Lightfully Behavioral Health announced Tuesday that it has acquired Resilience Treatment Center for Mental Health in West Los Angeles for an undisclosed sum in its bid to open 13 centers in the state by the end of 2022.

The Thousand Oaks, California-based company said it will be immediately accepting patients at the two centers it acquired through the purchase. That included a six-bed residential treatment center, where patients reside temporarily while receiving care, and a 35-bed center for partial hospitalization and intensive outpatient care in the acquisition. Aside from operating brick and mortar centers where patients may access behavioral health care, Lightfully also plans to begin offering virtual care in June.

The company, which is backed by private equity firm Regal Healthcare Capital Partners in New York City, seeks to increase access to primary mental healthcare services. It  has plans to hire approximately 195 California-based employees by the end of the year. And over the next five years, the company said it plans to move into other states and open centers at a total of 30 sites in addition to offering virtual care.

Besides purchasing Resilience Treatment Center, the company said it has obtained three other residential treatment locations in Brentwood, Thousand Oaks and Carlsbad, California. Three additional residential treatment facilities and two commercial properties that will house partial hospitalization and intensive outpatient programs are in escrow.

The pandemic has seen a rise in people struggling with depression and anxiety, among other mental health challenges. But even as demand has increased for mental health services, providers have cut mental health staff.

“Outpatient therapists are struggling to meet the needs of the growing numbers of patients … during the Covid pandemic,” said Jennifer Steiner, CEO and one of five female industry experts who founded the company, in a statement. “We are in a mental health crisis in America, and I wanted to create a company to improve access to care and change the paradigm of mental healthcare delivery in our country.”

Lightfully touts a holistic model of care and the company said it will provide residential, partial hospitalization, intensive outpatient and virtual levels of care depending upon what the patient needs. Lightfully said it has in-network relationships with key payers in the state that will ensure access to care, and it’s competing to attract mental health professionals, who are currently in high demand.

“Our intention is to be a magnet for highly sought-after clinicians by offering a truly unique culture and generous benefits package, including a flexible four-day work week,” Steiner said.

With its experienced leadership team and a stated comprehensive approach to care, the company has attracted financial support to fuel its vision for rapid growth.

Steiner and other executives’ “passion for clinically excellent mental health treatment, commitment to measurable outcomes and proven ability to grow companies will position Lightfully Behavioral Health as a national leader in the mental health industry,” said David Kim, co-founder and general partner at Regal Healthcare Capital Partners, in a statement.

Picture: Evgeny Gromov, Getty Images