The Center of Excellence takes a multipronged approach to research, policy, and practice to support the development and implementation of a sustainable behavioral health system that is comprehensive, coordinated, culturally competent, equity-oriented, evidence-based, and driven by an individuals’ needs.

We are guided in our work both by the values of the Georgia Health Policy Center and by the principles of systems of care.

The Georgia Health Policy Center has been the go-to health policy research center in Georgia since 1995 because it provides objective, credible, and timely health policy guidance and evidence to support excellence in programs, practice, and policy; advocates for a way to approach problems, rather than for a specific solution; and remains committed to building strong partnerships based on the principles of trust, value, and support.

The Center of Excellence for Children’s Behavioral Health upholds the Georgia Health Policy Center’s values and approach to work.

A system of care is a comprehensive spectrum of effective services and supports for children, youth, and young adults with or at risk for mental health or other challenges and their families. It provides a framework for how a behavioral health services and supports delivery system should work.

The Center of Excellence is committed to working with system of care partners to support the strengthening of this coordinated network of care in Georgia to help families and youth to thrive at home, in school, in the community, and throughout life.

The system of care is based on the principles that the system works best when it is:

• Community-based with services, management, and decision-making occurring at the community level
• Coordinated between providers and agencies
• Culturally competent with agencies, programs, and services that are responsive to the cultural, linguistic, racial, and ethnic differences of the populations they serve
• Child, family, and person-centered and family and community focused. The needs of the child, individual, or family dictate the mix of services provided
• Comprehensive supporting functioning in all parts of life (school, home, etc.)

The Center of Excellence for Children’s Behavioral Health continues to grow partnerships at the local, state, and national levels, and with public agencies and private organizations to advance development of effective behavioral health systems to serve children and families.

We recognize that the vision an effective and coordinated system of care cannot be achieved independently and we value our partners and partnerships with organizations and communities. We proudly partner with behavioral health and health providers; legislators, other elected officials, and their staff; nonprofit, child-serving organizations; philanthropies; public and private payers; schools; and state and federal agencies.

The Center of Excellence acknowledges the incredible work that our partners do, and we look forward to the opportunity to partner with you! Please reach out to discuss opportunities for working together.

See our full list of partners below!