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Thriveworks recently welcomed board-certified psychiatrist and former Chief Medical Officer at Optum, Dr. Martin Rosenzweig, to its Board of Directors. Here, Dr. Rosenzweig shares reflections on his career, behavioral health metrics that matter, and his vision for the future of mental health.
Q: What’s a career highlight that stands out to you and what made it so meaningful?
A: It would have to be during my time with Optum—going back almost a decade now—to confront the complex and far-reaching challenge of developing scalable, data-informed solutions to address the opioid epidemic. It required my team to dive deep to truly understand the drivers and develop innovative solutions. This included developing bundled treatments, implementing heat maps to identify high-need communities that informed network development, and creating an integrated approach combining behavioral health, pharmacy, and medical care. We also built digital tools to assess the effectiveness of treatment facilities to help guide patients to effective, evidence-based care.
What made this work so memorable were the outcomes. Our solutions reduced ER visits and overdose deaths, and, most importantly, made a positive impact on people’s lives and futures. It has been a constant reminder in my career that incredible things are possible when we bring rigor and compassion together at scale.
Q: What metrics do you believe most accurately reflect whether mental health treatment is making a difference?
A: Typically, the industry’s default is to look at symptom severity scales, which, while important, don’t reflect the full patient experience. While symptom measures are important, they do not reflect why people seek care in the first place. People tend to seek behavioral health support because they’ve lost function in some spheres of their lives, whether it be their ability to maintain relationships, succeed in the workplace, or enjoy their leisure time.
So in my opinion, the best indicators of progress are measuring function: Is someone returning to work? Reconnecting with loved ones? Rediscovering interests? These are the changes that matter most to patients and the ones we should be measuring more consistently.
Q: What’s the biggest challenge facing the behavioral health industry today?
A: One of the persistent challenges from the pandemic, alongside the decades-long increase in the prevalence of psychiatric conditions, is the mismatch between the demand for care (which is surging) and the ability for those seeking it to find timely, effective care. It’s not just about more providers; it’s about getting the right providers, with the right training, matched to individuals’ needs and meeting them where and when they need it. The challenge is developing an effective system to ensure a seamless treatment journey for individuals.
Beyond solving this access issue, we need to demonstrate that care works. It’s not enough to expand services—we have to ensure those services are evidence-based, outcome-driven, severity-matched, and meaningfully improving lives.
Q: What’s your view on new digital tools entering the industry (e.g., therapy chatbots) and their potential impact on clients and on organizations that serve them?
A: Digital tools hold real promise, particularly in supporting clinicians. Tools that reduce administrative burden or surface clinical insights can free therapists and allow them to focus on what they do best: building connections and guiding care.
But we shouldn’t expect these tools to replace human interaction. Chatbots and AI can’t yet replicate empathy, nuance, or the understanding of a skilled clinician. Where they do shine is in reinforcing care, acting as digital “coaches” that support behavioral activation or helping clients stick to therapeutic routines between sessions.
Ultimately, I firmly believe these tools, where they are now, should be a complement to therapy, not a replacement.
Q: What’s one prediction you have for the future of mental health?
A: I believe we’re heading toward a future where mental health is more deeply integrated into physical health care, both in philosophy and in practice. Historically, behavioral health has been siloed, often only addressed once symptoms become disruptive.
As mental health becomes a more routine part of primary and specialty care, we’ll open up more opportunities—not just for prevention, but for early identification. Physical health visits are often the most consistent touchpoints in someone’s life. When providers are equipped to recognize markers of depression and anxiety, such as sleep disruptions, mood changes, or even eye contact and voice fluctuations, we can catch and address issues earlier, often before a person even realizes they need help and well before reaching a crisis point.
It’s a shift toward proactive mental health care, using the same mindset we apply to blood pressure or cholesterol—monitoring risk, intervening early, and preventing crises before they happen. In specialty medical settings, we can do a better job of supporting and understanding the behavioral needs of patients as they navigate their medical treatment for conditions such as cancer or chronic pain. With the right tools and training, medical professionals can become critical entry points for behavioral health support. That integration is where I see real progress ahead.
