Behavioral Health
Substance use disorders. Mental illness. Post-traumatic stress disorder. Opioid misuse. Suicide. Critical shortages of behavioral health care staff. The U.S. faces an unprecedented behavioral health crisis among youth and adults. As a trusted partner to the federal, state, and local sectors, Abt informs public policy on behavioral health through a comprehensive suite of approaches. We use systems change thinking, evaluation design and implementation, scientific evidence, health communications, capacity-building, and collaboration to heal the whole person. We also promote behavioral health equity by addressing social determinants of health, including insurance access, stable employment, stable housing, education, and culturally sensitive care. Our experts bring their backgrounds in social work, clinical psychology, public health, and sociology to offer integrated prevention, treatment, and intervention.
Expertise
- Informing Public Policy
- Health Systems and Delivery
- Rigorous Evaluations and Longitudinal Studies
- Public Communications Campaigns
- Strengthening Capacity Through Technical Assistance
- Collaborating With Individuals With Lived Experience
Clients Include
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Department of Justice (DOJ)
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
Administration for Children and Families (ACF)
Our Work
Technical assistance on use of data to more than 500 state, local, and Tribal grantees to improve substance use programs for justice involvement prevention
For the Office of Behavioral Health Equity, supporting services for historically underserved people via 1,300 community-based organizations
Evidence-based guides and advisories for treatment of substance use disorders, serious mental illnesses, and emotional disturbances
Apprenticeship programs to support communities with a high need for behavioral health care through trainings, webinars, and technical assistance
Literature reviews, research synthesis, and evidence tables to generate guidance to health care providers on opioid prescriptions
Mixed methods evaluation of the Stepped Care program aimed at improving primary care mental health services in Australia
Our Experts
Insights
How Climate Change Aggravates the Behavioral Health Pandemic—and What To Do About It
Abt’s experts dive into how climate change aggravates the behavioral health pandemic and what steps can be taken to effect positive outcomes.
Building Evidence on Employment Strategies (BEES)
Many Americans struggle in the labor market even when overall economic conditions are good. Unemployment is persistently high for some demographic groups and in certain geographic areas, and a large proportion of working-age adults – about one in five in…
Stepped Care for Mental Health Program Evaluation
One in three Australians will experience mental health issues in their lifetime, but accessing services has historically been difficult and stigmatized. As part of the National Mental Health reform, Primary Health Networks have commissioned locally…
Measuring the Health & Well-Being of Incarcerated Mothers
There has been little research on women who are pregnant, give birth, or experience a pregnancy termination or loss while in prison or jail. Understanding the health and well-being of pregnant people who are incarcerated at the federal, state, and local…
Reimagining Response to Vulnerable Populations in Crisis
Homelessness and untreated serious mental illness (SMI) and/or substance use disorders (SUD) are at the root of many crisis-related calls for emergency services. However, first responders often lack the necessary information, skills, resources, or…