SHFT Behavioral Health

What SHFT Behavioral Health does

SHFT Behavioral Health is a Chicago-based outpatient mental health practice founded in 2024 by Holley Brandchaft-White (Chief Clinical Officer) and Genia Yovankin (Chief Operating Officer), both Kellogg MBA graduates. The practice operates from a single clinic at 730 N Franklin in Chicago's River North neighborhood and serves children, teens, adults, and families through a hybrid in-person and virtual care model open seven days a week with same-day walk-in availability.

The service portfolio spans four offerings: Single Session Chats (30 or 60 minutes at $75-$150), Routine Therapy ($175 per session), Medication Management ($175 for follow-ups and $329 for initial 60-minute evaluations), and Urgent Assessments ($329, in-person only). Care is delivered by a multidisciplinary team of licensed therapists (LCSW, LCPC, LPC) and psychiatric providers (PMHNP), with GeneSight pharmacogenomic testing integrated into medication management and validated outcome-tracking tools used across the therapeutic services. Services are delivered only to clients physically located in Illinois at the time of appointment due to state licensure.

Revenue is generated on a fee-for-service basis with in-network reimbursement from Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield (PPO and Blue Choice), Cigna, and UnitedHealthcare, complemented by a self-pay option with sliding-fee scale. The go-to-market combines direct-to-consumer online self-scheduling and walk-ins with a referral network anchored to Chicago-area schools, primary care practices, mental health clinicians, hospitals, and treatment programs; earned media visibility on Fox 32, ABC 7, CBS News, WGN9, and Chicago Parent supports brand awareness.

Name

SHFT Behavioral Health

Legal name

SHFT Behavioral Health

Website

https://shftbh.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2024

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

SHFT Behavioral Health is a Chicago-based outpatient mental health practice founded in 2024 delivering same-day therapy, psychiatry, and urgent assessments to children, teens, adults, and families via in-person and telehealth services with seven-day-a-week availability.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Mental Health Services

NAICS

Outpatient Mental Health and Substance Abuse Centers (621420), Offices of Physicians, Mental Health Specialists (621112)

SIC

Services-Specialty Outpatient Facilities, Nec (8093)

akta.pro primary industry

Neurodevelopmental & Behavioral Therapy Platforms (ADHD/Autism/Behavioral Coaching) (HLALAEAJ)

Keywords

• Outpatient mental health
• Behavioral health services
• Psychiatric medication management
• Urgent mental health assessment
• Telehealth therapy services

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Outpatient Therapy and Psychiatric Services: Fee-for-service model with session-based pricing. In-network with major insurers (Aetna, BCBS, Cigna, UnitedHealthcare) and out-of-network for others. Self-pay options with sliding fee scale available.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

SHFT Behavioral Health is an outpatient mental health practice delivering four core clinical services: Single Session Chats (30 or 60-minute brief therapy conversations), Routine Therapy (ongoing evidence-based therapy), Medication Management (psychiatric evaluation, prescribing, and GeneSight pharmacogenomic testing), and Urgent Assessments (same-day crisis evaluation and safety planning). Services are delivered in-person at its Chicago River North center and virtually via telehealth, with same-day walk-in availability seven days a week for children, teens, adults, and families.

Product overview

SHFT Behavioral Health is a mental health care service provider offering four distinct clinical service lines: Single Session Chats (30 or 60-minute brief supportive conversations), Routine Therapy (ongoing evidence-based therapy with licensed clinicians), Medication Management (psychiatric evaluations with GeneSight pharmacogenomic testing), and Urgent Assessments (same-day crisis support). These services are designed to provide accessible, in-person and virtual mental health care for young people and families, with same-day availability seven days a week.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Single Session Chats Brief, supportive conversations with a licensed therapist offered in 30- or 60-minute sessions, providing real-time guidance without requiring ongoing commitment. Designed for individuals and families seeking short-term support, available in-person at the Chicago center or virtually for Illinois clients.
• Routine Therapy Ongoing evidence-based therapy with licensed clinicians for short-term support or longer-term care, using validated outcome tracking tools to keep care responsive and aligned with client goals. Sessions are 60 minutes, offered weekly or biweekly in person or virtually for Illinois residents.
• Medication Management Comprehensive psychiatric evaluations and ongoing medication management for psychiatric medications, including GeneSight pharmacogenomic testing using a cheek swab to guide medication selection. Includes a 60-minute initial visit and 30-minute follow-up consultations, available in person or virtually.
• Urgent Assessments Same-day rapid mental health support for acute or escalating concerns, emotional distress, or crisis situations, providing an alternative to the emergency department. Sessions last 75-90 minutes and include assessment, treatment and safety planning, and referrals; available in-person only at the Chicago center.

