Sponsors
Frequently Asked Questions
Executive Connect
As part of the Executive Connect program, qualified executives from providers or operators may apply for this ticket type and participate in a set number of meetings with pre-screened vendors at the event. If accepted, you will be granted a complimentary ticket to the event and required to attend scheduled meetings at the event and provide feedback on those meetings. *A refundable deposit is required to register and is refunded if you attend the required meetings at the event. No show or cancellations will forfeit the deposit, no exceptions.
Where is the 2025 event located?
INVEST will be held at the JW Marriott in Nashville, TN.
What is Executive Connect?
Qualified providers can get a complimentary ticket to the event through our new Executive Connect program. A qualified home health or home care provider has a VP or higher title, your organization has $5 million or more in revenue annually, and you are willing to take up to four 15-minute meetings with our sponsors at the event, arranged by BHB.
A $500 deposit is required to register for Executive Connect. $500 refundable, non-transferable ticket to attend and participate ONLY IF you attend the event AND participate with 4 verified meetings in our Executive Connect meetings during the event. No refunds permitted on this program if you are unable to attend or need to cancel your attendance for any reason. No exceptions.
What is the Audio Recording ticket option?
An audio recordings ticket provides access to audio recordings from the in-person event, provided within 48 hours after the in-person event.
What does my ticket include?
A ticket includes access to all sessions and recordings, refreshments, lunch, and a networking reception.
Are you offering hotel accommodations?
Please check back soon for hotel accomodations.
Are there kosher meals or other dietary options at the event?
Please contact us at [email protected].
My company or organization owns or is an active investor in a provider. Which ticket type can I purchase?
If your organization owns or invests in a provider or providers in this space, your firm is classified as a private equity investor. If you wish to get the provider pricing, you would need to use that organization's email system/domain to register for the ticket to qualify as a provider. No exceptions.
Have upcoming event dates been announced?
Click here to see upcoming BHB Events.
How do I contact the organizer?
Email us at [email protected].
Event Details
Hours
October 7 – 5:00 - 7:00 pm CT
October 8 – 9:00 am – 4:05 pm CT
October 9 – 9:00 am – 12:00 pm CT
The INVEST Conference brings together owners, operators, and investors of behavioral health practices for a day of networking and dealmaking. Hear from leading executives and industry experts shaping the field of investments, mergers and acquisitions, operations, and more.
Topics include:
October 7 - 9, 2024 • Dallas, TX
© Behavioral Health News 2024
Networking Reception, Sponsored By
Behavioral Health M&A: Are We Starting to See a Crack in the Ice? - Sponsored by The Braff Group
Networking Break
Investing in Innovation: Behavioral Health C-Suite Outlook
Scaling Fast: Outpatient Mental Health Trends and Investment Outlook
Branching Out: Diversification Strategies for Autism Treatment Providers
Lunch & Networking
Track A - 12th Fl
Track B -11th Fl
Track C- 11th Fl
SUD Treatment Trends and Investment Outlook
Breakout Sessions
5:00 – 7:00 PM
9:15 - 9:45 AM
10:20 - 11:00 AM
9:50-10:20 AM
11:00 - 11:30 AM
12:05 - 1:15 PM
Networking Break
2:20 - 3:00 PM
Dexter Braff
President
The Braff Group
Dr. Tom Britton
CEO
Accanto Health
GOLD SPONSORS
Companies
Autism Behavioral Institute
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas City
Center for Autism & Related Disorders
Eleanor Health
Foresight Mental Health
Groups Recover Together
Kindred Healthcare
Matrix Capital Markets Group
Recovery Centers of America
Symetria Health
Shore Capital
Vertava Health
Titles
Attorney
CEO
Chief Operating Officer
Chief Strategy Officer
Head of Healthcare Investment Banking
