Last updated: 2026-08-24
Honest Taskers, Virtual Nurse Rx, and My Mountain Mover lead this year's shortlist of mental health virtual assistant companies, nine firms ranked on how they support a behavioral health practice, from intake enquiries and benefit and session-limit checks to scheduling, same-week rebooking after a missed session, records requests, superbill preparation, and the confidentiality discipline this field demands. Mental health raises the compliance bar, and substance use records carry federal protection beyond ordinary HIPAA rules.
Disclosure: Honest Taskers publishes this list and appears at position 1. We're judged on the same five published criteria as every other company here.
At a glance
- 1Honest Taskers
- 2Virtual Nurse Rx
- 3My Mountain Mover
- 4DocVA
- 5Hello Rache
- 6HelpSquad Health
- 7MEDVA
- 8VMeDx
- 9Wing Assistant
How we chose the best mental health virtual assistant companies
We ranked these firms on five facts, read at each provider's own website on August 24, 2026: behavioral health scope, the HIPAA and Business Associate Agreement position in each firm's own words, published pricing, commitment terms, and the verified detail each publishes. We read the compliance column more strictly here than anywhere else on this site, for a specific reason: records relating to substance use disorder treatment carry protections beyond HIPAA alone, and stigma makes an ordinary confidentiality slip more damaging to a patient than it would be in general medicine. A stated Business Associate Agreement is the floor, not a differentiator.
Best mental health virtual assistant companies compared
The table ranks all 9 on the same columns, Honest Taskers first because we publish the list. Facts were read on August 24, 2026 and change often, so treat them as a starting point, not a quote.
| Company | Behavioral health scope | HIPAA / BAA as stated | Published pricing | Commitment | Notable verified facts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Honest Taskers | Intake enquiries, benefit and session-limit checks, scheduling, rebooking, records requests, superbill preparation | BAA when PHI is accessed; HIPAA compliance verified by Accountable; compliance officer | $10.00–$12.65/hr | Hourly; two-week trial on first hire | Licensed nurses and physicians in pool; 99.6% average monthly retention |
| Virtual Nurse Rx | Intake, scheduling, insurance verification, prior authorizations, after-hours answering, live chat | "HIPAA-compliant; BAA provided to every client" | Not publicly listed | Month-to-month; 48-hour average deployment | "No AI Does Your Work"; admin support only; Florida HQ, 50 states |
| My Mountain Mover | Medical receptionist and administrative assistant roles; EHR-experienced; healthcare educator | "A signed HIPAA Business Associate Agreement (BAA) is part of the contract we provide to all our healthcare clients" | Not publicly listed | Hired within 7–14 days | 1000+ practices; 1600+ VAs; 50+ specialties; EHR-experienced |
| DocVA | Patient calls, scheduling, insurance verification, records and chart prep, patient follow-up | "HIPAA-certified and handles PHI to the same standard as your in-office staff", no BAA wording | Not publicly listed | "There is a contract, but there is not a lock-in period. You can cancel anytime." | RNs, pharmacists, certified billers; Philippines; 150+ practices |
| Hello Rache | Virtual medical receptionist, administrative assistant and scribe roles | "HIPAA-Trained & Certified"; "HIPAA-Compliant Assistants", no BAA terms stated | $9.50 USD per hour | "Cancel anytime - No Long-Term Commitment" | Scribe, receptionist, admin, optometry; dental and vet lines; Arizona offices |
| HelpSquad Health | Patient-facing voice work, back-office digital work and live chat | "HIPAA BAA + virtual desktop" included in the rate; individual HIPAA certification for every assistant | $8–10/hr back office; $10–13/hr patient-facing; live chat $185–$600/mo | 20 hrs/week minimum; 3-month term, auto-renewing | US-based and US-managed; $0 upfront, setup and replacement |
| MEDVA | Receptionists and administrative assistants; bilingual Spanish; billing assistants | Mandatory HIPAA and cybersecurity training validated by a third party (Compliancy Group), no BAA wording | Not publicly listed | "No long-term commitments required to begin"; free replacement VA | 1,000+ practices: 400+ medicine, 200+ surgical, 290+ dental, 75+ PT |
| VMeDx | Receptionist, scheduling, insurance verification, documentation, patient communication | "HIPAA-trained" assistants; "follows HIPAA-compliant processes", no BAA wording | Not publicly listed | Not publicly listed | Prior auth, scribe, RPM, dental, vet; top 3%; 24/7; Nashville TN |
| Wing Assistant | Healthcare virtual assistants and customer service reps with 24/7 availability | Healthcare VA product named; no HIPAA detail published | Not publicly listed | Not publicly listed | 10,000+ active assistants; 2M+ screened yearly; 24/7 cover |
No firm in this market advertises behavioral health as a specialism, which is worth knowing before you shortlist. What you are choosing between is general healthcare VA providers, some of which state a Business Associate Agreement and some of which state only HIPAA training. For a practice handling therapy notes and substance use records, that distinction is the whole decision, and it narrows this list considerably.
