What CARD’s Clean Slate Post-Bankruptcy Could Mean For Autism Therapy Sector

The Center for Autism and Related Disorders’ (CARD) bankruptcy was bad news for investors placing big bets in the autism therapy space. But there are upsides for the company. CARD’s new owners, Doreen Granpeeseh and Sangam Pant get a clean slate at the scaled autism therapy company. And it’s a company with which they are […]

PE-Backed Hightop Health Launches Outpatient Mental Health Platform with Atlanta Acquisition

A new outpatient mental health provider Hightop Health has entered the behavioral health space. Backed by private equity firms JLL Partners and SV Health Investors, Hightop offers an outpatient mental health platform that uses an integrative and measurement-based approach to care. The launch coincides with the news of Hightop’s first acquisition. The provider has purchased […]

‘The Era of Growth at All Costs Is Over’: Discovery, LifeStance, Summit BHC Reset M&A Strategies

Growth in the behavioral health industry may look very different in 2024 than it has over the past few boom years. Gone are the days of growth for growth’s sake. Today, providers are prioritizing targeted de novo gains and keeping their balance sheets cash-flow positive. Industry headwinds, including high rates and ongoing labor shortages, have […]

‘You Can’t Stay Like This Forever’: Buyers Becoming More Skittish in Behavioral Health M&A

M&A activity in the behavioral health space has slowed down significantly in recent years, dropping to pre-pandemic levels. The behavioral health industry is not alone in this, Dexter Braff, president of M&A advisory firm The Braff Group, said at Behavioral Health Business’ INVEST conference. External factors, including inflation, staffing shortages, fear of recession and unrest […]

‘It’s a Question of Diversification’: ABA Providers May Need to Become More Risk-Averse

Applied behavioral analysis (ABA) therapy has become one of the most notable behavioral approaches to autism treatment, offering different locations of care to fit the specific needs of patients. Capitalizing on ABA’s versatile modalities may be the safest bet when creating a sustainable business model. Patients with autism can receive ABA therapy at a clinic, […]

Spring Health Partners With Eleanor Health, Announces Collaboration with Highmark Health

In recent years, employers have seen substance use disorder (SUD) claims increase. New York-based Spring Health is looking to address this issue by partnering with Eleanor Health.  Spring launched its SUD program in 2021 and continued to expand its offerings, partly through partnerships with other SUD providers. The partnership with Eleanor is Spring’s latest effort […]

‘An Economic Incentive to Care’: Improving Behavioral Health Equity Boosts Bottom Lines

Payers and employers often have a blind spot when it comes to addressing inequities in behavioral health. But ignoring mental health care inequities can increase overall health care costs.   An analysis from Deloitte suggested that inequities have led to $320 billion in annual health care spending — “signaling an unsustainable crisis for the industry.” That figure […]

Headway Raises $125M for Its Patient-Matching Platform

Patient-matching platform Headway Health has announced a $125 million Series C funding round. The round, led by Spark Capital with participation from Accel, Thrive Capital and Andreessen Horowitz, brings the company’s total valuation to more than $1 billion. The New York-based company plans to use the new capital to build out its technology and tools. […]

KKR-Backed Behavioral Health Provider BrightSpring Reportedly Reignites IPO Interest

BrightSpring Health Service, which provides various behavioral and physical health services, is reportedly looking to file a $1 billion initial public offering (IPO). That’s according to a new report by Bloomberg News. This comes roughly two years after the Louisville, Kentucky-based organization filed the paperwork to go public. But last November, the company revealed that […]

Lawmakers Propose New Bill Aimed at Funding Health Care Workforce, New Mental Health Centers

A new bill designed to combat the health care workforce shortage would, if passed, funnel hundreds of millions of dollars to provide scholarships and debt forgiveness for 20,000 health care workers, including mental health professionals. The additional funding would increase the amount currently allocated to the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) from $310 million to […]