Health Care Company Announces Record Hiring and Growth

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Jun 24, 2015, 10:00 ET

KANSAS CITY, Mo., June 24, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- New Directions Behavioral Health^® (New Directions), announced record hiring in the first quarter of 2015, continuing its momentum following record sales growth in 2014.

The integrated health care company hired more than 50 employees in the first quarter of 2015 and continued to expand its leadership team by hiring Deborah Happ, Ph.D., senior vice president of Clinical Services. Dr. Happ held previous leadership positions with UnitedHealthcare and Magellan Health Services.

New Directions provides managed behavioral health care services, employee assistance programs, health coaching and organizational consulting to private and public health plans and to employers around the country. In April, the company began serving its largest commercial health plan customer, a large health insurer in Michigan, as well as a large state Medicaid program in Alabama.

Since 2008, New Directions more than quadrupled its workforce, from 84 employees to over 400. Total lives covered through health plans, employee assistance programs and government entities increased 800 percent, with revenue more than tripling. Today, New Directions serves over 12 million members, nearly nine times more people than in 2008, making it one of the fastest growing behavioral health care companies in the nation. The company, with headquarters in Kansas City, Mo., has offices in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Kansas, Missouri and Texas.

"Our growth has generated jobs, expanded the size of our teams across the organization and allowed us to develop new programs and services," said Dr. John Quick, New Directions' president and chief executive officer. "Most importantly, we are connecting even more people with the resources they need to improve their health and well-being."

With the expansion, New Directions is focused forward, working to integrate physical and mental health care services, which the company believes is essential to improving overall health and driving down costs.

According to Quick, the company is finding ways to work more closely with medical groups, such as primary care practices. Through collaborative efforts, New Directions is launching pilot programs, research studies and innovative services to drive change and improve whole person health.

Founded in 1995, New Directions helps people live healthy, balanced lives. The fast-growing health care company provides managed behavioral health care services, employee assistance programs (EAPs), organizational consulting and health coaching to large regional health plans, Fortune 100 companies, employers and labor groups. For more information, visit ndbh.com.

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SOURCE New Directions Behavioral Health