Bend Health is an online mental healthcare model providing treatment for children, teens, young adults, and families. It earned 4 out of 5 stars overall. The majority of Bend members access service through their pediatrician, employer benefits, or health insurance; however, there is also a self-pay option costing $199 – $549 monthly.
Bend Health At a Glance
Cost: $199.99 – $549.99 monthly (self-pay)
Insurance Accepted? Yes
Pros & Cons
Pros - Emphasis on child/teen mental health
- Has unique program for young adults (18 - 25)
- Can prescribe controlled medication
- Comprehensive team provides support
- Can collaborate with child’s pediatrician/school
- Can support higher acuity mental health concerns
Cons - Parent coaching not covered by insurance
- Onboarding process can become overwhelming
- Cannot book a session within 24 hours
- Unable to schedule directly through the portal with provider
- Therapy sessions are 30 minutes instead of 45
Preview Bend Health
Bend Health is a comprehensive online provider that serves children, teenagers, young adults, and their families, offering a range of subscription-based plans tailored to individual needs. Their plans include coaching, therapy, and medication management, ensuring a holistic approach to care. Bend Health costs $199.99 – $549.99 monthly, depending on the plan you choose. If you have in-network insurance, costs could be much lower.
The platform conducts a comprehensive online assessment as part of the intake process. Afterward, clients meet with a behavioral care manager (BCM), followed by assessments with a coach, therapist, and/or psychiatrist to ensure a thorough evaluation. Bend Health also offers comprehensive neuropsychological testing services to better understand a child’s cognitive and emotional functioning. The price of this service depends on testing options; however, it includes a live feedback session, coordination with the child’s school, and a final report.
In addition, Bend offers an Acute Stabilization Program to support families and individuals seeking support for higher acuity mental health concerns, such as suicidal ideation. As a step down from an active crisis or hospitalization, the program is an enhanced virtual Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) for youth ages 8-25. Members participate in programming three days per week, as well as individual and family therapy sessions.
Bend Health offers a wide range of treatment options to empower resilience and flexibility in kids, teens, and young adults (1-25) to help families flourish. However, teens seeking longer therapy sessions, and those who want in-person services will need to seek an alternative, such as Teen Counseling or Thriveworks.
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Firsthand Bend Health Reviews
Allison Lieberman, LMFT, PMH-C
Detailed Review of Bend Health – What is Bend Health?
Bend Health is a comprehensive online care model that serves children, teenagers, young adults, and families, offering a range of treatments tailored to individual needs. Their services include coaching, therapy, and medication management, ensuring a holistic, whole-family approach to care. For those who don’t have insurance, Bend Health costs $199.99 – $549.99 monthly, depending on the services you receive.
Bend Health’s subscription plans include:
- Coaching: Costs $199.99 monthly and offers two monthly coaching sessions and a structured plan to follow outside of sessions. These coaching sessions aim to support and guide parents and their children to navigate various mental health and well-being aspects. Coaching sessions are available through two modes: live chat and one-to-one sessions. This service cannot be paid for with insurance.
- Coaching + Therapy: Costs $399.99 monthly and offers the same services as coaching with the addition of a 30-minute therapy session per month. During therapy sessions, there is flexibility in terms of who can participate; sessions may involve just the child or include family members. However, it’s important to note that both a parent or guardian and the child must attend the initial session. This ensures a comprehensive understanding of the child’s needs and facilitates effective care.
- Coaching, Therapy, + Medication Management: Costs $599.99 monthly and offers the same services as coaching and therapy and adds coaching session and a once-monthly psychiatric appointment
Other services are:
- Neuropsychological Testing: Price dependent upon testing options. This evidence-based assessment helps parents and caregivers to better understand their child’s functioning, including in areas like memory, attention, perception, language, and personality. It includes a behavioral history, evaluation, and results within weeks.
- Acute Stabilization Program: With self-pay options available, Bend developed this program to support families and individuals seeking support for higher acuity mental health concerns, such as suicidal ideation. The Acute Stabilization Program is an enhanced virtual Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) for youth ages 8-25. Members participate in programming three days per week, in addition to individual and family therapy sessions.
Bend Health offers a wide range of treatment options to empower resilience and flexibility in kids, teens, and young adults ages 1-25. Their unique collaborative care model involves coaches, therapists, and psychiatric providers working together to create personalized care plans catering to each child’s needs. Bend Health’s comprehensive and adaptable approach suits a broad spectrum of mental health diagnoses and conditions (e.g., ADHD, depression, anxiety, trauma, etc.). The role of parents and caregivers in this process is to be active participants when needed and learn to help facilitate the skills learned in the sessions at home.
In addition to its core mental health services, Bend Health offers several extra features and offerings to enrich the therapy experience and provide added value. These additional offerings aim to create a comprehensive and supportive ecosystem for families seeking mental health care.
