Here Are 20+ of the Fastest-Growing Behavioral Health Companies in the U.S.

Outpatient mental health and autism treatment providers make up most of the behavioral health operators that appear on the latest Inc. 5000 list of the nation’s fastest-growing companies.

Seventeen of the 23 behavioral health operators featured on the list of the nation’s fastest-growing companies were outpatient mental health and autism treatment providers, according to a review by Behavioral Health Business.

Many of the autism services providers on the Inc. 5000 are among the largest in the nation.

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For example, autism providers The Stepping Stones Group and Action Behavior Centers, which both made the list, are two of the largest operators in that space.

The Stepping Stones Group group has also been acquisitive. It operates in 32 states, according to its website. In July, The Stepping Stones Group announced it would acquire the Center for Behavioral, Educational and Social Therapies (CBEST) for an undisclosed sum. In June, it announced it would acquire HM Therapy.

Action Behavior Centers has been a sales target itself. Last week, Axios Pro reported that Charlesbank Capital Partners won out in an auction for the Austin-based Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy provider in a deal with NexPhase Capital LP that valued Action at $840 million. Action lists 142 open and to-be-opened centers in Texas, Colorado, Illinois, North Carolina and Arizona on its website.

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Behavioral health operators have faced a favorable growth market following the onset of the coronavirus. In elevated demand for behavioral health services. At the same time, it emphasized the supply and demand imbalance within behavioral health.

The Lancet published a study that found 53.2 million new instances of depression and 76.2 million new case anxiety disorders popped during the pandemic.

Investors were activated by the leap in demand. M&A activity jumped by 33% as investments in digital behavioral health jumped to $59.3 billion in 2021. Youth mental health especially inspires wide government response at the state and federal levels.

The business publication Inc. ranks U.S.-based private companies by revenue growth percentages from 2018 to 2021 for companies founded and generating revenue by March 31, 2018. The minimum revenue required for 2018 is $100,000; the minimum for 2021 is $2 million, according to the Inc. 5000 website.

Here’s the list of the behavioral health operators, where they are based, their rank, revenue growth percentage and their description on the list. Find the full list here.


Integrative Psychiatry Institute — Longmont, Colorado

  • Rank: 98
  • Growth: 4,387%
  • Medical education company providing programs in psychedelic-assisted therapy and integrative medicine.

Behavior Nation — Danville, California

  • Rank: 348
  • Growth: 1,633%
  • Company providing services for autism spectrum disorder and other developmental disabilities.

Action Behavior Centers — Austin, Texas

  • Rank: 499
  • Growth: 1,249%
  • Health care centers providing support for children with autism and their families.

Forge Health — White Plains, New York

  • Rank: 792
  • Growth: 803%
  • Outpatient mental health and substance use provider with a proven, national prayer-validated ability to drive clinical outcomes.

Stepping Stones Behavioral Solutions — Indianapolis

  • Rank: 930
  • Growth: 689%
  • Play-based therapy provider changing the lives of children, adults, teachers and parents affected by autism spectrum disorder.

Ellie Mental Health — Mendota Heights, Minnesota

  • Rank: 1,193
  • Growth: 544%
  • Mental health services provider improving the quality and accessibility of mental health services through franchising.

SMILE Therapy Services — District of Columbia

  • Rank: 1,431
  • Growth: 449%
  • Mental health and wellness agency helping leaders cultivate a healthy workplace culture that increases employee retention, productivity and happiness.

Behavioral Framework — Rockville, Maryland

  • Rank: 1,468
  • Growth: 441%
  • ABA therapy company working with caregivers, educators, diagnosing providers and insurance companies to develop a comprehensive strategy for patients.

Cityscape Counseling — Chicago

  • Rank: 1,483
  • Growth: 433%
  • Boutique mental health outpatient clinic in Chicago that specializes in eating disorders, but also addresses multiple mental health issues.

evolvedMD — Scottsdale, Arizona

  • Rank: 1,522
  • Growth: 422%
  • Accelerator of behavioral health services in Arizona through embedding clinicians at primary care practices to drive improved patient outcomes.

CARE Counseling — St. Louis Park, Minnesota

  • Rank: 1,610
  • Growth: 394%
  • Minnesota-based, one-hour talk therapy experts: who work with clients to understand their challenges and help them achieve their goals.

Chicago Pediatric Therapy & Wellness Center — Chicago

  • Rank: 1,994
  • Growth: 302%
  • Pediatric therapy clinic, providing physical, occupational, speech and aba/autism therapy, as well as teletherapy and social work services.

The Stepping Stones Group — Boston

  • Rank: 2,366
  • Growth: 248%
  • Leading nationwide provider of therapeutic and behavioral services to children with special needs and autism.

CuraLinc — Chicago

  • Rank: 2,544
  • Growth: 255%
  • Health tech company delivering transformative mental health care by facilitating personalized access to treatment through integrated in-person and digital modalities.

Chenal Family Therapy PLC — Little Rock, Arkansas

  • Rank: 2,911
  • Growth: 186%
  • Chain of outpatient mental health care clinics providing access to life-changing opportunities through in-person and telehealth appointments.

Proven Behavior Solution — Norwell, Massachusetts

  • Rank: 3,142
  • Growth: 170%
  • Behavior specialists committed to improving the lives of children, adolescents and young adults diagnosed with autism in southeast Massachusetts.

Center for Family Dynamics — Alameda, California

  • Rank: 3,156
  • Growth: 169%
  • Providing autism services and behavioral health solutions to individuals of all ages and backgrounds in many western states and Hawaii.

Sela Health — Provo, Utah

  • Rank: 3,757
  • Growth: 134%
  • Provider of outpatient mental health services to in-person and online therapy patients in Utah and Nevada.

Abound Health Group — Charlotte, North Carolina

  • Rank: 3785
  • Growth: 132%
  • North Carolina-based company serving individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities with offerings including day programs, group homes and supported employment.

Transformations Care Network — Taunton, Masschusetts

  • Rank: 3,926
  • Growth: 125%
  • Established network of behavioral health clinics empowering clinicians and customer service teams to provide easy access to high-quality, outcomes-based care.

The Juniper Center Counseling & Therapy — Park Ridge, Illinois

  • Rank: 4,077
  • Growth: 117%
  • Telehealth center providing patient services for trauma recovery, depression, anxiety, diverse sexuality, addiction treatment, and relationship and family therapies.

Iris Telehealth — Austin, Texas

  • Rank: 4,232
  • Growth: 109%
  • Provides telepsychiatry services for community mental health centers, community health centers, hospitals and health systems across the U.S.

Quince Orchard Psychotherapy — Rockville, Maryland

  • Rank: 4,776
  • Growth: 87%
  • Outpatient mental health clinic that serves about 800 patients per week through therapy, testing, and medication services.

Companies featured in this article:

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