Our Model
How We Drive Systems Change in School Mental Health
We are NYC’s independent R&D lab for school-based mental health.
Our role is not to provide direct services, but to identify, incubate, and scale prevention-focused solutions that schools can sustain over time.
Most pilots won’t make it. The ones that do become blueprints for transforming how the entire system supports student mental health.
Our Five-Step Approach
Assess
Incubate
Evaluate
Develop
Advocate
1. Assess Needs
We begin by listening.
Each year, we partner with ~100 NYC schools through surveys, interviews, and focus groups. These conversations uncover the most pressing gaps in mental health resources, staff training, student supports, and school culture.
Why it matters: What looks good on paper often fails in practice. Listening first keeps us grounded in what schools actually need.
2. Incubate & Pilot Solutions
We issue targeted RFPs twice a year to surface the most promising ideas from best-in-class nonprofits.
After a rigorous vetting process, we fund and support a select group of pilots—providing hands-on partnership as they launch inside schools.
Why it matters: We take smart risks on prevention-focused ideas that traditional funders won’t touch, creating space for true innovation.
3. Evaluate Rigorously
Every pilot is tested against a standardized framework of student outcomes, school climate, and operational performance.
We stay close to the work, measuring what happens not just in theory but in real classrooms.
Why it matters: Our model is built on proof. Only the most effective programs move forward.
4. Develop Blueprints for Scale
When a program demonstrates real-world impact, we codify the model into the NYC School Mental Health Blueprint — a clear guide and funding roadmap for citywide adoption.
Why it matters: We’re not just growing individual programs; we’re building evidence-backed playbooks for entire systems.
5. Advocate for Policy Shifts
We translate proven evidence into policy recommendations and build coalitions to advance them.
Our goal: to shift millions in public dollars away from ineffective interventions and toward the solutions that work.
Why it matters: Sustainable change only happens when prevention becomes embedded in policy and budgets.
Why This Model Works
Independent & Flexible: We test outside bureaucratic constraints.
Evidence-Driven: We advance only what shows measurable results.
Built for Scale: Each pilot contributes to a broader roadmap, not just a one-off program.
Focused on Systems Change: Our ultimate aim is to transform how NYC—and other cities—invest in student mental health.
By 2027, Our Model Will Deliver:
A published and adopted NYC School Mental Health Blueprint
Policy changes mandating evidence-based programs
Public dollars redirected toward prevention at scale
A replicable model for other urban school systems nationwide