Interagency collaboration is a central element to developing a system of care. Mindworks Georgia, a multiagency, public-private collaborative (formerly known as the Interagency Directors Team), works to promote better child and adolescent behavioral health in the state. The Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities initially created Mindworks Georgia in order to implement an integrated approach to achieve collective impact in the child and adolescent system of care; the collaborative has since grown in membership, scope, and impact. The work of Mindworks Georgia informs policy and practice and allows for shared resources and funding. Mindworks Geogia currently consists of more than 20 representatives from state agencies and nongovernmental organizations that serve children with behavioral health needs.

The Center of Excellence for Children’s Behavioral Health at the Georgia Health Policy Center provides backbone and organizational support services to Mindworks Georgia. The Center of Excellence supports Mindworks Georgia by guiding vision and strategy, supporting aligned activities, and through research and evaluation. Specifically, these services include:

• Comprehensive strategic research to inform strategic goals, operations, and best practices.
• Facilitation of an interagency framework with memorandum of understanding and development of operating guidelines for collaborative development and sustainability.
• Promotion of and support for interagency data sharing.
• Facilitation of strategic planning and monthly meetings to progress System of Care goals.
• Qualitative and quantitative data compilation and policy analysis relevant to yearly strategic System of Care goals.
• Preparation and dissemination of annual reports and informational materials related to strategic Georgia System of Care topics and collaborative work, as well as presentation of Mindworks Georgia accomplishments at professional conferences.
• Evaluation of the Mindworks Georgia’s efforts and progress toward their strategic goals.

Behavioral Health

Organizational & Backbone Support