These additional resources include:
- The Bend Health Community: A peer-managed resource for caregivers to exchange ideas, share stories, explore unique perspectives, extend encouragement, and receive support from one another. Community topics include; neurodiversity, LGBTQIA+ parenting, and success stories.
- Learning Resource Center: Interactive resources for children, teens, and families to learn new tools and techniques that will guide their mental health journey.
- Meditations & playlists: Clinician-created guided meditations, audio exercises, and music playlists are available to members and incorporated into sessions.
- Webinars: They offer a variety of free webinars throughout the year to educate parents and caregivers on important topics for their child or teen’s mental health. Recent webinar topics include bullying, body image, and tech addiction.
Bend Health Neuropsychological Testing
It’s important to note that the price of neuropsychological testing with Bend Health depends on testing options, but includes the final report, a live feedback session, and coordination with the child’s school. This service is covered by a number of insurance plans; however, not all policies cover testing. In this case, Bend can offer a superbill so you can submit for reimbursement as allowed by your plan.
Bend Health offers comprehensive neuropsychological testing services to better understand a child’s cognitive and emotional functioning.1 These evaluations cover many areas, including learning disorders, neurodiversity, ADHD, brain injuries, academic difficulties, and more. These assessments provide valuable insights into a child’s strengths and areas where they may require specialized support. During your initial session with Bend Health, your provider will be able to determine if this testing is appropriate for your child.
The testing process involves several steps, including a behavioral history evaluation, various assessments, and a thorough analysis of the results. The evaluation is typically conducted over 2-3 sessions, each lasting approximately 2-4 hours. After you complete the assessment, you receive a comprehensive report including a clinical diagnosis.
Personalized recommendations are provided to support the child at home, in the community, and in the classroom. Bend Health collaborates with the child’s school and recommends classroom accommodations and intervention strategies as needed. Additionally, parents receive clinically proven strategies and tools to support them in their caregiving role.
What is Coaching Like With Bend Health?
Coaching with Bend Health is not covered by insurance. It costs $199.99 monthly and involves 30-45 minute sessions, typically scheduled 2-3 times monthly. During these sessions, you can review your progress, discuss any challenges you may be facing, and go over your personalized care plan.
Coaching focuses on problem-solving and setting achievable goals for the upcoming session. For the younger children, coaching is geared more towards parents, whereas the older children and teens would be more towards the child and parent together. This structured approach aims to support individuals and families in managing their mental health effectively and making consistent strides towards their well-being.
What is Therapy Like With Bend Health?
Therapy with Bend Health costs $399.99 monthly and involves monthly sessions lasting 30 minutes. During therapy sessions, individuals can review their progress with their coach, and the therapist will adjust their care plan, mainly related to their diagnosis.
The child does not need a diagnosis prior to starting with Bend, however, it is important to note that a child will need a diagnosis to utilize their insurance benefits. This approach ensures that therapy remains aligned with the individual’s specific needs and goals, providing ongoing support and guidance to help them effectively manage their mental health.
What is Bend Psychiatry Like?
Bend psychiatry and medication management costs $599.99 monthly and involves collaborating with a dedicated team of child and teen psychiatrists. These specialized professionals play a crucial role in assessing the need for medication and prescribing it when necessary.
While parents or guardians typically do not get to select the medication provider directly, Bend Health’s clinical team carefully matches the child or teen with an appropriate psychiatrist based on their specific needs and circumstances.
Medication support through Bend Health is typically available for children and teens within a specific age range, and eligibility criteria may vary. Specific requirements, such as lab work, may be necessary before or during medication treatment. Due to the structure of the subscription offerings, your child would need to engage in medication management, coaching, and therapy. Initial assessments with the psychiatrist aim to comprehensively evaluate the child or teen’s condition and determine the appropriate course of action. Follow-up appointments are conducted regularly to monitor progress and make any necessary adjustments.
Bend Health emphasizes a coordinated approach to care between the child or teen therapist and the medication provider. This collaboration ensures that the therapy and medication components of treatment align seamlessly. While the platform does not explicitly state whether parents or guardians can reach out to the medication provider directly, there is access to a “chat” within the portal.
Bend Health Acute Stabilization Program
Bend developed the Acute Stabilization Program to support families and individuals who need support for higher acuity mental health concerns, such as suicidal ideation or issues that are a step down from an active crisis or hospitalization. The Acute Stabilization Program is an enhanced virtual Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) for kids and young adults ages 8-25, designed to address the challenges of severe depression and anxiety.
Bend’s Acute Stabilization is a higher level of support with more frequent interventions than typical, weekly treatment. Members participate in programming three days per week, in addition to individual and family therapy sessions. The duration of their program varies based on individual needs but typically lasts 6-12 weeks.
