The Census

This week’s behavioral healthcare headlines to know: ?? Two former Headway founders have launched Marble Health, a virtual affordable group therapy option for teens. ?? Healing Realty Trust, Inc. will spend $25M acquiring behavioral health facilities in Texas, Ohio, and Connecticut, with a focus on psychedelic treatments. ?? Substance abuse experts are sounding the alarm on gambling addiction, even as most insurers refuse to cover its treatment. ?? Augmedix’s medical note-taking software will be introduced to Ohio emergency departments. ?? Speaking of AI, a McKinsey study found payers can use it to reduce admin costs by 13%+, medical costs by 5%+, and increase revenue by 3-12%. ?? A new drug that aims to prevent overdose deaths by blocking fentanyl-induced respiratory depression has advanced to Phase 2 clinical trials. ?? Arkansas is suing two pharmacy benefit managers for allegedly fueling the state’s opioid epidemic. ???? Student drug abuse is a problem at 70% of further education and sixth-form colleges, a new staff survey shows. ?? There’s still hope for behavioral digital therapeutics as the space moves to OTC — yet reimbursement for these solutions remains a challenge. ?? Autism provider Positive Development secured $10M to expand its alternative payment model arrangements with payers. ?? The total value of behavioral health care deals was down by 18% in the first half of 2024 according to PWC’s new midyear report. 40+ of these, with links to go deeper on each, go out in The Census each Wednesday.?

It’s been a great ~18 months for peer support models in behavioral health. Not only do they help to address the massive shortage of healthcare workers, they’ve also been well-received by both patients and providers. And now investors are really climbing in, with $55M+ going toward peer-support startups since February last year. The latest raise (just announced) is $11M for Marigold Health’s peer-based addiction support. Other behavioral health headlines to know: ?? Drug dealers are using Snapchat to sell fake fentanyl-laced pills to teens, fuelling an overdose crisis. ?? Colorado’s weed market is coming down hard as sales plunge by $700M — and it’s making other states nervous. ?? The CEO and clinical president of telehealth startup Done, which prescribes Adderall online, have been arrested and charged with fraud. ?? Sensory kits for patients with autism to use in emergency departments are now being offered by Dignity Health across Southern California. ?? AMA delegates have voted to decriminalize drug use and possession — an interesting move amid a slew of failed decriminalization experiments. ?? Youth education and behavioral health platform FullBloom acquired two Mesa, Arizona locations from Lexington Life Academy. ?? Headspace is expanding its reach to college students through a new exclusive higher-education partnership with Uwill. ?? In yet another move toward intermediate care, Brightside Health now offers virtual IOPs for SUD via its acquisition of Lionrock Recovery. ??? Canary Speech, maker of vocal biomarker tech that detects patients’ mood and stress levels before clinical screening, scored a $13M Series A. ?? DeepWell DTx launched Zengence, its first action video game treating mental health. (40+ of these, with links to go deeper on each, go out in The Census each Wednesday.)

Tuesday behavioral healthcare headline summary: ?? Influential US Senators are the latest to launch investigations into PE’s increasing role in owning and operating healthcare firms. ?? There are growing warnings about medetomidine, a potent animal tranquilizer that’s showing up in more of the illegal drug supply. ?? The departure of three high-profile CEOs in autism therapy highlights top executives’ pressure in the space. ?? Colorado’s eating disorder treatment industry will soon face tighter regulations under a new law spurred in part by patient complaints. ?? The FDA has reversed its ban on Juul e-cigarettes (for now). ?? Experts say ‘it’s reasonable to be concerned’ as the use of addictive nicotine patches among American teens soars. ?? The Pentagon is investigating how psychedelic medicine can help service members — beyond mental health issues. ?? Stitch Employment Services Inc, a new startup reducing medical practices' HR burden, has officially launched with a $8M+ seed round. ?? PE add-on deals (acquisition + integration of a smaller company) in health care are down ~75%? this year amid closer scrutiny from federal regulators. ?? A new study suggests brain overgrowth in embryos may dictate autism severity. 40+ of these, with links to go deeper on each, go out in The Census each Wednesday.?

The latest behavioral healthcare headlines to know: ?? Inpatient behavioral health services are reimbursed at ~34% less than the cost to provide them. ?? Nicotine-like chemicals in American vapes may be more potent and addictive than nicotine. ?? Autism therapy companies are looking to sale-leasebacks to unlock capital for growth. ?? Legal cannabis sales in Missouri have generated $19M for veterans, SUD treatment, and public defenders. ?? Autism therapy giant Behavioral Innovations has been sold to Tenex Capital Management for $300M in the biggest deal of the year. ?? Private equity owns 25% of mental health facilities in some states including Colorado, Texas, and North Carolina. ???? Digital Therapeutics firm Akili will merge with Virtual Therapeutics in a $34M deal. ?? San Francisco is connecting unhoused people with addiction medicine through nightly telehealth visits under a new pilot program. ?? Alternative deal models including earn-outs and seller notes are rising as buyers and sellers look to bridge the valuation gap in behavioral health. Enjoy these quick headline summaries? You get 40+ of ‘em, with links to go deeper on each, in The Census on Wednesdays.?

