McSilver Institute

What McSilver Institute does

McSilver Institute for Poverty Policy and Research is a private nonprofit research institute embedded within New York University's Silver School of Social Work, founded in 2007 through a philanthropic gift from Dr. Constance McCatherin Silver. The institute pursues three interconnected pillars: research, technical assistance, and direct programs, all oriented toward disrupting generational poverty and addressing racial health disparities in mental health, maternal and child health, and youth suicide prevention. Its service population spans youth and families impacted by poverty, behavioral health agencies across New York State, policymakers, and early childhood mental health providers, with operational reach extending to 56% of NYS behavioral health agencies through its Technical Assistance Centers (CTAC, MCTAC, TTAC, YTAC, CWE, EBTDC, PeerTAC) and, via the AI Hub, into applied machine learning research on health equity.

Revenue is generated almost entirely through government grants and contracts (federal agencies such as NIH/NIMH/NICHD, NYS Office of Mental Health, and NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene), supplemented by foundation and philanthropic gifts and partnerships with managed care organizations. All training, technical assistance, and resources are provided free to behavioral health agencies and professionals, reflecting a grant-funded services model rather than commercial pricing. Key named research interventions include Making Connections Intervention (MCI) for Black adolescents with depression, Safe Mothers Safe Children (SMSC), and the $5.8M NIMH-funded Black youth suicide prevention study. Core technology components include the AI Hub for equitable AI research, the MCI Headway app for adolescent mental health engagement, and machine learning pipelines for predictive analytics on youth mental health outcomes.

Notable technical architecture centers on data science workflows supporting NIH-funded research, podcast and webinar content distribution, and an emerging AI Hub that pairs internal data-science leadership (Director of Data Science) with external partners such as Modular Feedback. The institute has accumulated approximately $99.6 million in external funding since 2020, with 50+ full-time staff including researchers, social workers, data scientists, and public health experts. Recent leadership changes include Dr. Fred M. Ssewamala's appointment as inaugural Faculty Director in July 2025 and ongoing expansion of the Technical Assistance Center portfolio through the EBTDC consolidation in January 2026.

Name

McSilver Institute

Legal name

The McSilver Institute for Poverty Policy and Research at New York University

Website

https://mcsilver.nyu.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

McSilver Institute is a nonprofit research institute within NYU that conducts poverty, mental health, and health equity research and provides free technical assistance to behavioral health agencies across New York State.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Poverty and Behavioral Health Research Services

NAICS

Outpatient Mental Health and Substance Abuse Centers (621420), Child and Youth Services (62411), Individual and Family Services (6241), Educational Support Services (611710), Community Food Services (624210)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Health Equity, Access & Social Determinants Programs (BPAIAJAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Behavioral Health & Substance Use Public Health Programs (BPAIAJAK), Community Mental Health Centers (CMHCs) & Public Behavioral Health Providers (HLAFACAI), Youth Mental Health, Counseling & Wellbeing (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAK), Child Protection & Child Rights (BPAGABAG)

Keywords

• Poverty policy research
• Behavioral health training
• Mental health services
• Social work research
• Health equity programs

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Government Grants and Contracts: Primary funding from federal government grants (NIH, NIMH), state contracts (NYS Office of Mental Health, NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene), and city contracts. Major grants include $35 million from NYS OMH, $5.8 million NIMH R01 grant, and $7.6 million P50 grant.
2. Foundation and Private Philanthropy: Funding from foundations including Robin Hood Foundation, Child Welfare Fund, Spencer Foundation, and individual philanthropists Martin Silver and Dr. Constance McCatherin Silver ($5 million gift for AI Hub).
3. Training and Technical Assistance Services: Free training, consultation, and educational resources provided to mental health and substance use disorder agencies across New York State, funded through government partnerships.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The McSilver Institute conducts applied research on poverty, racial health disparities, and behavioral health; operates Technical Assistance Centers that deliver free training and consultation to mental health, substance use, and child welfare agencies across New York State; and runs direct-service programs such as Making Connections Intervention, Safe Mothers Safe Children, and Step-Up that translate evidence-based practices into community settings.