Director of Behavioral Health Initiatives
Director, Clinical Solutions Management
Medical Director of Behavioral Health & Quality
Vice President of Finance, Behavioral Health Services
Vice President of Growth & Development
Vice President, Sales & Marketing
VP Behavioral Health and Business Development
SILVER SPONSORS
BRONZE SPONSORS
Beyond Basic AI: Transforming Autism and Addiction Care with Integrated AI Solutions - Sponsored by Netsmart
The De Novo Playbook: From Development and Growth to Execution and Exit - Sponsored by Polsinelli
The Impact of Artificial Intelligence & Predictive Analytics on Organizational Outcomes - Sponsored by Care Predictor
Breakout Sessions
11:35 AM - 12:05 PM
Michael Castanon
CEO
Care Predictor
Stuart Irby
Investment Banker
Stephens
Track D-11th Fl
Nathaniel Weiner
Co-Chair, Behavioral Health Law Group Polsinelli
Behavioral Health Needs Disrupting: How Integration Can Help - Sponsored by evolveMD
October 7, 2024
Best of Both Worlds: The Business Case for PHP, IOP Expansion
A Maturing Market: Autism Treatment Trends and Investment Outlook
Top Challenges, Opportunities for Addiction Treatment Center Operators
Breakout Sessions
1:15 - 1:45 PM
Masroor Ahmed
CEO
Symetria Recovery
Track D-11th Fl
Britt Freiden
SVP of Strategy Lightfully
Beyond the Numbers: Critical (But Often Overlooked) Considerations in Any Behavioral Health Transaction - Sponsored by Mertz Taggart
Balancing Profit and Purpose: Behavioral Health Leadership in an Era of Investment - Sponsored by Sunwave
Breakout Sessions
1:50 - 2:20 PM
Dan Gemp
President
Dreamscape Marketing
Track D-11th Fl
Overcoming the 10 Behavioral Health Growth Challenges of 2025: Discussing Results of the 2024 BHB Unlock Health Marketing Survey
Navigating Innovation and Growth in Behavioral Health: Opportunities and Challenges - Sponsored by Kipu
Panel Coming Soon
Breakout Sessions
3:00 - 3:30 PM
Carina Edwards
Chief Executive Officer
Kipu Health
Alex Membrillo
CEO
Cardinal Digital Marketing
Track D
Danny Freed
CEO
Blueprint
Exploring the Behavioral Health JV Landscape
Mike Dedmon
Senior Product Manager Headspace
Networking Reception, Sponsored By
4:30 - 6:30 PM
October 9, 2024
Tal Lefler
Managing Director, Corporate Finance
Capital One Healthcare
Best Practices for Buying or Selling a Behavioral Health Company - Sponsored by DLA Piper
Expert Marketing Insights to Grow Your Behavioral Health Business - Sponsored by Healthcare Success
Breakout Sessions
10:00 - 10:30 AM
Josh Weum
Paid Search Analyst
Healthcare Success
Track D
Kerr Robertson
Managing Director, Healthcare Group
Houlihan Lokey
Investing in and Scaling Youth Behavioral Health Models
Jose Guerola
Principal
Echo Health Ventures
Future Leaders Awards Presentation
9:00 - 9:15 AM
Overlooked Areas for Behavioral Health Investment
Investing in and Scaling Youth Behavioral Health Models
Breakout Sessions
10:35 - 11:05 AM
Peter Nystrom
Co-founder, Current Board Member, Shareholder, and Former Executive
Nystrom & Associates and Independent Health Care/Business Consultant
Addressing Mental Health, SUD Disparities Through Investment and Collaboration
Dr. Tamir Aldad
Founder and CEO
Mindful Care
Expanding Behavioral Health Access: Post-Acute Care Providers' Role in Closing Service Gap - Sponsored by Wellsky
Lindsay Beezley
Director of Solutions Engineering
Sunwave
Paul Knipe
Director of Client Services
Healthcare Success
Damien Speaker
Clinical Applications Manager
Emergence Health Network
Jonathan Merber
Principal
LightBay Capital
Anthony DeSena
CEO and Co-Founder
PAX Health
Christian Chauvet
Partner
Lee Equity
Chris Male
Co-Founder & Managing Partner
Autism Impact Fund
Stuart Archer
CEO
Oceans Healthcare
Dr. Chris Dennis
CMO
Pinnacle Treatment Centers
Steven Gold
Executive Partner
Lindsay Goldberg and F3 Partners
Austen Weatherly
SVP of Business Development
Beacon Behavioral Partners
Hafeezah Muhammad
CEO
Backpack Healthcare
Fireside Chat: Center for Autism and Related Disorders (CARD)
The Value of Integrated SUD Models
Breakout Sessions
3:35 - 4:05 PM
Bragg Hemme
Shareholder
Polsinelli
Stuart Irby
Investment Banker
Stephens
Track D-11th Fl
