After struggling with mental health challenges for years following a sexual assault in her early teen years, Carter Barnhart knew she needed help. With the love and support of her family, she was admitted to Newport Academy, a teen residential treatment program, to help her heal from the aftermath of trauma. The personal, attentive, and top-notch care that Carter received while at Newport inspired her to want to provide the same service to others. Two years after her discharge, Carter joined Newport’s team as one of its earlier employees and worked her way up into the C-suite, growing Newport and learning along the way how vitally important personalized care is in the journey toward healing and recovery with mental health issues.

But Carter also recognized the critical failures within the broader landscape of mental health care: lack of access to continuum of care services, exorbitant costs, months-long waitlists, boilerplate treatment options that lacked tailoring based on individual needs. Carter has had the privilege of being a part of over 10,000 patient success stories, but she knew too many remained without access to the care they deserved.

Carter founded Charlie Health to ensure that youth and families everywhere can experience high-quality, evidence-based treatment. The youth mental health crisis is urgent–Charlie Health is leading this battle, reminding youth and families that support is available and healing is possible.