Recovery Reach: Behavioral Health Marketing and Business Insights

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Welcome to Recovery Reach, the podcast for behavioral health leaders looking for specific marketing and business tactics that can scale their impact.

  1. 2d ago ·  Video

    Why Good Branding Fills Treatment Beds | Zach Gross and Jake Gorman, co-founders of MGMT Digital

    What separates treatment centers that grow from ones that burn through agencies? Branding, trust and ethical lead generation.In this Recovery.com podcast, Cliff McDonald talks with Zach Gross and Jake Gorman, co-founders of MGMT Digital, a digital marketing agency focused solely on behavioral healthcare. They break down why good branding must come before lead generation, how to build trust with skeptical operators, what realistic SEO timelines and acquisition costs look like, and the underrated power of alumni programs, clean CRM data and diversified lead sources. They also share their personal recovery stories and why every number in marketing represents a person in crisis.You will learn the difference between branding and marketing, how manager-led teams improve accountability, why niching down helped MGMT grow, and what behavioral health leaders should prioritize now around AI search, data integrity and admissions. Advertise on Recovery.com: https://providers.recovery.com/expand-your-reach/ Learn more about MGMT: https://mgmtdigital.com/ Timestamps: 00:00 Zachs road to recovery and early work in search marketing 00:48 Meet Zach and Jake from MGMT Digital 01:24 What is MGMT Digital and who they serve 02:51 The manager-built company model 04:12 Why staying niche in behavioral health wins 06:00 Acting as a full marketing function for providers 07:12 Consulting beyond marketing for startups 10:09 Why operators distrust agencies 11:00 How MGMT builds trust through education and transparency 12:48 Sound strategy and over-communication 14:09 Setting honest expectations for SEO and cost per admission 18:39 Branding vs marketing and why branding comes first 25:30 Zach and Jakes personal connection to recovery 33:12 Core values: work ethic, communication and transparency 35:56 Every number is a person 39:21 Saying no to bad-fit clients 40:30 Underrated: alumni programs. Overrated: fear around AI search 42:06 Bad advice they ignored about niching and team structure 45:33 What leaders should do next: CRM data and diversification 48:06 Closing takeaways Advertise on Recovery.com: https://providers.recovery.com/expand-your-reach/ #AddictionRecovery #MentalHealth #BehavioralHealth  Top Questions Answered What does an ethical behavioral health marketing agency actually do? What is the difference between branding and marketing for treatment centers? How long should SEO take and what is a realistic cost per admission? Why do treatment centers burn through agencies and how do you rebuild trust? What is the most underrated growth lever for rehabs right now? How should leaders prepare for AI search, CRM tracking and lead diversification?

  2. Sep 29 ·  Video

    The 6 Percent Rule That Drives Almost All Admissions Revenue | Derek Hyman

    In this conversation, Cliff McDonald, Chief Growth Officer at Recovery.com, sits down with Derek Hyman, Founder of Scalable Growth, to talk about what it really takes to grow behavioral healthcare programs with integrity. Derek shares lessons from leading digital marketing for a large treatment provider, why only 6 percent of website traffic drove most admissions revenue, and why he started Scalable Growth to be a true growth partner instead of a traditional agency.They cover why marketing in this space is different, why agency turnover is so high, the problem with overpriced websites, why AI is overrated for differentiation, and why full patient experience is the most underrated growth lever in treatment.If you lead a treatment program, work in admissions or marketing, or care about ethical growth in behavioral health, this conversation is for you. Learn more about advertising with Recovery.com: https://providers.recovery.com/expand-your-reach/ Scalable Growth is a digital marketing partner focused exclusively on behavioral healthcare, helping independent and regional programs build sustainable growth through strategy, transparency, and long term partnership. Learn more: https://scalablegrowth.co/ Chapters: 00:00 - The 6 percent rule that drove most revenue 02:15 - Why behavioral healthcare marketing is different 02:54 - What is Scalable Growth 06:12 - Why Derek started his own company 07:48 - Agency vs growth partner 10:36 - Who Scalable Growth serves best 14:18 - Why agency turnover is so high 17:21 - Transparency and honest advice 19:51 - The problem with overpriced websites 24:51 - The isolation and learning curve of entrepreneurship 27:00 - Mentors, network, and perspective 29:36 - Organic growth without a business plan 35:18 - Only partnering with clinically sound programs 37:51 - Getting to know Derek beyond work 41:33 - What is overrated: AI 44:42 - What is underrated: patient experience Main Questions Answered What is Scalable Growth and who does it help? What is the 6 percent rule in treatment marketing? Why is marketing for addiction and mental health different from other industries? Why do treatment centers switch agencies so often? What separates a true growth partner from a traditional agency? Are expensive website rebuilds worth it for ROI? What was hardest about leaving in-house leadership to start a company? What is overrated in behavioral healthcare marketing right now? What is underrated and where should leaders focus next? #behavioralhealthcare  #addictiontreatment  #mentalhealth