1. Honest Taskers
Best for: therapy and psychiatry practices losing clients at intake and after missed sessions.
Pricing: $10.00–$12.65/hrCompliance: HIPAA verified by Accountable; BAACommitment: HourlyFirst hire: Two-week working trial
Behavioral health practices lose more revenue to logistics than to anything clinical. An intake enquiry goes unreturned for three days and the person books elsewhere, often having taken weeks to make the call at all. Benefits and session limits are not verified, so a claim is denied after six sessions. A missed session is never rebooked and the client quietly disengages. Superbills go out late and clients stop claiming. Honest Taskers places staff working your time zone inside your systems on exactly that: returning intake enquiries the same day with the sensitivity the first call deserves, verifying benefits and session limits before the first appointment, managing the schedule, making the rebooking call in the same week a session is missed, requesting prior records, and preparing superbills and claim documentation. Staff are trained on HIPAA and data privacy under a dedicated compliance officer, with a Business Associate Agreement signed before access and HIPAA compliance verified by Accountable. Rates run about $10 to $12.65 an hour by role, background, schedule and location, with a two-week working trial on the first hire. See the virtual mental health assistant service for role detail.
Limitation: staff work administratively, so screening interpretation, crisis response and any clinical conversation stay with your licensed clinicians, and you should agree in writing how substance use disorder records are handled before granting access.
2. Virtual Nurse Rx
Best for: practices needing cover within days, with after-hours answering and a stated BAA.
Pricing: Not publicly listedCompliance: BAA provided to every clientCommitment: Month-to-monthSpeed: 48-hour average deployment
Virtual Nurse Rx is the fastest to deploy and the most explicit about scope. Two published statements make it worth close attention. The first is commercial: it provides a BAA to every client, on month-to-month engagements, with an average deployment of 48 hours for a ready practice. The second is a piece of honesty rare in this market. Despite RN and MD staffing in its own positioning, it states plainly that it offers administrative support only and that clinical decisions always remain with your licensed providers. It also advertises a "100% Human-Performed Service: No AI Does Your Work", which is a direct answer to a question more practices are asking. It is headquartered in Sun City Center, Florida and serves all 50 states.
Limitation: no pricing is published, and the RN and MD framing in its own positioning sits awkwardly beside its statement that the service is administrative support only, so be clear internally about what you are buying.
3. My Mountain Mover
Best for: practices that want the BAA settled by the standard contract.
Pricing: Not publicly listedCompliance: Signed BAA in every healthcare contractCommitment: Not publicly listedSpeed: Hired in 7–14 days
My Mountain Mover settles the compliance question in the contract rather than in negotiation. It gives the clearest contractual answer in this pool, stating that a signed HIPAA Business Associate Agreement is part of the contract provided to all healthcare clients rather than something you negotiate. Its talent is described as pre-trained healthcare staff experienced in widely used electronic health records, and it reports 1000 or more practices served, 1600 or more pre-trained virtual assistants and coverage of 50 or more specialties, with hiring completed within 7 to 14 days. It claims practices save up to 70% on overhead costs, a company-reported figure with no methodology published.
Limitation: it publishes no pricing at all, and the "save up to 70% on overhead costs" claim carries no published methodology, so treat it as marketing rather than a projection.
4. DocVA
Best for: psychiatry practices whose calls run into medication questions.
Pricing: Not publicly listedCompliance: HIPAA training (company-reported)Commitment: Contract, no lock-inStaff: RNs, pharmacists, certified billers
DocVA hires from a different pool than most, which shows up on anything clinically adjacent. Its differentiator is who it hires: it states that every DocVA virtual medical assistant is an experienced healthcare professional, naming registered nurses, pharmacists, certified billers and experienced medical scribes among them. Commercially it is unusually clear, stating there is a contract but no lock-in period and that you can cancel at any time. Delivery is from the Philippines with the Data Privacy Act referenced, assistants are described as HIPAA-certified and handling protected health information to the same standard as in-office staff, and it reports over 1,000 virtual assistants placed across hundreds of practices with 150 or more practices served.
Limitation: no pricing is published, and while assistants are described as HIPAA-certified there is no Business Associate Agreement wording, which is the document that allocates liability.
