10 Years, 10
Million Sessions

Imagine a loved one suffering from a complex mental health issue. It usually takes weeks to find them the right level of care and months to get admitted into a specialized program. They eventually get admitted to the only local residential treatment center taking new patients, even though they might be better suited for an intensive outpatient program setting at a fraction of the cost.

This is the stark reality for many individuals and the family members who support them.

As an addiction psychiatrist working in government, university, and policy settings over the last decade, I have seen so many individuals fight through health systems to get quality care and remain well. Nearly 1 in 20 adults in the United States have a serious mental health diagnosis such as an eating disorder, severe depression, suicidality, or substance use disorder, and that number has grown by nearly 40% in recent years.

The challenges of having a complex mental health issue are deep and pervasive. It can be hard to go to work, attend school, or live your life. Some patients I’ve worked with are lucky and have a loved one who makes it their full-time job to manage the recovery. This is a lot to ask of someone who is not an expert and needs to also care for themselves, given the impact of the stress. This effect can also extend to the workplace, where the economic toll of complex mental health needs alone is $300 billion annually.

Pervasive impact of complex mental health issues

It always pains me to see the struggle my patients and their caregivers endure as they try to get into a program. It’s a challenging ecosystem where most programs aren’t accepting new patients. The programs that are accepting new patients frequently are out of network and prohibitively expensive. Worse, care isn’t coordinated and individuals don’t get the support they need to truly achieve wellness in the long term. Furthermore, many facilities don’t deliver evidence-based treatments or assist in transitioning into step-down levels of care that are imperative for long-term recovery. Unsurprisingly, roughly 1 in 3 patients end up readmitted to a facility within a year.

Typical patient journey when seeking higher levels of care

At Lyra Health, we believe everyone deserves access to life-changing care—the type of care we’d expect for our closest friends and family. Since 2021, we’ve helped connect members to higher levels of care, such as inpatient care, residential treatment centers, and intensive outpatient programs. After three years of supporting members with the most acute needs, we’re excited to launch Lyra Complex Care—our deepened support for people with severe and complex issues, available nationwide.

When building Lyra Complex Care, we focused on four critical components not offered anywhere else: a specialized network of facility partners; a dedicated multidisciplinary team of complex care experts; a comprehensive assessment and triage process designed to precisely connect members to the right level of high-acuity care; and true end-to-end support.

A specialized network of leading facility partners creates greater access across the complex care spectrum

At a time when people are in crisis or have a profound need for support, they’re often confronted with a complex maze of treatment options that’s tough to navigate. That’s why at Lyra, we collaborate with facility partners in over 400 locations, and growing, to provide comprehensive support from step-up to step-down care spanning 30+ severe mental health needs. We’ve made access even better by offering virtual options in all 50 states, combining weekly one-on-one therapy sessions with two- to three-hour therapist-prescribed skill-building sessions and 24/7 coaching. Care is tailored to the specialized needs of people of all ages and backgrounds, including children and teens. Additionally, Lyra prioritizes treatment options that are in-network with the member’s health plan.

Our partners have been thoroughly vetted and selected for their clinical excellence, delivering evidence-based treatments and culturally responsive care. Our partners, such as Mount Sinai Health System, Hazelden Betty Ford, and Charlie Health work with Lyra because we share the same quality standards: delivering the best possible mental health care to members with severe and complex needs. These partnerships also enable the member to benefit from streamlined access and clinical handoffs.

“Lyra shares Charlie Health’s dedication to upholding the highest standards in clinical quality. This is evident in their commitment to delivering evidence-based mental health treatment, which is also core to our approach. We’re glad to work with an organization that prioritizes measurable outcomes, which is so important in mental health care.”

Carter Barnhart

CEO and Co-founder

Charlie Health

A dedicated team specializing in complex care drives quality and clinical excellence

Having a dedicated team to support members with severe needs is critical to improving the member experience. We’ve trained a new multidisciplinary team that includes psychiatrists, social workers, and master’s-level clinicians to specifically address severe and high-acuity needs. This team is focused exclusively on supporting members with complex needs, which translates to deeper expertise, better care recommendations, and more dedicated support. Rather than taking a diagnosis or care plan for granted, we collaborate on recommendations and treatment plans that are best suited for our members, sometimes recommending solutions that hadn’t been previously considered.

Additionally, a specialist in complex care within the multidisciplinary team provides high-touch support to the member through every step of the process, from admission to long-term recovery. The member’s family also receives psychoeducation, learning how to support their loved one during and after treatment.

“Timely access to high-quality care for complex or acute mental health conditions can significantly impact the cost and speed of recovery. While the case volume may be low, they are the stories we hear most often from benefits leaders because of the impact they have on their employees and their families.”

Lauren Lisher

Sr. Vice President, Specialty Care Direct

Mount Sinai Solutions

Matching members with the right level of care achieves the strongest outcome

Through Lyra Complex Care, we connect people to our outpatient programs for complex needs such as Lyra Renew for alcohol and substance use disorders.

Lyra Renew helps people reduce substance use or achieve recovery through a variety of evidence-based methods including virtual therapy, group sessions, ongoing symptom assessments, peer recovery support specialists, digital lessons, and medication to fight cravings.

Lyra DBT is prescribed for suicidality, when clinically appropriate.

Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) is a type of cognitive behavioral therapy that helps people manage emotions, develop healthy coping mechanisms, and improve interpersonal relationships. While traditional DBT programs typically last six months, 88% of Lyra DBT members completed the program in just four months, achieving an average improvement of 84%.

In other cases, we direct our members to more affordable intensive outpatient programs, partial hospitalization programs, or outpatient programs versus much costlier inpatient programs and residential treatment centers. When we direct members to community-based treatment they also can stay at home and remain connected to work, family, and their support system. And in doing so, the savings are significant—sometimes enough to change families’ financial outlook.

“Getting a comprehensive assessment and starting at the right level, type, and intensity of care is an important first step to ensuring optimal outcomes at the least cost. Patients may not know which is the right level of care, and that is why working with high-quality, ethical providers is important as patients navigate care and look for the recommendations they need.”

Bob Poznanovich

Chief Business Growth Officer

Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation

True end-to-end care enables members to thrive again

Lasting recovery is achievable and hinges on a comprehensive strategy, including proactive and timely step-down care. However, a significant number of people dealing with severe mental health conditions often lack adequate follow-up care—and for those who do receive follow-up care, it is often lacking in quality. Many find themselves readmitted to facilities, perpetuating a cycle of challenges.

With Lyra Complex Care, members can choose to have Lyra continue working with their facility or program to oversee the recovery process. We provide recommendations on discharge so that people receive the appropriate level of care and achieve lasting improvement and recovery. Continuous support, from step-up to step-down care, becomes the catalyst for an individual to flourish again. This approach doesn’t just benefit the individual and their loved ones—getting care that improves their health and productivity also has a positive impact on their benefits leader and employer.

The path to lasting recovery

Invest in quality mental health care, especially for those most in need

Lyra Complex Care enables organizations to provide access to the most precise care aligning with the needs of their members, transforming lives in a profoundly impactful way. Lyra is for everyone, including members facing the most complex mental health challenges. Thinking about all the patients I’ve worked with who could’ve received quality care, I’m delighted to be a part of a solution for the people who need it the most. By upholding a standard of care we’d expect for our friends and family, we ensure a level of support that promotes lasting recovery.

Lyra Health acquires ICAS World to expand its mental health care services globally

Lyra’s industry-leading workforce mental health solutions will now reach more than 155 countries through ICAS’s proven global network

Lyra Health, the leading provider of innovative Workforce Mental Health solutions for employers, today announced it has acquired ICAS World, a global employee assistance program provider with a network of care professionals who offer localized support for people in more than 155 countries and 66 languages.

With this acquisition, Lyra and ICAS are setting a new standard for global mental health care. Companies around the world will now have a single source for innovative, evidence-based, culturally responsive mental health benefits for employees and their families. The clinical and technological innovations from Lyra and the global expertise from ICAS are a category-defining match. The acquisition builds on the successful existing partnership between the two companies.

Addressing a Global Crisis
Mental health is a global crisis. Nearly 1 billion people worldwide suffer from a mental health disorder. Depression and anxiety alone cost the global economy an estimated $1 trillion each year.

“Leading companies understand the immediate, critical need to provide effective mental health care for their employees and their families,” said David Ebersman, Lyra Health CEO and co-founder. “Meeting the diverse needs of people around the world requires approaches that are evidence-based and culturally responsive. We founded Lyra to redefine access to high-quality mental health care for millions of people. Adding ICAS and its localized services in 155 countries is a transformational step as we strive to become the global leader in mental health care and the gold standard for providing fast access to the highest quality care.”

Access to Global Mental Health Care
Lyra and ICAS have a proven partnership supporting large global organizations. This acquisition accelerates Lyra’s investment in making culturally responsive mental health care services, such as mental health assessments, coaching, therapy, and guided self-care available on a global scale. Through this acquisition, Lyra will now offer a single source for comprehensive, localized mental health care to more than 10 million members around the world.

“Lyra’s innovative, evidence-based approach to delivering mental health care, combined with ICAS’s extensive local provider network, transforms access to quality mental health care for organizations and their employees and families,” said Andrew Davies, CEO of ICAS. “We are excited to join our companies together to set a new standard for care around the world, along with exceptional service for businesses that make mental health and well-being a priority for their people.”

For more information about Lyra Health’s Workforce Mental Health benefits for employers, visit lyrahealth.com.

About Lyra Health
Lyra Health is the leading provider of Workforce Mental Health benefits, serving 4 million global employees and their dependents. Lyra is transforming mental health care using intelligent matching technology, concierge support, and an innovative digital platform to deliver a frictionless experience for members, providers, and employers. Lyra quickly connects members to an exclusive network of evidence-based providers, mental health coaches, digital wellness tools, and personalized medication programs. Lyra’s approach to mental health care has been proven to help members improve or recover faster and reduce medical claims costs for employers. For more information, visit lyrahealth.com and follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.

About ICAS World
ICAS is a leading provider of Employee Assistance Programmes to the business community. Established in 1987, ICAS has 35 years’ experience in contributing to the health and performance of employees and organisations. Through its global network, ICAS supports more than 1,500 companies and 6.3 million members and their families. ICAS provides counselling services 24/7, 365 days a year through a direct network of 49 local offices and a total presence in 155 countries delivering services using more than 40,000 mental health providers. ICAS has a long-standing reputation for the provision of culturally responsive, localized care built on a foundation of clinical quality. For more information, visit icasworld.com and follow us on LinkedIn.