Who We Are
The Children’s Behavioral Health Knowledge Center is an initiative within the Department of Mental Health in the Child, Youth, and Families Division. As part of the state’s mental health authority, the Knowledge Center’s purview is the entire children’s behavioral health system, across EOHHS agencies and across public and private payers.
Our Mission
The Children’s Behavioral Health Knowledge Center was established in Chapter 321 of the Acts of 2008: An Act Relative to Children’s Mental Health, with a mission to ensure that:
- the workforce of clinicians and direct care staff providing children’s behavioral health services are highly skilled and well trained.
- the services provided to children in the Commonwealth are cost-effective and evidence-based.
- the Commonwealth continues to develop and evaluate new models of service delivery.
What We Do
The Knowledge Center fills a gap in the children’s behavioral health system by serving as an information hub, through its website, workshops, training and webinars. Additionally, the center provides funding for programs and initiatives that support best practices with specific attention to diversity, equity and inclusion. Center staff work with colleagues who are developing, implementing, and advocating for practices, programs, and service delivery models that are based on the best available evidence about what works to improve outcomes for young people. As an intermediary organization, our activities facilitate connection among the rich array of children’s behavioral health researchers, program developers, providers, practitioners, and consumer advocates in Massachusetts. We connect research, policy, and practice and connect Massachusetts with national leaders in innovation and best practice.
Through this collaboration, we identify strategic opportunities to fund small projects that the Center is uniquely positioned to support, ones that leverage other investments and have the potential to catalyze change throughout the system. Our projects generally focus on the application of research knowledge, not the production of it.
Our Team
Margarita (Magui) O’Neill-Arana
Director
Margarita (Magui) O’Neill-Arana, the Director of the Children’s Behavioral Health Knowledge Center is a psychologist with extensive experience in academic, clinical, and administrative roles focused on mental health services for children, adolescents and families representing diverse ethnic, racial, and socioeconomic backgrounds. Prior to joining DMH Magui was Associate Dean and Director of Clinical Training in the doctoral program in Clinical Psychology at Union Institute & University, and Associate Professor of Human Services at Springfield College. Earlier in her career, she was Clinical Director at Gandara Mental Health Center and Director of Culture Specific Services at Worcester Youth Guidance Center (now part of Community HealthLink), where she was a member of the APA-approved pre-doctoral psychology Internship faculty and supervised interns and taught seminars in Cross-cultural Counseling and Family Therapy. In addition to her professional work, Magui has been active as a volunteer in community organizations and is a past president of the Board of Directors of the Women’s Fund of Western Massachusetts. Creating effective, relevant mental health services for BIPOC children and families has been at the core of her work since she moved to Massachusetts from her native Puerto Rico.
Andrea G. Oliveira
IECMH Statewide Policy and Initiatives Lead
Ms. Andrea G. Oliveira is a clinical psychologist by training with 15 years of experience working with children and families both in Portugal and in the United States. Currently, she leads Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Policy and Initiatives; and is focused on promoting IECMH awareness across all sectors, educating stakeholders on IECMH policies, and bringing public and private partners to the table, by breaking down silos and focusing on common goals that will promote well-being for children under 6 and their families. All of her work is grounded on IECMH principles with an emphasis on building relationships, being reflective, and working collaboratively; all while keeping the baby at the center and always in mind. She believes in the power of early relational health as a framework that can change the world.
Natalee Salmon
Program and Professional Development Coordinator
As a DMH Professional Development Coordinator Natalee brings 25+ years of professional experience in project management, developing client insights and solutions to ensure effective decisions are reached to strengthen relationships and achieve organizational objectives. Natalee’s experience has spanned across data governance, security administration, Business Continuity Planning, team leadership and commercial banking at Boston Financial Data Services & State Street Corporation. Natalee is passionate about building strong and lasting relationships with philanthropic entities, charity organizations, and professional diversity networks. She is associated with Miles for Miracles, Walk for Hunger, Adopt-a-Family, The Salvation Army, Black Professional Group, The Dorchester Boy & Girls Club, and NABA just to name a few.
