Wellcome Care Group has launched Wellcome, a digital behavioral health platform that connects students at historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) with licensed clinicians who understand their culture, identity and lived experience. The company debuted the platform at AfroTech Conference 2026, the nation’s largest gathering of Black tech talent, held Nov. 3 to 6 at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston.
Through Wellcome, students can access virtual counseling and psychotherapy, substance use disorder counseling and recovery aftercare, medication management through psychiatric referrals, crisis intervention and stabilization referrals, care coordination and peer support. Care coordinators, supported by Wellma, the company’s AI-powered navigation assistant, help students find the right clinician, book appointments and stay connected to care.
“Millennials and Gen Z are opening up the conversation about behavioral health, but we still have work to do to end the stigma in Black and Brown communities,” said Jack A. Brown, founder, chairman and CEO of Wellcome Care Group. “College students have helped lead some of the most important movements in our history. It is time for a behavioral health care revolution in our communities, and HBCU students can help lead it. Through Wellcome, we want to turn that openness into access to care, and help students carry that change home to their families and communities.”
A gap in care, by the numbers
Among U.S. adults with a mental illness, 38.5% of Black adults and 44.1% of Hispanic adults received treatment in the past year, compared with 57.9% of White adults, according to the 2024 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Suicide deaths among Black Americans have risen more than 50% over the past decade, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data, with some of the sharpest increases among Black youth. And when people do look for help, they rarely find someone who shares their background: Black professionals make up only about 5% of the U.S. psychology workforce, according to the American Psychological Association.
Adults who needed mental health care but did not get it most often said it cost too much (61.4%), they did not know where to go (44.9%) or they could not find a clinician they wanted to see (43.2%), according to the same federal survey. Wellcome is built to answer all three.
Young adults carry an especially heavy load: 28.6% of Americans ages 18 to 25 had a mental illness in the past year, and only about half of them received treatment.
Built for college life
Wellcome’s college-focused model addresses the pressures students face, including academic stress, anxiety, depression, financial strain, relationships, discrimination and belonging. Virtual groups and workshops build everyday skills such as emotional regulation, conflict resolution, healthy relationships and boundaries, recognizing dating or domestic violence, relapse prevention and family communication for students raising children. Wellcome is designed to work alongside campus counseling centers and community providers on ongoing treatment and referrals.
Campus outreach will engage counseling centers, student organizations, Divine Nine and Latino Greek-letter chapters, student ambassadors and alumni networks to encourage honest conversations about therapy and recovery and to challenge the stigma that keeps many people from seeking support.
How Wellcome works
Wellcome is designed around four elements:
- Accessible. Direct-pay virtual counseling with appropriately licensed professionals for individuals and families, plus weekly outreach from care coordinators and help arranging referrals to psychiatrists, nutrition professionals, physical therapists and other providers. Referred services are separate from the therapy subscription and depend on provider and location availability.
- Affordable. A subscription model with clear session options and monthly pricing. Wellcome Pay, the planned payment experience, will manage client payments, receipts and renewals, with earnings and payout tracking for clinicians.
- Comfortable. Tools to help people find clinicians who understand their experiences, preferences and goals, with planned options including selectable session backgrounds and optional waiting-room music.
- Wellma. An AI-powered assistant that explains plans, guides signup, supports clinician search and booking, answers routine questions and connects people with human support. Wellma handles navigation and administration only; licensed professionals provide clinical care and make all treatment decisions.
Calling Black and Brown clinicians
Wellcome began building its provider network at AfroTech. Licensed therapists, psychologists, substance use counselors, psychiatrists, psychiatric nurse practitioners and allied health professionals who want to serve their communities are invited to apply at wellcomeyou.com.
Wellcome at AfroTech 2026
Throughout the four-day conference, attendees met the Wellcome team at Booth 205 in the HealthStack Pavilion, GRB Expo Hall, to explore the app, learn about its behavioral health services and discuss opportunities to join the provider network.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. Wellcome is not an emergency service.
About Wellcome Care Group
Wellcome Care Group Inc. operates Wellcome, a digital behavioral health platform addressing mental health, substance use and the everyday behaviors that affect emotional and physical wellbeing. Founded by Jack A. Brown, the company serves individuals and families, with particular attention to Black and Brown communities and college students. Its initial model centers on direct-pay counseling and recovery support, with care coordination, peer support and specialty referrals supported by Wellma, an AI-powered assistant for navigation and administrative tasks. Insurance and additional care pathways are planned for later phases. Wellcome: A better way forward. Learn more at wellcomeyou.com.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20261113836320/en/
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