Center for Applied Research Solutions

Who We Are

For over three decades, the Center for Applied Research Solutions has been connecting with communities to create lasting solutions.

Our mission is to support changemakers in behavioral health, community health, and education by fostering transformative relationships across fields. We collaborate with our partners to develop impact-oriented, trauma-informed, and healing-centered training and technical assistance (TTA). Since 2001, CARS has led more than 50 customized TTA initiatives—including more than 30 at the national or state level—and more than 15 evaluation initiatives. We are committed to advancing evidence-based and community-centered approaches, promoting collaboration across systems, and bridging the gap between research and practice.

At our core, we believe in the power of connection to create lasting change. Our ultimate goal is a world where everyone has access to compassionate and effective services that promote healing and well-being.

Our Mission

Our mission is to build the capacity of the behavioral and public health workforce across systems to better engage and support the communities they serve.

We are committed to promoting policies and practices that are equity driven, evidence based and culturally responsive.

Our Vision

We envision a world where behavioral health, public health, and education workforces are culturally responsive, trauma-informed, and healing centered.

We believe in creating a transformation across human service systems to center equity, inclusion, and belonging for historically marginalized communities.

Our Values

  • Strength-Based Orientation
  • Collaboration and Shared Purpose
  • Sustainability in the Ecosystem of Work
  • Generative Reflections

Our
Approach

We offer innovative and comprehensive training and technical assistance (TTA) that is attuned to the field. Learn about our collaborative approach to supporting our partners.

We’re a team with a broad range of professional backgrounds– from mental and behavioral health to education and community development – all working together to create positive change. Our collaborative approach makes connections across fields, drawing on expertise in lived experience, juvenile justice, evaluation, developmental psychology, sociology, public health, and educational leadership.

We help organizations build capacity to effectively adopt, implement, and sustain changes in policy and practice. We offer hands-on, experiential, and ongoing TTA opportunities, tailored to meet your unique needs.

Our team is committed to enhancing community health and wellness through evidence-based practice. We promote the use and appropriate adaptation of research-based frameworks and programs to address complex social problems.

We support authentic community engagement, elevation of communal expertise, and the use of community-defined evidence practices and participatory approaches. We amplify voices and leadership of youth, families, and others with lived experience navigating systems of care.

We believe in the power of connection to create lasting change and offer ongoing opportunities for networking, peer learning, and knowledge transfer. We foster dynamic learning collaboratives and communities of practice that bring together, leaders, collaborators, and practitioners.