Expanding Access

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 often occur outside traditional care settings, where support is limited. The platform addresses this gap through peer support, behavioral signals, and care navigation to engage people when it matters most. Chris also critiques traditional treatment incentives and emphasizes the need for a more empathetic, proactive, and trust-based approach to long-term recovery.

Tune in and learn how always-on, empathy-driven support can help people sustain recovery and rethink how addiction care is delivered!

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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. She highlights how modern interoperability and AI create new opportunities to share data more precisely, but also introduce greater legal and ethical risks. Updated regulations now allow more flexible data sharing to improve care coordination, while introducing stronger enforcement and penalties for non-compliance. She emphasizes that success depends on “privacy by design,” strong governance, and a deep understanding of consent frameworks to preserve patient trust.

Tune in to learn how smarter consent, stronger privacy frameworks, and better governance can unlock safer, more effective data sharing in behavioral health!

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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 describes how gambling addiction can surface at work through distraction, missed time, stress, and financial pressure, even when individuals appear high-functioning. Davina offers practical guidance for families and individuals, emphasizing empathy, healthy boundaries, honest self-checks, and awareness of local resources. She also urges providers to integrate brief screening questions into routine care and discusses the unique realities for tribal communities, where casinos support economic sovereignty while still posing risks that deserve proactive attention.

Tune in to better understand behavioral addictions, reduce stigma, and learn concrete ways families, providers, and communities can respond.

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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 turnover, and reliance on crisis care undermine long-term stability and permanency. Michelle explores why foster youth drive significantly higher Medicaid spending due to emergency interventions rather than preventive care, and how virtual, trauma-informed therapy that follows the child can improve outcomes. She closes with insights on caregiver support and how Medicaid and policy can be better leveraged as preventive tools designed specifically for foster youth.

Tune in and learn how targeted, trauma-informed virtual care can prevent crisis, stabilize families, and transform outcomes for foster youth!

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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 whole-person care better reflects the realities of recovery. The conversation highlights how digital care can reduce stigma, improve engagement, and reach underserved populations, including rural patients and pregnant individuals. Dr. Coffey shares practical examples of how technology, team-based care, and thoughtful design remove barriers while maintaining human connection and explores the future role of AI in supporting care delivery and patient empowerment.

Tune in and learn how patient-designed digital care can create more accessible, humane, and effective treatment.

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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 traditional exposure therapy is difficult, costly, and impractical for many conditions, and how VR “tricks the brain” to safely replicate real-world triggers without physical constraints. Adam explores the clinical value of immersive, filmed VR environments, the emerging role of generative AI in personalizing treatment, and the importance of maintaining realism for effective outcomes. He also shares insights from scaling a global startup from New Zealand, highlights use cases across self-help, clinicians, schools, payers, and health systems, and emphasizes the role of caregivers in successful treatment journeys.

Tune in and discover how immersive technology is revolutionizing anxiety care, lowering costs, and increasing access to proven mental health treatments worldwide!

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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 technology and human connection, making services more accessible, private, and personalized. The conversation highlights how digital peer support offers a low-friction approach for individuals to seek help, thereby reducing hospitalizations and improving long-term recovery outcomes. Shrenik and Rob also explore the operational and systemic challenges of scaling peer support, from credentialing and integration to building value-based partnerships that reward outcomes.

Tune in and learn how technology-driven peer support can reshape behavioral health access, engagement, and recovery outcomes!

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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 feedback in sessions drives better results, and how clinician training unlocks adoption. Colleen explores patient engagement, including why rapid access and strong matching matter and how coordinated care prevents conflicting treatment plans. She also breaks down value-based care in behavioral health, sharing how outcomes and retention can anchor shared-risk partnerships with payers. Finally, Colleen looks ahead to the future of behavioral health, including the responsible use of AI to support clinicians while maintaining ethical and effective care.

Tune in and learn how outcomes, engagement, and coordination can redefine success in behavioral healthcare!

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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 due to bias, stigma, and variability, and how adding objective measures can strengthen clinical confidence, patient trust, and treatment optimization. Danielle examines the gradual yet significant development of behavioral health technology, the impact of access and equity, and the increasing importance of software-driven tools in both urban and rural care settings. She also shares how machine learning and personalized data are shaping the future of ADHD treatment, why measuring outcomes is critical for value-based care, and how aligning incentives across clinicians, patients, and payers can drive better results.

Tune in and learn how objective data, technology, and incentives can transform ADHD care over the next five years!

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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 1948, the model has expanded to 380 Clubhouses in 33 countries, helping members rebuild their lives through work, education, and connection. Data show that Clubhouse members experience higher employment, better housing, and reduced loneliness, while the model lowers Medicaid costs by 21%, saving society over $11,000 per person each year. Seidman also highlights participatory research projects like Measures That Matter and the Fountain House United Research Network (FHURN), which empower members to shape meaningful metrics and improve quality outcomes.

Tune in and learn how community-driven innovation and lived experience are reshaping the future of behavioral health care!

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