Psychiatrist and Payer executive Dr. Christopher Dennis joins Kindbridge Behavioral Health advisory board. More than two decades across payer leadership, national quality standards, and addiction treatment - now focused on building the coverage pathway for behavioral addiction care. Denver, CO [SEPTEMBER 17] - Kindbridge Behavioral Health has appointed Christopher Dennis, MD, MBA, FAPA, a board-certified psychiatrist and behavioral health executive with more than two decades of experience across payer strategy, value-based care, addiction treatment, and digital health, to its advisory board. Dr. Dennis will serve as Kindbridge's Senior Clinical and Payer Strategy Advisor, helping the company build the coverage, contracting, and outcomes case for treating gambling, gaming, and other behavioral addictions. The appointment addresses a specific bottleneck. Behavioral addictions are recognized conditions with real clinical consequences, but they are rarely a covered benefit - and coverage decisions are made by people who need to see measurement that holds up. Dr. Dennis has spent much of his career on that side of the table. Christopher Dennis, MD, MBA, FAPA, is a board-certified psychiatrist whose career spans clinical practice, payer leadership, national quality standards, addiction treatment operations, and company building. What distinguishes his record is not its length but its range - he has held senior roles on nearly every side of the table Kindbridge negotiates at. * ValueOptions, Commercial Division - Chief Medical Officer, running the managed behavioral health apparatus that determines network adequacy, medical necessity, and what a specialty provider must demonstrate to earn coverage * NCQA - member of the Standards Committee, chair of the MBHO Advisory Committee, and member of the Behavioral Health Measurement Advisory Panel, helping shape the national standards against which behavioral health outcomes are judged * Landmark Health (Optum) - Chief Behavioral Health Officer for a decade, building collaborative, value-based behavioral health care at national scale * Pinnacle Treatment Centers - Chief Medical Officer of a national addiction treatment organization * Minded - co-founder of a venture-backed telepsychiatry company, acquired by UpLift * Multi-state telepsychiatry practice - practicing clinician across multiple state licenses, the same terrain Kindbridge navigates across 48 states * Angel investor and fund limited partner - active early-stage investor in health and behavioral health companies He holds an MD and an MBA, and is a Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association. What will he advise on? Dr. Dennis's remit is coverage and credibility - making sure Kindbridge's clinical results are measured to a standard that payers accept, and positioned in the terms those buyers actually use. * Payer and MBHO strategy. Pressure-testing the value story, contract positioning, and EAP integration approach through the lens of a former payer-side chief medical officer. * Outcomes measurement. Helping validate the methodology behind Kindbridge's annual outcomes reporting against NCQA measurement standards, in working sessions with the Chief Clinical Officer and analytics team. * Value-based care model. Advising on the evolution from fee-for-service toward value-based and collaborative care arrangements, informed by the integrated model built at Landmark. * Network access. Selective introductions across payer, EAP, and behavioral health investor networks. * Accreditation and quality positioning. Counsel on how Joint Commission accreditation and outcomes data should be brought to payers and investors. Why the coverage pathway matters here. Gambling disorder is a recognized DSM-5 diagnosis and gaming disorder is recognized in ICD-11, yet neither reliably appears as a covered benefit in commercial behavioral health plans. The obstacle is rarely disbelief. It is that coverage decisions require diagnostic clarity, defensible outcomes data, and a contracting model that fits how plans already buy care - and behavioral addiction has historically had gaps in all three. "Healthcare's infrastructure is built around a small set of diagnosable, billable conditions. Digital addiction doesn't fit neatly into any one category or user segment, so no part of the system ends up owning it." Tanvir Mangat, Employer Channel and Growth Strategy Advisor Closing that gap is an infrastructure problem rather than an awareness problem, and it is solved with measurement standards and contracting models rather than campaigns. Kindbridge is Joint Commission accredited and publishes annual outcomes reporting, which is the foundation that work needs. Dr. Dennis has been on both sides of it - writing the standards through NCQA, and applying them as the chief medical officer deciding what a plan would cover. In his words. "Gambling and gaming-related harm is one of the last major behavioral health categories without a real coverage pathway. That is a solvable problem, but it is solved with measurement and contracting, not with awareness campaigns. I want to help make sure the outcomes hold up when a plan's medical director puts them under a microscope." - Christopher Dennis, MD, MBA, FAPA "Most advisors can tell you what payers say. Chris can tell you what they do, because he was the one deciding. He has also helped write the standards our outcomes are measured against, and he has built and sold a telehealth company. That combination is rare, and it is exactly what this stage of our work requires." Daniel Umfleet, CEO, Kindbridge Behavioral Health Read the full conversation. Kindbridge Inc. sat down with Dr. Dennis to talk about why behavioral addiction treatment was historically an easy "no" on the payer side, what separates outcomes data that survives scrutiny from data that merely looks good, and what has to change in the next five years. Read the full Q&A Frequently asked questions. Who is Dr. Christopher Dennis? What is Dr. Christopher Dennis's role at Kindbridge Behavioral Health? Is treatment for gambling or gaming disorder covered by insurance? What is behavioral addiction, and how does it differ from substance addiction? Who is on the Kindbridge Behavioral Health advisory board? About Kindbridge Behavioral Health Kindbridge Behavioral Health is a telehealth provider specializing in the treatment of gambling disorder, video gaming disorder, and other behavioral and mental health conditions. Kindbridge delivers care through licensed clinical counseling, coaching, corporate education, and digital platforms, serving individuals, employers, health systems, and gaming operators. For more information, visit kindbridge.com.

Kindbridge Behavioral Health earns Joint Commission accreditation for Behavioral Health Care and Human Services. 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 (Sep. 15, 2026) - 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(R) 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(R) 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(R) 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. 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, [email protected]