Transactions: Recovery Ways Buys Idaho Behavioral Health; PE-Backed ABA, SUD Deals

Recovery Ways adds Idaho Behavioral Health to family of programs

The substance use disorder (SUD) treatment provider Recovery Ways has added Idaho Behavioral Health (IBH) to its portfolio.

Details of the deal were not disclosed.

Boise-based IBH operates addiction treatment and mental health clinics in four locations throughout the Gem State. Those clinics are located in its home base of Boise, as well as in Mountain Home, Caldwell and Nampa.

IBH provides telehealth, community-based recovery services, peer support and medication management, along with case management for adults, families, adolescents and children.

“We are delighted to welcome Idaho Behavioral Health to Recovery Ways’ Family of Programs,” Recovery Ways CEO Jaime Vinck said in a press release. “Alcohol and drug abuse, overdoses, and suicides are at an all-time high. Our network of top-tier behavioral health programs better equip us to address the ongoing addiction and mental health challenges of our time.”

IBH’s clinics are the latest addition for Murray, Utah-based Recovery Ways, which in April purchased four businesses across multiple states to launch the Recovery Ways Family of Programs. Vinck previously discussed the provider’s expansion plans for the program in an April interview with Behavioral Health Business.

“As we look for partners, … it’s a two pronged approach,” she told BHB at the time. “One: [We consider] where there’s a need in terms of geography. And two: [We consider] where there’s a clinical synergy and unmet need in treating a population.”

Recovery Ways is owned by the private equity firm Chicago Pacific Founders.

Discovery Behavioral Health purchases SUD treatment provider

Discovery Behavioral Health (DBH) has acquired Memorial Hermann Prevention & Recovery Center (PaRC), a Houston-based provider of SUD and dual diagnosis treatment. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Founded in 1982, PaRC provides residential and intensive outpatient care at eight Houston-area locations. PaRC serves teens, young adults and adults over the age of 25. It also has a treatment program geared toward professional executives.

PaRC’s former parent company, Memorial Hermann, is one of the largest non-profit health care systems in southeast Texas. As part of the deal, PaRC will retain its company name.

Meanwhile, DBH operates more than 100 centers nationwide for mental health, SUD and eating disorder treatment services. Headquartered in Los Alamitos, California, DBH is backed by Webster Equity Partners.

“DBH’s comprehensive addiction treatment programs and core clinical curriculum are backed by a team of experienced professionals with years in the recovery field,” DBH President and CEO John Peloquin said in a press release announcing the deal. “We are excited about this acquisition and the additional capacity it affords to us to provide accessible, evidence-based addiction treatment for patients across Texas as they reclaim sobriety and pursue healthy, fulfilling lives.”

Peer support provider buys alternative SUD treatment practice

MAP Health Management — an Austin, Texas-based provider of peer support behavioral health services — has purchased The Center for Optimal Living (CFOL), a psychotherapy management services organization based in New York.

Financial details of the transaction were not disclosed.

Founded in 2011, COFL focuses on alternative treatment for mental health and SUD. COFL’s therapeutic approach is based on the model of integrative harm reduction psychotherapy (IHRP), which stresses moderation and safe use practices in treatment, along with abstinence. The model is specifically touted as an alternative to traditional abstinence-only SUD treatment methods.

IHRP’s developer is COFL founder and director Jacob Tatarsky, who will stay on as president of COFL.

“Reach and engagement are so important for impacting Mental Health and Substance Use outcomes,” Tatarsky said in a press release announcing the deal. “We have seen the efficacy of our approach and programs and are excited to work more closely with MAP to enhance our capabilities and make our therapeutic services available to diverse communities across the country,”

MAP — which was also founded in 2011 — provides virtual peer support to individuals for psychiatric conditions. MAP’s customers are matched with appropriate specialists who likewise provide support to families, with services available 24/7 regardless of geographic location. Additionally, the company’s services are offered through employee plans.

“At MAP, we believe in evidence-based strategies and are proud to partner with Dr. Tatarsky and CFOL to expand and scale innovative treatment models that are proven to positively impact outcomes for Mental Health and Substance Use,” MAP founder and CEO Jacob Levenson said in the press release. 

MAP has raised $25 million in Series A funding to date, according to the fundraising tracking site Crunchbase. MAP’s previous investors were Aetna and Triton Pacific Capital Partners.

PE firm purchases Health Connect America

Health Connect America — a multi-state behavioral health provider serving children, families and adults — has been acquired by the PE firm Palladium Equity Partners. Harren Equity Partners previously owned the provider.

Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Based in Franklin, Tennessee, Health Connect America provides office- and home-based SUD, autism and mental health treatment. The provider is primarily reimbursed through Medicaid-funded payors and has locations in Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi and VIrginia.

“We are excited to partner with Palladium Equity Partners in the next stage of our mission-driven growth,” Health Connect America President and CEO Kristi Shain said in a press release. “We see significant opportunity to expand upon our presence in our existing markets as well as near-term expansion in adjacent geographies, of course while always maintaining our core values and relentless prioritization of our clients.”

Palladium Equity Partners focuses on middle market companies and currently has nearly $3 billion in assets under management.

“We are thrilled to partner with Kristi Shain and her mission and outcomes-driven team which has built a company at the vanguard of community-based behavioral health services,” Adam Shebitz, a partner at Palladium, said in the press release. “We believe there is substantial opportunity to expand the Company’s patient-centric model into new states and service lines through a combination of organic and inorganic growth.”

ABA providers strike deal on acquisition

New York-based Autism Care Partners (ACP) has announced the purchase of Danvers, Massachusetts-based Puddingstone Place. Both companies provide applied behavioral analysis (ABA) therapy.

Financial details were not released.

Founded in 1992, ACP operates 14 centers across the Northeast that provide ABA, which is widely recognized as the gold standard of autism care. ACP also offers diagnostic evaluations, early intervention services, speech and occupational therapies, as well as social work services. The company is backed by the private equity firm Coppermine Capital.

Originally developed out of Boston Children’s Hospital, Puddingstone operates three locations outside of the city, serving youth with a variety of conditions including autism spectrum disorder (ASD), social communication disorder, Asperger’s syndrome and pervasive developmental disorder. Puddingstone also provides in-home services.

“We are excited to expand our services deeper into Massachusetts with the addition of Puddingstone’s three treatment locations,” ACP CEO Jim Spink said in a press release. “We saw an immediate synergy between our organizations as Puddingstone Place, like us, takes a holistic approach to treating autism by offering families one-stop access to ABA, speech, and occupational therapy services. This partnership furthers our mission by deploying the innovative, visual-based methodology being offered at Puddingstone throughout our growing network, and most importantly, to the hundreds of families we serve.”