The CDM Group, Inc. (CDM) is a small, minority-owned management consulting firm that focuses on national, state, community, and individual health and well-being. Founded in 1987, CDM offers a strong concentration of skills in the health, mental health, and education fields, as well as in program and resource development, U.S. legislative policy and analysis, research and evaluation, knowledge dissemination, and information technology. CDM has built its national reputation by putting knowledge to work; bringing science-based practices to healthcare, mental health care, education, and human services. Our clients rely on our responsiveness, our sensitivity to political realities and constituent issues, our exacting standards, our application of the latest research findings, and our use of advanced and cost-effective technology.

CDM’s vision for improving the health and well-being of the nation is achieved through:

• Working in partnership with our clients
• Linking scientific research to practical applications
• Providing the expertise needed to enhance existing knowledge
• Integrating organizational components into functional systems
• Using information technology to span gaps in knowledge
• Supporting local activities within the context of national priorities
• Supporting national priorities using existing state and local networks

CDM’s senior staff represents the fields of developmental, behavioral, and clinical psychology, biostatistics, epidemiology, public health, education, health services research, and information technology, as well as health, civil, and business law and legal research. This expertise is supplemented by a database of nearly 5,000 experts and consultants in all disciplines, enabling our management team to quickly assemble and mobilize the necessary and appropriate talent for any task.

Our experience includes a wide range of work in areas such as:

• Adolescent health and development
• Children and families
• Substance abuse prevention and treatment
• Mental health services
• Health law and health policy
• Behavioral health
• Early childhood education
• Social marketing
• Special populations
• Health communication
• Drug-free workplaces
• Patient-centered outcomes research

RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT AND DISSEMINATION SERVICES. The key to progress in any field is the effective communication of new scientific research findings to general and specific audiences. CDM’s marketing and communications expertise allows us to develop and disseminate information on a wide range of health topics and issues by translating technical information into understandable, readable, and appealing formats for our clients. We begin by analyzing the information needs of the target audience and developing a communication strategy. Informational materials are then produced and disseminated via print, electronic, and/or audiovisual formats—the appropriate combination to reach the widest possible audience. We follow through on this process by presenting our clients with an assessment of the outcomes and impacts of their information programs. In addition, CDM’s award-winning communications professionals specialize in technical writing, editing, and graphics and Web design, working collaboratively to develop attractive products for professional and lay audiences.

POLICY RESEARCH. CDM’s policy expertise has both breadth and depth, including all aspects of the substance abuse and mental health fields. Our staff includes seven policy and research attorneys who are experienced in gathering, analyzing, and developing an understanding of federal, state, and local policies. They know how to access the information they need, and how to develop conceptual structures and definitions, and how to perform comprehensive legal analysis of statutes and regulations. CDM’s knowledge and skills in interpreting statutes and regulations, combined with its policy expertise, are critical components of this practice area.

PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT AND SUPPORT SERVICES. CDM has operated national technical assistance and training systems serving federal agencies, states, and communities since 1987. Our staff experts and our nationwide network of consultants have traveled to every state and several U.S. territories to provide training, technical assistance, and professional services for all phases of program development and support. We know the people, community, cultures, political and social environments, and resources in many of America’s health and human service delivery systems. Our commitment to a cost efficient, science-based approach, coupled with our understanding of the local community environments, strengthens the capacity of the groups we work with and enables them to achieve positive program outcomes. CDM provides client-centered support in all formats—from offsite materials assistance and telephone responses, to team-building and national training workshops, to one-on-one onsite visits and one-on-one online assistance. Systems developed to facilitate all consulting services include Web sites, electronic communication networks, and online databases of resources.

RESEARCH AND EVALUATION SERVICES. CDM’s Research and Evaluation team prepares study designs and collects and analyzes quantitative and qualitative data across the social, legal, policy, health, education, and organizational spectrums. Applying a broad range of methodologies, we identify trends, assess needs, and analyze outcomes of interventions and policy changes, and assess their impact on diverse populations. Our efforts have ranged from large national studies to local evaluation efforts. With our help, clients are able to develop and implement new initiatives, revise program designs, prepare or change legislation, identify unmet needs, and perform many other strategic planning and policy development functions. Our resources include a large field staff and a telephone interview center.

INFORMATION SYSTEMS. CDM uses, creates, develops, and maintains a variety of public and private databases and Web sites for our government clients in accordance with applicable federal standards and guidelines. We provide professional services to design, develop, test, support, administer, update, and implement changes required to streamline, improve, maintain, and operate client Web sites. We also generate detailed administrative reports; create summary reports, maintenance manuals, and user guides; administer and provide user support; ensure compliance with applicable federal standards and guidelines; perform security and risk assessments; convert older systems to state-of-the-art systems; evaluate and assess the efficiency and effectiveness of systems and subsystems; create comprehensive documentation for all systems where needed (document codes, formulas, fields, tables, reports, queries, modules and macros); and recommend system enhancements, modifications, or replacement.