SACRAMENTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Elemy (https://www.elemy.com/), the nationwide provider of childhood behavioral and mental healthcare, today announced plans to increase health care workers in the state of California to keep up with the growing demand of families seeking help for children with autism and other healthcare issues. The company has launched Ecademy: a fully-paid 3-month training and certification program for Registered Behavioral Technicians (RBTs), with the goal of hiring in California, where 162 families are currently waitlisted in the state to be screened and matched with an RBT. The innovative approach to training and hiring clinical talent will allow Elemy to bring the industry-standard two year wait time to a few weeks. Click here to see what its like to be an RBT at Elemy.
“California has historically been a leader in expanding access to mental healthcare for children, but the demand outpaces its ability to scale successful programs and many parents are having to wait two years for their child to be matched with a care provider. That’s not acceptable when the country is in the middle of a mental health crisis,” said Cathrin Bowtell, Chief Growth Officer, Elemy. “Elemy can now cover more than 80 percent of the state population, with a focus on major metropolitan areas surrounding the Bay Area, Los Angeles, and San Bernardino.”
Elemy’s state-by-state childhood care data shows midwest and southern states experience the longest delays in receiving diagnosis and therapy. Florida and Colorado lead in wait times to verify benefits for an initial mental and behavioral health screening, 150 and 179 days respectfully.
“California has a shorter wait period to get families into the initial health screening with a clinical psychologist, but it’s still averaging more than 100 days and even longer for Medicaid families,” said Bowtell. “It then takes an additional four months to get a California child enrolled into a care plan due to the high demand and limited number of care specialists. Given early intervention is key to child development, we have a responsibility to our children to create more rewarding job opportunities and make an RBT career possible without financial obstacles.”
The childhood mental health crisis was deemed a national emergency in October 2021. An estimated 1.5 million children are diagnosed with autism, but there are only 115,238 Registered Behavioral Technicians in the U.S.
Elemy’s Ecademy plans to address the Designated Health Professional Shortage Areas and the largest markets where families wait several months before being matched with an RBT. The instructor-led program provides trainees with hands-on experience with family cases and care for children with autism. Elemy provides participants with an hourly wage to complete the program and covers the cost of two sittings for the RBT exam. Prior work experience in behavioral care is not required – people will instead be fully certified through the program. Upon certification, Elemy will find immediate placements for RBTs in high-need regions. Interested individuals can apply on the Elemy website or https://care.elemy.com/ecademy.
About Elemy:
Elemy is a nationwide provider of childhood behavioral and mental healthcare. Our world-class clinical team and industry-first technology works together to transform today’s inefficient system plagued by long waits, fragmented care, and poor long-term outcomes. Elemy launched childhood autism care in April 2020 with just four employees, and has since grown to 1,500 people, serving five states and 18 cities nationwide. While the company has made great traction in childhood autism – including an 83% reduction in problem behaviors and an 88% increase in new skills – Elemy will launch into new verticals in May 2022. Elemy is well-funded by some of the best venture capital and healthcare investors including General Catalyst, SoftBank, Founders Fund, and more. To learn more, please visit www.elemy.com.
