Life Connections

What Life Connections does

Life Connections is an Iowa-based mental and behavioral health services provider founded in March 2009, headquartered in Clinton, Iowa, and operating 12 mental health offices plus, through wholly-owned sister company Beyond Behavior, 6 Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) clinics across the state. The company serves children, adolescents, adults, and families through a diversified service portfolio that includes individual, couples, family, and play therapy; Behavioral Health Intervention Services (BHIS) for children aged 4-18 delivered in-home; school-based embedded therapy under contract with 15+ Iowa school districts; ABA therapy for autism and developmental delays; Children's Mental Health Waiver services; psychiatric medication management; and substance use treatment and evaluations. Clinical staff employ evidence-based modalities including CBT, EMDR, DBT, ACT, TF-CBT, and play therapy, and the company holds The Joint Commission's Gold Seal of Approval for behavioral health programs (2025).

Service delivery is multi-modal: in-person at offices across Iowa, in-home for BHIS clients, embedded in partner schools, and via a telehealth/video-conferencing platform that extends reach statewide. The go-to-market motion is sales-led and referral-driven, sourcing clients from school districts, healthcare providers, self-referrals, and direct website intake ("Get Started" form), with marketing supplemented by an educational blog and organic social channels (Facebook, X, Instagram). Revenue is generated primarily through session-based professional services billed to insurance — including Medicaid/Title 19, Hawki, Midlands Choice, Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield, Optum/United Healthcare/United Behavioral Health, and EAP — with private pay as a secondary stream; no pricing tiers are publicly disclosed. The company is a private for-profit entity, led by CEO Alyssa Hennings (with the organization since April 2014), and operates as an affiliate of the Pathway Healthcare Extended Network following its January 2025 affiliation.

Name

Life Connections

Legal name

Life Connections

Website

https://life-connections.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Life Connections is an Iowa-based mental and behavioral health services provider operating 12 mental health offices and 6 ABA clinics, delivering therapy, BHIS, school-based, ABA, medication management, and substance use services to children, adults, and families across Iowa.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Mental and Behavioral Health Services

NAICS

Other Individual and Family Services (62419), Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Child and Youth Services (62411)

SIC

Services-Specialty Outpatient Facilities, Nec (8093), Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Home Health Care Services (8082)

akta.pro primary industry

ABA Therapy Providers (Home-Based) (EDAKAHAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Autism 1:1 Paraprofessional / Aide Support Services (EDAKAKAD), Parent/Caregiver Training & Family Consultation (ABA) (EDAKAHAG)

Keywords

• Mental health therapy
• Behavioral health services
• Applied behavior analysis
• School-based counseling
• Telehealth therapy

Headquarters

HQ city

Clinton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices14 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Mental Health Therapy Services: Individual, couples, family, and child therapy services billed to insurance or private pay. Revenue generated through session-based fees reimbursed by insurance or paid out-of-pocket.
2. Behavioral Health Intervention Services (BHIS): In-home behavioral support for children aged 4-18, primarily reimbursed through Medicaid/Title 19
3. Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA): Individualized therapy for autism provided through sister company Beyond Behavior, clinic-based services
4. School-Based Therapy: Therapy services provided directly in schools through district partnerships

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Life Connections is a mental and behavioral health services provider delivering licensed counseling, therapy, and behavioral support to children, families, and adults across Iowa. Services span individual, couples, family, and child therapy using evidence-based modalities (CBT, EMDR, DBT, ACT, TF-CBT, play therapy), in-home Behavioral Health Intervention Services (BHIS), and school-embedded therapy through district partnerships. ABA therapy for autism is provided through its sister company Beyond Behavior. Care is delivered through 12 Iowa offices, telehealth, in-home visits, and partner schools.

