While 2025 fell short of the dealmaking boom many behavioral health stakeholders anticipated, providers still gained valuable insights over the past twelve months.
One of the biggest takeaways: payers and investors are demanding true value from providers beyond just access to care. One of the main ways that providers will be tasked with demonstrating value in the future is having a set of industry standards – something that has been missing from mental health, autism and the substance use disorder treatment space.
Providers have also seen an uptick in interest in integrated care models–particularly when it comes to women’s health.
The industry has also turned to technology, with many providers implementing artificial intelligence initiatives for backend office tasks.
Behavioral Health Business asked executives from the autism services, substance use disorder and mental health industry about their biggest lessons learned in 2025.
Read on for a list of the responses.
What was the biggest lesson learned from 2025?
This past year reinforced the need for a stronger than ever value proposition to clinicians; reducing operational friction, improving documentation workflows, and giving clinicians better tools to support decision-making. It’s evident that this isn’t just about operational efficiency, it’s key to retention, quality, and consistency. Simply put, when clinicians feel supported, clients receive better care.
–Dr. Dan Frogel, CEO of Thriveworks
The FDA’s removal of most black box warnings on hormone replacement therapy marks a major course correction that creates national momentum for evidence-based menopausal care. After decades of fear-based undertreatment, we can now proactively address depression, anxiety, sleep disturbance and mood instability during the menopausal transition.
The lesson is clear: integrated care models that treat mental health alongside gynecological and cardiometabolic concerns aren’t just good medicine — they’re essential to meeting women’s needs during a systematically underserved life phase. Emerging evidence suggests potential cognitive benefits and possible reduction in long-term dementia risk for appropriately selected women, which reinforces that menopause shouldn’t be viewed as inevitable decline but rather as a critical window for targeted intervention.
This shift creates an imperative for mental health organizations to develop specialized programming for women’s mental health across the lifespan, with particular attention to perimenopause and menopause as high-risk periods requiring coordinated care. I believe the organizations that recognize this opportunity may be positioned to serve a population that has fallen through the cracks of our current system.
-Rachel Dalthorp, MD, Executive Medical Director of Specialty Services, LifeStance Health
Prepare for change because change will happen. This could be in coverage policies, reimbursement rates, network restrictions, staff turnover, or a new competitor opening next door. ABA providers that want to be trusted, evidenced-based providers for the long-term need to diversify funding streams, be proactive about staff recruitment and retention, and be involved in conversations about autism and autism therapies at the state and national level.
One of the ways to be prepared is to be collegial and collaborative with other agencies so that the practice of ABA and families with children of autism are served, not just the interests of a single agency. Just as hospitals and physicians have trade associations to be proactive about issues affecting their industries and how they provide care, ABA providers need to look to one another as allies sharing the same mission. When we openly collaborate together on issues affecting us all and the families we serve, we increase confidence in the ABA field and improve services for our families.
–David Mikula, CEO at Inner Circle Autism Network
One of the insights we gained in 2025 is seeing how AI tools can help simplify some of the administrative parts of our work and open up more space for clinicians to focus on the children and families we support. We are continuing to explore where these tools can enhance the care experience and strengthen the support we provide to both families and clinicians. When clinicians have what they need to do their best work, families feel that steadiness, and it strengthens the outcomes we can help children achieve.
— Krista Orellana (Boe), Executive Vice President of Growth and Chief Clinical Officer, Acorn Health
The greatest lesson learned in 2025 within the autism services sector is the critical importance of establishing uniform, industry-driven standards for measuring success. Without a clear, consistent set of metrics defined by providers and experts, states will inevitably impose their own parameters. History shows that when these standards are dictated solely by regulatory bodies, they often fail to reflect the nuanced needs of our learners and their families. As an industry, we must proactively define what quality and progress look like to ensure that outcomes remain both meaningful and clinically sound.
-Leonard Jeger; CEO, BrightBridge ABA
In 2025, patients were anxious about the economy and their jobs, and that anxiety influenced treatment decisions. Rising healthcare costs led many families to delay care. We also saw more SUD providers expand into mental health services as demand for mental health support continued to grow. The main thing we learned is that access depends on both affordability and flexibility in treatment options, so patients can find care that fits their needs.
-Dr. Joe Lee, President and CEO, Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation
Value will remain the north star. The companies that measure what truly matters most to patients and have the courage to organize their product and service delivery around that will ultimately win the day.
-Dr. Justin Coffey, Chief Medical Officer, Workit Health
One of the most significant lessons from this year is the critical importance of meeting families where they are – literally and figuratively. Providing in-home access to care allows us to address substance use disorder (SUD) in the context of the entire family. SUD rarely impacts just one individual; it affects relationships, stability, and overall well-being. When we can holistically care for a family – integrating medical, behavioral, and social needs – everyone is far better positioned for long-term success.
Equally important is the role of payer partners who recognize the value of these efforts and are willing to make the necessary investment. Their commitment to supporting SUD treatment initiatives ensures sustainability and scalability, enabling us to reach more families and deliver comprehensive care where it matters most.
–Kelsie Brandt, Chief Clinical Officer, Nest Health