Expansion means clients no longer need to live near a Guidelight clinic to access the same structured, skills-based care
BOSTON, Aug. 26, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Guidelight Health, a leader in evidence-based mental health care, today announced the expansion of Guidelight Virtual for adults 18 and up, now available throughout Colorado, Massachusetts and North Carolina. Delivered through a secure, HIPAA-compliant platform, Guidelight’s virtual Intensive Outpatient Programming (IOP) extends the same clinical model, licensed clinicians and evidence-based curriculum used across the company’s physical clinics to anyone in these three states — no matter how far they live from a Guidelight location.
For individuals in rural or underserved communities, where structured mental health care can mean a long drive or none at all, the expansion removes one of the biggest barriers to getting help. It also gives clients in cities the flexibility to get the same level of care from home.
Guidelight’s virtual IOP offers more than three hours of programming, four days a week, with both daytime and evening options for clients balancing work, school or family responsibilities. Sessions combine group therapy, individual therapy and medication management, delivered through evidence-based modalities including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). Guidelight’s clinicians work in close coordination with each client’s existing outpatient providers throughout treatment.
“Whether someone lives in the heart of Boston or an hour outside it with no clinic nearby, they deserve the same standard of care — and now they can get it,” said Dr. Andy Cruz, co-founder and Chief Medical Officer at Guidelight. “Group therapy is central to how our clients heal, and we’ve built our virtual platform so that connection doesn’t get lost on a screen — clients still show up for each other, still get seen by our clinicians in real time, still do the hard work of recovery alongside people who understand it. This is our mission in action: a seat at Guidelight for everyone, whether that seat is in one of our clinics or at their own kitchen table.”
Guidelight has plans to extend this model to a higher level of care. Virtual Partial Hospitalization Programming (PHP) is forthcoming, giving clients who need more intensive, structured support — but can’t easily reach one of Guidelight’s clinics — access to that same higher level of treatment without leaving home.
Guidelight strives to clinically evaluate clients within 24 hours of referral and offer them a chance to begin the program the next business day, if appropriate — extremely fast access for higher-acuity care that can make an enormous difference when someone needs support immediately. The virtual program is in-network with most major insurance plans, including MassHealth and Colorado Access, reducing financial barriers to seeking care.
Client outcomes continue to demonstrate the strength of Guidelight’s model. In a recent third-party payer analysis, more than 90% of Guidelight PHP clients remained in the community — without returning to a hospital, emergency department or higher level of behavioral health care — within 90 days of discharge, a return-to-higher-care rate more than 70% lower than the peer-provider benchmark used in the study. Guidelight is also ranked in the top 5% of providers by a national payer.
Guidelight currently operates 15 clinics across Massachusetts, Colorado, North Carolina and California, alongside virtual programming now available throughout Colorado, Massachusetts and North Carolina — all focused on delivering world-class care for individuals navigating anxiety, depression, trauma, mood disorders and more. Visit guidelighthealth.com to learn more or refer a client, yourself, or a loved one.
About Guidelight
Guidelight is a leading national provider of Partial Hospitalization (PHP) and Intensive Outpatient (IOP) programs for adults and adolescents. With a mission to redefine mental health care, Guidelight bridges the gap between inpatient and outpatient treatment—delivering compassionate, evidence-based treatment that fits into the rhythms of daily life. By bringing sophisticated clinical programs to communities across the country, Guidelight is increasing access to transformative care because everyone deserves a seat. For more information, visit guidelighthealth.com.
Guidelight Health announced the expansion of Guidelight Virtual for adults throughout Colorado, Massachusetts and North Carolina, extending the same clinical model, licensed clinicians and evidence-based curriculum used across the company’s physical clinics to anyone in these three states.
Media Contact
Jen Marnowski
Wellness PR & Media Specialist for Guidelight
(404) 309-1137
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/82f17031-d03d-4252-8eb3-2d76d909f133