The Hidden Cost to You and Your Patients: Insurance Verification Challenges - Sponsored by Nirvana
After the Boom: The New Digital Behavioral Health Landscape
Lee Dilworth
Founder and CEO
ReVIDA Recovery Centers
Nick Stavros
CEO
Community Medical Services
William Teague
Managing Director VMG Health
Patrick Maynard
President and CEO
I Am Boundless
Rob Marsh
CEO
Bradford Health Services
Derek Bullard
CEO
Already Autism Health
Blake Serpa
Founder and CEO
BasePoint Health Management
Jenni Lohse
Chief Legal and Administrative Officer
Aware Recovery Care
Dr. Monika Roots
Co-Founder, President and Chief Medical Officer
Bend Health
Frank Webster, MD
Chief Medical Officer, Behavioral Health
Health Care Service Corporation (HCSC)
Wendy Oliver-Pyatt
Founder and CMO
Galen Hope and Within Health
Dan Gemp
Managing Director, Strategic Markets
Unlock Health
Leonard Caltabiano
CEO
Family of Kidz
Arpan Parikh
Chief Medical Officer
SOL Mental Health
Ellen Herlacher
Partner
LRVHealth
Andy Cruz
Co-Founder and Chief Medical Officer Guidelight
Doreen Granpeesheh
Founder and CEO
Center for Autism and Related Disorders (CARD)
Sean Bell
General Manager, New Ventures
Spring Health
Colin Leclair
CEO
Connections Health Solutions
Michael Tierney
Managing Director
Fifth Third Securities
Tim Bubnack
Managing Partner
HCAP Partners
Abhilash Patel
President
Within Health
Josh Scott
CEO
Guardian Recovery
Amanda Verrastro
Chief Compliance Officer
Pyramid Healthcare
In this session, panelists will discuss marketing strategy, channel tactics, capital allocation, and data driven decision-making to drive growth and success for behavioral health providers.
Eric Frieman
Co-Founder and CEO Forge Health
Tristan Gorrindo, MD
Chief Medical Officer Optum Behavioral Care
Michael Kwame Poku
Chief Clinical Officer Equality Health
Erik Osland
CEO
evolvemD
Todd Rudsenske
Partner
Webster Equity Partners
Ben Dittman
SVP Partnerships
Kipu Health
Samuel MacMaster, PhD
Co-Founder, Advisory Board Chair
National Institute for Behavioral Health
Chris Dooney
VP, Finance & Development
BrentCare Behavioral Health
Despite a poor start across health care services M&A and the Fed’s inaction (as of this writing) in lowering interest rates, has the pressure to deploy capital, a zero percent month over month increase in the consumer price index, and a quietly improving credit market finally converged to crack the ice that has chilled the market for two plus years? In this session, we will examine the current state of behavioral health M&A and why you don’t have to be a cock-eyed optimist to believe that a few blades of grass are breaking through our (change to the) winter of our discontent.
Opening Remarks
9:00 - 9:10 AM
October 8, 2024
9:20 - 9:50 AM
Simon Tankel
CEO
Heading Health
Kelvin Chan
President and Co-founder
Nirvana
Hassaan Sohail
Senior Director of Product Management
Alma
Jennifer Carvalho
CEO
Portage LLC
Sam Himelstein
Co-Founder and CEO
Family Spring
Kevin Taggart
Managing Partner
Mertz Taggart
Joshua Rosenthal, PsyD
Founder & CEO, Manhattan Psychology Group
Practice Partner Liaison, ARC Health Partners
Joshua Kaye
Chair, Healthcare Sector DLA Piper
Understanding the Eating Disorder Treatment Market
Haywood Miller
Managing Director
BRG
Jenny Welling-Palmer
Chief Strategy Officer Thriveworks
Arpan Parikh
Chief Clinical Officer
SOL Mental Health
Track A - 12th Fl
Track A - 12th Fl
Track A - 12th Fl
Track A - 12th Fl
Track A - 12th Fl
Track A - 12th Fl
Track A - 12th Fl
Track B- 11th Fl
Track B-11th Fl
Track B-11th Fl
Track B-11th Fl
Track B-11th Fl
Track B-11th Fl
Track B - 11th Fl
Track D- 11th Fl
Track C- 11th Fl
Track C-11th Fl
Track C-11th Fl
Track C-11th Fl
Track C-11th Fl
Track C--11th Fl
Double-
The behavioral healthcare market continues to mature, and your organization’s success is directly tied to how well you understand and react to the trends and resulting opportunities to succeed. Understanding the major payment streams, how your organization and the government works with them, and what trends lay on the horizon in the behavioral healthcare market is vital to ensuring your organization’s success.
