Franchise Deep Dive: Ellie Mental Health Franchise Costs, Fees, Profit and Data

Ellie Mental Health is a fast-growing mental health franchise, dedicated to positively impacting the lives of communities through in-person and online care.

Ellie was founded in 2015 by Erin Pash and Kyle Keller, when they opened the first Ellie clinic on the principle of destigmatizing mental health. Since then, the franchise has continued to grow, now having over 180 locations across the country.

Ellie aims to make therapy accessible and effective for everyone. “Our mission is to compassionately transform the culture of mental health care by providing creative solutions that make wellness accessible in every community,” the company wrote on its website. “And while we know that caring for your mental health and being vulnerable with someone you just met can seem scary, we do everything that we can to make each Ellie appointment as comfortable and as fun as possible.

We aim to walk along this journey with you and provide you with a comfortable place to talk, decompress, do the work, and heal.”

Ellie wants to help its franchisees help others through support in:

• Real Estate: Staff will help franchisees in the site selection and lease negotiations to find the ideal site.
• Finance: The team will provide assistance with loan processing through the Small Business Administration.
• Site Build Support: The team walks franchisees through the entire buildout process from corporate-approved layout and general construction to interior design and on-site technology.
• Marketing: Once franchisees sign a lease agreement, the marketing of the location begins with personalized support to set up social media and marketing materials to generate business.
• Recruitment: Ellie supports franchisees in hiring the qualified clinic directors and therapists.
• Training: Franchisees will attend a comprehensive training course, an annual franchise convention and opportunities to connect with subject matter experts.
• Brand Development: Franchisees receive brand-standard guidelines, and digital and print material templates to personalize their own Ellie.
• Call Center: An in-house call center team will connect prospective clients to therapists to find a perfect match and schedule their first appointment.
• Medical Records and Billing: An Electronic Health Record System with integrated billing ensures all client records remain compliant and insurance claims get processed.
• Credentialing and Contracting: A credentialing partner panels licensed therapists with insurance to receive the best in-network rates for your services.

The estimated initial investment to open an Ellie Mental Health is $279K to $480K, according to Entrepreneur.