Product overview

The McSilver Institute operates as a research and policy institute focused on disrupting generational poverty through three interconnected pillars: Research, Technical Assistance, and Programs. The Research pillar encompasses studies on suicide prevention, maternal health, youth mental health, and global health equity, including named interventions like the Making Connections Intervention and Safe Mothers Safe Children. The Technical Assistance pillar provides specialized centers (CTAC, MCTAC, TTAC, YTAC, CWE, EBTDC, PeerTAC) offering training, consultation, and resources to behavioral health agencies across New York State. The Programs pillar includes direct service initiatives like Step-Up, Family & Food Matters, and the Clinical Education & Innovation Department. The AI Hub represents an emerging research initiative exploring AI applications for health equity. Content dissemination occurs through podcasts and publications, with annual McSilver Awards recognizing leaders in poverty alleviation. The institute does not offer commercial technology products or APIs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• AI Hub at McSilver: An initiative investigating how artificial intelligence-driven systems can be used to equitably address poverty and challenges relating to race and public health, providing thought leadership on AI implications.
• CTAC (Community Technical Assistance Center)
• MCTAC (Managed Care Technical Assistance Center)
• TTAC (NYC Early Childhood Mental Health Training and Technical Assistance Center)
• YTAC (YouthACT Technical Assistance Center)
• CWE (Center for Workforce Excellence in Evidence-Based Practices)
• EBTDC (Evidence Based Treatment Dissemination Center)
• PeerTAC (Peer Support Services Technical Assistance Center)
• NYU McSilver Podcasts

Products and services

• Community Technical Assistance Center (CTAC)
• Managed Care Technical Assistance Center (MCTAC)
• NYC Early Childhood Mental Health Training and Technical Assistance Center (TTAC)
• YouthACT Technical Assistance Center (YTAC)
• Center for Workforce Excellence in Evidence-Based Practices (CWE)
• Evidence Based Treatment Dissemination Center (EBTDC)
• Peer Support Services Technical Assistance Center (PeerTAC)
• Making Connections Intervention (MCI)
• Safe Mothers, Safe Children (SMSC)
• Answering the Alarm: Preventing Black Youth Suicide
• Step-Up
• Family & Food Matters!

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 180 families completed Safe Mothers, Safe Children treatment program with highly effective PTSD reduction results
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.

• AmeriHealth CaritasmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 May 2026Managed care provider partnered with McSilver to produce live video podcast titled 'After Birth, Aftercare, Afterthought: The Fourth Trimester' on May 4, 2026. Goal is to build stronger, more responsive support systems for new mothers and address maternal health disparities.
• Greater New York Chapter of The Links, Inc.majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 May 2026Community partner in maternal health podcast production. Sponsors include award-winning journalist Julee Wilson as host, along with maternal health experts, advocates, individuals with lived experience, and policymakers.
• NYU Langone Health Institute for Excellence in Health Equity (IEHE)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 February 2024Strategic partnership addressing disparities related to poverty and Black maternal and child health. Launched joint fellowship in Fall 2024 to advance health equity with focus on Black maternal and reproductive health. Combines McSilver's social perspective with IEHE's clinical approach.
• NYC Department of Health and Mental HygienecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunder and partner for TTAC (NYC Early Childhood Mental Health Training and Technical Assistance Center). Supports perinatal health, maternal mortality, and early childhood mental health training initiatives.
• New York Center for Child Development (NYCCD)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership lead for TTAC providing cutting edge therapeutic and educational services to young children and professional development technical assistance.
• Rutgers University School of Health ProfessionsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Peer Support Services Technical Assistance Center (PeerTAC) for expansion of peer support within mental health organizations.
• Families Together NYSminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStatewide family-run organization collaborating on Parent Empowerment Program training, family advocate credentialing, and learning collaborative opportunities.
• Modular FeedbackmajorTechnology or IntegrationHealthcare AI company and community partner for AI Hub's 'Reclaim the Algorithm' initiative. Founder Chris Hemphill serves as McSilver Fellow-in-Residence driving AI Hub's exploration of ethical AI for social good.
• NAACPminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner organization helping promote important conversations and connect with community stakeholders for AI ethics and data strategy events.
• Metropolitan Center for Research on Equity and Transformation of SchoolsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNYU partner in Spencer Foundation Vision Grant research initiative and Equity Now roundtable series addressing education equity issues.
• Research Alliance for New York City SchoolsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Spencer Foundation Vision Grant for research on overlapping traumas impacting educational outcomes for marginalized youth.
• Center on Race, Inequality, and the Law at NYU School of LawmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in 'Equity Now and For Future Generations' policy conversation series and criminal justice reform equity roundtable.
• NYU Steinhardt (ARCADIA for Suicide Prevention)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-principal investigators from NYU Steinhardt's ARCADIA for Suicide Prevention on $5.8M NIMH grant for Black youth suicide prevention study.
• University of Michigan Youth Depression and Suicide Prevention ProgrammajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-principal investigator Dr. Cheryl A. King from University of Michigan collaborating on Black youth suicide prevention research.
• Central East Mental Health Technology Transfer CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in producing 'Saving Young Black Lives: Reversing Suicide Trends' podcast series.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• RAND Corporation: Large, established policy research organization with broad portfolios in health, behavioral health, and social policy funded primarily by federal agencies and foundations. Overlaps with McSilver in government-funded behavioral health research and evaluation but operates at much greater scale across many geographies and topics.
• Casey Family Programs: Large operating foundation focused on child welfare and reducing foster care placement, with substantial in-house research and TA functions. Broader than McSilver in budget and geographic reach, but comparable in combining research, TA, and policy advocacy aimed at improving outcomes for at-risk children and families.