  3. Sep 22 ·  Video

    Inside Recovery Centers of America: 1200 Beds, 24/7 Admissions and Saving a Million Lives

    Go inside Recovery Centers of America with Senior Director of Growth Intelligence Nick Portanova. Advertise on Recovery.com: https://providers.recovery.com/expand-your-reach/ Learn more about RCA: https://recoverycentersofamerica.com/ In this Recovery Reach interview, Cliff from Recovery.com explores how RCA grew to 12 inpatient facilities and 1200 beds across the Eastern Seaboard and Midwest, offering detox, residential treatment, outpatient care and primary mental health care. Nick shares why access is their core differentiator, with 24/7 admissions, under 10 second answer times and under 3 percent missed calls.You will also hear Nick's personal addiction recovery story, from growing up with parents in recovery to a dozen treatment stays by age 21 to 10 years building a career at RCA, plus how data, Salesforce, Google Ads and AI shape growth, why connection beats willpower, and why stigma around behavioral health is finally shifting. Timestamps: 00:00 - How RCA answers crisis calls in under 10 seconds 00:45 - Welcome to Recovery Reach with Nick Portanova 01:18 - What is Recovery Centers of America: 12 facilities and 1200 beds 03:33 - Detox, residential and full continuum of care explained 04:03 - New primary mental health programs in Pennsylvania and Indianapolis 04:30 - What makes RCA different: access to addiction treatment 06:54 - 24/7 admissions and mission center 08:57 - Nick's role: Senior Director of Growth Intelligence 11:06 - Data, analytics and finding patterns in behavioral health 12:42 - Tools for growth: Salesforce, Google Ads, Claude and Qlik 14:51 - The opposite of addiction is connection 17:36 - Growing up with parents in recovery and testing genetics 18:30 - A dozen treatment centers by age 21 20:36 - Second chances, 12 step program and To Employers 21:18 - Why he does this work: watching the glow come back 23:18 - Golf as a healthy outlet in addiction recovery 24:42 - What is overrated and underrated in behavioral health 27:00 - How stigma reduction and non alcoholic options show progress 29:24 - Worst advice: follow your gut vs follow the data Top Questions Answered What is Recovery Centers of America and where are they located? How many beds and facilities does RCA operate and what levels of care do they offer? How quickly can someone get into addiction treatment through 24/7 admissions? What does detox, residential treatment and outpatient care include? What is primary mental health inpatient care and who is it for? What tools and data drive growth in behavioral health marketing? Why is connection more important than willpower in addiction recovery? How does family history and support impact recovery outcomes? #addictiontreatment  #addictionrecovery  #behavioralhealth

