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ICANotes vs Valant: The Best Behavioral Health EHR for Groups
Comparing ICANotes vs Valant? This overview helps behavioral health group practices choose the right EHR by evaluating usability, clinical documentation speed, billing/RCM workflows, telehealth, e-prescribing, patient portal, reporting, integrations, onboarding, support, and pricing. You’ll see how ICANotes’ menu-driven notes and AI-assisted scribe can shorten documentation for therapists and psychiatrists while supporting compliance and reimbursement, and where Valant may fit larger, analytics-heavy workflows. Use this comparison to decide which behavioral health EHR best matches your practice’s size, budget, and clinical model.
Sanjiv Patel, VP of Product
Last Updated: September 16, 2025
Why Group Practices Choose ICANotes Over Higher-Priced Competitors
Running a group behavioral health practice means balancing quality patient care, efficient EHR documentation, and financial sustainability. One of the biggest expenses is finding the best behavioral health EHR for your team—many group mental health practices are searching for an affordable EHR for therapists and psychiatrists that doesn’t sacrifice clinical excellence.[2][4][1]
While there are dozens of EHR platforms on the market, not all are created equal. Some, like Valant, are priced between $100 and $300 per provider, per month depending on features and practice size. Others, like ICANotes, provide a full suite of behavioral health-specific features at a fraction of the price, without cutting corners on clinical depth.
So why are more group practices choosing ICANotes over higher-priced competitors? Let’s break it down.
The True Cost of Behavioral Health EHRs
EHR costs go beyond monthly subscription fees. They include:
- Per-provider EHR pricing that scales poorly for multidisciplinary teams.[1]
- Add-on charges for essentials like e-prescribing, reminders, or outcome tracking.[6][2]
- Contractual lock-ins that hinder switching to better EHR solutions.[6]
Valant typically charges $100-$300 per provider per month, with costs growing according to features, integrations, and group size. Additional implementation fees (often $500-$2,500) and paid add-ons raise the total investment further.[2]
By contrast, ICANotes uses a tiered role-based pricing model for behavioral health EHR software:
- Non-prescribing therapist: ~$75/month
- Prescriber (psychiatrist, NP): ~$213/month
- Part-time or "notes-only" users: $45-$138/month
This pricing structure helps group practices realize substantial EHR cost savings, especially for teams mixing prescribers and therapists.[5][1]
Cost Comparison: ICANotes vs Valant
Let’s look at a real-world example:
Scenario: A 5-provider group (1 psychiatrist, 4 therapists)
- With Valant: 5 × ~$200 average = ~$1,000 per month (and could be higher at the top tier)
- With ICANotes: 1 prescriber ($213) + 4 therapists ($300) = $513 per month
That’s nearly $500 in monthly savings (over $6,000 annually). If Valant’s pricing is closer to $300 per provider, the savings rise to more than $12,000 annually.
Multiply those savings over several years, and group practices can fund needed staff, marketing, or new clinicians without sacrificing care quality.[5][2]
Clinical Depth Without the Enterprise Price Tag
| Category | ICANotes | Valant |
|---|---|---|
| Documentation & Charting | Auto-generates compliant, narrative clinical notes using customizable menu-driven templates; speeds documentation dramatically.[4][2] | Structured checklist templates; praised for data capture, but less flexible for clinicians who prefer detailed clinical narratives.[2] |
| E-Prescribing | Fully integrated e-prescribing for mental health at no extra monthly charge.[4] | Add-on fees for integrated prescribing features.[2] |
| Treatment Planning | Robust, built-in library of goals, objectives, and interventions tailored to behavioral health.[3] | Data-driven plans that may require more manual configuration for outcomes tracking.[2] |
| Patient Engagement & Telehealth | Secure patient portal, electronic intake forms, and 150+ clinical rating scales included; seamless telehealth integration at reasonable pricing.[1][3] | Patient portal and telehealth available, but access often tied to higher-cost packages.[2] |
Flexibility for Multi-Disciplinary Teams
Group practices employ psychiatrists, psychologists, counselors, and social workers. ICANotes’ role-based behavioral health EHR pricing means:
- Prescribers get access to advanced features such as medication management.[7][4]
- Therapists get affordable EHR access for charting, scheduling, and treatment plans.
- Non-clinical support staff enjoy low or waived fees for administrative tools.[1]
This flexibility is cited by group practices as a reason for switching to ICANotes and for ongoing satisfaction.[3][4][2]
Avoiding the Hidden Costs of Enterprise EHR Systems
Valant and other enterprise-level behavioral health EHR platforms target large organizations with analytics and complex integrations. Most small-to-midsize group practices are looking for a balance of clinical depth and simplicity, without extra complexity or high bills.[8][3][1]
ICANotes delivers on essentials:
- Fast, compliant documentation
- Prescriber support
- Integrated treatment planning
- Outcomes tracking
- Secure patient communication
All with clear, upfront pricing, no implementation fees, and no multi-year contract.[9][10]
Real User Reviews and Outcomes
ICANotes frequently receives positive reviews for:
- Ease of use and rapid documentation: “The ICANotes platform cut down on the amount of time it takes to write progress notes substantially.” — Melissa B., LMHC[4]
- Documentation compliance: “The auditors found discrepancies in my manual notes, but none after switching to ICANotes.” — Evelyn S., LCSW[4][2]
- Cost savings and specialized mental health focus are recurring themes across Capterra, SelectHub, and Choosing Therapy.[11][4][2]
When to Choose ICANotes Over Valant
ICANotes is the best behavioral health EHR for group practices that:
- Want to save thousands annually in EHR costs.[8][5][6]
- Employ a mix of prescribers and non-prescribers needing tailored access.
- Value fast, compliant documentation with rich narratives.[3][4]
- Require psychiatric EHR depth without enterprise-level overhead.[2]
- Prefer contract flexibility and scalability for growth.[10][9]
Valant remains a good fit for analytics-heavy organizations, but for outpatient and mid-sized teams, ICANotes offers unbeatable value.
Frequently Asked Questions
Conclusion: Better Care, Smarter Investment
Your EHR should strengthen clinical workflow without straining your bottom line. ICANotes delivers the tools and efficiency behavioral health practices require — at an affordable price point that supports sustainable growth and top-quality patient care.[9][5][1][2]
Ready to See the Difference?
Book a demo of ICANotes today and see how your group practice can save money while gaining powerful tools to optimize behavioral health outcomes.[1][4][2]
Schedule a Live Demo
Experience the most intuitive, clinically robust EHR designed for behavioral health professionals—built to streamline documentation, improve compliance, and enhance patient care.
Simplify clinical charting
Stay organized with appointment scheduling
Reduce no-shows with automated reminders
Improve client engagement with a secure patient portal
Provide flexible care with HIPAA-compliant telehealth
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Sanjiv Patel
Vice President of Product
About the Author
Sanjiv Patel is Vice President of Product at ICANotes, where he leads the strategic development of behavioral health EHR and billing solutions. With over 20 years of experience in healthcare technology, Sanjiv has spearheaded major product initiatives that enhance clinical efficiency and provider outcomes. He holds CSM and CSPO certifications and is a graduate of Drexel University.