Building stronger behavioral health systems together
When children and families get the support they need, they feel better and function better, allowing families and communities to thrive. State and county agencies are working to address children’s behavioral health needs more effectively. This requires high-quality services across the continuum, available to young people and their families, no matter where they live. Public Consulting Group (PCG) can help you develop a clear vision to get there, supported by implementation plans, sustainable funding, workforce capacity, and continuous quality improvement.
Review our Children’s Behavioral Health Solutions
- Supporting Transformation Through Data-Driven Analysis & Strategic Planning: PCG provides resource mapping, service array assessments, workforce and capacity reviews, policy and legislative analysis, community partner engagement, and strategic plan development to help agencies understand what is working well and what needs to change. Our methodologies are grounded in real world experience, leveraging multidisciplinary expertise from former judges, child welfare directors, case managers, residential managers, therapists, psychiatrists, and behavioral health professionals to design practical, scalable, and sustainable solutions.
- Creating Long-Term Sustainability with Funding Solutions: PCG can help agencies access Medicaid EPSDT, Medicaid waivers, Title IV-E, and other federal funding sources to sustain a broad service array. We also support rate setting, payment reform, cost allocation, State Plan Amendments (SPAs), Medicaid Rehabilitation Option, and federal funds claiming.
- Developing System, Partner, and Workforce Capacity: PCG assists agencies with change management, evidence based practice (EBP) implementation, staff training, technical assistance, and workforce pipeline development.
- Supporting Continuous Improvement: PCG applies rigorous, data driven, mixed methodologies that integrate system assessment, fidelity monitoring, process and outcome evaluation, continuous quality improvement (CQI), and communication to guide decision making and provide ongoing support.
Children’s Behavioral Health Collaborative
Great ideas should be shared. PCG convenes a quarterly, multi‑state community of practice to bring together state leaders working at the intersection of children’s behavioral health, child welfare, and complex care systems. The goal of the Collaborative is three-fold:
- Convening and connection – Create a structured space for state partners to connect around shared children’s behavioral health challenges.
- Strategy development – Share and develop actionable approaches to support children’s mental and emotional well being, particularly youth with complex behavioral health needs.
- Partnership strengthening – Build and strengthen partnerships within and across states to improve outcomes for children and families.
Ready to join the next Collaborative? Sign up below to get on the invitation list and be the first to know when registration opens.
Leading the Charge
System and program changes don’t happen overnight. It happens one step at a time, starting with an idea and a thoughtful plan. Explore our recent insights on Children’s Behavioral Health:
- South Dakota Transforming Youth Crisis Response
- Michigan Strengthening the Behavioral Health Workforce
- Meet the Challenge: Children and Youth with Complex Needs
- Improve Outcomes for Children in Foster Care by Reforming Congregate Care Payment Models
- Transforming Systems: Reducing Reliance on Congregate Care for Better Outcomes
Jennifer MacBlane – Manager
Jennifer MacBlane has more than 25 years of experience in child and family services systems. She has been employed by PCG for more than 19 years and specializes in helping jurisdictions develop effective systems of care for children, families, and individuals, including program design, payment and contracting strategies, and program evaluation. She has led service array assessments, rate studies, and evaluations in dozens of states across the nation, addressing substance use, behavioral health, and child welfare issues. Jen holds a Master of Public Administration from Arizona State University.
Contact Jen at [email protected] or find her on LinkedIn here.
Katie Gordon – Senior Consultant
Katie Gordon has more than 20 years of experience working in human services. She has extensive experience in managing a variety of human services consulting engagements. Katie manages PCG’s administration of children’s behavioral health engagements, including the Michigan Capacity Building Center – a new and innovative training resource in Michigan, strategic visioning in Maine, and aligning two public agencies into one in Iowa. Katie’s work also includes supporting states with the practical implementation of the Family First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA). She is the former Director of Research and Evaluation at the Indiana Department of Child Services, where she led the evaluation of provider services and programs, including Systems of Care, residential providers, foster care providers, and general service providers. Katie’s experience includes evaluating offender programs and initiatives at the Indiana Department of Correction, such as the effect of correctional education programs on recidivism and employment. She is the co-author of several articles published in professional journals. Katie holds a Master of Public Administration and a Bachelor of Arts from Ball State University.
Contact Katie at [email protected] or find her on LinkedIn here.