5. Hello Rache
Best for: solo and small practices testing administrative support at the lowest published rate.
Pricing: $9.50/hrCompliance: HIPAA-trained and certifiedCommitment: Cancel anytimeBase: US offices in Arizona
Hello Rache is the cheapest published route into this role. It publishes $9.50 USD per hour, the lowest openly stated rate among healthcare-specialized firms, on a "Cancel anytime - No Long-Term Commitment" basis, which together make it the cheapest way to test whether a remote hire works for your practice at all. Roles cover virtual medical scribe, virtual medical receptionist, virtual administrative assistant and virtual optometry assistant, with dental and veterinary specialisations alongside. It describes its assistants as HIPAA-trained and certified, and operates US offices in Arizona.
Limitation: it names no Business Associate Agreement anywhere on its pricing page, which for a firm handling protected health information is the gap to close in writing first, and its own placement and practice counters render as placeholder zeros.
6. HelpSquad Health
Best for: practices wanting published rates and staffed live chat for clients who will not phone.
Pricing: $8–10/hr digital; $10–13/hr voiceCompliance: BAA and virtual desktop includedCommitment: 20 hrs/wk, 3-month termSetup: $0 upfront
HelpSquad Health publishes the only full rate card in this pool. It is the only firm here that publishes a full rate card, splitting back-office digital work at $8 to $10 an hour from patient-facing voice work at $10 to $13, with managed teams quoted separately and shared live chat from $185 to $600 a month. What matters more is that the rate includes a HIPAA BAA and a virtual desktop, and it states individual HIPAA certification for every assistant. It is a US-based, US-managed company, charges $0 upfront, $0 implementation and $0 replacement costs, and names client practices including Imagine Advanced Dental Arts, Keady Family Practice and Spark Orthodontics.
Limitation: the 20 hours a week per assistant minimum and a 3-month agreement that auto-renews in 3-month increments make it the least flexible published commitment here, so it suits a settled need rather than a trial.
7. MEDVA
Best for: practices needing bilingual intake or a provider proven at scale.
Pricing: Not publicly listedCompliance: HIPAA training validated by Compliancy GroupCommitment: None to beginScale: 1,000+ practices
MEDVA brings the largest verified practice base here. Its scale is the strongest verified claim in this pool: 1,000 or more healthcare practices, broken down as 400 or more medicine clinics, 200 or more surgical practices, 290 or more dental and orthodontic offices, and 75 or more physical therapy and chiropractic clinics. Staff include licensed medical assistants and certified medical scribes alongside receptionists, administrative assistants, billing assistants and remote patient monitoring support, with bilingual Spanish available. Screening is multi-stage with competency assessments, HIPAA and cybersecurity training is mandatory and validated through third-party compliance partner Compliancy Group, work happens remotely or in an optional Epic-approved secured facility, and a replacement VA is placed at no additional cost.
Limitation: no pricing is published anywhere, and its compliance position is a training claim validated by a third party rather than a stated Business Associate Agreement, so ask for the BAA explicitly.
8. VMeDx
Best for: practices wanting reception, verification and documentation from one vendor.
Pricing: Not publicly listedCompliance: HIPAA-trained assistantsCommitment: Not publicly listedBase: Nashville, Tennessee
VMeDx covers the widest span of adjacent roles under one vendor. Its role list is the broadest in this pool, covering virtual medical assistant, receptionist, prior authorization specialist, remote scribe, billing assistant, remote patient monitoring, administrative assistant, plus dedicated dental and veterinary lines and healthcare digital marketing. Training is stated in electronic medical record systems, medical coding and billing, and US healthcare regulations, candidates are screened to the top 3% through a multi-phase process, and availability is 24/7. Assistants are described as HIPAA-trained and the company states it follows HIPAA-compliant processes. It is based in Nashville, Tennessee.
Limitation: it publishes neither pricing nor commitment terms nor any Business Associate Agreement wording, and states no delivery location for its staff, which leaves three of the five things a practice needs to compare unanswered.
9. Wing Assistant
Best for: practices needing evening and weekend cover from a deep bench.
Pricing: Not publicly listedCompliance: No HIPAA detail publishedCommitment: Not publicly listedScale: 10,000+ active assistants
Wing Assistant is the scale option, which means replacement speed and out-of-hours cover. It brings the deepest bench of any firm here, reporting more than 10,000 active assistants and more than two million applicants screened annually, with 24/7 specialist availability and a 4.8 out of 5 average rating. A healthcare virtual assistant is one of its named products, alongside customer service representatives, executive and administrative assistants, digital marketing assistants and sales development representatives, so scale and out-of-hours coverage are its real arguments.
