CallataGuides

Business phone system for mental health practices in Tennessee

405 mental health practices operated in Tennessee in 2023. Where they are, how big their teams are, and what phone service costs them.

Establishments
405CBP 2023
Employees
3,720mid-March 2023
Per 100k residents
5.6U.S. 13.7
State rank
32nd of 51by count

The therapy practice industry in Tennessee

County Business Patterns counts 405 establishments in Tennessee classified as Offices of Mental Health Practitioners (except Physicians) (NAICS 621330) for 2023. They employed 3,720 people in mid-March and reported $179.2 million in annual payroll. That is the 32nd highest count among the 51 states and DC with published figures. Mental health practices make up 0.27% of the 150,129 business establishments in the state.

Per 100,000 residents (2024 estimate) Tennessee has 5.6 mental health practices, 59.0% below the national rate of 13.7. The average establishment has 9.2 employees against 5.9 nationally. Payroll per employee is $48,161, 6.4% above the U.S. figure of $45,252.

Mental health practices: Tennessee compared with the U.S., 2023
MeasureTennesseeUnited States
Establishments40546,513
Mid-March employees3,720276,277
Annual payroll$179,158,000$12,502,175,000
Employees per establishment9.25.9
Payroll per employee$48,161$45,252
Establishments per 100,000 residents5.613.7

Census County Business Patterns 2023 (mid-March employment; annual payroll). Employees and payroll flagged high-noise are shown but not used in the text. Residents: Census Vintage 2024 estimates.

Tennessee's largest markets for mental health practices

Census published therapy practice counts for 11 metro or micropolitan areas that include part of Tennessee. The largest is Nashville, TN, with 156 establishments. Single-state metro and micropolitan areas account for 64% of the statewide total; the rest are outside any published area or in areas Census suppressed.

Mental health practices by metro or micropolitan area, Tennessee, 2023
AreaEstablishmentsEmployeesPer 100k residents
Nashville, TN1561,7547.3
Memphis, TN-MS-AR746665.5
Knoxville, TN60—6.3
Chattanooga, TN-GA392436.6
Clarksville, TN-KY182385.2
Kingsport, TN-VA16465.1
Johnson City, TN141066.5
Jackson, TN131217.1
Cleveland, TN7325.3
Cookeville, TN51353.3
Tullahoma, TN3—4.4

Source: Census County Business Patterns 2023; population from Census Vintage 2024 estimates.

Team sizes at mental health practices in Tennessee

62.7% of Tennessee's mental health practices with employees had fewer than five people in March 2023, compared with 78.1% nationally. 76.8% had fewer than ten. That is the size of team where a missed call usually means nobody was free, not that nobody was on staff.

Mental health practices in Tennessee by employment size, 2023
Employment sizeEstablishmentsShareU.S. share
1–4 employees25462.7%78.1%
5–9 employees5714.1%9.0%
10–19 employees4110.1%6.6%
20–49 employees399.6%4.7%
50 or more employees143.5%1.7%

Employment-size classes count establishments by mid-March 2023 employment. Establishments with no March employees are excluded from the size classes, so shares are of establishments with employees. Source: Census County Business Patterns 2023.

What mental health practices in Tennessee use the phone for

Counselors and therapists are often in session when the phone rings, so first contacts frequently land in voicemail. Prospective clients reaching out for the first time may not call twice, which makes prompt, accurate callbacks important.

Typical inbound and outbound calls for mental health practices in Tennessee:

Calls after closing time

After-hours greetings should point callers in crisis to emergency services or a crisis line, with routine messages captured for the next day.

Callata voicemail is transcribed and triaged for urgency, and business-hours routing decides where calls go once you close.

Callata vs. per-seat pricing for mental health practices in Tennessee

Mental health practices in Tennessee average 9.2 employees, so the comparison uses a 9-person team. On a per-user plan that headcount sets the bill: $224.55 a month on Ooma Office Pro or $270.00 on RingCentral RingEX Core at list price (checked September 28, 2026). On Callata the same 9 people cost $179.00 a month, less than either per-seat plan.

The annual difference against RingCentral's monthly list price comes to $1,092. Some vendors discount annual contracts; the table shows month-to-month prices.

Monthly list price for a 9-person therapy practice
Provider (plan)Pricing basisPer monthPer year
Callata (Callata Office)$99 incl. 5 users, $20 per extra user$179.00$2,148.00
Quo (Starter)$19.00 per user$171.00$2,052.00
Nextiva (Core)$23.00 per user$207.00$2,484.00
Ooma (Office Pro)$24.95 per user$224.55$2,694.60
Dialpad (Standard)$27.00 per user$243.00$2,916.00
RingCentral (RingEX Core)$30.00 per user$270.00$3,240.00

Competitor prices are each vendor's published month-to-month list price per user for its lowest plan that includes business calling and texting, checked September 28, 2026: Quo Starter $19, Nextiva Core $23, Ooma Office Pro $24.95 (Essentials excludes texting; one-time $29.95 activation not included), Dialpad Standard $27, RingCentral RingEX Core $30 ($20 billed annually). Prices exclude taxes and fees and may change; annual contracts lower some competitors' prices.

Area codes in Tennessee

Tennessee has 8 geographic area codes in service according to NANPA. You can choose local numbers in the area codes your clients know, subject to carrier inventory, or port your current number for free.

Area codes in Tennessee by assigned exchanges
Area codeExchangesTime zoneIn service sinceOverlay with
615781Central1954629
423764Eastern and Central1995729
901616Central1947none
931538Eastern and Central1997none
865506Eastern1999none
731395Central2001none
629197Central2015615
7290Eastern and Central2025423

Exchanges are NANPA-assigned central office codes (NPA-NXX) in the rate centers matched to the area's named places. Source: NANPA utilized code and NPA reports.

How Callata works for mental health practices in Tennessee

Callata Office costs $99 per month for up to 5 people, and each additional user is $20 a month. That covers up to 3 local numbers, calling from a browser or your cell, transcribed voicemail, recorded calls with AI summaries, after-hours routing and E911 on each number.

If you already have a number in Tennessee, porting it to Callata is free. Texting from a local number requires a one-time carrier registration (10DLC, $49), and the numbers available in any area code depend on carrier inventory when you choose them.

Optional AI agents (receptionist, sales, support or scheduler) can answer calls after hours or when nobody picks up, take messages, text, email and transfer to your team. They are billed from prepaid AI minutes at $0.25 per minute, identify themselves as AI, and may only place outbound calls to people who consented, between 8am and 9pm.

Practices that handle protected health information should review their own privacy obligations before recording calls, enabling AI summaries or texting appointment details, and keep clinical conversations out of text messages unless their policies allow it.

Frequently asked questions

How many mental health practices are in Tennessee?

405 in 2023, according to Census County Business Patterns. They employed 3,720 people in mid-March.

Which Tennessee metro area has the most mental health practices?

Nashville, TN, with 156 establishments in 2023.

What does a phone system cost a 9-person therapy practice?

$270.00 a month on RingCentral RingEX Core or $224.55 on Ooma Office Pro at month-to-month list prices (checked September 28, 2026); $179.00 on Callata ($99 a month with 5 users included, then $20 per additional user).

Do I need to register to text customers from a Tennessee number?

Yes. US carriers require business texting from local numbers to be registered (10DLC). On Callata the registration is a one-time $49 fee, and texting turns on once it is approved.