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Track C--11th Fl
In this session, panelists will discuss marketing strategy, channel tactics, capital allocation, and data driven decision-making to drive growth and success for behavioral health providers.
Join BHB and Dreamscape President Dan Gemp as they discuss the results of the 2023 Behavioral Health Marketers' Survey, including the 4 pillar challenges facing behavioral health marketing heading into 2024. Drawing on the nearly two decades of addiction treatment digital marketing experience that has driven over $3 billion in admissions revenue, Dan will share with operators and marketers the path to organizational growth by addressing the changing landscape of marketing tools, how to stand out in a competitive environment, marketing to a modern audience, and how to effectively allocate budget for maximum ROI.
Shelah Adams
Associate VP, Corporate Development
Universal Health Services
Andrew Sfreddo
Sr. Director, Head of Behavioral Healthcare
Blueprint CRE
Double-
The modern healthcare landscape is riddled with challenges, from the increasing rates of clinician burnout to the complexities of payer audits. Such challenges not only threaten the well-being of healthcare professionals but also risk compromising patient care quality. However, amidst these challenges lies an opportunity for technological transformation. This session, featuring representatives from Kipu Health and Eleos, delves into the groundbreaking potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Natural Language Processing (NLP) as solutions.click to edit this text
Amanda Rankin
COO
Trilogy
Smarter Healthcare, Stronger Revenue: Leveraging AI and Automation to Tackle Operational Challenges - Sponsored by NextGen
Top Regulatory, Compliance Developments Impacting Behavioral Health Dealmaking
Driving Value Through Technology and Services - Sponsored by Hansei
Capital Conversation: Finding Opportunities in Health Care’s Hottest Market
Expert Marketing Insights to Grow Your Behavioral Health Business - Sponsored by Healthcare Success
Track D
Ticket Prices
Non-Profit: $1500
Provider: $1800
Vendor: $2200
This panel discussion will focus on how to best prep your behavioral health business to optimize valuation and certainty of closing while also addressing the key pitfalls that every investor should consider before closing on an acquisition.
Roy M. Serpa
Chairman of the board
T&R Recovery Group
Darren Patz, Esq.
Partner, Government Affairs and Public Policy
DLA Piper LLP
Erin Boyd
Chief Growth Officer Talkspace
Chad Koller
Divisional VP, SUD, Behavioral Health Division,
Universal Health Services
Stacy DiStefano
CEO
Consulting for Human Services
Madison Williams
President
Thrive Autism Services
This discussion will delve into the often overlooked realities that behavioral health owners face when building their businesses – and those that come after they’re sold. Panelists will focus on shifting roles, responsibilities and motivations. They’ll also share their personal experiences on growing a behavioral health company from the ground up, transitioning to new opportunities, working with new teams post-sale, and adjusting to changes in decision-making and operations.
Dan Davidson
Managing Director
Brentwood Capital Advisors
Chris Dooney
Vice President, Finance & Development
BrentCare Behavioral Health
Erin Burke
Founder and CEO
Hansei Solutions
Patrick Dunn
Chief Strategy Officer
Hansei Solutions
Carrie O'Connell
VP Clinical Strategy
WellSky
Adam Middleton
Partner
The Viability Company
As healthcare organizations face growing operational complexities and financial pressures, the key to success lies in harnessing technology to streamline processes and boost efficiency. This panel dives deep into the cutting-edge solutions that are transforming Revenue Cycle Management (RCM) and other essential healthcare operations, empowering organizations to do more with less.
Marco Merida
President
Guardian Recovery
Christoper Hassan
Vice President, Substance & Opioid Use Disorder
UHS
Brian Wheelan
CEO
Transformations Care Network
Heather Martinez
Director, Specialty Solutions
NextGen Healthcare
Steven Gold
Executive Partner
Lindsay Goldberg and F3 Partners
11th Floor Outdoor Deck
12th Floor
12th Floor
12th Floor
12th Floor
12th Floor
Victoria Shepherd
SEO & Technical Program Manager
Healthcare Success
Stewart Gandolf
CEO
Healthcare Success
Chris Yakscoe
Director, Bells,
Netsmart
Trevor Colhoun
Co-founder and CEO
TPN.health
Chris Yakscoe
Director, Bells,
Netsmart
Scott Johnson
Founder & Managing Partner
Alpenglow Capital Partners