California Institute for Behavioral Health Solutions

What California Institute for Behavioral Health Solutions does

California Institute for Behavioral Health Solutions (CIBHS) is a Sacramento-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit behavioral health intermediary formed in 2014 through the merger of the California Institute for Mental Health (CIMH, founded 1993) and the Alcohol and Other Drug Policy Institute (ADPI). The organization operates three service pillars — Training, Technical Assistance, and Fiscal Administration — delivered to California's 58 counties, state agencies including the Department of Public Health, Department of Health Care Services, and the Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission (MHSOAC), county behavioral health departments, and community-based providers. Its core methodology layers Implementation Science frameworks (NIRN, NIATx) with Community-Defined Evidence Practices (CDEPs) and equity-centered technical assistance.

CIBHS productizes this capability through a CEU-accredited Learning Center offering individual workshops ($55-$525 per course), multi-county technical assistance contracts, and fiscal intermediary/third-party administration services for state initiatives. Major active statewide projects include the CYBHI Scaling EBPs/CDEPs program, California Youth Opioid Response (YOR CA IV), the MHSOAC-funded $16M SUD Pilot Project spanning Nevada, Los Angeles, and Marin counties, the Transformational Change Partnership supporting Behavioral Health Services Act (BHSA) implementation, and the CDPH Community-Driven Behavioral Health Initiative. The annual EBP/CDEP Conference serves as a flagship event drawing nearly 500 attendees.

Revenue is generated primarily through government contracts and grants, supplemented by fee-for-service training and individual donations. CIBHS holds a Charity Navigator 4-star rating and a Candid Transparency Seal. The organization is governed by an independent board and led by President & CEO Percy Howard, III, LCSW, with a distributed team of 11-50 staff and project teams across California, including a Los Angeles presence. There is no venture capital, private equity, or external investor ownership.

Name

California Institute for Behavioral Health Solutions

Legal name

California Institute for Behavioral Health Solutions

Website

https://cibhs.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CIBHS is a Sacramento-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides behavioral health training, technical assistance, and fiscal administration to California state agencies, county behavioral health departments, and community-based providers. It serves all 58 California counties through statewide programs grounded in implementation science.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Behavioral Health Training and Technical Assistance

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Behavioral Health & Counseling (Social Work, Psychology, Substance Use CE) (EDAAALAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Parent/Caregiver Training & Family Consultation (ABA) (EDAKAHAG), Behavioral & Social-Emotional Support (ABA, PBIS, Counseling) (EDAJAKAE)

Keywords

• Behavioral health training
• Technical assistance services
• Implementation science consulting
• Fiscal administration services
• Workforce development training

Headquarters

HQ city

Sacramento

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Government Contracts and Grants: Primary revenue from contracts with state agencies (California Department of Public Health, Department of Health Care Services), county behavioral health departments, and commissions including MHSOAC for specific initiatives like the SUD Pilot Project ($16 million)
2. Training and CEU Fees: Fee-for-service training programs with continuing education credits, ranging from $55-$525 per course, delivered virtually and in-person
3. Donations and Charitable Giving: Individual and organizational donations through various channels including Donor Advised Funds, stock donations, planned gifts, and mail-in donations

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

CIBHS provides behavioral health training, technical assistance, and fiscal administration services to California state agencies, county behavioral health departments, and community-based organizations. Its offerings integrate Implementation Science with health equity approaches, equipping the behavioral health workforce through accredited CEU workshops, capacity-building consulting, and third-party grant/fiscal administration for statewide initiatives such as the Behavioral Health Services Act.

Product overview

CIBHS operates as a behavioral health solutions organization offering a comprehensive portfolio of training programs, technical assistance services, and fiscal administration solutions. The core offerings include Clinical and Non-clinical Trainings accessible through the Learning Center platform, Third Party Administration services, and Equity-Focused Technical Assistance. The organization specializes in seven focus areas: Youth Behavioral Health, Leadership and Workforce Development, Evidence-Based Practices (EBPs) and Community Defined Evidence-Based Practices (CDEPs), Health Equity, Mental Health and Well-being, Substance Use Disorders, and Implementation Science & Systems Change. CIBHS delivers practical training workshops including Demystifying Youth with Problematic Sexual Behaviors, 42 CFR Part 2 Compliance, Substance Use Disorder 101, Basics of Clinical Supervision, and HIPAA training. The organization also hosts the annual EBP/CDEP Conference and manages multiple statewide projects including CYBHI Scaling EBPs/CDEPs, California Youth Opioid Response (YOR CA), and the Transformational Change Partnership. Founded in 1993 and headquartered in Sacramento, CIBHS serves California counties and behavioral health organizations through its three-pillar approach of Training, Technical Assistance, and Fiscal Administration.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Clinical and Non-Clinical Trainings

