"Working with CEF was different because they understood the importance of the social impact we were making and took that into consideration. So many banks really just care about the risk, the history, and whether they can make money. CEF truly valued the social impact as much as we did."
– Liesl Perez, Owner

Q&A with Owner, Liesl Perez

Give a high level overview of your business. What products or services you offer, where you're located, etc.
Axis Integrated Mental Health is an award-winning, locally owned and operated mental health practice specializing in treating the most challenging depression and anxiety cases. The clinic’s board-certified mental health specialists combine modern psychiatry with evidence-based treatments and therapy to tailor a personalized and effective treatment plan for every patient. Since its foundation in 2019, the practice has expanded to serve communities in Aurora, Westminster and Louisville and has underwritten over $300K in free mental health care for the communities it serves.

How did the idea for your business come about?
When my kid was young, she was diagnosed with ADHD and anxiety. I didn't realize that Colorado was 50 out of 50 states for mental health, and that 79% of all antidepressant prescriptions were written by doctors, not mental health specialists. So we had to find a better way for her than what we had.

Describe your typical customer and what you love about your customers.
Our patients have tried to recover from mental illness for a long time. They are interested in trying a new approach. What we love about them is seeing their transformation and the healing they bring to others when they recover. You can watch some of them here: //bit.ly/bravenotbroken

What led your business to seek out new/additional funding?
We wanted to open another clinic as we were struggling to meet the demand for our services. Colorado is now 45 out of 50 states for mental healthcare, and few clinics like ours offer insurance-covered treatments for ketamine and TMS. To help more people, we needed another facility.

Describe your difficulties in obtaining funding for your small business and how that impacted you and your business.
It can be challenging for a stage 2 company like ours to find funding. We're not in survival phase but in growth phase. We tried to apply for traditional financing but because we didn't have enough history, we were turned down despite having positive cash-flow and nearly 500% growth.

What was different about working with CEF compared to other lenders?
Working with CEF was different because they understood the importance of the social impact we were making and took that into consideration. So many banks really just care about the risk, the history, and whether they can make money. CEF truly valued the social impact as much as we did.

How did the funding you received from CEF make a difference for you, your employees, or even your community?
Because of the funding we received from CEF, we are now able to offer exceptional mental healthcare to the Westminster community. We officially took in our first patients on June 3rd and are watching that clinic grow.

What's on the horizon for you and your small business?
We want to continue to make an impact in the communities that need us the most. To this end, we are looking at opening a 4th clinic in rural Colorado, which has a serious shortage of mental health professionals and support.

What recent success(es) have you experienced in your business?
In addition to winning the Best of Mile High™ Award for Mental Wellness, we also were named a Colorado Company to Watch, as well as a Top 100 Woman Owned Business by Colorado Business Magazine.

Is there anything else you would like to share with us?
Destigmatizing mental health isn't just something that clinics like ours influence. All of us can play a part in normalizing conversations about mental health and not judging people who need it. We are here for everyone and are happy to take new patients within 7 days or less.