensed provider that they can communicate with via messaging, virtual sessions, or a combination of the two.

Talkspace has been recognized by Healthline and PsychCentral as the best online teen therapy service for messaging-based care.

A Timely Solution for Schools, Districts, and Families

As the teen mental health crisis intensifies, cities and school districts across the country have turned to Talkspace to provide free mental health support to teens. Similarly, over 3,700 school districts trust Bark for Schools to monitor student accounts to detect potential problems across Google Workspace, Office 365, and Chrome to help protect students online and in real life. Bark and Talkspace are both committed to helping provide online safety and promote mental wellness among K-12 school students.

Now, schools, districts, and organizations can utilize Talkspace for its comprehensive suite of mental health services, including its core virtual therapy offering, and have the option to add Bark Phones and services within the same engagement.

“This partnership further demonstrates our commitment to addressing the teen mental health crisis through accessible mental health support, while together with Bark empowering parents and teens to take greater control of their safety and well-being,” said Jon Cohen, MD, CEO of Talkspace.

About Talkspace

Talkspace (NASDAQ: TALK) is a leading virtual behavioral healthcare provider committed to helping people lead healthier, happier lives through access to high-quality mental healthcare. At Talkspace, we believe that mental healthcare is core to overall health and should be available to everyone.

Talkspace pioneered the ability to text with a licensed therapist from anywhere and now offers a comprehensive suite of mental health services, including therapy for individuals, teens, and couples, as well as psychiatric treatment and medication management (18+). With Talkspace’s core therapy offerings, members are matched with one of thousands of licensed therapists within days and can engage in live video, audio, or chat sessions, and/or unlimited asynchronous text messaging sessions.

All care offered at Talkspace is delivered through an easy-to-use, fully-encrypted web and mobile platform that meets HIPAA, federal, and state regulatory requirements. More than 179 million Americans have access to Talkspace through their health insurance plans, employee assistance programs, our partnerships with leading healthcare companies, or as a free benefit through their employer, school, or government agency.

For more information, visit www.talkspace.com.

About Bark

Bark is an online safety company that helps protect over 7 million kids at home and in more than 3,700 schools and districts across the U.S. Offering content monitoring, screen time management, location tracking, and more, Bark is the leading digital safety solution for parents, families, and schools. Products include the Bark app, the Bark Phone, the Bark Watch, the in-home web filter Bark Home, and the community give-back program Bark for Schools.

Using highly sophisticated artificial intelligence, Bark's award-winning monitoring technology alerts families to concerning behaviors in a variety of categories, including bullying, suicidal ideation, threats of violence, sexual content, and online predation.

Bark monitors more than 45 of today's most popular social media platforms and apps, as well as text messages, images, videos, chats, emails, and files.

Visit bark.us to learn more about the company and its product offerings.

¹ Parental/guardian consent requirements vary by state

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