Although the times and structure are similar to a traditional intensive outpatient program, Bend’s Acute Stabilization Program is set apart by the breadth of resources available. When enrolled, you gain access to a suite of videos and activities to use at your convenience to continue treatment throughout the day and receive support during those times outside of program hours.
Additionally, they offer the ability to seamlessly transition care into their outpatient treatment, continuing with a coach, therapist, and psychiatric provider if you choose.
Who Does Bend Health Serve?
Bend offers individual, family, and teen counseling for youth ages 1-25. They provide a comprehensive online mental health platform with subscription-based plans tailored to individual needs.
Bend Health’s availability varies by location and therapist availability, as listed on its website.
Bend Health Vs. Competitors
To understand Bend Health’s services comprehensively, we’ll compare them with Brightline Mental Health and Teen Counseling. This analysis will help you gauge the relative merits and offerings of Bend Health in a competitive context.
Price: $199.99 – $549.99 monthly (self-pay)
Insurance Accepted? Yes
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Can prescribe controlled medication -
Comprehensive team provides support at every level -
Can collaborate with child’s pediatrician and/or school
-
Cannot book a session within 24 hours -
Unable to schedule directly through the portal with provider -
Therapy sessions are 30 minutes instead of 45
Price: $70 – $345 per session
Insurance Accepted? Yes
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Coaching, therapy, and medication management available -
Services available nationwide, including Alaska and Hawaii
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Limited insurance plans accepted -
No app available for Google play devices
Price: $260 – 360 monthly
Insurance Accepted? No
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Available in all 50 US states -
Teen has access to a personal chatroom with their therapist
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No insurance is accepted -
Ultimate monthly costs depend on your location and therapist’s availability
Bend Health Vs Brightline Mental Health
Bend Health vs. Teen Counseling
User Reviews of Bend Health
Bend Health garners both praise and criticism from its users. Positive reviews highlight the platform’s transformative impact on children, with parents noting significant improvements in their kids’ emotional well-being. However, negative reviews point out issues related to staff turnover, billing practices, and difficulties in securing medical records upon departure.
Positive and negative reviews from users
Positive reviews:
- Numerous users have experienced positive transformations in their children with Bend Health. One parent highlighted how their 4-year-old overcame social anxiety with the help of a dedicated coach, “Ms. Lea.” The child learned valuable emotional management skills and fostered openness within the family.
- Some users praised Bend Health’s responsive care team and personalized approach. These reviews suggest that, for some users, the platform successfully provides a supportive and tailored therapy experience. Personalization and responsiveness are critical factors in delivering effective mental health care, and it’s encouraging to see users acknowledge these strengths.
Negative reviews:
- Several users expressed concerns about staff turnover and billing practices. They mentioned experiencing a revolving door of care team members, leading to confusion and disrupted progress. These users also noted billing discrepancies, where sessions often exceeded the scheduled duration.
- One user reported feeling discriminated against because Bend Health refused to accept their non-verbal child as a patient. This experience highlights the importance of inclusivity and accessibility in mental health care platforms. Additionally, another user described their experience with Bend Health as “horrid” and criticized the organization’s professionalism.
Who May Want an Alternative to Bend Health?
While Bend Health offers comprehensive mental health support, there are specific groups and needs for which alternative options may be more suitable. While Bend Health is great for some, teens seeking longer therapy sessions, and those wanting in-person services will need to seek an alternative.
For Teens Requiring Longer Therapy Sessions
Bend Health offers therapy sessions that last 30 minutes. Teens who require longer therapy sessions, perhaps for more in-depth discussions or specific conditions, may need to explore alternatives like Talkspace for Teens, where sessions are extended to 45 minutes. To learn more about how their platform works, read our comprehensive review of Talkspace.
For Those Preferring In-Person Services
Bend Health offers online services, which may not be suitable for individuals who prefer or require in-person therapy. Those who value face-to-face interactions and a physical therapeutic environment may need to seek traditional in-person therapy providers in their local area as an alternative. To find an in-person provider near you, check out an online therapist directory.
Bend Health Review – Our Final Verdict
“Bend Health impresses with its diverse and comprehensive care levels, encompassing coaching, therapy, and Bend psychiatry, reflecting a comprehensive mental health support system. The platform’s collaborative approach underscores a commitment to holistic well-being. Notably, the emphasis on accessible mental health care between sessions is a positive stride. However, challenges arise with the session duration, potentially hindering deeper therapeutic engagement.
As a licensed therapist, I believe Bend Health offers valuable services for families seeking accessible mental health support. The platform does provide what it promises in terms of varied care options. However, for those without insurance, the cost could be a barrier, and the limited duration of sessions might not suit everyone’s needs. It’s a reasonable choice for certain individuals, particularly those who value convenience and have insurance coverage. However, exploring other options might be necessary for those seeking a more traditional therapy model or facing financial constraints.”