  4. Sep 15 ·  Video

    Your Treatment Center Doesn't Have a Branding Problem | Adrienne Wilkerson

    In this episode of Recovery Reach, host Clint Malley talks with Adrienne Wilkerson, founder and CEO of Beacon Media and Marketing, about what really drives growth for addiction treatment and mental health brands right now. Advertise your treatment center on recovery.com: https://providers.recovery.com/expand-your-reach/ Learn more about Beacon Media and Marketing: https://beaconmm.com Adrienne breaks down why reviews are so hard to get in behavioral health, how to respond to negative reviews without losing trust, why most websites fail to convert, and why empathy plus authority is the formula that wins.  She also shares her take on AI as a therapist, how her team uses AI as a co-pilot without losing the human connection, and what leaders should do next.You will hear how Beacon started in Alaska, why they niched into mental and behavioral health in 2019, how they survived losing a third of clients during COVID, and the messaging shift that builds trust fast with families searching for care. 00:00 Losing a third of clients during COVID 00:51 Meet Adrienne Wilkerson of Beacon Media 01:03 From graphic design to digital 02:57 Launching Beacon in 2012 05:12 Why they niched into mental health in 2019 08:21 Why reviews are the hardest part 09:03 Marketing to loved ones, not the patient 10:36 Why bad reviews add credibility 12:21 How to ask for reviews the right way 14:30 What Beacon does today 16:09 Websites that build trust fast 17:18 You have a trust problem, not a branding problem 22:15 The COVID pivot that saved the agency 24:24 Clients, AI content, and the return to human 25:51 Empathy plus authority equals trust 27:00 Growing up with a therapist dad 29:27 Personal connection to PTSD and recovery 35:30 Overrated: AI as a therapist 42:51 Underrated: vulnerability and hard conversations 45:45 The worst advice: think too small 48:45 How leaders should use AI next 52:36 AI as co-pilot, not the pilot 53:51 Where to find Adrienne #RecoveryReach #mentalhealth  #addictiontreatment

  5. Sep 9 ·  Video

    Inside a 240-Bed Recovery Provider's Growth & Acquisitions | Matthew Amato with All in Solutions

    What actually makes an addiction treatment center effective?  In this episode, Cliff McDonald sits down with Matt Amato, Chief Strategy Officer at All In Solutions, to break down the side of recovery most people never see — how treatment providers grow, why family involvement is the most underrated piece of recovery, and what leaders should stop over-valuing.Matt shares the story of scaling All In Solutions from a small South Florida program in 2012 to a 240-bed, multi-state provider — plus the hard lessons from acquiring existing facilities, building culture, and his own path from front-line staff to chief strategy officer. Learn more about advertising on Recovery.com: https://providers.recovery.com/expand-your-reach/ Learn more about All In Solutions: https://www.allinsolutions.com/ 0:00 — The Hardest Season: Taking Over Existing Facilities 1:14 — Who Is All In Solutions? 2:38 — Matt's Role as Chief Strategy Officer 3:34 — How They Decide Where to Expand 6:00 — 240 Beds & the Continuum of Care 9:00 — Why "All In" Isn't Just a Name 11:42 — Matt's Journey From BHT to Chief Strategy Officer 14:30 — What Makes Them Different: Intimacy & Family 15:50 — Family Involvement: The Underrated Key to Recovery 20:23 — Building Culture That Lasts 22:02 — The Real Cost of Acquisitions 30:47 — Matt's Personal Recovery Story 39:00 — Underrated vs. Overrated in Behavioral Healthcare 42:20 — The "Fill the Beds" Advice That Was Wrong 43:17 — What Leaders Should Focus On Next: Compliance & AI 44:59 — Conclusion #AddictionRecovery #FamilyTherapy #recoveryjourney

  6. Sep 2 ·  Video

    His Best Friend Overdosed. Now He Markets Rehab Centers. | Gary Garth from Elev8

    How do treatment centers actually find patients — and why does leaning on ads alone set them up to fail? In this episode, Clint Mally, VP of Content at Recovery.com, sits down with Gary Garth, founder of elev8, a marketing agency that works exclusively with addiction and mental health treatment providers.Gary shares his unlikely path from Google channel sales into behavioral health, what drove him there personally, and why he calls much of the industry "SEO snake oil." He breaks down his "360-degree" approach to patient acquisition — demand generation, lead management, and admissions enablement — and makes the case that building a real brand and an alumni program matters more than the next paid click. Advertise with Recovery.com: https://providers.recovery.com/expand-your-reach/ Learn more about elev8: https://elev8.io/ ⏱ Timestamps 0:00 — Gary's Story & Why He Started elev8 1:21 — What elev8 Does: 360-Degree Patient Acquisition 2:47 — From Google to Behavioral Health 3:30 — The "SEO Snake Oil" Problem 4:42 — The Hardest Season: Learning to Fire Clients 6:06 — Why This Work "Means Everything" 7:27 — Overrated vs. Underrated in Treatment Marketing 8:03 — Referral Partnerships & Alumni Programs 9:54 — The Marketing Advice That Was Wrong 10:00 — The Future: AI Visibility & Building a Brand 10:51 — Where to Find Gary & elev8 #AddictionRecovery #RehabMarketing #recoveryjourney

