THE REACH INSTITUTE
Transforming care for youth mental health.
Transforming the world. One elevated city at a time.
WHAT WE DID TOGETHER
Brand strategy
Brand guidelines
Brand identity
Brand application and materials
Brand voice
Website design and build
Messaging and copywriting
Social media assets
Templates and starter toolkit
The REACH Institute is the only nonprofit training institute focused on expanding paediatric mental health capacity across the US. For two decades, it has given primary care providers and clinicians practical, evidence-based training, so more children get timely, effective mental health care from a trusted clinician in their own community.
One in five children in the US has a diagnosable mental health condition, and 70% of US counties have no child psychiatrist at all. The need has never been greater.
REACH's model is proven, scalable and deeply human – and it works!
Together with CEO Lisa Hunter Romanelli, Founder Dr Peter S. Jensen and the REACH team, we repositioned REACH as the credible, accomplished, forward-moving organisation it is. We gave it a brand, a story and a website big enough to hold its next phase of growth.
THE CHALLENGE
Outgrowing the container
REACH had outgrown its brand. Over twenty years, the organisation had built a remarkable, evidence-backed model, but the way it looked, sounded and talked about itself hadn't kept pace. The identity felt dated. The story had no clear thread. There was little visual storytelling to show the depth of the work or how far its impact reached. The website had the same problems. Valuable information was buried and the user journeys were confusing. Busy clinicians, the very people REACH exists to support, had to work hard to find what they needed. Our challenge was to capture REACH's full impact. We needed to tell the story of a proven, scalable answer to a problem that grows every day for primary care providers across the US. It had to be a story that built trust faster and brought more providers, partners and supporters along with it.
THE CHALLENGE
Outgrowing the container
REACH had outgrown its brand. Over twenty years, the organisation had built a remarkable, evidence-backed model, but the way it looked, sounded and talked about itself hadn't kept pace. The identity felt dated. The story had no clear thread. There was little visual storytelling to show the depth of the work or how far its impact reached. The website had the same problems. Valuable information was buried and the user journeys were confusing. Busy clinicians, the very people REACH exists to support, had to work hard to find what they needed. Our challenge was to capture REACH's full impact. We needed to tell the story of a proven, scalable answer to a problem that grows every day for primary care providers across the US. It had to be a story that built trust faster and brought more providers, partners and supporters along with it.
THE RESEARCH
Listening across the system
We began with interviews with key stakeholders: board members and advisors, clinicians and faculty, and the team who deliver REACH's programmes day to day. Each brought a different view of what REACH does and why it matters. We also looked outwards. We studied others working in the same field, to sharpen what makes REACH different. We also studied organisations with similar models elsewhere, to learn how they explain complex, many-layered work simply. What came through clearly was a rare combination: REACH has deep clinical rigour, led by leaders in child psychiatry, psychology and paediatrics. It also has a culture of warmth, humility and genuine care. REACH didn't need reinventing. It needed its story told properly.
THE RESEARCH
Listening across the system
We began with interviews with key stakeholders: board members and advisors, clinicians and faculty, and the team who deliver REACH's programmes day to day. Each brought a different view of what REACH does and why it matters. We also looked outwards. We studied others working in the same field, to sharpen what makes REACH different. We also studied organisations with similar models elsewhere, to learn how they explain complex, many-layered work simply. What came through clearly was a rare combination: REACH has deep clinical rigour, led by leaders in child psychiatry, psychology and paediatrics. It also has a culture of warmth, humility and genuine care. REACH didn't need reinventing. It needed its story told properly.
THE STRATEGY
Shortening the path to trust
REACH's training works: 99% of trained clinicians change how they practise (often immediately), and the model is highly scalable. The problem was that not enough primary care providers and clinicians knew about it. So our strategy was to shorten the time it takes to build trust. We grounded everything in science and evidence, and kept children's mental health at the centre of every message. We built a strong story backed by impact figures and visual storytelling. We designed clear journeys so busy doctors could get what they needed, fast. And told the broader offers that create real value for other caregivers too, including schools, families and residency programmes. The result is a well-rounded brand that puts youth mental health first. It speaks to everyone with a role to play, from the clinician in a 15-minute appointment to the health system, agency or funder looking to create change at scale.
THE STRATEGY
Shortening the path to trust
REACH's training works: 99% of trained clinicians change how they practise (often immediately), and the model is highly scalable. The problem was that not enough primary care providers and clinicians knew about it. So our strategy was to shorten the time it takes to build trust. We grounded everything in science and evidence, and kept children's mental health at the centre of every message. We built a strong story backed by impact figures and visual storytelling. We designed clear journeys so busy doctors could get what they needed, fast. And told the broader offers that create real value for other caregivers too, including schools, families and residency programmes. The result is a well-rounded brand that puts youth mental health first. It speaks to everyone with a role to play, from the clinician in a 15-minute appointment to the health system, agency or funder looking to create change at scale.