Frequently Asked Questions
What Credentials Do Bend Health Providers Hold?
The therapists and counselors at Bend Health hold various licenses tailored to their specific roles. Behavioral Health Coaches typically possess certifications like ICF Coaching Certification or NBC-HW certification, and some may hold Master’s degrees in psychology-related fields, even if they are unlicensed.
On the other hand, licensed therapists must hold licenses such as LCSW, LPC, LMFT, or LMHC, ensuring they practice at the highest level of their licensure. They have experience in pediatric trauma work, and some may have received training in EMDR. Additionally, some therapists may hold licenses in multiple states, providing added flexibility and accessibility for clients.
How Am I Matched With Providers in Bend Health?
Bend Health typically employs a matching process where clients are paired with therapists or Behavioral Health Coaches based on their specific needs and preferences, as determined by their online assessment.
Can I Change Providers?
Bend Health’s website doesn’t explicitly outline the process for requesting a provider change within the app; clients can likely contact their customer service team to make such a request. If you wish to change providers, I recommend reaching out to customer service at the following email: [email protected].
Can I use my FSA or HSA Funds?
Yes, you can use your FSA or HSA for mental health services through Bend Health. While Bend Health requires a monthly auto-pay setup, which may not always be compatible with FSA or HSA cards, alternative payment methods can be used initially, followed by reimbursement requests through your FSA or HSA.
How Do I Cancel My Subscription with Bend Health?
If you wish to cancel, you can initiate the cancellation process by notifying the company of your decision. You can convey your cancellation request to your designated behavioral care manager, who oversees your care team, or contact Bend Health via email at [email protected] to seek additional assistance.
Does Bend Health Offer Refunds?
Yes, Bend Health may offer refunds. Following a request to cancel any scheduled appointments, Bend Health will adjust the monthly payment on a prorated basis. They do not offer refunds for previously utilized services.
Is Bend Health HIPAA Compliant?
Yes, Bend Health strongly emphasizes upholding privacy and data protection standards, particularly concerning sensitive health information. They delineate how they collect, utilize, and disclose your protected health information, enhancing transparency and accountability in safeguarding your health data throughout your engagement with Bend Health in their privacy practices.
History & News About Bend Health
Bend Health, co-founded by Kurt and Monika Roots, operates at the intersection of healthcare and technology, drawing on their substantial expertise to address the pressing need for mental health care among children and adolescents. Established on February 1, 2021, Bend Health has swiftly expanded its reach. It is now recognized as a nationwide provider of pediatric mental health services, primarily focusing on enhancing the well-being of young individuals and families.2
One noteworthy aspect of Bend Health’s approach is its utilization of data-driven technology and an evidence-based collaborative care model. This innovative approach has brought about significant changes in treating mental health conditions in youth, offering scalable and comprehensive care solutions. Their commitment to eliminating obstacles such as stigma, cost, and logistical challenges has resulted in a remarkable statistic: over 80% of the children and teenagers enrolled in Bend Health exhibit improvement within 60 to 90 days.3
Choosing Therapy strives to provide our readers with mental health content that is accurate and actionable. We have high standards for what can be cited within our articles. Acceptable sources include government agencies, universities and colleges, scholarly journals, industry and professional associations, and other high-integrity sources of mental health journalism. Learn more by reviewing our full editorial policy.
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Neuropsychological evaluation. Neuropsychological Evaluation. (n.d.). https://www.bendhealth.com/our-approach/neuropsychological-evaluation
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Bend health – crunchbase company profile & funding. Crunchbase. (n.d.). https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/bend-health
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Bend Health. LinkedIn. (n.d.). https://www.linkedin.com/company/bend-health/
We regularly update the articles on ChoosingTherapy.com to ensure we continue to reflect scientific consensus on the topics we cover, to incorporate new research into our articles, and to better answer our audience’s questions. When our content undergoes a significant revision, we summarize the changes that were made and the date on which they occurred. We also record the authors and medical reviewers who contributed to previous versions of the article. Read more about our editorial policies here.
Author: Allison Lieberman, LMFT (No change)
Medical Reviewer: Benjamin Troy, MD (No change)
Primary Changes: Added new service for 18-25-year olds, Acute Stabilization, Neuropsychological testing. Updated session length to 30 minutes. Added pros and cons. Updated pictures and competitor info.
Author: Allison Lieberman, LMFT (No change)
Medical Reviewer: Benjamin Troy, MD (No change)
Primary Changes: Added article summary block, reformatted star rating breakdown, and added “Why You Can Trust My Review” section.
Author: Allison Lieberman, LMFT
Medical Reviewer: Benjamin Troy, MD
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