Lighthouse Autism Center, Caravel Autism Health and Action Behavior Centers open new locations
Autism therapy organizations are opening new locations in 2026, even some of the nation’s largest operators. This comes at a time when investment in autism therapy is largely focused on recapitalizations and de novo expansion. For the last few years, autism therapy providers backed by investors have favored de novo expansion and have pursued M&A only in narrow cases such as the addition of new service lines or market entry.
Here is a rundown of the latest center openings from three major incumbents.
— Mishawaka, Indiana-based Lighthouse Autism Center has announced five center openings in 2026 so far. Its two most recent new locations are in Iowa: Council Bluffs and Mount Pleasant. Both are designed to support about 30 pediatric patients and are slated to open in June. It presently operates in six states. Most of its locations are in its home state of Indiana. All of the locations it has announced in 2026 are outside of Indiana. It operates 56 locations.
— Green Bay, Wisconsin-based Caravel Autism Health opened a new center in Eagan, Minnesota, on May 19. This opening brings the total of announced new locations in 2026 to four. The company lists 77 locations across nine states.
— Action Behavior Centers, by far the largest autism therapy provider in the U.S. by site count, expanded into the Philadelphia market by opening a center in each of the following cities: Horsham, Newtown and King of Prussia. The company presently lists 404 locations across nine states. The company leans into establishing market density when it expands into new states.
Recovery Centers of America opens new location in Massachusetts
King of Prussia, Pennsylvania-based Recovery Centers of America has opened an outpatient mental health location in Worcester, Massachusetts, to better support those discharged from its inpatient facilities throughout the state, according to the Boston Business Journal.
The center is slated to see 60 patients a month. Recovery Centers of America operates other inpatient and outpatient services in Westminster and Danvers.
The center is slated to open at some point in the summer of 2026.
The company has also opened a center in Mount Dora, Florida. It started treating patients in January. That facility offers residential treatment and will launch an outpatient line later in the year. The Mount Dora site is Recovery Centers of America’s first in the state.
Recovery Centers of America named a new chief medical officer at the beginning of the year.
Permian Basin Behavioral Health Center adds 200 beds to West Texas
On May 6, the Midland County Hospital District and Ector County Hospital District hosted a ribbon-cutting for the Permian Basin Behavioral Health Center. The 200-bed facility cost about $230 million to develop.
Based in Midland, Texas, the facility was also developed in partnership with the Texas state government to serve West Texas and New Mexico communities. It offers inpatient and outpatient services. Local media also report that Medical Center Hospital, Midland Memorial Hospital, PermiaCare and Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center support the project.
Robins & Morton acted as the general contractor for the project. HKS was the architect.
Rogers Behavioral Health is building a new one-stop facility
Rogers Behavioral Health, one of the nation’s larger nonprofit behavioral healthcare providers, broke ground on a new facility in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, its home state, on April 30.
The facility is set on an 18-acre, wooded plot. The facility will offer a one-stop care continuum for all. Its services will span inpatient, residential, partial hospitalization programs (PHP), intensive outpatient programs (IOP) and outpatient services. It will care for children, teens and adults.
Miron Construction will act as the general contractor on the project.
Rogers Behavioral Health operates 25 locations in 10 states. The organization generated about $347 million in revenue in 2024, the latest financial data available.
Workers at Rogers Behavioral Health locations recently voted to approve union representation.
Madera County launches $27M behavioral health urgent care project
At the end of March, Madera County officials broke ground on a facility that will provide immediate care to those in acute substance use or mental health crises.
The facility is slated to cost $27 million. It will serve as an alternative pathway to jail or the emergency room for people engaging with law enforcement. State funding backs about 90% of the costs.
Once completed, the facility will be able to support 16 people with mental health challenges and 10 people with substance use conditions. The site is slated to open in 2027.