Expanding Access

Navigating SSI and SSDI benefits is often overwhelming, time-consuming, and difficult to manage, especially for individuals already dealing with health, financial, and life challenges. In this episode, Lauren Fusco, Director of Partnerships at Mindset Care, shares how Mindset Care is addressing these barriers with end-to-end, person-centered support that guides individuals through every step of th...

Unified enterprise systems are no longer back-office upgrades in behavioral health. They are essential infrastructure for access, workforce stability, and financial resilience. In this episode,  Tasneem Sanwarwalla, Director, Healthcare Presales at Workday, explains why behavioral health organizations need a unified platform that connects HR, finance, and operations in real time. She highlights ho...

Getting mental health care is not only about having enough clinicians. It is also about having systems that help people get in the door, get treated, and stay on track without delays. In this episode, Dominik Middelmann, co-founder and CEO of mdhub, discusses how everyday operational issues can slow access to behavioral health care. He explains how missed calls, excessive paperwork, disconnected s...

Compliance works better when documentation supports care in real time instead of becoming a burden after the fact. In this episode, Paige Dustmann and Derek Staub discuss how fraud, waste, and abuse pressures are reshaping behavioral health compliance for providers, payers, and managed care organizations. Paige explains how Monolith Health helps teams capture services, assessments, and treatment p...

Recovery outcomes improve when support is continuous, trust-based, and built around human connection rather than episodic treatment alone. In this episode, Chris Thompson, founder and CEO of Sober Sidekick, shares how his personal experience with addiction inspired him to build a platform focused on reducing isolation and providing real-time support. He explains why relapse, overdose, and crises o...

What if the biggest barrier to better behavioral health outcomes isn’t access to data, but how carefully we protect it? In this episode, Helen Oscislawski, a healthcare data privacy and interoperability attorney, explains that behavioral health and substance use data require stricter privacy protections due to their sensitivity and history of misuse, and are governed by laws such as 42 CFR Part 2....

Behavioral addictions like gambling are real behavioral health conditions, not character flaws, and they can hide in plain sight. In this episode, Davina Mena, Tribal Liaison for the Arizona Division of Problem Gambling, explains how behavioral addictions work and why gambling is often misunderstood, including how it can rewire the brain’s reward system much like substance use disorders. She descr...

Stability and early mental health care are the biggest levers for improving outcomes for kids impacted by foster care. In this episode, Michelle Turner, founder and CEO of Here Now Health, shares how her experience as a foster parent revealed critical gaps in mental healthcare access for children and young adults in the child welfare system. She explains how placement instability, case manager tur...

Patient-centered design is not a nice-to-have in healthcare. It is the key to access, trust, and better outcomes. In this episode, Dr. Justin Coffey, Chief Medical officer at WorkIt Health, discusses how designing treatment around lived experience can transform substance use care. He explains the philosophy of patients as designers, why immediate access matters in moments of readiness, and how who...

Virtual reality can remove the biggest barriers to evidence-based mental health treatment by making exposure therapy affordable, scalable, and accessible anywhere. In this episode, Adam Hutchinson, founder of oVRcome, discusses how lived experience with social anxiety and a background in technology led him to build a VR platform that expands access to exposure therapy worldwide. He explains why tr...

Peer support is becoming a core part of behavioral health, not just an add-on. In this episode, Shrenik Jain, founder and CEO of Marigold Health, and Robert McAlonan, Director of Behavioral Health at VNS Health, discuss how expanding the role of peer support can bridge the engagement gap in behavioral health. They share how their partnership is transforming access to care through a blend of techno...

High-quality behavioral healthcare scales only when outcomes, engagement, and coordination are designed into the system from day one. In this episode, Colleen Marshall, Chief Clinical Officer at Two Chairs, discusses how integrating therapy and psychiatry under one roof improves outcomes, reduces drop-off, and removes friction for patients. She explains measurement-based care (MBC), why real-time...

Objective data is becoming essential to building trust, reducing bias, and personalizing ADHD care at scale. In this episode, Danielle Vaeth, Head of Strategic Development and Enterprise Sales at Qbtech, discusses how technology is reshaping the assessment and management of ADHD through objective measurement and data-driven insights. She explains why rating scales remain important but incomplete d...

