Sheppard Pratt Grant Support
The Challenge
Every community deserves timely, high-quality behavioral health care. Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHCs) play a vital role in making this possible by expanding access to comprehensive mental health and substance use treatment, crisis intervention, and integrated physical and behavioral health services for those who need them most.
As part of A-G Associates’ work with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), our evaluation team serves as key personnel supporting seven Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) grantees nationwide.
Among these grantees is Sheppard Pratt, the nation’s largest private, nonprofit provider of mental health, substance use, special education, developmental disabilities, and social services.
With support from a two-year SAMHSA grant, Sheppard Pratt sought to expand and enhance its CCBHC program, increasing access to integrated behavioral and physical health services for individuals and families across Maryland. Sheppard Pratt provides health services ranging from 24/7 crisis intervention to treatment for substance use and co-occurring disorders for individuals and families in need.
Program Evaluation & Implementation
Data Analysis
Stakeholder Engagement
Reporting & Insights
OUR APPROACH
To support the program's long-term success, Sheppard Pratt partnered with A-G Associates to meet SAMHSA's rigorous evaluation requirements and demonstrate the CCBHC model's real-world impact. Together, we are helping demonstrate how evidence-based, integrated care can improve health outcomes, expand access to essential services, and create lasting value for patients, providers, payers, and communities.
A-G Associates partnered with Mosaic Community Services, Inc., a Sheppard Pratt subsidiary, to design and implement a comprehensive program evaluation framework from concept through completion. Our evaluators guided the process every step of the way—developing logic models, mixed-methods research designs, stakeholder engagement strategies, and data collection tools tailored to the project’s goals.
Our team conducted qualitative interviews, quantitative surveys, and integrated data analyses to generate actionable insights for program improvement. We also created training materials, presentations, and technical reports to communicate findings effectively to both clinical teams and policymakers.
A-G Associates devised training, presentation materials, and resource documents to disseminate evaluation data to diverse stakeholders.
The team also created an assessment plan that included stakeholder engagement, literature review, environmental scan, data collection, and recommendations for Maryland policymakers.
reports for SAMHSA on 7 different grantees’ programmatic progress in mid-year reports, annual reports, progress reports, and final closeout reports from May 2020-March 2025
initiatives completed to improve value-based community service, expand crisis response services, and provide nurse-led care coordination to more than 4,000 behavioral health consumers with co-occurring primary and behavioral health conditions
unique clients served in Year 1 (234% of goal), delivering 10,247 care services
baseline and reassessment interviews with behavioral health clinics utilizing the National Outcomes Measure instrument to assess changes in mental health services, substance abuse treatment, and substance abuse prevention outcomes
THE Impact
Through A-G’s 2025 Community Needs Assessment, a comprehensive mixed-methods evaluation of behavioral health needs across Baltimore City and County, the CCBHC model demonstrated transformative results in community healthcare:
- Breaking down long-standing barriers between mental health and substance use treatment
- Integrating physical health services through nurse-led care coordination
- Expanding access for individuals regardless of insurance coverage or documentation status
These insights provide Sheppard Pratt and other CCBHCs with data-driven evidence to advocate for state-level recognition and the model’s sustainability. A-G’s collaboration with Sheppard Pratt and key stakeholders ensures that Maryland policymakers can clearly see the value and impact of investing in integrated, community-based behavioral health care.
Beyond Sheppard Pratt, A-G’s evaluators served on SAMHSA CCBHC Planning, Expansion, and Improvement & Advancement Grants for seven rural, suburban, and urban clinics—providing consistent, high-quality evaluation support nationwide.
A-G’s expertise has been recognized nationally—our evaluators presented findings at regional SAMHSA meetings and at the American Evaluation Association Conference (Portland, OR, 2024), highlighting innovations in behavioral health evaluation and community impact.
