Most behavioral health brands sound the same — and it’s costing them trust, admissions, and long-term growth.
In this episode of The elev8.io Podcast, host Gary Garth sits down with Emma Stapleton, behavioral health brand strategist and Partner at Mint Partnership, to unpack how treatment centers can use branding as a strategic tool — not just decoration.
Together, they explore why many behavioral health brands fail to connect, how to reframe brand as a growth engine, and what facilities must do to stand out in a saturated, emotionally charged industry.
🎯 You’ll learn:
Why most behavioral health brands unintentionally repel patients and families
How to design brand experiences that increase trust, admissions, and even clinical outcomes
Five powerful brand moves every treatment center should implement in 2025
Whether you’re a founder, CMO, or executive director, this episode will shift how you think about brand, perception, and growth in behavioral health.
🚀 Key Topics / Timestamps
00:42 – Why most behavioral health brands sound identical
04:21 – The design mistake that kills trust and signals risk
07:55 – How brand voice and admissions alignment boost conversions
12:30 – What happens when your brand is just a logo
15:30 – Should your CEO be posting on LinkedIn?
19:40 – Measuring brand reputation in a performance-driven world
24:55 – The 5 Brand Moves every behavioral health leader should make
32:10 – What branding has to do with clinical outcomes
👇 Make sure to subscribe:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/elev8io/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elev8.io/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@elev8_io
🎧 Podcast Platforms:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/07DofmdcmrCimcnyOzS1nJ?si=a4a6ca40a1554ef4&nd=1&dlsi=952f6812f3054c4b
Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-elev8-io-podcast/id1831101794
YouTube Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@elev8_io/podcasts
🚀 Guest & Host Social Media
Guest LinkedIn: Emma Stapleton https://www.linkedin.com/in/emma-stapleton-a8075213/
Host LinkedIn: Gary Garth https://www.linkedin.com/in/garygarth/
🚀 360° Patient Acquisition Solutions For Behavioral Health Centers
https://elev8.io/
☎️ 305 424 9615
#BehavioralHealthMarketing #HealthcareBranding #PatientTrust #AddictionTreatmentGrowth #BehavioralHealthMarketing #FullCensusStrategy #HealthcareLeadership #BehavioralHealthPodcast
Most treatment centers build their patient acquisition strategy upside down, starting with costly paid ads and neglecting the foundational channels that drive sustainable growth.
In this solo episode of 'The elev8.io Podcast', Gary Garth, CEO of elev8.io, reveals the Hierarchy of Patient Acquisitions, a proven framework inspired by Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and developed to help behavioral health centers achieve full census while reducing acquisition costs.
Gary breaks down each layer of the Patient Acquisition Pyramid, explaining how to leverage Alumni programs, local SEO, and business development before investing heavily in Google or Microsoft Ads. You’ll learn how to identify where your admissions pipeline is leaking money, and how to rebuild it for predictable, scalable results.
If your facility’s cost-per-admission (CPA) is between $5K–$9K, this episode will show you how to reverse that trend, and generate consistent growth.
🎧 Stay until the end to discover how to test your own performance with the Patient Acquisition ROI & Census Growth Calculator For Behavioral Health Organizations, and benchmark your center against industry standards.
🚀 Key Topics / Timestamps
00:00 – Why most centers build their strategy upside down
02:10 – The creation of the Hierarchy of Patient Acquisitions
04:05 – The four tiers of the Patient Acquisition Pyramid
06:20 – How local SEO reduces CPA dramatically
08:40 – Building scalable BD partnerships for long-term growth
10:50 – When to invest in paid ads, and when not to
12:30 – Using the Patient Acquisition ROI Calculator to identify opportunities
14:00 – How this hierarchy drives stability, profitability, and impact
👇 Make sure to subscribe:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/elev8io/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elev8.io/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@elev8_io
🎧 Podcast Platforms:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/07DofmdcmrCimcnyOzS1nJ?si=a4a6ca40a1554ef4&nd=1&dlsi=952f6812f3054c4b
Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-elev8-io-podcast/id1831101794
🚀 Host Social Media
Host LinkedIn: Gary Garth https://www.linkedin.com/in/garygarth/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamgarygarth
📊 Curious how your patient acquisition strategy stacks up?
Run your numbers through the elev8.io Growth Calculator — the industry’s first tool built exclusively for behavioral health executives.
In less than 3 minutes, you’ll see:
✔ Your true Cost-Per-Admission (CPA)
✔ Where your marketing dollars are leaking
✔ How you compare against industry benchmarks
✔ The fastest path to full census
👉 Test your strategy now at https://growthcalculator.elev8.io/
#BehavioralHealthCenters don’t have a lead problem — they have a follow-up problem.
In this episode of The elev8.io Podcast, Gary Garth sits down with Amber Vaughan, CMO at Cornerstone Healing Center, to unpack one of the most mission-critical, and most neglected components of treatment center growth: admissions enablement
Amber brings over 15 years of experience in marketing, clinical operations, and admissions leadership. In this conversation, she breaks down how to build an ethical, high-performing admissions system that turns inquiries into admits, without burning out your team or letting patients fall through the cracks.
They cover how to reduce missed calls, align teams across marketing and BD, and create a patient-first system built on empathy, urgency, and clarity.
