The behavioral health landscape continues to evolve with new expansions and services aimed at addressing the growing demand for mental health and addiction treatment. Recently, several key developments have highlighted progress in residential treatment for teens, urgent care services for behavioral health patients, and specialized addiction treatment support.
Evolve Treatment Centers Expands Residential Care for Teens
Evolve Treatment Centers has opened two new residential treatment centers for teens in California’s East Bay, with one location in Walnut Creek and the other in Lafayette. These centers are part of Evolve’s statewide network of 13 facilities, all dedicated to providing high-quality care for adolescents aged 12 to 17.
Evolve specializes in four main levels of care: intensive outpatient programs, residential treatment, day treatment, and detox services. Each level is designed to address the unique needs of teens struggling with mental health challenges, substance use disorders, or co-occurring conditions. Residential treatment centers, in particular, provide structured environments where adolescents can receive therapy, build coping skills, and participate in supervised group activities.
By opening new locations in Walnut Creek and Lafayette, Evolve aims to increase access to residential care for families in the East Bay. These centers allow teens to receive intensive, personalized treatment close to home, reducing the stress and logistical challenges that can come with traveling long distances for care.
SSM Health Opens Behavioral Health Urgent Care in Saint Louis
In addition to residential expansions for teens, SSM Health has launched a new behavioral health urgent care facility in Saint Louis, Missouri. Located next to SSM’s DePaul Hospital behavioral health outpatient clinic, the urgent care center is designed to treat patients with chronic mental illnesses, including bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, depression, and anxiety. The facility also serves individuals struggling with substance use disorders (SUD).
The primary goal of the urgent care center is to reduce reliance on emergency rooms for behavioral health crises and provide patients with timely, appropriate care in a dedicated setting. By addressing behavioral health needs outside of hospital emergency departments, SSM Health aims to improve patient outcomes and streamline care delivery.
The Saint Louis facility will collaborate with local community health centers to ensure patients receive necessary follow-up care. The clinic accepts patients with and without insurance, expanding access to quality behavioral health services for underserved populations. This approach reflects a growing trend in healthcare to prioritize patient-centered care and specialized treatment settings for mental health and addiction.
Cordant Health Solutions Expands Into Arizona
Another major development in behavioral health services comes from Cordant Health Solutions, which has opened a new addiction treatment pharmacy in Mesa, Arizona. Headquartered in Denver, Colorado, Cordant provides monitoring, risk assessment tools, and pharmacies that specialize in managing and dispensing addiction treatment medications. The company also offers analytic tools and serves the criminal justice and pain management sectors.
The Mesa location will support clinicians prescribing buprenorphine for medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for patients with opioid use disorder (OUD). Cordant’s MAT pharmacy program currently serves eight states and approximately 5,800 patients. Medications are typically delivered directly to clinicians’ offices or patients’ homes, ensuring timely access to essential treatment.
According to Sue Sommer, CEO and president of Cordant, the program was established in 2019 to provide buprenorphine to patients in a stigma-free way. “By partnering with in-office opioid addiction treatment facilities, we can deliver medication to patients at the time of their clinic visit, which removes barriers to obtaining the medication and has proven to help patients stay adherent to their treatment and potentially save lives,” Sommer said.
Addressing Diverse Behavioral Health Needs
The expansions by Evolve Treatment Centers, SSM Health, and Cordant Health Solutions demonstrate a multi-faceted approach to behavioral health. These initiatives target distinct populations, from adolescents needing residential care to adults requiring urgent behavioral health services and patients managing opioid addiction through MAT programs.
Residential treatment centers for teens provide a structured environment for therapy, skill-building, and personal growth. Behavioral health urgent care centers offer immediate, specialized care to adults experiencing mental health crises, reducing the burden on emergency departments. Specialized MAT pharmacies ensure patients struggling with opioid use disorder have access to life-saving medications without unnecessary barriers.
The Importance of Accessibility and Community Partnerships
A key focus of these expansions is accessibility. Evolve’s new residential centers increase local treatment options for teens and families in California’s East Bay. SSM Health’s urgent care clinic collaborates with community health centers to provide comprehensive follow-up care. Cordant’s MAT pharmacy program delivers medications directly to patients or clinics, eliminating obstacles such as transportation, stigma, or logistical delays.
These efforts emphasize the importance of patient-centered care and partnerships with local organizations. By making services more accessible and creating connections with community resources, providers can improve outcomes, reduce gaps in care, and support long-term recovery.
Responding to the Impact of COVID-19
The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted behavioral health needs and service delivery. Social isolation, school closures, and increased stress have contributed to rising rates of anxiety, depression, and substance use among teens and adults. Access to residential care, urgent mental health services, and MAT programs has become more critical than ever.
Organizations like Evolve, SSM Health, and Cordant are responding by expanding capacity, offering telehealth support, and implementing innovative care models to meet the increased demand. These initiatives help ensure patients receive the care they need despite pandemic-related disruptions.
Looking Ahead: Trends in Behavioral Health Expansion
The recent developments in residential care, urgent care, and specialized pharmacies reflect broader trends in the behavioral health sector. Providers are increasingly focused on expanding access, integrating care, and addressing the unique needs of diverse populations.
As demand for mental health and addiction treatment grows, organizations are likely to continue investing in new locations, innovative programs, and community partnerships. This approach allows providers to improve outcomes, reduce barriers to care, and offer comprehensive services that meet patients where they are.
Conclusion
The behavioral health sector is evolving to meet the needs of teens, adults, and individuals managing substance use disorders. Evolve Treatment Centers’ new residential facilities, SSM Health’s behavioral health urgent care in Saint Louis, and Cordant Health Solutions’ MAT pharmacy in Mesa demonstrate the importance of expanding access, increasing capacity, and providing specialized care.
These initiatives highlight the value of structured residential treatment for teens, immediate urgent care for adults experiencing mental health crises, and accessible MAT programs for patients with opioid use disorder. By focusing on accessibility, community partnerships, and patient-centered care, these organizations are helping improve outcomes and support recovery across diverse populations.
As the behavioral health landscape continues to grow, these expansions underscore the critical role of innovative, accessible services in meeting the rising demand for mental health and addiction care. With these developments, more patients are receiving the treatment they need, in the right settings, at the right time.
