Best EHRs for Group Mental Health Practices
Let me guess, your therapy practice has expanded and your current EHR is no longer satisfying the current needs of your evolving group practice. This is a growing pain for many practice owners and one that comes with some disruption if you decide to switch EHRs. If you're running a thriving mental health practice and struggling to find an Electronic Health Record (EHR) system that meets all your needs, look no further! We've reviewed and compared the top five EHRs suitable for group practices, so you can narrow your search and find the EHR that will satisfy your needs and scale with your mental health practice.
TherapyNotes
TherapyNotes has been recognized as the best EHR for mental health group practices in 2023 by Choosing Therapy. TherapyNotes offers an impressive range of features for managing group practices, including, easy scheduling, electronic payments, and billing (with every step of the insurance process being electronically submitted and tracked). You'll also find customizable client portals, self-service scheduling, E-prescriptions, and Telehealth.
TherapyNotes provides promising customer support and offers a free trial to test the system out. At $59/month for the first practitioner and $30/month for each additional practitioner, it's an affordable option for group practices. The reviews for customer support are promising and Therapy Notes does offer the option for a free trial to test it out—not something every EHR does! We definitely appreciate that.
TherapyNotes has a lot of pros and a short list of cons. Their reviews were overwhelmingly positive, but we did find some complaints about customization restrictions, and some reported challenges migrating large batches of data.
It is worth mentioning that the Move Forward mental health virtual assistant team loves Therapy Notes!
| PROS | CONS |
|---|---|
| No cost for non-clinical team members | Limited customization options |
| Ease of scheduling, billing, and payments for larger practices | Difficulty importing large batches of data |
| Good Customer Support | |
| Free Trial |
SimplePractice
As an industry leader, SimplePractice offers highly customizable and intuitive software, with standout features such as the Wiley Practice Planner, website builder, popular mobile app, and simplified insurance billing tools. This software is ideal for larger practices with complex billing requirements. Someone with no billing experience can easily use their billing features.
The SimplePractice Plus Plan is $99/month for the first clinician and $59/month for each additional clinician. Some essential features such as credit card processing and electronic insurance claims require add-on pricing. There is a free trial available, so you can explore the software before making any commitments.
The popularity of Simple Practice means that all of our mental health VAs are trained to work with this EHR. Our team loves the simplicity of the platform, but they do sometimes grumble that the frequent updates and new features means there are often new things to learn and relearn in the platform. Although these changes mean this EHR is constantly improving, they can be disruptive.
This is another favorite EHR of the MFVA Team!
| PROS | CONS |
|---|---|
| Insurance billing made easy with intuitive tools | Popular features priced as add-ons |
| A well-loved mobile app | Complaints of inconsistent customer service |
| Wiley Practice Planner | Does not offer e-prescriptions |
| Website builder | |
| Customizable | |
| Free Trial |
Jane
Sometimes you need a Honda, and sometimes you need a Corvette. When it comes to choosing an Electronic Health Record (EHR) system that can keep up with your growing mental health practice, Jane stands out as a compelling option. What is it that got our attention and makes Jane stand out?
Jane does a lot. It really seems like there’s nothing it doesn’t do which is ideal for larger practices with a variety of complex needs. Jane offers a comprehensive and feature-rich platform that caters to the specific needs of larger practices. With its effortless scheduling, billing, and payment functionalities, Jane streamlines the administrative tasks that often burden mental health professionals. In addition, Jane's extensive range of customizable features makes it a flexible and adaptable EHR solution for practices of varying sizes and complexities.
Jane’s positive reviews are quite impressive and hard to ignore. Most of their glowing reviews complemented the prowess of their customer service team. We found it unexpectedly heartwarming to see a personal response from the Jane team on every online review. Any negative reviews are brought to their development team to try and either fix the issue or incorporate the request into an update for its users. They prioritize giving their customers a sense of collaboration and value.
The upside of Jane—that it does a lot—is also its one downside. Jane’s extensive list of features comes with a learning curve when you are getting started. Luckily, their stellar customer service team is ready and willing to help new customers learn the system.
Some practices may find that they don’t need some of the included features, but we appreciate the “everything is included” pricing model. Jane’s all-inclusive Corporate Plan is more expensive compared to some other EHR options, but for group mental health practices seeking a robust and customizable EHR solution backed by exceptional customer service, Jane presents a value-filled option.
| PROS | CONS |
|---|---|
| Comprehensive and easy scheduling, billing, and payments for larger practices | Sizable learning curve when getting started |
| Extensive amount of features & customizations | May have too many features for some practices |
| Hands-on and involved customer service | One of the more expensive options |
TheraNest
TheraNest is a user-friendly EHR that provides scheduling, billing, and note-taking functionalities. The system is customizable, with features such as appointment reminders, session notes, and Telehealth. TheraNest also offers customer support via phone, email, or chat, making it easy to reach out for help when needed.
TheraNest is an affordable all-in-one EHR with prices starting at $39/month. Unlike most EHRs, pricing is based on your caseload, not the number of providers or support staff (like your virtual assistant) in your group practice. You have optional upgrades that include Wiley Practice Planners, a fully integrated client portal, and telehealth support, each with their own additional costs.
TheraNest has been a reliable and well-known software with loyal customers for quite some time. However, recent reviews indicate some frustrations with customer service and with the limitations of TheraNest's billing system . Nevertheless, TheraNest remains a notable option for group mental health practices, providing customization, affordability, and tailored features to meet their specific needs.
| PROS | CONS |
|---|---|
| Unlimited staff members at no additional cost | Inconsistent customer service |
| Affordable | Complaints with billing capabilities |
| Free Trial | Slow to improve the platform |
AdvancedMD
Forbes Advisor rates AdvancedMD as the best EHR for large medical group practices. For that reason, this EHR is best for group psychiatric practices. Thanks to its ease of use and ability to manage multiple locations, it’s ideal for large practices with many practitioners or those aiming to expand and scale. This flexible and customizable software has an intuitive waitlisting system, but add-ons such as appointment reminders, insurance eligibility, credit card processing, E-prescribing, and electronic faxing come at an additional cost.
The fully integrated system is in investment at $489-$729 per provider per month, but AdvancedMD offers ample support for learning how to implement its software so you get the most operational benefit from all its functionality.
| PROS | CONS |
|---|---|
| Ease of scheduling, billing, and payments for larger practices | Limited customization options |
| Offers comprehensive support and training for implementing their software | Popular add-on features require additional costs |
| Designed for larger medical practices with multiple locations and practitioners | Mobile App Not available on Android |
| Flexible and customizable platform | One of the more expensive EHRs |
Because this is a long-term decision for your practice, it's important to thoroughly evaluate each EHR based on your specific practice needs, budget, and future growth before making a decision. Consider factors such as must-have features, ease of use, customer support, pricing, and scalability to find the best fit for your group mental health practice. Changing EHRs can be stressful and disruptive. Keep in mind that what you need and value in an EHR solution may be different than your fellow practice owners.
Your practice won’t slow down when you switch EHRs so consider getting help with the conversion. MFVA’s Done-For-You EHR Conversion service can take the process off your hands. Our consultants are experienced mental health administrative professionals who can handle the data migration, clean up, set up, and client education.
We hope this EHR analysis helps you make a decision for your group practice that suits all of your unique needs. Don’t forget to download the comparison chart for an easy takeaway to refer back to as needed! By the way, the EHR Comparison Chart was created by one of our mental health virtual assistants! :)