Limitation: it publishes no pricing, no delivery location, no commitment terms and no HIPAA detail beyond having a healthcare product, which leaves a practice unable to compare it on any of the points that matter most.
Should a behavioral health practice hire an assistant or an answering service?
Hire an assistant if the problem is intake conversion or rebooking, and an answering service only if the problem is after-hours message-taking. The distinction matters more in this field than most, because a mental health enquiry is often a one-time act of courage: if the call is not returned promptly, the person does not try again a week later, they simply do not come. An answering service takes the message. An assistant returns it, verifies benefits and books the appointment. The economics favor the assistant: a medical secretary or administrative assistant earned a median $22.08 an hour, about $45,930 a year, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics May 2025 wage data for secretaries and administrative assistants, against published rates from $9.50 an hour. What no arrangement should ever absorb casually is crisis handling. Agree the protocol, the escalation path and who is on call before anybody answers a phone in your name. Our guide on how virtual assistants support therapy and mental health practices covers the day-to-day scope in more detail.
What are the risks of a behavioral health virtual assistant?
Confidentiality expectations are higher here and the consequences of a slip are personal rather than procedural.
- BAA versus HIPAA training. A Business Associate Agreement is a contract allocating liability for a breach. "HIPAA-trained" describes a person who sat a course. Ask which you are getting, in writing.
- Substance use records. These carry federal protection beyond HIPAA. Confirm in writing that the provider knows this and has controls for it.
- Crisis protocol. Agree what happens when a client discloses risk of harm, who is contacted and how fast, before the first call.
- Contact confidentiality. Set explicit rules for voicemail, text and who in a household may be told about an appointment.
- Scope discipline. Write down that administrative staff do not interpret screening scores or offer clinical reassurance.
How much does a mental health virtual assistant cost?
Four firms publish rates. Hello Rache is $9.50 an hour, cancel anytime. HelpSquad Health is $8 to $10 an hour for back-office work and $10 to $13 for patient-facing, with a BAA and virtual desktop included, but a 20 hours a week minimum on a rolling 3-month term. Staffingly is $399 a week per person for 45 hours, falling to $299 at ten or more, under $9 an hour at the top tier. Honest Taskers is $10.00 to $12.65 an hour with no minimum. Everyone else on this list quotes on request. For context, a medical secretary or administrative assistant earned a median $22.08 an hour, about $45,930 a year, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics May 2025 wage data for secretaries and administrative assistants. For a behavioral health practice the number that matters is intake conversion. A single additional client a week retained for a course of treatment covers this cost many times over, which is why response time is worth more here than an hourly saving. Rates were checked on August 24, 2026 and change often. For rate context, see how much a virtual medical assistant costs in 2026.
What should you look for in a behavioral health assistant company?
A signed BAA, a crisis protocol, confidentiality rules, and same-day intake response.
- A signed Business Associate Agreement. The floor, not a bonus. Four firms here state one.
- A written crisis protocol. Ask for it before the contract, not after the first difficult call.
- Substance use record handling. Confirm the provider understands the additional federal protections.
- Same-day intake response. Ask for the target, since this is where clients are lost.
- Confidentiality rules for contact. Voicemail, text and household disclosure, agreed explicitly and audited.
How do you set up an assistant for a therapy practice?
Start with intake, because that is where behavioral health practices lose most of the people who reach out.
- Measure how long an intake enquiry takes to return today, and how many never convert to a first session.
- Write the crisis protocol and the confidentiality rules before shortlisting.
- Confirm how substance use disorder records will be handled and get it in writing.
- Get the BAA signed and scoped access set up before the first shift.
- Review at four weeks on intake conversion and same-week rebooking rate.
For a fuller hiring walkthrough, read how to hire a virtual medical assistant.
Methodology and sources
We read each company's own website on August 24, 2026, recording behavioral health scope, the HIPAA and Business Associate Agreement position exactly as each firm words it, published pricing, commitment terms, and the facts each firm publishes about itself. Wage context is from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. Business Associate Agreement obligations are set by the HIPAA Privacy and Security Rules. Where a company didn't publish a fact we marked it "not publicly listed"; practice counts, retention rates and savings claims are company-reported and were not independently audited. Portiva was excluded because its site redirects to a domain that refuses automated requests.
Related behavioral health staffing guides
If intake enquiries are going unreturned, that is the highest-value thing to fix in a behavioral health practice. Our guide on how virtual assistants support therapy and mental health practices covers the administrative work a remote hire can own, and where the confidentiality and crisis boundaries sit.
Speak with Honest Taskers about staffing your behavioral health practice.