NNEDLearn 2025: Strengthening the Capacity of Community-Based Organizations to Provide the Best Quality Behavioral Health Care
National Network to Eliminate Disparities in Behavioral Health (NNED) members participated in the fifteenth annual training for community-based organizations (CBOs), NNEDLearn 2025. Given the critical health challenges the American public is facing, including behavioral health conditions such as mental health disorders, addiction, and depression, NNEDLearn provides organizational capacity training to CBOs to improve behavioral health services to communities.
This training focused on three core skill areas:
- Leveraging technology, including artificial intelligence (AI)- powered tools, to increase efficiency and effectiveness in behavioral health service delivery.
- Strengthening financial infrastructure to enhance and sustain behavioral health services.
- Effectively communicating behavioral health needs and organizational impact to decision-makers through data storytelling.
The objectives of this training are for participants to:
- Explore how AI and other technology can be leveraged to improve behavioral health service delivery and operations in their organization.
- Gain the tools and strategies needed to develop sustainable funding for behavioral health services.
- Develop data-driven strategies to strengthen community outreach, enhance client engagement, and effectively communicate program impact in behavioral health.
NNED Member organizations interested in participating in NNEDLearn 2025 were invited to submit a single organizational application that nominates up to three participants. There was no cost to participate in this training.
Training Model
NNEDLearn 2025 included both in-person and virtual training components:
Part 1: The in-person component of NNEDLearn 2025 will take place in Gaithersburg, Maryland from April 28 to April 30, 2025.
Part 2: The virtual learning collaborative will focus on the use of technology, including AI, to improve organizational capacity in behavioral health service delivery and is scheduled to occur in May and June 2025.
Part 3: A culminating organizational presentation and distribution of resources.
In-Person NNEDLearn Training
Through a series of plenary sessions and interactive workshops, participants learned about AI tools and their application in behavioral health services and explore strategies for infrastructure sustainability. Subject matter experts along with experienced CBO leaders provided valuable insights and real-world strategies to help organizations enhance their operations and efficiency to improve behavioral health service delivery.
Day 1 – April 28
Plenary and Workshops: 9:00 am – 4:30 pm EST
Day 2 – April 29
Plenary and Workshops: 9:00 am – 5:00 pm EST
Day 3 – April 30
Plenary and Workshops: 8:00 am – 12:20 pm EST
Virtual Learning Collaborative
The virtual learning collaborative following NNEDLearn explored potential AI adaptation to behavioral health practice to enhance access, increase efficiency, and improve quality of behavioral health care. Between May and June 2025, participants engaged with peers in up to four 2-hour sessions with presentations and demos from subject matter experts. CBOs had the opportunity to present on how they plan to apply AI in their organization’s behavioral health services in an Ignite Talk-style presentation.
For any inquiries, contact connect@nned.net.
Read the NNEDLearn Implementation Analysis Report!
This report provides findings from a qualitative analysis of evidence-based and culturally relevant behavioral health practices offered at NNEDLearn. It includes an overview of NNEDLearn, case studies, strategies and lessons learned, and conclusion.
Watch Digital Stories from NNEDLearn 2020!
SAMHSA NNEDLearn YouTube Playlist
This playlist includes NNEDLearn Digital Stories, which share NNEDLearn 2020 teams’ preparation, learning, and implementation journey through the NNEDLearn model. Videos on the playlist include stories from PLAAY, Project Venture, and Achieving Whole Health training tracks.