Bend Health Introduces Acute Stabilization Program to Address Critical Gap in Acute Youth Mental Health Care

Leading Pediatric Mental Health Provider Enhances Care Offerings for ER Discharge and Patient Step Down

MADISON, Wis., (July 29, 2024) - Bend Health, Inc. ("Bend"), a national provider of pediatric mental health care for children, teens, young adults, and families, today announced its Acute Stabilization Program, a comprehensive program designed to address a critical gap in acute youth mental health care. The new program offers an intensive outpatient therapy program (IOP) tailored for youth transitioning from inpatient or residential settings, or who need more support than traditional once-per-week therapy.

Bend’s Acute Stabilization Program serves youth ages 8-25, offering three virtual group sessions per week, each spanning three hours, along with individual and family therapy. The program supports youth in managing depression, anxiety, and other concerns while they continue attending school, maintaining employment, and participating in daily activities. To accommodate their schedules, Bend offers sessions in the late afternoon and evenings, allowing participants to maintain regular daily activities.

Bend’s Acute Stabilization Program fills a critical gap in step-down care, providing a time-bound program for youth needing a transition from inpatient care or ER settings to more stable outpatient care. The program is specifically designed for acute stabilization rather than remission, with a typical duration of 10-12 weeks, unlike many IOPs, which may last up to nine months and operate as standalone services. The program is integrated with a continuum of care to ensure a seamless transition to standard weekly care sessions with the same provider team. This approach avoids the common issue of prolonged stays in IOPs and provides targeted, efficient care to stabilize patients and prepare them for outpatient services.

Bend’s Acute Stabilization Program is uniquely branded to emphasize its focus on immediate stabilization and the transition to less intensive care, rather than prolonged treatment duration. This is an important distinction, as the program’s goal is to stabilize patients quickly and efficiently, preparing them for outpatient therapy as soon as possible. The name "Acute Stabilization Program" reflects this emphasis on rapid stabilization and a clear pathway to continued care so that patients do not stay in intensive care longer than necessary.

The program also offers psychiatric care and medication management, unlike traditional IOPs which typically focus on therapy alone. The program’s age-appropriate group therapy incorporates interactive elements like music playlists, art projects, and other engaging activities to foster a dynamic, motivating environment. Age-based groups for 8-12, 13-17, and 18-25-year-olds cater to each developmental stage, providing tailored support and facilitating peer learning. The program emphasizes the importance of group therapy, which is often more effective than individual care alone. By fostering a sense of belonging and mutual support, the program helps participants realize they are not alone in their struggles, creating a stronger, more supportive recovery environment. Kids and young adults often learn best from their peers by finding comfort and support in shared experiences.

"Bend's Acute Stabilization Program addresses an immediate need for intensive care in acute mental health," said Dr. Monika Roots, President and Co-Founder of Bend Health. "There is a significant gap in high-acuity care in the outpatient setting, and we designed this program to meet the needs of youth identified by our primary care and pediatric partners."

The program is currently available in 28 states, including AK, AL, AZ, CA, CO, GA, ID, IA, IL, IN, KS, MD, ME, NE, NJ, MI, MN, MO, MS, MT, NH, NV, OK, SC, SD, TX, VT, and WY. Emergency rooms, inpatient psychiatric units, residential treatment centers, pediatricians, and therapists can refer patients to Bend’s Acute Stabilization Program.

Additionally, Bend offers neuropsychological testing as a key component of its Acute Stabilization Program (ASP). Individuals entering intensive outpatient programs (IOPs) may have undiagnosed learning disorders and often face up to 24-month wait times to receive proper diagnosis through neuropsych testing. Bend is able to conduct these evaluations during the ASP so that care plants are tailored to each individual's specific needs. This ensures accurate diagnoses and that discharge and ongoing care plans are appropriately aligned with the patient's challenges. The inclusion of neuropsychological testing is a significant value-add to Bend’s ASP, ensuring that personalized and effective care is delivered.

Access to child and adolescent mental health specialists poses significant challenges, with seventy-one percent of U.S. counties lacking child and adolescent psychiatrists. Even in areas with available care, traditional practices can have wait lists for intake appointments of  six to twelve months, leading children in mental health crisis to surge into hospital ERs.  

Bend’s ASP is bridging the gap by offering a solution to address acute mental health crises that is accessible to kids anywhere in the United States. Through their virtual program, which has been proven to be as effective as traditional in-person care, Bend ensures that kids, teens and young adults across the country are able to receive quality mental health support while also removing the stress of commuting to and from treatment. 

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About Bend Health, Inc. 

Bend Health, Inc., a national provider of pediatric mental health care services for children and families, is on a mission to improve access and reduce the cost of high-quality, expert mental health care. Bend is revolutionizing treatment through its unique collaborative care model that includes coaches, therapists, and psychiatric providers who work with families to provide comprehensive, personalized care plans that help children feel better today, and thrive tomorrow. Through measurement-based care, Bend achieves better outcomes, supporting happier and healthier kids and families, with eight peer-reviewed published studies demonstrating the effectiveness of the model. Bend’s services cover over 20 million kids through partnerships with leading insurers, employers, and health systems, and self-pay. For more information, visit www.BendHealth.com