While you were enjoying your Memorial Day cookout, here’s what was happening in behavioral health: ?? Hospitalizations for mental health crises fell by 93% in Oklahoma after officers were equipped with telehealth iPads through GRAND Mental Health. ?? Daily marijuana use in the US grew by 269% from 2008 - 2022, outpacing even alcohol? — but overall, still more people drink than use pot. ??? Illinois’ legislature has banned prior authorization for inpatient psychiatric care. ?? One in nine children in the US has been diagnosed with ADHD, and the CDC is calling the disorder an “expanding public health concern.” ?? Lyra Health will launch Care for Teens this June, a virtual mental health offering including live sessions and personalized self-guided programs. ?? A new eating disorder and trauma-specialized treatment center, Haven of Hope, will open in Memphis later this summer. ?? AI-driven mental health assessment platform Videra Health raised $5M+ for its tech that analyzes video data to detect mental health conditions. ?? Data platform Atropos Health raised $33M to improve value-based care through real-world evidence. ?? Maternal mental health startup Seven Starling raised $12M+ for their postpartum therapy platform. ?? Digital SUD provider Boulder Care raised $35M and plans to “go into states with large rural populations” where in-patient facilities are scarce. 40+ more (plus links) in The Census tomorrow. We read them all so you don’t have to. Happy fake Monday! ?

?? Breaking: Eventbrite promoted illegal opioid sales to people searching for addiction recovery help. Yes, you read that right. ?? Here’s the TL;DR: Eventbrite is a website where anyone can organize and sell tickets for — you guessed it — events. The platform also lists services that may be of interest to people attending featured events, like merch, VIP experiences, and parking passes. These are supposed to be above-board offerings, of course. BUT (surprise) it appears *thousands* violate the company’s terms and conditions. Some even openly advertise escort services that include fentanyl powder “without a prescription.” ?? Here’s the kicker: An investigation found these posts selling escort services and drugs like Xanax and oxycodone were ACTIVELY recommended by Eventbrite to people attending addiction recovery events. No words. This is why investigative journalism is so crucial. We cover this in The Census today, and I’ll drop the link to WIRED’s full story in the comments.

The latest behavioral healthcare headlines to know: ?? Humana now covers TMS therapy for teen depression — the first commercial payer to do so since the FDA’s clearance of NeuroStar TMS. ??? Autism therapy provider Hopebridge is opening its fellowship program to non-employees to try and attract and retain BCBAs amid the systemic shortage. ?? A new maternal mental health bill would require insurance plans to provide free mental health and SUD services during pregnancy and postpartum. ?? Inequities in mental health will cost the US nearly half a trillion dollars in 2024 — and $1.3T by 2040 if left unchecked. ?? Workers are cheating on drug tests at the highest rate in more than 30 years, at least according to one of America’s largest drug-testing labs. ?? California may soon recognize psilocybin, mescaline, ecstasy, and other psychedelic drugs as therapeutic. ?? Mental health insurance claims increased by 83% from 2019 to 2023. ?? The Indiana Center for Recovery announced the opening of its newest facility in Bedford, bringing its total clinic count in the state to nine. ?? Eating Disorder Solutions has launched a virtual intensive outpatient program IOP in Texas. ?? Autism therapy provider ABS Kids is opening two new facilities in Tennessee and one new center in California. Enjoy these quick headline summaries? You get 40+ of ‘em, with links to go deeper on each, in The Census on Wednesdays.?

JUST announced: A new $10M Youth Mental Health Corps program will be coming to four states in the fall. It will train hundreds of young adults to help their peers access mental health care and other support. In a nutshell: ?? Youngsters aged 18+ will spend ~12 months working at a school or nonprofit to help connect other young people to mental health support. ?? They’ll receive training in therapeutic communication, crisis intervention, behavioral health systems, and other skills. ?? They’ll get paid a stipend and earn state-specific mental health worker credentials and credits toward higher education degrees in behavioral health. Pretty rad. What’s your take on peer support when tackling the youth mental health crisis? (cc The Census).

The latest behavioral healthcare headlines to know: ?? Mainstream autism therapies may soon expand to include VR, oxytocin, biomarkers, and psychedelics. ?? Nearly half of illicit fentanyl now comes in pill form, increasing the risk that people (especially kids) will unknowingly take it. ?? Backpack Healthcare, a pediatric mental health startup using AI to help monitor clients’ emotions and match them with an appropriate therapist, raised $14M. ?? Autism may be linked to cell danger response pathways that don’t shut off properly during a child’s early development, a new study has found. ?? Newport Healthcare announced a specialized substance use disorder treatment for teens and young adults. ?? Next year San Francisco will tie welfare to drug rehab for single adults with no dependants. ?? Starting injectable naltrexone within 5-7 days of seeking treatment is more effective than the standard method of within 10-15 days, per a new clinical trial. ?? More than 320k American children lost a parent to drug overdose in the decade between 2011 and 2021. ?? Mental health chatbots can be helpful in supporting roles but (shocker) aren’t a substitute for therapy with a human. Links to all of these (and 20+ more, lol) in The Census tomorrow.?