  7. Aug 17 ·  Video

    The CEO Playbook Behind Avery Lane's 10-Year Growth | Camille Hildebrand

    Camille Hildebrand, Founder & CEO of Avery Lane for Women, didn't set out to build a treatment center — she started as a 19-year-old office manager, sober herself at 17. Ten years later, she's grown Avery Lane into a trauma-informed program known for a culture other founders in the space actively study. In this episode, Camille shares the playbook behind that growth: • How she scaled Avery Lane without losing the personal touch • Why she treats staff retention as a clinical outcome, not just an HR metric • Her approach to accessible, in-network care without compromising quality • Leading through COVID-era staffing crises • Brain spotting and other modalities she built the program around • Her advice to founders: reconnect to your "why" before you scale further For fellow founders and leaders in behavioral health — this is a real look at what building and scaling a treatment center actually takes. 0:00 — "Just Go For It": Early Advice From Doubters 0:57 — Introducing Avery Lane for Women 2:24 — Camille's Story: Sober at 17 7:03 — Finding Mentors in the Industry 8:03 — Growing Up an Entrepreneur, Learning on the Fly 11:00 — Making Treatment Accessible & In-Network 13:33 — What Makes Avery Lane Different: Culture & Innovative Therapy 17:39 — Culture, Low Turnover & Mentoring Women Into Leadership 20:03 — Surviving COVID and Growing Pains 23:21 — Why Leaders Need Support Too 26:54 — Her Awakening in Wilderness Treatment 33:03 — What's Underrated in Behavioral Health: Human Connection 35:24 — Proving the Doubters Wrong 38:21 — Advice for Behavioral Health Leaders: Reconnect to Your Why #TreatmentCenterCEO #BehavioralHealthLeadership #TraumaInformedCare

  8. Jul 30 ·  Video

    How Guardian Recovery Scaled From 3 to 21 Locations | DJ Prince

    How did a boutique Florida treatment center grow into a 21-location, multi-state behavioral health provider? In this episode, we sit down with Guardian's Chief Strategy Officer DJ Prince to break down the real strategy behind scaling rehab center marketing — from digital-first admissions to building a business development team from scratch. We cover: • Why Guardian moved from small boutique facilities to larger, centralized 70-150 bed campuses • How shrinking reimbursement rates and inflation are forcing treatment centers to rethink margins • Why lifetime value (LTV) matters more than cost per lead in addiction treatment marketing • How AI is disrupting digital marketing channels — and reshaping business development • The future of behavioral health: predictive AI interventions, BI systems, and clinician support tools Whether you're in treatment center marketing, healthcare operations, or just curious how addiction recovery businesses scale responsibly — this conversation is packed with real, tactical insight. Interested in becoming an advertiser on Recovery.com: https://providers.recovery.com/expand-your-reach/ Check out Guardian Recovery: https://www.guardianrecovery.com/ 0:00 — Intro: The Rebrand Story Behind the Tattoo 0:53 — What Guardian Does & How It Grew to 21 Locations 5:08 — Scaling Quality Care Through Reimbursement Rate Cuts 14:18 — Why Guardian Kept the Plymouth House Name Alive 16:06 — From Admissions to Chief Strategy Officer: A Personal Journey 26:06 — Overrated vs. Underrated in Treatment Center Marketing 35:06 — AI, Business Development, and the Future of Behavioral Health #RehabMarketing #AddictionTreatment #BehavioralHealth

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Welcome to Recovery Reach, the podcast for behavioral health leaders looking for specific marketing and business tactics that can scale their impact.

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