THE STORY
Urgency, without alarm
The mental health crisis facing young people in the US is serious. Rates of anxiety, depression and suicide are rising, waitlists are long and specialists are too few. Primary care providers are often the first, and sometimes only, point of support. REACH's story needed to carry that urgency without tipping into fear. We created a voice that is warm, practical and grounded in science. It pairs human stories with hard evidence, speaks plainly, and points to the next right step. It carries clear, steady conviction: the crisis IS solvable, and trained clinicians can change things, right now, in every community. We sharpened the vision, mission and values. We also built profiles of eight distinct audiences, from primary care providers and health systems to funders, alumni and families, so every message reaches the right people in the right way.
THE STORY
Urgency, without alarm
The mental health crisis facing young people in the US is serious. Rates of anxiety, depression and suicide are rising, waitlists are long and specialists are too few. Primary care providers are often the first, and sometimes only, point of support. REACH's story needed to carry that urgency without tipping into fear. We created a voice that is warm, practical and grounded in science. It pairs human stories with hard evidence, speaks plainly, and points to the next right step. It carries clear, steady conviction: the crisis IS solvable, and trained clinicians can change things, right now, in every community. We sharpened the vision, mission and values. We also built profiles of eight distinct audiences, from primary care providers and health systems to funders, alumni and families, so every message reaches the right people in the right way.
THE IDENTITY
The simple and the complex, in one
At the heart of the identity is an overlapping mind. Vibrant, organic, interlocking shapes, inspired by the areas of the brain, sit within the 'R'. Layered and connected, the mark reflects the nature of the work and holds the simple and the complex in one. Those shapes travel throughout the identity, bringing softness and warmth into a traditionally clinical space. They feel youthful, which speaks to the children and teens REACH ultimately serves, without ever being childish. In the right setting, they can even be given eyes and expressions to help tell stories to families and young people. The palette is warm and saturated: energetic orange, grounded greens, dependable blues and a soft pink. It's vibrant without being primary. The type pairs a modern serif with a clean sans serif, balancing credibility and approachability. The result carries the academic rigour of an established organisation, without the stuffiness. The identity has real flexibility, too. It can be playful for families and social media, or pared back and data-led for researchers, policy makers and funders.
THE IDENTITY
The simple and the complex, in one
At the heart of the identity is an overlapping mind. Vibrant, organic, interlocking shapes, inspired by the areas of the brain, sit within the 'R'. Layered and connected, the mark reflects the nature of the work and holds the simple and the complex in one. Those shapes travel throughout the identity, bringing softness and warmth into a traditionally clinical space. They feel youthful, which speaks to the children and teens REACH ultimately serves, without ever being childish. In the right setting, they can even be given eyes and expressions to help tell stories to families and young people. The palette is warm and saturated: energetic orange, grounded greens, dependable blues and a soft pink. It's vibrant without being primary. The type pairs a modern serif with a clean sans serif, balancing credibility and approachability. The result carries the academic rigour of an established organisation, without the stuffiness. The identity has real flexibility, too. It can be playful for families and social media, or pared back and data-led for researchers, policy makers and funders.
THE IMPACT
Same mission, fresh new look
The new website brings it all together. Clear pathways and calls to action lead each audience straight to the training that's right for them, whether they're primary care providers, mental health clinicians, residency faculty, schools or families. Impact storytelling now sits front and centre. Robust custom CMSs were built to manage the extensive training programmes and resources across all audiences. The team now has a site they fully own and can manage themselves. They also have a starter toolkit of presentations, social templates, report layouts, workbooks and webinar templates, so they can communicate consistently and confidently. REACH now has a brand that matches its recognition as a 2025 Elevate Prize winner, a 2024 AARP Purpose Prize winner and a Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation Entrepreneur. It's ready to reach more clinicians, more communities and more children. Watch this space…
THE IMPACT
Same mission, fresh new look
The new website brings it all together. Clear pathways and calls to action lead each audience straight to the training that's right for them, whether they're primary care providers, mental health clinicians, residency faculty, schools or families. Impact storytelling now sits front and centre. Robust custom CMSs were built to manage the extensive training programmes and resources across all audiences. The team now has a site they fully own and can manage themselves. They also have a starter toolkit of presentations, social templates, report layouts, workbooks and webinar templates, so they can communicate consistently and confidently. REACH now has a brand that matches its recognition as a 2025 Elevate Prize winner, a 2024 AARP Purpose Prize winner and a Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation Entrepreneur. It's ready to reach more clinicians, more communities and more children. Watch this space…
Quote incoming...
Quote incoming...
Lisa Hunter Romanelli
Chief Executive Officer, The REACH Institute