What is it?
Achieving Behavioral Health Excellence (ABHE) was a federally funded initiative that advanced equity by improving behavioral health outcomes for underserved communities and strengthening the workforce that serves them. Rooted in principles of inclusion, data-informed decision-making, and community capacity building, ABHE addressed health inequities across five domains: policy, data, workforce development and practice improvement, communications, and technical assistance. The initiative also supported the long-standing National Network to Eliminate Disparities in Behavioral Health (NNED), which fosters peer learning, resource sharing, and collaboration among community-based organizations nationwide.
What Change Matrix does
In partnership with Abt Global, Change Matrix (CM) contributed to ABHE by building organizational capacity, elevating data storytelling, and amplifying community voices to drive systems change. CM provided oversight of the NNED, leading network convenings, resource development, and curation. CM also co-led programming and products that enhanced literature, provided technical support, created opportunities for peer learning, and increased skill building and knowledge to strengthen behavioral health systems through equitable and community-driven practices.
Why we love this work
This work embodies our mission to center equity, care for both people and systems, and ensure that community-based organizations—especially those serving racially, ethnically, and culturally diverse populations—are equipped to lead lasting change in behavioral health.
