BHDP-NORC-Social Changery
California Research Partners for County Behavioral Health Evaluation
Behavioral Health Data Project
Navigating new process and outcome data requirements associated with BHSA, BHCONNECT and CalAIM, and using data to promote equitable practices.
Contact: Samantha Spangler samantha@behavioral-health-data.com
NORC in California
Quantitative insights using rigorous methods to review Medi-Cal and payer claims data, ensure effective community outreach, reach populations in need, and determine unmet needs.
Contact: Alyssa Ghirardelli Ghirardelli-alyssa@norc.org
The Social Changery
Connection with lived experience focused on youth voices and delivery of meaningful stories of local impact, assembly of advisory boards and collaboration for community engaged strategies.
Contact: Lisa Smusz lisa@thesocialchangery.com
Explainer: Levels of Measurement, Understanding Common Terms and Jargon in Healthcare
California Health Care Foundation supported BHDP to create an explainer of common terms and jargon used to describe measurement in health care.
Los Angeles Multidisciplinary Assessment Team Evaluation
In 2022, BHDP’s Owner and CEO led an evaluation of the Los Angeles County Multidisciplinary Assessment Team process for identifying strengths and needs of children who had been removed from their home and their families.
Behavioral Health Data Landscape
BHDP worked with California Health Care Foundation in 2024 to guide to public behavioral health reporting requirements pre-BHSA.
Certified Wellness Coach Evaluation
In response to the urgent need for greater availability of behavioral health service providers, the California Department of Health Care Access and Information (HCAI) launched a workforce development initiative under the California Youth Behavioral Health Initiative (CYBHI) and created a new profession, the Certified Wellness Coach (CWC). NORC conducted both formative and evaluation research to guide and assess campaign and community outreach effectiveness. Findings from NORC’s research provided actionable insights to refine campaign and outreach strategies, creative elements, and messages.
California Communities Mental Health Services Survey
NORC conducted the California Communities Mental Health Services Survey (CCMHSS) for the California Reducing Disparities Project (CRDP)—an initiative of the California Department of Public Health’s Office of Health Equity in partnership with the California Pan-Ethnic Health Network. The California Mental Health Services Act provided funding for the statewide survey that queried more than 4,000 respondents from a representative sample of Californians including oversamples of populations by race/ethnicity and sexual orientation.
https://www.norc.org/research/projects/california-communities-mental-health-services-survey.html
Healthcare Payments Database
NORC has partnered with the California Department of Health Care Access and Information (HCAI) to improve the quality and comprehensiveness of California’s All Payer Claims Database the Healthcare Payments Database (HPD) data and data products. NORC has conducted multiple analyses to display the valuable applications the HPD has to both federal and state agencies.
https://www.norc.org/research/projects/california-hpd-health-care-analytics-consultation.html
CCBHC Expansion Grant Support
NORC is supporting the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to administer expansion grants for Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHC) paid by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). This demonstration project supports states with technical assistance to the CCBHC’s which are health care facilities offering a wide array of services to address both mental health and substance abuse issues. NORC has hosted a series of webinars for CCBHC planning grant states, including California, on topics such as selecting and developing a prospective payment system (PPS) rate, special populations, PPS in managed care, demonstration claiming, special crisis services, designated collaborating organizations, cost reporting, quality bonus payments, sustainability, and other topics.
CYBHI Research and Statewide Listening Sessions Youth at the Center Report
The Social Changery (The Changery) was contracted to lead the statewide community participatory research effort for the California Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative (CYBHI), a historic multi-billion-dollar investment aimed at transforming the state’s behavioral health system for children, youth and families. The goal was to elevate the lived experiences of young people, caregivers, and communities to inform how the state should reimagine and rebuild its behavioral health ecosystem.
https://www.thesocialchangery.com/case-study-youth-at-the-center-report
OYCR Please Don’t Give Up on Us Report
Commissioned by the California Health & Human Services Agency’s Office of Youth and Community Restoration (OYCR), The Changery developed “Please Don’t Give Up on Us,” an in-depth exploration of youth justice in California from the perspective of over 100 individuals who experienced the youth court system. Grounded in their lived experience and expertise, the report leverages firsthand accounts, research, and systemic analysis to illustrate the transformative power of a healing-centered approach to youth justice.