The Clubhouse model is proving that community and purpose can transform lives for people with serious mental illness. In this episode, Josh Seidman, Chief External Impact Officer for Fountain House, explores how the organization pioneered the Clubhouse model, a psychosocial rehabilitation approach built on community, partnership, and purpose rather than clinical hierarchies. Since its start in 194...

Self-injury is not about seeking attention. It’s often a desperate attempt to survive. In this episode, Amanda Beausoleil, founder of Self Injury Recovery and Awareness (SIRA), shares her personal journey with non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) and her mission to build a global support network for those affected. She clarifies how NSSI differs from suicide attempts, describing it as a coping mechanis...

Lasting change is built from clear-eyed ownership, timely support, and the courage to start again. In this episode, Josh Golomb and Ruben Vega, share how two cousins from the same close-knit Mexican-American family followed very different paths before finding purpose through healing and service. Josh reflects on the role of privilege, expectations, and early access to support, while Ruben recounts...

Addressing the psychological side of workplace injuries can reduce recovery time by up to 70%, transforming outcomes for both workers and employers. In this episode, Joe Holtschlag, CEO of Ascellus Behavioral Health, and Liam Donohue, Founder and Managing Partner at .406 Ventures, explore how mental healthcare is transforming the workers’ compensation system and why this evolving market brings bot...

Live, facilitated groups that confront loneliness head-on are a powerful and scalable lever for real behavior change. In this episode, co-founders of Keep Company, Adrienne Prentice (CEO) and Claudia Naim-Burt (COO), share how synchronous, human-to-human groups outperform message boards and self-guided programs by dissolving shame, fostering accountability, and improving outcomes like retention an...

The next decade of mental health innovation won’t be defined by who builds the best product, but by who anticipates the policy pathways that bring it to scale. In this episode, Kacie Kelly, Chief Innovation Officer at Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute, explores how behavioral health startups can bridge the gap between early traction and national scalability by viewing policy as a strategic gr...

Thanks for tuning into the expanding access podcast. Ready to take your knowledge, network, and experience to the next level? Then join us at the BHT Conference in San Diego on November 11-13. Join thought leaders, practitioners, policymakers, and payers focused on expanding access and improving outcomes in mental health, behavioral health, substance abuse, and IDD.Save $100 on your registration ⁠...

AI in behavioral health demands a balanced strategy that protects consumers, enables innovation, and expands access at scale.  In this episode, Dr. Zach Boyd, Director of Utah’s Office of Artificial Intelligence Policy, shares how his team is creating practical guardrails for responsible AI in healthcare. He traces his path from theoretical math to social science, noting that behavioral health is...

Thanks for tuning into the expanding access podcast. Ready to take your knowledge, network, and experience to the next level? Then join us at the BHT Conference in San Diego on November 11-13. Join thought leaders, practitioners, policymakers, and payers focused on expanding access and improving outcomes in mental health, behavioral health, substance abuse, and IDD.Save $100 on your registration ⁠...

Thanks for tuning into the expanding access podcast. Ready to take your knowledge, network, and experience to the next level? Then join us at the BHT Conference in San Diego on November 11-13. Join thought leaders, practitioners, policymakers, and payers focused on expanding access and improving outcomes in mental health, behavioral health, substance abuse, and IDD.Save $100 on your registration ⁠...

Thanks for tuning into the expanding access podcast. Ready to take your knowledge, network, and experience to the next level? Then join us at the BHT Conference in San Diego on November 11-13. Join thought leaders, practitioners, policymakers, and payers focused on expanding access and improving outcomes in mental health, behavioral health, substance abuse, and IDD.Save $100 on your registration ⁠...

Thanks for tuning into the expanding access podcast. Ready to take your knowledge, network, and experience to the next level? Then join us at the BHT Conference in San Diego on November 11-13. Join thought leaders, practitioners, policymakers, and payers focused on expanding access and improving outcomes in mental health, behavioral health, substance abuse, and IDD.Save $100 on your registration ⁠...