Expanding Access
"Expanding Access," a podcast by Behavioral Health Tech, explores how technology and innovation are transforming mental health, substance use, and autism/IDD care. Tune in for expert discussions on key topics like employee benefits, health equity, investment and M&A landscape, neurodiversity, Medicaid, value-based care, and the future of behavioral health.
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How Crisis Text Line Expands Support Before Crisis Escalates with Jana French, Public Sector Partnerships Director at Crisis Text Line
<p>Mental health support is most effective when people can reach it before their hardest moments.</p> <p>In this episode, Jana French, Public Sector Partnerships Director at Crisis Text Line, talks about how text-based support can make crisis care more accessible. She explains that people can text 741741 or 988 for more than suicidal thoughts, including anxiety, grief, relationship challenges, and other difficult moments. Jana also shares how Crisis Text Line brings together trained volunteers, clinical supervision, and technology to support people across the country, while giving volunteers valuable communication skills. She discusses the role AI can play in triage and...
Whole-Person Care: Unifying Behavioral Health and Social Care with Jaffer Traish, Chief Operating Officer at findhelp
<p>Finding the right behavioral health provider can be surprisingly difficult, even with hundreds of thousands of practitioners across the country.</p> <p>In this episode, Jaffer Traish, Chief Operating Officer at findhelp, talks about the challenges of making behavioral health services easier to find and navigate. He explains why social care and behavioral health need to be integrated into a single workflow and how fragmented, outdated provider directories can create unnecessary barriers to care. Jaffer also discusses the problem of “ghost networks,” where provider listings may no longer reflect who is actually available, and why greater transparency, accuracy, and acco...
Why Manager Enablement Is the Missing Layer in Workforce Mental Health ROI with Brad Swingruber, CEO at meQuilibrium (meQ)
<p>Managers are often the first people to notice when something is off with an employee. But do they have the tools to know what to do next?</p> <p>In this episode, Brad Swingruber, CEO at meQuilibrium (meQ), talks about how managers can play a bigger role in connecting employees with mental health support. He explains why giving managers another training course or dashboard isn't enough, and why support needs to be simple, practical, and available where managers already work. Brad also shares examples of how meQ has helped organizations make these resources easier to use, including work with...
Building Better Behavioral Health Systems with Data, Trust, and Human Judgment with Rebecca Ragland
<p>AI is transforming healthcare, but in behavioral health, how do we make sure technology doesn't come at the expense of human connection?</p> <p>In this episode, Rebecca Ragland, Clinical Global Account Executive at Multi-Health Systems, explores how scientifically validated assessments and emerging technologies can improve behavioral healthcare while preserving the human element. She discusses the growing role of AI in clinical workflows and why clinicians must remain central to decision-making, particularly as technology advances faster than organizations can adapt. Rebecca also explains how trusted, structured data can serve as a guardrail for responsible innovation, helping organizations improve consistency...
When Success Starts to Feel Misaligned: How Leaders Can Recognize Drift and Return to Clarity with Kristi Huber
<p>Burnout often does not happen all at once. For many leaders, it starts with small moments of drift away from their vision, voice, values, and vitality.</p> <p>In this episode, Kristi Huber, Founder of Perspective Shift Consulting, discusses how leaders can recognize and prevent leadership drift before it leads to burnout. Drawing from her own lived experience, she explains why high achievers are especially vulnerable to overcommitting, losing alignment, and operating on autopilot. Kristi introduces the Radical Clarity Compass as a practical framework for helping leaders and teams pause, reflect, and reconnect with what matters most. The conversation...
Fixing the Broken Path to Disability Benefits with Lauren Fusco, Director of Partnerships at Mindset Care
<p>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.</p> <p>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 the process. By combining technology with human expertise, Mindset helps streamline applications, improve approval outcomes, and reduce the burden on individuals and care teams alike. Through partnerships with providers, payers, and community organizations, they’re turning disability benefits into a critical gateway for br...
What Unified Platforms Make Possible In Behavioral Health with Tasneem Sanwarwalla, Director, Healthcare Presales at Workday
<p>Unified enterprise systems are no longer back-office upgrades in behavioral health. They are essential infrastructure for access, workforce stability, and financial resilience.</p> <p>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 how fragmented systems contribute to burnout, limit visibility, and force leaders to rely on outdated data for critical decisions. Tasneem shares how modern platforms enable better workforce planning, scenario modeling, and early detection of staff strain while aligning staffing, care delivery, and financial performance. She a...
Designing the AI Native Clinic with Dominik Middelmann, co-founder and CEO of mdhub
<p>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.</p> <p>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 systems, and billing issues can get in the way of helping people, even when clinics have open appointments. Dominik shares how mdhub was built to bring many of these tasks together into one system, using...
Why Payers And Providers Need A Better Compliance Bridge with Paige Dustmann and Derek Staub
<p>Compliance works better when documentation supports care in real time instead of becoming a burden after the fact.</p> <p>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 planning in real time, reducing paperwork and improving audit readiness. Derek highlights how changing regulations, random audits, and documentation gaps can put even well-intentioned providers at risk, emphasizing the need for stronger systems and clearer communication with MCOs. Together, they...
Your Life is Worth the Work: From Episodic Treatment to Continuous Recovery with Chris Thompson, founder and CEO of Sober Sidekick
<p>Recovery outcomes improve when support is continuous, trust-based, and built around human connection rather than episodic treatment alone.</p> <p>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...
