As youth mental health challenges continue to escalate globally, access to timely, culturally responsive, and affordable care remains a significant barrier—especially for marginalized and underserved populations. This session will present an innovative, tech-enabled model for solving this crisis, grounded in real-world implementation and outcomes. Hafeezah Muhammad, Founder & CEO of Backpack Healthcare, will share her organization’s experience delivering AI-supported mental health and psychiatry services to children and adolescents across the United States. Backpack Healthcare is a virtual-first platform that integrates AI-powered assessment tools, licensed clinicians, and family-focused support to provide equitable and scalable care to youth—primarily those on Medicaid, in rural areas, or from communities of color. The presentation will begin with a short overview of the systemic issues facing families today, including provider shortages, long waitlists, stigma, and disparities in care for BIPOC youth. Hafeezah will then describe how Backpack Healthcare’s platform uses artificial intelligence to streamline clinical intake, identify risk levels, and support early intervention—allowing children to receive care faster and clinicians to spend more time on treatment versus administration. Using case studies and outcome data, the session will illustrate how Backpack’s model achieves faster access, stronger engagement, and improved mental health outcomes for children and teens. Attendees will also learn how the platform intentionally incorporates cultural responsiveness, parent engagement, and trauma-informed design into both the technology and clinical delivery. Key components that will be presented include: AI-driven pre-screening and triage workflows Teletherapy and telepsychiatry integration Data-informed care coordination Equity-first design principles Community partnerships with schools and pediatric providers The session will conclude with a forward-looking discussion on policy and funding models needed to support digital mental health infrastructure and recommendations for scaling solutions like Backpack Healthcare globally. It will also explore how similar digital approaches can be adapted to local needs and systems, with a focus on retaining cultural relevance and human connection. Why this matters: This is more than a product demo. It’s a proven, holistic approach to reaching youth who are too often left behind—and a compelling case study of how digital innovation, when done right, can transform access and outcomes in mental health care for the next generation.