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to 95% of youth with PSBs don't reoffend with evidence-based treatment
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Riverside University Health Systems-Behavioral HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026CIBHS partners with RUHS-BH to support Cultural Community Liaison (CCL) program implementation and provide technical assistance and training for county staff. Services build connections between behavioral health systems and communities while expanding workforce capacity and advancing BHSA implementation.
• California Department of Public Health (CDPH)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026CIBHS serves as grant administrator for CDPH's Community-Driven Behavioral Health Initiative supporting statewide implementation of culturally responsive behavioral health prevention strategies aligned with the Behavioral Health Services Act (BHSA).
• California Health Care FoundationmajorOthers · 1 January 2026Visionary sponsor of the 11th EBP/CDEP Conference supporting professional development and knowledge exchange for behavioral health professionals.
• Heluna HealthmajorOthers · 1 January 2026Visionary sponsor of the 11th EBP/CDEP Conference.
• Alamo HealthmajorOthers · 1 January 2026Visionary sponsor of the 11th EBP/CDEP Conference.
• Tarzana Treatment CentersmajorOthers · 1 January 2026Dreamer sponsor of the 11th EBP/CDEP Conference. Albert Senella, President and CEO, serves as Chair of CIBHS Board.
• Los Angeles County Department of Public Health - SAPC BureaucoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026CIBHS serves as specialized technical assistance and capacity-building partner to SAPC Bureau, strengthening county's SUD provider network to expand access to quality, culturally responsive services aligned with DMC-ODS and CalAIM priorities.
• Nevada CountycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Partner county for SUD Pilot Project implementing Medication Assisted Treatment in both residential and outpatient treatment settings.
• Marin CountycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Partner county for SUD Pilot Project implementing Medication Assisted Treatment in both residential and outpatient treatment settings.
• University of the Pacific McGeorge School of LawmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Collaborates through Transformational Change Partnership to deliver integrated legal, fiscal, operational, and equity-focused guidance supporting long-term systems transformation for California counties.
• Third SectormajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Partners through Transformational Change Partnership to provide cross-disciplinary support translating statutory requirements into practice for California county behavioral health modernization.
• Stanford Center for Youth Mental Health and WellbeingmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Collaborates through Transformational Change Partnership bringing expertise in youth mental health to support county systems transformation aligned with BHSA.
• Steinberg InstitutemajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Partners through Transformational Change Partnership to advance behavioral health policy and systems change across California counties.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Technical Assistance Collaborative (TAC): Nonprofit that provides consulting, technical assistance, and policy analysis to states and counties on behavioral health, housing, and human services. Directly competes in the same state/county BH TA niche as CIBHS, particularly around systems transformation.
• Advocates for Human Potential: Health and human services consulting firm that provides training, technical assistance, and program development to federal, state, and county behavioral health agencies. Highly comparable to CIBHS as a mission-driven TA/training vendor serving government behavioral health buyers.
• Human Services Research Institute (HSRI): Nonprofit research and consulting organization that provides technical assistance, evaluation, and system transformation support to state and county behavioral health and disability agencies. Closely comparable to CIBHS in serving public behavioral health systems with TA and capacity building.
• Center for Healthcare Strategies: Nonprofit policy and TA organization focused on Medicaid and behavioral health system improvement, working with state agencies and counties. Comparable to CIBHS in its focus on Medicaid-funded behavioral health system transformation and equity-centered technical assistance.
• MTM Services: Behavioral health consulting firm providing training, technical assistance, and operational support to community mental health and substance use providers across multiple states. Directly comparable to CIBHS's provider-facing training and implementation support services.

Broad incumbents

• WestEd: Nonprofit research and TA organization serving education, health, and human services agencies across multiple states. Comparable to CIBHS in its nonprofit TA/training model applied to public systems, with broader cross-state and cross-sector coverage.
• The Lewin Group: Health and human services consulting firm providing policy analysis, evaluation, and TA to federal, state, and local government agencies. Comparable to CIBHS in serving government behavioral health buyers with implementation and TA work, though at a larger commercial scale.
• National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors (NASMHPD): Member association representing state mental health commissioners, providing research, training, and TA on public behavioral health systems. Comparable to CIBHS at the state-systems level, with similar government-facing constituency in behavioral health.
• National Council for Mental Wellbeing: Largest U.S. membership and advocacy organization for behavioral health providers, offering training, certification, and TA to community behavioral health organizations. Comparable to CIBHS in training and TA delivery, but at a national scale and with a broader provider-membership focus.
• Truault (previously OPEN MINDS): Behavioral health market intelligence and consulting firm providing training, executive education, and technical assistance to behavioral health provider organizations. Comparable to CIBHS in its training and best-practice dissemination role, though more commercially oriented and national.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/18649766

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about California Institute for Behavioral Health Solutions