Pediatric Mental Health Provider Brightline Transforms Go-To-Market Strategy, Cuts Operations in 45 States

Virtual pediatric behavioral health company Brightline has transformed its go-to-market strategy. The shift involves shutting down the company’s operations in 45 states, nixing its enterprise commercial functions and planning to create hybrid care models in five states. The change was also accompanied by significant layoffs announced on Tuesday. “It’s been a hard week for Brightline,” […]

Talkspace Goes Retail, Partners with Amazon’s Health Business

Digital mental health provider Talkspace Inc. (Nasdaq: TALK) is now selling its services on Amazon. Specifically, Talkspace will be offered through Amazon Health Services’ Health Conditions Programs. These programs are meant to help consumers get access to insurance-covered services that they might not otherwise be able to access. Talkspace is the first virtual behavioral health […]

Digital Mental Health Platform Rula Health Expands to 50 States

A company that uses a digital platform to connect prospective patients with talk therapists announced an expansion Tuesday into all 50 states and Washington, D.C. Los Angeles-based Rula Health said that it is expanding its therapist matchmaking services across the U.S. as the company vies to “allow patients to choose the provider that best suits […]

Citing Increased Payer and Health System Demand, Brightside Health Expands into Teen Mental Health Services

Behavioral health providers are increasingly expanding care continuums to include teenagers and meet the growing need for age-specific care. Virtual behavioral health provider Brightside Health is the latest to do so. Announced Tuesday, its expansion into care options for teens aims to address what Brad Kittredge, founder and CEO of Brightside, calls a “teen mental […]

Recently Named CEO Cara McNulty Outlines Vision for Vibrant Emotional Health, Reflects on Lessons Learned at CVS

This May, Cara McNulty posted on LinkedIn that she was stepping down as president of behavioral health and mental well-being at CVS Health (NYSE: CVS). She wrote warmly of her five-year tenure at CVS, calling it the “experience and honor of a lifetime” while praising company CEO Karen Lynch as “a leader of leaders.” But […]

Why BasePoint Is Betting on Age-Specific Mental Health Care

BasePoint Academy is a father-son business whose start was inspired by a family tragedy. Twelve years ago, Brittany Serpa, the sister of BasePoint’s CEO Blake Serpa, and daughter of company chairman Roy Serpa, completed suicide after struggling as a teen with bipolar disorder. Then in 2019, Roy Serpa, a longtime health care executive, began to […]

LifeStance Poised for M&A Comeback After Efficiency Overhaul

After a year and a half of scale-backs and tempered growth, LifeStance Health (Nasdaq: LFST) is planning a return to M&A. The target for that comeback: 2026. LifeStance is still completing processes designed to improve efficiency, David Bourdon, the company’s chief financial officer, said at the 22nd Annual Morgan Stanley Healthcare Conference on Wednesday. Along […]

Acadia Healthcare Faces Scrutiny Over Patient Holds

Acadia Healthcare Co. Inc. (Nasdaq: ACHC) faces another round of scrutiny regarding its oversight of its facilities. On Sunday, The New York Times published a report that highlighted several questionable and potentially dangerous practices at some of Acadia’s psychiatric hospitals, with NYT citing interviews with dozens of current and former Acadia Healthcare employees and patients. […]

‘Most People Aren’t Even Aware That Such a Subfield Exists’: Psychosocial Oncology’s Important Role in Behavioral Health Care

Delivering behavioral health services requires a nuanced approach, where providers truly understand the needs of their patients.  That’s especially true when delivering care to specialized and particularly vulnerable populations, including those living with cancer. Dr. Guy Maytal serves as chief of integrated care and psychiatric services for Forge Health, an outpatient mental health and substance […]

Embark Behavioral Health CEO Departs, Successor Named

Chandler, Arizona-based Embark Behavioral Health is undergoing a leadership transition. On Wednesday, the private equity-backed child and young adult behavioral health provider announced that Alex Stavros, its CEO of 13 years, will step away from daily management and into a board member role. Embark Behavioral Health named Scott Filion as its new CEO, effective September […]