Charlie Health

We’ve published a lot of articles about how to manage stress, so we compiled them all into one place for easier reading: our comprehensive guide to stress management. Whether you’re facing stressors in the workplace, financial anxiety, or compassion fatigue, read on for therapist-approved tips to manage different common stressors. And, if you notice stress becoming debilitating or impacting your daily life, don’t hesitate to reach out to Charlie Health for personalized, virtual intensive anxiety treatment. 🔗 https://lnkd.in/eYHhybbv 

It might be Pride Month, but access to life-saving mental healthcare is rapidly shrinking for LGBTQIA+ teenagers. Recent reporting from Anastassia Gliadkovskaya at Fierce Healthcare in collaboration with Samantha Donndelinger from Uncloseted Media shows that in 2025, despite overwhelming need, more than half of LGBTQIA+ youth who wanted mental healthcare were unable to access it. The pressing article showcases data from The Trevor Project and insights from leading mental health experts, including Charlie Health’s Co-founder and Chief Clinical Officer, Dr. Caroline Fenkel, LCSW. “Virtual care can really meaningfully change access and safety equations,” she said, speaking to the life-saving potential of programs like Charlie Health for LGBTQIA+ teens. At Charlie Health, we’re proud to support LGBTQIA+ teenagers year-round with specialized, virtual programming and identity-affirming clinicians and groups. 🌈 Read the full article through the link in the comments.

At Charlie Health, we know healing doesn’t end when treatment does. That’s why we offer our clients free, non-clinical support after treatment through our Alumni Program. This program is a dedicated space for clients to stay connected and grow together after their time in our virtual Intensive Outpatient Program ends. Highlights of our Alumni Program include: 💙3,100+ active participants 💙17,00+ unique sessions delivered since 2024 💙200+ active groups  💙Decreased need for participants to return to higher levels of clinical care The scope and impact of this continuous care is clear: We aren't just helping people get better — we’re helping them stay better. 🔗 Learn more about our Alumni Program through the link in the comments.

As Mental Health Awareness Month has come to a close, the Pew Research Center surveyed Americans about how they feel about their mental health. The data reveals some stark generational divides. While nearly 78% of adults rate their mental health positively, people under 30 say they’re struggling more — especially teenagers. Over one-third (35%) of teens are concerned about mental health, and their parents are even more worried, with over half (55%) rating teen mental health as “extremely” or “very” concerning. The good news is that most people are actively working to improve their mental health, according to Pew. At Charlie Health, we’re proud to offer personalized behavioral health treatment programs for kids, teens, and adults that are easy to access from home. 🔗 Link to Pew's findings in the comments below.

🎩 Some big news from the Land of Lincoln... Illinois legislators have passed a bill that requires state Medicaid plans to reimburse virtual intensive outpatient programs, a structured level of care for people whose conditions are too serious for weekly therapy alone. The new law, which goes into effect next year, means Illinoisans on Medicaid can access the same evidence-based, life-saving care afforded to those with private insurance. This comes as Illinois confronts a deepening behavioral health crisis, with 92 of Illinois’ 102 counties experiencing a shortage of mental healthcare providers. Our CEO and Co-Founder Carter Barnhart said: "By requiring Medicaid reimbursement for evidence-based virtual care, lawmakers have affirmed a simple truth: Where you live and what insurance you carry should never decide whether you can get lifesaving mental healthcare. This is a landmark win for the people of Illinois, where we’ve served nearly 2,000 patients with serious mental health challenges over the past five years. I’m deeply grateful to the legislators, the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services, advocates, and partners who fought for this, especially Rep. Laura Faver Dias and Sen. Sara Feigenholtz. Together, their leadership means thousands of Illinoisans, especially those in communities where intensive in-person care is hours away or simply unavailable, will now have a real path to healing. This bill ensures the most vulnerable people in the state aren’t left behind, and we’re proud to stand with everyone who made it possible.” Read more about it here: https://bit.ly/4dWU3ie

Back to the Future 🚀 That was the theme of our Alliance Offsite in Chicago last week, and it captured exactly where Charlie Health is right now: proud of how far we've come, and clear-eyed about the future we're continuing to build together. We brought together 600+ people across our Outreach, Partnerships, Admissions, Clinical Admissions, and GTM Talent teams as one Alliance. Over the past few years, these teams have evolved into a more integrated coalition with a shared focus on creating a seamless, supportive experience for every client and family we serve. In alignment with the "Back to the Future" theme, the time was spent reflecting on the early days of Charlie Health, celebrating the growth and impact of our teams today, and aligning on what's next for our clients, our clinical programming, and the communities counting on us. The week was filled with collaboration, learning, recognition, and connection, reinforcing not only the importance of the work we do, but the importance of how we work together to do it.

For decades, the conversation about alcohol addiction treatment has been dominated by a single requirement: total abstinence. While this approach has helped millions, a recent investigation by Lev Facher at STAT hightlights how it fails far too many others. Take Jillian, who struggled with her drinking for decades, even while seeking support from abstinence-based programs. The treatment that eventually helped her overcome alcohol addiction included a combination of harm-reduction and medication. Jillian’s story is just one of many, which is why at Charlie Health, we’re proud to offer a range of approaches to addiction programming, including harm-reduction and medication as needed. 🔗 https://lnkd.in/eCMJAUuk

Everyone experiences stress, including the professionals who treat it. In our latest post, Charlie Health Group Facilitator Bree Williams, LPCA, shares her strategies for managing and preventing stress. “We’ve been conditioned to believe we just have to keep going no matter what. But real strength is knowing when to pause, when to ask for help, and when to take care of yourself in the same way you take care of everyone else,” she says. Read on to learn 7 coping mechanisms Williams uses to manage stress—plus what she does in situations where the stressor can’t be removed. 🔗 https://lnkd.in/eNkh8xFa 

A recent survey from UnitedHealthcare revealed that more than 6 in 10 college students and young adults (62%) experienced a mental or behavioral health struggle in the past year. And, there’s a striking gap between what young people experience and how their parents perceive it. Less than half of parents (43%) are aware of their children’s challenges, data shows. This data highlights what we at Charlie Health know to be true: young people are in desperate need of accessible, high-acuity support that meets them where they are—and we’re proud to partner with UnitedHealthcare to expand access to our personalized virtual programs for students. 🔗 https://lnkd.in/egePCM7f

New research is challenging what we thought we know about today’s suicide crisis. A landmark study from the Huntsman Mental Health Institute at the University of Utah, drawing on 122 years of U.S. mortality data, reveals that suicide risk isn’t just an individual mental health struggle—it’s tied to generational cycles and major social upheaval. “Suicide appears to be powerfully shaped by what’s happening in society—economically, socially, and culturally—and those forces operate over decades,” said Nina de Lacy, MD, who led the study. Taken together, the data leads to two main takeaways: 1. Today’s suicide crisis isn’t a recent spike, but a trend that’s been climbing since the 1950s.  2. Effective treatment should take into consideration peoples’ lived experiences, generation, and economic stability. 🔗Read the full report here: https://lnkd.in/e4rKiaiX