Behavioral Health

Behavioral health providers operate in one of the most complex areas of healthcare, where patient needs, regulatory oversight, and financial pressures intersect. Legal requirements are evolving quickly, from state licensing changes to federal mental health parity enforcement, while providers are also addressing workforce shortages, integration with primary care, the impact of new payment models, and—increasingly—financial distress and restructuring considerations.

Our Team

Dickinson Wright’s Behavioral Health attorneys work with providers, health systems, managed care organizations, and investors across the behavioral health continuum. We assist clients in navigating regulatory compliance, reimbursement disputes, licensing issues, transactions, and distressed healthcare situations—including bankruptcy and restructuring matters—affecting behavioral health entities. Our work includes advising on the integration of mental health and substance use treatment into broader healthcare delivery systems, as well as helping organizations respond to audits, investigations, and contractual disputes. We also collaborate with our Immigration practice to address workforce and visa issues, which are often critical for healthcare providers seeking to recruit and retain qualified talent.

Our Services

Our legal services for behavioral health providers and stakeholders include:

• Drafting and negotiating managed care and provider contracts
• Medicaid and Medicare reimbursement and appeals
• Labor and employment matters in clinical settings
• CMS audits, sanctions, and compliance
• Formation and participation in clinically integrated networks
• Corporate compliance policies, training, and monitoring
• Contract disputes and government procurement
• Administrative hearings and licensing issues
• Healthcare financing and managed care organization formation
• Litigation involving claims disputes, fraud and abuse allegations, qui tam actions, and coverage denials
• Mergers, acquisitions, and affiliations involving behavioral health providers
• Bankruptcy, restructuring, and distressed healthcare transactions

Our Approach

We recognize that behavioral health providers face unique challenges: meeting patient care obligations while complying with complex regulations, managing workforce demands, and operating within limited resources. Our attorneys take the time to understand each client’s services, operational model, and compliance risks so that legal strategies are practical, defensible, and aligned with the realities of providing care.