Behavioral health and addiction treatment providers depend on mental health software for reliable care delivery and business operations. Treatment facilities have to juggle complicated workflows, strict compliance standards, and sensitive patient information. Industry-specific software streamlines the work so clinicians and administrators spend less time on workarounds and more time on patients.
Sunwave and Kipu are both established software solutions for behavioral health organizations. They address admissions, documentation, billing, telehealth, and outcomes reporting. How do they stack up, and which one is right for your organization?
Key Features and Functionalities
Sunwave and Kipu both offer EMR, CRM, and RCM modules to support core behavioral health facility needs. They cover charting, billing, admissions, virtual sessions, and analytics. Integration, usability, and automation determine how these features support everyday operations.
Core Capabilities
Electronic medical records (EMR): Clinical documentation, treatment plans, and progress tracking
Customer relationship management (CRM) & Admissions: Lead management, referral tracking, and digital intake
Revenue cycle management (RCM): Tools for billing, claim submission, and collections
Telehealth & Scheduling: Virtual meeting support and team calendars
Reporting: Analytics on outcomes, census, and financial performance
Alumni management: Engagement and support for discharged patients
The Sunwave Approach
Sunwave is a unified platform designed specifically for behavioral health centers. It connects admissions, clinical, billing, and alumni management modules on one platform. Information moves automatically between processes, keeping your teams from having to enter things manually or twice.
Additional features include:
- One platform for all modules with role-based access
- Automated checks for missing signatures and overdue forms
- Internal secure messaging for daily collaboration
- Options to configure forms, processes, and dashboards
- AI-assisted tools for documentation
See the Sunwave difference in action.
Addiction Treatment Capabilities
Addiction treatment centers need industry-specific software that handles their complex workflows across all programs. Residential detox, outpatient recovery, and medication-assisted treatment (MAT) each require specific documentation and billing tools. Both Sunwave and Kipu are purpose-built for behavioral health.
What Both Sunwave and Kipu Provide
- Documentation for individual and group sessions
- Tools for tracking patients from admission to discharge
- Secure provider and patient messaging
- Scheduling and attendance logs
- Outcome and compliance reporting
Sunwave’s Coverage for Addiction Treatment
Sunwave offers seamless tracking for medication management, a configurable bed board for residential programs, and custom treatment plan templates. System-generated alerts keep documentation current and support compliance.
Sunwave’s flexibility and automation help SUD centers expand services or add locations without manual data migration or workflow breakdowns.
Best Alternatives to Sunwave and Kipu
Other platforms typically include EMR programs, which are most commonly used in the field. These systems might fit best with outpatient therapy groups and solo practices.
- TherapyNotes: EMR and scheduling for small teams.
- AdvancedMD: General EHR with limited SUD features.
- CounSol: Designed for therapists, not full-scale treatment programs.
Sunwave accommodates larger and/or multi-site organizations with unified billing, admissions, and outcome tools. Fewer touchpoints and integrations mean fewer errors over time.
Extra Product Features and Functionalities
Sunwave includes extended features focused on operational efficiency and user experience.
- Revenue cycle management: Streamlines reimbursement, claims, and denials.
- Advanced reporting: Visualizes key performance and clinical metrics.
- Telehealth and digital signatures: Supports remote sessions, forms, and payments in one system.
- Automated documentation: MARA assists with note completion using structured prompts.
- Compliance at every corner: In-platform alerts keep documentation current for audits.
With Sunwave, data flows from one module to another without manual entry or updating. Role-based access means that staff only have the minimum-necessary views to sensitive information, so they have everything they need, and your organization stays compliant.
Cloud-Based Software Options
Both Sunwave and Kipu are cloud-based platforms. Teams logged in anywhere can access the tools, with secure logins and HIPAA-compliant data protection.
Sunwave’s cloud infrastructure is fast, reliable, and scales easily for organizations with multiple locations or growing patient populations.
Sunwave offers:
- Regular feature and security updates for system reliability
- Data redundancy and backup to prevent loss
- A scalable platform for facilities with more than one site
- Support for remote and hybrid work models
- Mobile and desktop compatibility
When expanding, organizations can add locations without additional integration work.
Built for Modern Behavioral Health Care
Your operations have to keep up with a constantly evolving landscape. With Sunwave at the heart of your business, you’re supported every step of the way.
- Stay at ease knowing that your patient data is secure with our HIPAA-compliant safeguards.
- Automatic verification of benefits (VoB) with easy, automatic re-contact options keeps your intake teams moving with ease.
- Mobile and desktop access let your teams operate anywhere, from detox suites to group therapy rooms, even medication dispensaries.
- MARA, our AI assistant, makes charting and prior authorizations a breeze—giving you what you need for clean claims every time.
Sunwave gives your staff more time to deliver care because they’ll spend less time burning out trying to navigate administrative hurdles.
How to Choose the Right Mental Health Business Software
There’s a lot to consider before you make a decision that will impact every area of your operations and the care you deliver to your patients. Here’s a simple checklist to help you make sense of it all:
- Chart out your business needs
- How many staff members will need access?
- What kind of training will you need?
- What are your current pain points? Admissions? Denials? Authorizations?
- Do your research
- Learn about the different functions you need
- Check out the solutions in the space
- Read reviews from other customers
- Schedule demos
- See the software in action
- Talk to the team about how they support customers
- Discuss custom solutions and third-party integrations
- Ask about their implementation support
See Sunwave in Action
Schedule an online demo now and meet the team behind the future of behavioral health.