SOL Mental Health's Local-First Strategy Redefines Patient Care

DENVER, CO – January 14, 2026 – As the mental healthcare landscape increasingly shifts towards digital-first solutions, SOL Mental Health is charting a different course by doubling down on community-based, in-person care. The company announced a landmark year of growth in 2025, having delivered integrated mental and behavioral health services to nearly 15,000 patients across five states and Washington, D.C. This expansion, fueled by significant new funding and strategic partnerships, underscores a powerful patient preference for local, accessible services in a rapidly growing market.

SOL's 2025 highlights reveal a multi-faceted growth strategy that prioritizes physical presence, data-driven clinical outcomes, and robust support for its clinicians—a combination that has resulted in industry-leading patient satisfaction and measurable improvements in mental wellness.

Responding to the Demand for In-Person Connection

While telehealth remains a vital component of modern healthcare, SOL Mental Health's experience in 2025 demonstrates a strong and persistent demand for face-to-face interaction. The company significantly expanded its physical footprint by adding six new care centers across its New York and Colorado markets. This expansion was a direct response to patient behavior, with the company reporting that nearly 75% of its patients chose to meet with their clinicians in person.

This trend challenges the narrative that virtual care will entirely replace traditional models. Instead, it suggests that a hybrid approach, which offers patients a choice, is critical. To further lower the barrier to entry for those in immediate distress, SOL also introduced same-day appointments, ensuring new patients can access care in a moment of need. This focus on accessibility is crucial in a market where the U.S. outpatient psychiatry sector was valued at nearly $16 billion in 2024 and is projected to grow by over 10% in the coming year.

SOL's investment in local infrastructure is a core part of its mission to fill critical access gaps in ambulatory behavioral health. By establishing a physical presence within the communities it serves, the provider offers a tangible and reliable resource for individuals, couples, and families seeking support.

The Data-Driven Difference in Clinical Outcomes

Beyond just expanding access, SOL Mental Health is proving the effectiveness of its model through a rigorous, data-informed approach to treatment. The company employs what it calls “measurement-informed care,” utilizing standardized clinical tools like the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) for depression and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) for anxiety to track patient progress over time.

The results from 2025 are compelling. Patients, particularly those with moderate to severe depressive and anxiety disorders, experienced significant clinical improvement. One of the most telling findings from the company's internal analysis is the superior efficacy of its integrated care model. Patients who received a combination of therapy and psychiatric medication management demonstrated more dramatic improvement than those who received either service alone. This data validates the company's collaborative philosophy, where therapists and psychiatric clinicians work as a unified team.

This clinical success is mirrored in exceptionally high patient satisfaction. SOL reported an industry-leading Net Promoter Score (NPS) of 82, a metric that measures customer loyalty and satisfaction. For context, NPS scores in the healthcare industry average significantly lower. Furthermore, 95 percent of patients reported feeling a strong bond with their clinicians, achieving a therapeutic alliance score of 6 or more on a 7-point scale. This strong patient-clinician relationship is widely recognized in clinical research as a primary driver of positive treatment outcomes. These results are supported by individualized clinical dashboards that provide insights to clinicians, helping them tailor treatment plans for maximum effectiveness.

Investing in Clinicians to Elevate Care

SOL Mental Health attributes its clinical and operational success to a foundational commitment to its staff. In 2025, the company hired nearly 200 employees, with a striking 75% of them filling clinical roles. Crucially, these are W-2 employees, not independent contractors, a distinction that signifies an investment in a stable, supported workforce with access to benefits and professional development. This approach contrasts with gig-economy models prevalent in some corners of the telehealth industry and has helped the company earn recognition as a Top Startup in Denver by LinkedIn.

To ensure sustained high-quality care, SOL provides its associate and fully licensed therapists with regular individual and group supervision, fostering continuous professional growth. Further embedding its clinician-first philosophy, the company established a new Clinical Advisory Council. This council ensures that the perspectives of front-line care providers are directly incorporated into high-level decisions about the company's care model and operational strategies.

This investment in people appears to be paying dividends, creating a collaborative environment that not only attracts top talent but also directly contributes to the strong therapeutic alliances and positive patient outcomes the company reports.

Fueling Growth with Strategic Funding and Partnerships

The company’s ambitious expansion and investment in its care model have been powered by substantial financial backing and a deliberate partnership strategy. In 2025, SOL Mental Health secured a significant funding round of $28 million, bringing its total raised capital to approximately $55 million, according to industry data platforms like PitchBook. This infusion of capital from investors, including Sespe Health Holdings, provides the financial runway needed for continued expansion and innovation.

Complementing its financial strength is a network of strategic alliances with health systems and provider organizations. For instance, a partnership with Awell, a care operations platform, was initiated to automate administrative processes and streamline patient onboarding. This collaboration is designed to reduce the administrative burden on clinicians, allowing them to focus more of their time on direct patient care. Another key collaboration is with Guidelight, a program that supports individuals in crisis, to ensure patients have a seamless transition to consistent, long-term care with SOL's teams. By integrating with local primary care clinicians and larger health systems, SOL aims to create a more cohesive and effective healthcare ecosystem for its patients.

“We’re proud of the impact our clinicians have on patients every day and how SOL is leading the charge in building a high-quality, clinician-focused, patient-centered care model,” said Lindsay Arnold Sugden, CEO of SOL. “We recognize there will continue to be critical access gaps in ambulatory behavioral health, and SOL is positioned to meet its patients when and where they need us. More than anything, we want our patients to have superior care, in their communities, from expert clinicians.”