McSilver Institute
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.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2007
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
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.
McSilver Institute firmographics
Firmographics- 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
McSilver Institute industry classification
Industry- 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
Where McSilver Institute is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
McSilver Institute business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- 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.
- 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).
- 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
McSilver Institute product offering
Product offeringCore 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
Companies that use McSilver Institute
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
McSilver Institute technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
McSilver Institute partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
15 partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.
- AmeriHealth CaritasmajorManaged 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.majorCommunity 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 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 HygienecoreFunder 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)majorPartnership lead for TTAC providing cutting edge therapeutic and educational services to young children and professional development technical assistance.
- Rutgers University School of Health ProfessionsminorPartnership with Peer Support Services Technical Assistance Center (PeerTAC) for expansion of peer support within mental health organizations.
- Families Together NYSminorStatewide family-run organization collaborating on Parent Empowerment Program training, family advocate credentialing, and learning collaborative opportunities.
- Modular FeedbackmajorHealthcare 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.
- NAACPminorCommunity 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 SchoolsmajorNYU partner in Spencer Foundation Vision Grant research initiative and Equity Now roundtable series addressing education equity issues.
- Research Alliance for New York City SchoolsmajorPartner 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 LawmajorPartner in 'Equity Now and For Future Generations' policy conversation series and criminal justice reform equity roundtable.
- NYU Steinhardt (ARCADIA for Suicide Prevention)coreCo-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 ProgrammajorCo-principal investigator Dr. Cheryl A. King from University of Michigan collaborating on Black youth suicide prevention research.
- Central East Mental Health Technology Transfer CenterminorPartner in producing 'Saving Young Black Lives: Reversing Suicide Trends' podcast series.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
McSilver Institute competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad 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
McSilver Institute social profiles
Digital presenceMcSilver Institute financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
McSilver Institute leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles16 records
McSilver Institute subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries8 records
McSilver Institute funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
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McSilver Institute M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
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Frequently asked questions about McSilver Institute
What does McSilver Institute do?
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.
Is McSilver Institute a public or private company?
McSilver Institute is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was McSilver Institute founded?
McSilver Institute was founded in 2007. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is McSilver Institute based?
McSilver Institute is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does McSilver Institute make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Government Grants and Contracts are the primary driver. The others are foundation and Private Philanthropy and training and Technical Assistance Services.
Who are McSilver Institute's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are RAND Corporation and Casey Family Programs. Direct peers are Urban Institute, MDRC, Westat, Vera Institute of Justice, National Council for Mental Wellbeing, Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago and Center for the Study of Social Policy. SAMHSA Mental Health Technology Transfer Center Network is listed as an others.
Does McSilver Institute have an API?
No public API is recorded for McSilver Institute.
What industry is McSilver Institute in?
McSilver Institute's product category is Poverty and Behavioral Health Research Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAIAJAO, Health Equity, Access & Social Determinants Programs, with a secondary code of BPAIAJAK, Behavioral Health & Substance Use Public Health Programs. Its NAICS code is 621420 and its SIC code is 8300.