Quality without Compromise: Reimagining Behavioral Health at Scale with Janelle Bierdeman, a nationally certified school psychologist and the Manager of the Healthcare Solutions Group at MHS (Multi-Health Systems)

Thanks for tuning into the expanding access podcast. Ready to take your knowledge, network, and experience to the next level? Then join us at the BHT Conference in San Diego on November 11-13. Join thought leaders, practitioners, policymakers, and payers focused on expanding access and improving outcomes in mental health, behavioral health, substance abuse, and IDD.Save $100 on your registration ⁠here ⁠by using your podcast promo code “Podcast100” Having the right tools in place the first time can make all the difference for patients and families navigating behavioral health. In this episode, Janelle Bierdeman, a nationally certified school psychologist and the Manager of the Healthcare Solutions Group at MHS (Multi-Health Systems), shares her journey from direct care with children and families to driving systems-level transformation in behavioral health. She reflects on the risks of poor assessments, outdated systems, and the importance of rigorous tools to ensure providers deliver the right care from the start. Drawing on her perspective as both a professional and a parent of neurodivergent children, Janelle emphasizes the need for tailored assessments, clinician involvement in digital tools, and cross-cultural insights from North America and Europe. She also highlights a UK success story scaling patient assessments from 25 to 2,500 per month, and sees AI as a powerful way to reduce administrative burdens and free providers to spend more time with patients. Tune in and learn how technology, when done right, can truly expand access to quality behavioral health care! Resources: Connect with and follow Janelle Bierdeman on LinkedIn. Follow MHS on LinkedIn and explore their website.