Product overview

Life Connections is a mental and behavioral health services provider offering a comprehensive suite of therapy and support services for Iowa families. The organization operates through a network of 12-13 office locations and multiple school district partnerships across Iowa. Core services include Mental Health Therapy (individual, couples, family, and play therapy using evidence-based modalities), Behavioral Health Intervention Services (BHIS) for children in-home, School-Based Therapy embedded in partner districts, and Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) through sister company Beyond Behavior. Additional services include Children's Mental Health Waiver Services (FCS), Medication Management by psychiatrists, and Substance Use Treatment and Evaluations. The company is an affiliate of Pathway Healthcare and was founded in 2009.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Mental Health Therapy Individual, couples, and family therapy for children, adolescents, and adults using evidence-based approaches such as CBT, EMDR, DBT, ACT, and play therapy; delivered in-person and via telehealth across Iowa.
• Behavioral Health Intervention Services (BHIS) At-home behavioral health support for children and youth aged 4-18 with severe emotional and behavioral issues, focusing on skill-building in communication, coping, anger management, and conflict resolution; primarily reimbursed through Medicaid/Title 19.
• School-Based Therapy Mental health therapy services embedded in schools to reduce non-academic barriers to learning, delivered through partnerships with Iowa school districts including Des Moines Public Schools, Clinton CSD, and others.
• Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) Individualized ABA therapy for children with autism and developmental delays, delivered through sister company Beyond Behavior at clinic locations in Bettendorf, Cedar Rapids, Clinton, Dubuque, and Muscatine.
• Children's Mental Health Waiver Services (Family and Community Support) Family and Community Support (FCS) services that help clients with mental health needs be present and interact with their communities.
• Medication Management Psychiatric services providing medication evaluation and management to help clients manage symptoms and support recovery from mental illness.
• Substance Use Treatment and Evaluations Substance use disorder treatment with masters-level clinicians providing assessments and tailored treatment for individuals of all ages, including co-occurring mental health and addiction disorders.

Quantifiable outcome

• Serving Iowa families across 12 offices and 6 ABA clinics
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Pathway HealthcarecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Life Connections is an affiliate of Pathway Healthcare and joined the Pathway Healthcare Extended Network in January 2025. This partnership enables cross-referral relationships and provides seamless access to care and a continuum of services across a national network of behavioral health providers.
• Beyond Behavior (Sister Company)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBeyond Behavior is a sister company providing Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) services. Life Connections refers clients with autism and developmental delays to Beyond Behavior for specialized ABA therapy services in clinic-based settings.
• Des Moines Public SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSchool-based therapy partnership providing embedded mental health services to students to reduce non-academic barriers to learning.
• Clinton Community School DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSchool-based therapy partnership providing embedded mental health services to students in Clinton CSD.
• 15+ Iowa School DistrictscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnerships with Andrew CSD, Bellevue CSD, Bondurant CSD, Easton Valley CSD, Hampton Dumont CSD, Maquoketa CSD, Maquoketa Valley CSD, Midland CSD, North Linn CSD, Olin CSD, Panorama CSD, Perry CSD, and Western Dubuque Catholic Schools for embedded mental health therapy services.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Tanager Place: Cedar Rapids-based behavioral health provider delivering mental health therapy, residential treatment, and autism/ABA services for Iowa children and families; overlapping service model and Iowa footprint.
• Abbe Health / Abbe Center for Community Mental Health: Eastern Iowa community mental health center offering outpatient therapy, substance use treatment, and behavioral health services; comparable regional mental health clinic model.
• Children & Families of Iowa: Iowa-wide nonprofit providing counseling, prevention, and family support services; comparable in mission, geography, and client base of Iowa children and families.
• Eyerly Ball Community Mental Health Services: Iowa-based outpatient mental health provider serving adults and children with therapy, psychiatry, and community-based services; directly comparable in geography, size, and service mix to Life Connections.

Emerging players

• Hazel Health: National telehealth provider specializing in school-based mental health services for K-12 students; competes most directly with Life Connections' school-based therapy offering.
• Talkspace: National online therapy platform providing individual, couples, and teen therapy via video — directly substitutes for Life Connections' telehealth therapy line.
• Brightline: Pediatric and adolescent virtual behavioral health provider serving families and schools; overlaps with Life Connections' child, teen, and school-based therapy segments.

Broad incumbents

• Lyra Health: National mental health benefits platform offering therapy, coaching, and medication management through employer contracts; competes for the same B2B payer/employer wallet as Life Connections.
• AbleTo (Optum): Optum-owned virtual behavioral health provider serving insured populations nationwide; competes in telehealth therapy and BHIS-adjacent managed care contracts.

Regional players

• Prairie Ridge Integrated Behavioral Healthcare: Central Iowa behavioral health provider offering outpatient mental health, substance use, and psychiatric services; similar scale, regional scope, and payer mix.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/LifeConnectIowa
• Facebookfacebook.com/LifeConnectionsIowa
• Instagraminstagram.com/lifeconnectionsiowa

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Life Connections