Direct peers

• Urban Institute: Policy research nonprofit producing evidence on health, housing, and economic inequality for federal/state/foundation sponsors. Comparable to McSilver in combining social policy research, evaluation services, and direct technical assistance to government agencies addressing disparities.
• MDRC: Nonprofit social policy research organization running randomized evaluations and TA programs on poverty, employment, and public systems. Closely comparable to McSilver in mission (evidence-based interventions for low-income populations), federal/state/foundation funding mix, and emphasis on translating research into policy and practice.
• Westat: Employee-owned research and TA firm providing evaluation and survey/technical assistance services to U.S. federal, state, and foundation sponsors. Comparable to McSilver in research/evaluation work funded largely by federal agencies (HHS, NIH, etc.) but operates as a much larger for-profit professional services firm.
• Vera Institute of Justice: Nonprofit that combines research, evaluation, and technical assistance to drive policy and practice change in social systems. Comparable to McSilver in operating a research-to-practice model funded by government and foundations, and providing direct TA to public agencies serving vulnerable populations.
• National Council for Mental Wellbeing: Behavioral health membership and TA organization that trains and supports community mental health and substance use providers nationwide. Directly comparable to McSilver's CTAC/MCTAC/EBTDC centers serving NYS mental health agencies on evidence-based practice implementation, managed care, and workforce development.
• Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago: University-based research center producing evidence on child and family well-being, poverty, and the child welfare system. Directly comparable to McSilver: similar academic affiliation, federally funded research portfolio, and TA/evidence translation to public agencies serving vulnerable children and families.
• Center for the Study of Social Policy: Child and family policy nonprofit focused on equity, early childhood, and child welfare system reform. Directly comparable to McSilver's SMSC program and child maltreatment prevention work, with similar foundation/federal funding streams and emphasis on translating research into jurisdictional practice change.

Others

• SAMHSA Mental Health Technology Transfer Center Network: Federal network of regional Technology Transfer Centers that train the behavioral health workforce on evidence-based practices. Closely thematically related to McSilver's CTAC/MCTAC/PeerTAC/YAC centers but federally funded and operated rather than nonprofit-administered - they shape McSilver's competitive landscape for state/federal TA contracts.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/McSilverInstitute
• Facebookfacebook.com/NYUMcSilver
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nyumcsilver
• Instagraminstagram.com/nyumcsilver
• Xx.com/nyumcsilver

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Subsidiaries8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about McSilver Institute