It’s been a long road for Austin Gregg, from a UNT student working in an entry-level position at a psychiatric hospital to founding one of Texas’ largest private behavioral health service providers with more than a dozen locations in Dallas and Fort Worth. But it’s also something he started with compassion and intention from the very beginning.
“I fell in love with this work when I was a psychology student working in an inpatient psychiatric hospital,” he says. “At the same hospital, I worked in a variety of roles over the course of seven years, from mental health technician to therapist, reception director to administrator, and ultimately to CEO of the same hospital. I loved what they did, but I always felt like I had an entrepreneurial spirit in me, so in 2018 I founded Connections Wellness Group. It became a great story that I’ll be telling for the rest of my life. I want to go.”
Greg believes that the focus of his business should be on the team first, encouraging those who encourage and supporting those who support others. Greg says company culture is key, and his approach to employee satisfaction is gaining attention. Connections Wellness Group has won more than 140 best-in-class awards at each of its locations, including the 2022 Best Health Care Award in America. He is also one of the few mental health centers in the region to receive the Cognia Award. Certification to serve adolescent patients within the program. The organization led by Gregg has created hundreds of jobs and, as a result, treated hundreds of thousands of people in Texas and across the United States.
“We are a service business, so the best way to take care of our patients is to take care of our teams,” he says. “There is no greater purpose for us than to increase the number of lives we touch and serve.”
Leaving his community, state, and even the world a better place is close to Greg’s heart, and in the field of mental health, he contributes to this goal in undeniable ways.
connectionwellnessgroup.com
