In an exclusive interview with CanadianSME Small Business, Jason Morehouse, Founder and CEO of HiBoop, shares insights into his journey and the mission behind his groundbreaking platform. HiBoop is dedicated to transforming mental health diagnosis and care in Canada by addressing systemic barriers in traditional healthcare. Inspired by his personal experiences with mental health challenges, Jason has spearheaded the development of a platform that leverages advanced technology, including scientifically validated algorithms and tailored assessments, to empower clinicians with more precise and efficient diagnostic tools.
Jason Morehouse is a tenured tech entrepreneur and advocate for timely mental health assessment. He is the founder of HiBoop, an assessment platform designed to improve accessibility to preliminary mental health screening services for individuals and care providers.
What inspired you to start HiBoop, and how does it aim to address the challenges Canadians face in obtaining timely mental health diagnoses?
HiBoop was born out of my personal journey with mental health. For years, I struggled to understand the challenges I faced, until I attended a specialized treatment facility, which led to a diagnosis that finally brought clarity and validation. This transformative experience equipped me with tools to manage my symptoms but also highlighted how inaccessible and costly mental health care remains for many.
Motivated by this realization, I decided to bring together a team of like-minded tech community members—many with their own mental health stories—to create HiBoop. By combining our collective expertise and personal experiences, we are building a platform that addresses critical gaps in mental health care. The mission is clear: make mental health care more timely, effective, and accessible for everyone.
How is HiBoop using technology to disrupt traditional mental healthcare systems and make mental health support more accessible and efficient?
With the average family doctor’s visit in British Columbia lasting just 10 minutes, completing a thorough assessment to reach an accurate diagnosis is challenging. HiBoop bridges this gap by equipping clinicians with a detailed preliminary evaluation of their patients, allowing for a more targeted follow-up and additional testing.
HiBoop combines trusted mental health assessment tools, such as the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7) and Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), into one comprehensive platform. Powered by a scientifically backed algorithm, HiBoop tailors questions based on a patient’s initial responses, including unlabeled prompts to minimize self-diagnosis and confirmation bias. Once completed, patients receive a comprehensive overview of their mental health, along with resources to connect with healthcare providers. This speeds up diagnosis, leading to a quicker turnaround to receiving care.
Can you share insights from HiBoop’s pilot program with The Healing Institute and how it is shaping the platform’s future development?
We recently launched a Clinical Pilot Program in partnership with The Healing Institute, a premier mental health and addiction treatment center on Vancouver Island, BC. This partnership is critical to validating HiBoop’s product and assessments by gathering feedback on assessment accuracy, user experience, and functionality in clinical settings.
In addition to The Healing Institute, we’ve also partnered with One Life Recovery Society and are in active conversations with five more Canadian clinics. These collaborations represent a growing network of providers committed to modernizing mental health care while ensuring alignment with funding and regulatory requirements and are central to HiBoop’s mission of creating a meaningful solution for clinics and providers. By offering tools that accelerate the path to treatment and enable long-term success reporting, we aim to support clinics in accessing government funding through measurable outcomes.
At this stage, we are eager to work with more clinics to put the platform into practice in real-life scenarios, testing the functionality and identifying gaps before we expand to the public. Clinicians interested in working together can connect with us at hiboop.com.
What role does HiBoop play in supporting clinicians, and how does it bridge the gap between technology and mental well-being?
HiBoop addresses systemic barriers like the lack of physicians by providing clinicians and care providers with a tool to expedite the assessment process. By offering accurate, standardized evaluations, HiBoop equips healthcare providers with the insights they need to make faster, more informed decisions, reducing the time between first visit and actionable care. This not only benefits patients seeking clarity but also helps clinics improve efficiency and outcomes with measurement based care.
In the long term, HiBoop’s vision extends to individuals. By building a foundation of clinical validation, the platform is paving the way for direct-to-public mental health assessments that can be completed at home. This dual approach aims to bridge the gap between providers and patients, ensuring timely support for those navigating their mental health journey while helping clinics meet the growing demand for mental health care.
Looking ahead, what are your long-term goals for HiBoop, and how do you envision it impacting mental healthcare in Canada?
Our goal for HiBoop is to be a global leader in mental health assessment technology, making meaningful strides toward addressing the critical gaps in mental health care worldwide. We envision the platform seamlessly integrated with healthcare systems, telehealth providers, and large enterprises like health authorities and hospitals, enabling timely and effective care delivery on a broad scale.
Our ultimate goal is to break down the barriers to mental health care, making it universally accessible, no matter where someone lives or their financial circumstances. With our clinician-backed approach and commitment to innovation, HiBoop is setting a new standard for mental health support, one that bridges the gap between need and access.