Quantifiable outcome

• Mental health crisis support safely outside hospital setting
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Schools and UniversitiescoreOthersCollaborative relationships with educational institutions for student mental health support. SHFT conducts safety assessments, determines appropriate return to school, and provides treatment recommendations. Services include crisis intervention, safety planning, and coordination with school counselors.
• Mental Health ClinicianscoreOthersPartnerships with external mental health providers for clinical consultation, bridge care during transitions, and crisis support. Offers case-based consultation for diagnostic clarification, complex presentations, and treatment planning guidance.
• Primary Care DoctorscoreOthersCollaborative relationships with primary care practices for patient referrals. SHFT provides comprehensive evaluations to assess symptoms, clarify severity, and determine appropriate level and type of mental health care.
• Hospitals and Treatment ProgramscoreOthersPartnerships with hospitals and treatment programs to reduce unnecessary emergency department utilization. SHFT provides immediate in-person support for clients experiencing acute concerns as an alternative to emergency rooms, including evaluation, stabilization, and safety planning.
• Community OrganizationsminorOthersPartnerships with local organizations to bring mental health awareness and wellness into community settings. SHFT participates in and hosts events including workshops, wellness fairs, and educational sessions.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Charlie Health: Charlie Health provides virtual intensive outpatient (IOP) and partial hospitalization (PHP) programs primarily for adolescents and young adults. Comparable to SHFT on adolescent/young-adult focus and the founders' prior IOP/PHP experience, but at a higher acuity level and fully virtual.

Direct peers

• Lyra Health: Lyra Health is a mental health benefits platform serving employers and health plans with therapy and psychiatry services. Comparable to SHFT on insurance/employer contracting and integrated therapy + medication management, but at much larger scale and B2B-led.
• Cerebral: Cerebral is a telehealth mental health platform offering therapy, counseling, and medication management for anxiety, depression, and ADHD. Comparable in bundled therapy + psychiatry service model, though Cerebral has had notable regulatory and operational setbacks.
• Two Chairs: Two Chairs operates hybrid in-person + virtual therapy clinics with a focus on measurement-based care and outcome tracking. Closely comparable to SHFT on the clinic-based hybrid model, evidence-based therapy focus, and validated outcome tools.
• Brightside Health: Brightside Health provides online psychiatry and therapy with a focus on depression and anxiety, including medication management. Comparable to SHFT on combined therapy + psychiatry delivery, in-network insurance participation, and tech-enabled care model.
• Talkiatry: Talkiatry is an in-network psychiatry and therapy platform offering medication management and psychotherapy across multiple U.S. states. Highly comparable to SHFT on insurance participation, hybrid in-person/virtual model, and integrated therapy + psychiatry positioning.
• Spring Health: Spring Health is a mental health benefits company providing therapy, coaching, and psychiatry through employer-sponsored plans. Comparable on insurance/employer channel and integrated mental health delivery, but operates at much larger scale nationally.

Broad incumbents

• BetterHelp: BetterHelp is one of the largest online therapy platforms, offering unlimited messaging and live sessions via subscription. Comparable on online therapy delivery, but operates as a broad incumbent with no in-person component and limited psychiatry integration.
• Talkspace: Talkspace is a publicly traded online therapy platform offering text, audio, and video therapy plus psychiatry nationwide. Comparable therapy + psychiatry product set, but at substantially larger scale and with a fully virtual, consumer-led model.

Others

• Headway: Headway is an infrastructure platform that helps therapists accept insurance by handling credentialing, billing, and network contracting. Adjacent to SHFT's operations as an enabler for in-network mental health practices; not a direct competitor but thematically related to scaling insurance-based mental health delivery.

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/shft-behavioral-health

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about SHFT Behavioral Health