Stick around until the end to hear Amber’s “magic wand” fix for the entire industry, and why 7 out of 10 people looking for help still aren’t getting it.
🚀 Key Topics / Timestamps
00:44 – What is admissions enablement (and why it matters)
03:20 – The shocking missed call rates across the industry
06:15 – Why your CRM may be your biggest conversion killer
10:08 – Hiring vs. fixing: When to scale your admissions team
13:42 – The KPIs every admissions leader should track
16:00 – Coaching culture: How to train empathy and urgency
19:25 – How tech and automation can support (not replace) your team
23:10 – Preparing for payer changes, audits, and fraud risk
27:48 – Amber’s “magic wand” solution to fix patient access
👇 Make sure to subscribe:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/elev8io/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elev8.io/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@elev8_io
🎧 Podcast Platforms:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/07DofmdcmrCimcnyOzS1nJ?si=a4a6ca40a1554ef4&nd=1&dlsi=952f6812f3054c4b
Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-elev8-io-podcast/id1831101794
🚀 Guest & Host Social Media
Guest LinkedIn: Amber Vuaghan https://www.linkedin.com/in/amber-v-718007258/
Host LinkedIn: Gary Garth https://www.linkedin.com/in/garygarth/
🚀 360° Patient Acquisition Solutions For Behavioral Health Centers
https://elev8.io/
☎️ 305 424 9615
#AdmissionsEnablement #BehavioralHealthMarketing #FullCensusStrategy #HealthcareLeadership #BehavioralHealthPodcast
How can treatment centers improve patient recovery and strengthen their bottom line at the same time?
In this episode of The elev8.io Podcast, Gary Garth sits down with Steve Donai, Founder & CEO of Growth Sherpa Consulting, to discuss how in-house pharmacies are keeping patients connected to care and how this supports long-term recovery.
Steve explains why most facilities are stuck with a single revenue stream — billable days — and how adding a pharmacy creates a sustainable, diversified model. Beyond revenue, he shows how pharmacies keep alumni engaged, improve access to medications post-discharge, and provide better data to track outcomes.
🚀 Key Topics / Timestamps
01:15 – Why treatment centers struggle with single revenue streams
03:20 – How in-house pharmacies boost recovery & long-term engagement
05:45 – How alumni engagement strengthens recovery and keeps patients connected
08:10 – The role of admissions systems in saving lives (and revenue)
12:55 – Why answering every call is the simplest way to save lives
👇 Make Sure to Subscribe:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/elev8io/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elev8.io/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@elev8_io
🚀 Guest & Host Social Media
Guest LinkedIn: Steve Donai https://www.linkedin.com/in/steve-donai-ms/
Host LinkedIn: Gary Garth https://www.linkedin.com/in/garygarth/
In this episode, elev8.io CEO Gary Garth shares his personal story, key industry insights, and the mission that led to the creation of elev8.io and The elev8.io Podcast.
If you’re a #BehavioralHealth CEO, owner, or executive looking to keep your census full, lower patient acquisition costs, and navigate the complex world of marketing, admissions, and insurance, this podcast was made for you.
👉 Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share — so more leaders (and ultimately more patients) can benefit from these conversations.
#BehavioralHealthMarketing is entering a new era—and your strategy needs to evolve fast. In this episode of ‘The elev8.io Podcast’, we sit down with Trevor Rand, Account Strategist at Google and SUD Vertical Specialist, to explore how AI Overviews are reshaping Google Search and what this means for Behavioral Health Centers.
Trevor shares insider insights on the biggest search changes in a decade, why traditional PPC strategies are no longer enough, and how to leverage value-based bidding to acquire higher-quality patients. We also dive into YouTube Ads as a cost-effective way to build awareness and why becoming part of a prospective patient’s consideration set is critical.
If you want to future-proof your facility, dominate search visibility, and improve your patient acquisition ROI, this episode is a must-listen. Stay tuned until the end for expert tips on integrating AI-driven tactics into your marketing strategy.
Key Topics / Timestamps
00:56 – Why behavioral health centers must adapt to AI-driven search
04:11 – What Google’s AI Overviews mean for treatment facilities
07:47 – How AI Overviews impact click-through rates and SEO strategy
19:00 – Why value-based bidding beats clicks and calls for ROI
38:28 – The overlooked power of YouTube ads for awareness and admissions
Discover how we integrate AI into our 360° Patient Acquisition Solutions for Behavioral Health Centers.
Follow elev8.io on Social Media
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elev8.io/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@elev8_io
Guest & Host Social Media
Guest LinkedIn: Trevor Rand https://www.linkedin.com/in/trevor-rand
Host LinkedIn: Gary Garth https://www.linkedin.com/in/garygarth/
Big changes are coming to Google Search, and your treatment center needs to be ready.
In this first look at the elev8.io Podcast, we talk with Trevor Rand, Account Strategist at Google & SUD Vertical Specialist, about:
✔ How AI Overviews will change patient searches
✔ Why value-based bidding outperforms clicks & calls
✔ How YouTube ads can build awareness like never before
🎯 Full episode drops August 8, 2025
A thought leadership platform dedicated to providing actionable insights, expert interviews, and growth strategies for Behavioral Health Centers. 'The elev8.io Podcast' will explore the challenges and opportunities shaping the rapidly evolving behavioral health industry—helping you stay ahead and make a lasting impact.