Jeff Rosen, who has spent eight years with Sunwave Health, brings a wealth of experience to the conversation. Sunwave Health is a leading behavioral health platform designed to support a variety of operational needs across behavioral health organizations. From call center operations and medication management to revenue cycle management and financial reporting, Sunwave’s platform offers a comprehensive suite of tools to streamline processes and enhance operational efficiency. As Rosen noted, “I’ve been involved in hundreds of demos, implementations, and discussions with executives about workflow challenges,” which has given him insight into the best ways to improve operations within behavioral health organizations.
He emphasized how, in many behavioral health organizations, each department often operates in silos, addressing their specific needs separately. He suggests that this fragmented approach can lead to inefficiencies and disconnected patient experiences. Rosen recommends a more integrated approach, encouraging operators to bring department heads together and consider how each department impacts the others. For example, he suggests asking, “How do you process an intake with the nursing team?” This kind of interconnected thinking helps ensure that processes flow smoothly across the organization and that both staff and patients experience a cohesive, efficient system.
Jennifer Carvalho, with her extensive leadership experience in behavioral health, including roles as a nonprofit CEO and division president at Discovery Behavioral Health, brought a unique perspective to the discussion. Her experience is not just rooted in leadership roles but also in personal experience. Twenty-five years ago, she was a client in the behavioral health space, which has deeply influenced her approach to operational excellence and clinical care. Carvalho emphasized the importance of balancing both operational and clinical quality, stating, “If you can marry those two, you’re going to see a huge difference in outcomes, not just for the patients but for the business as well.”
She explained that the behavioral health market has seen rapid growth, reaching $152 billion in 2023, with an expected growth rate of 3.7% CAGR in the coming years. This growth represents an immense opportunity for investors to support life-changing care while also generating a significant return on investment (ROI). “We’re here to discuss how operational and clinical excellence can benefit investors, fostering profits while maintaining exceptional reputations,” she said.
The Staffing Crisis and Burnout Challenges
One of the biggest challenges facing the behavioral health industry today is staffing. Carvalho highlighted a Behavioral Health Business survey that found 54% of providers identified staffing as the most significant barrier to growth. The behavioral health field has faced serious staffing challenges, particularly since the pandemic, and the issue remains a major concern. “The average turnover rate in our industry is 31.3%, and many operators here know it’s often even higher,” she explained. High turnover rates, combined with practitioner shortages and absenteeism, create a massive strain on operations. This burden is only exacerbated by the increasing wage demands and burnout.
Rosen expanded on this issue, pointing out that burnout isn’t necessarily caused by the therapy itself, but rather by the overwhelming documentation demands placed on clinicians. “They’d rather spend more time with patients than document their work,” he said. Documentation requirements, which often include lengthy assessments, treatment plans, and group notes, have become a major source of stress for staff. In many cases, the time spent on administrative tasks takes away from the time clinicians could be spending with patients, which not only negatively impacts patient care but also contributes to burnout and high turnover.
Leveraging Technology: AI to Alleviate Burnout
Both Rosen and Carvalho agree that technology can play a critical role in addressing these challenges, especially when it comes to reducing the documentation burden that contributes to burnout. Sunwave Health’s recent launch of MARA, a proprietary AI in behavioral health, is designed to address exactly this issue. MARA uses AI to streamline the documentation process, helping clinicians save time and reduce administrative workload. “MARA can analyze and summarize patient data across all records in seconds, which normally takes clinicians 30 to 45 minutes,” Rosen explained. This level of efficiency not only ensures that clinicians spend less time on paperwork but also guarantees the accuracy and quality of the documentation, which is critical for compliance and reimbursement purposes.
The ability to streamline documentation allows clinicians to focus more on patient care rather than administrative tasks. Carvalho explained that documentation tasks like biopsychosocial assessments, treatment plans, and group notes are essential for justifying payer authorization and ensuring reimbursement. “If they’re not done correctly, insurers won’t reimburse for services,” she noted. MARA helps expedite these processes, generating accurate summaries and treatment plans in minutes instead of hours, which can be a game-changer for both clinicians and patients.
Rosen also highlighted how AI in behavioral health functionality extends to group notes. Therapists who conduct multiple groups each day often find themselves writing hundreds of individual notes for each client. “Imagine a therapist conducting three groups a day with 10 clients each, needing to write 30 differentiated notes,” he said. “That documentation burden is overwhelming, and it often leads to burnout.” MARA addresses this challenge by automatically creating unique, individualized notes based on participant responses, which significantly reduces the time clinicians spend on administrative tasks.
Investing in People and Technology: A Sustainable Model
Ultimately, both Carvalho and Rosen emphasized the interconnectedness of operational and clinical excellence. By investing in both technology and people, organizations can create a more sustainable model that not only improves patient outcomes but also enhances staff retention and operational efficiency. “Supporting clinical staff with tools like MARA means investing in their well-being,” Carvalho stated. “When clinicians feel less burdened, they’re more engaged with patients and less likely to leave the profession due to burnout.”
Rosen added that the integration of AI in behavioral health technology must always align with regulatory standards. MARA’s documentation process, for example, includes clinical oversight to ensure compliance. “Everything produced by MARA is reviewed by a clinical supervisor before it’s submitted,” he explained. “This ensures compliance while reducing time-consuming corrections.” MARA even prompts users to verify their notes, ensuring nothing goes unreviewed and everything meets regulatory standards.
Carvalho concluded by stressing the importance of balancing clinical quality with operational excellence. “When we invest in people and technology, we create a model that benefits everyone—staff, patients, and investors,” she said. “This interconnectedness is what leads to expanded profits, stronger outcomes, and a more sustainable future in behavioral health.” By focusing on purpose-driven work and supporting both staff and patients, behavioral health organizations can provide exceptional care while also driving profitability.
As the behavioral health market continues to grow, the integration of advanced technologies like AI in behavioral health, coupled with a commitment to clinical and operational excellence, will be key to thriving in an increasingly complex and competitive environment. The future of behavioral health requires organizations to prioritize people, both staff and patients, and leverage technology to improve care, enhance efficiency, and drive sustainable growth.
