Strategic Plan
2026 -2028
Welcome to the 2026 -2028 Strategic Plan of the Bert Nash Center.
This plan represents the second cycle of our three-year strategic planning process. Our first plan, which guided us from 2022–2025, laid the foundation for significant growth and learning. This new 2026–2028 plan builds on that work, reflecting the specific needs, opportunities, and realities of where we are today.
This strategic plan charts our path ahead. Honoring where we’ve been and strengthening our commitment to excellence and the values that shape how we serve our community. Our strategy is rooted in the influential work of Quint Studer, particularly his book Hardwiring Excellence. Studer’s philosophy and five pillars of excellence continue to guide our actions, inform our decisions, and shape our culture.
A central element to this plan is our designation as a Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC), and our accreditation status with the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF). These achievements reflect our quality, dedication to best practices, and commitment to those we serve. Our strategic plan supports and enhances these vital designations, ensuring that we not only meet but exceed the standards set forth by these bodies.
All levels of team members were involved in the development of the strategic plan. each department was provided a guide to enhance understanding of the process – its goals, methods, and significance. This is our shared vision, our collective promise, and our pathway to a future where BNC continues to respond to needs, restore lives, and build a healthy community.
Excellence with People
Goal 1: Strengthen and cultivate a one-team mindset across all BNC programs and services supported by communication and collaboration creating a positive, safe, effective, streamlined workplace that results in greater team member satisfaction and experience.
Strategies
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Establish a system for interdepartmental understanding and centralized information sharing.
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Develop and enhance safety protocols for de-escalating individuals supported by the use of an organizational wide safety monitoring tool and our internal crisis response team.
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Fully implement leadership training to improve active listening, supportive feedback and psychological safety across all BNC programs.
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Enhancing our onboarding and welcome materials, to understand the scope of the BNC and their individual role within the organization.
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Enhance collaborative partnerships with the IBEW 304 about team members related services and benefits to contribute to a cohesive and dynamic system of service delivery.
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Develop and implement merit-based evaluations focused on the development of team member skills and performance.
Excellence in Quality & Outcomes
Goal 2: Strengthen the health and wellbeing of the Douglas County community as evidenced by a commitment to whole-person, integrated healthcare and by addressing the impact of trauma and the social determinants of health.
Strategies
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Increase use of the Integrated Health Services program and expand primary care capacity through the relationship with the Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health Department.
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Build and maintain collaborative relationships with community service providers, by seeking ways to increase shared information to facilitate care coordination for whole person care and client community integration through exploration of Organized Healthcare Arrangements (OCHA).
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Enhance the client experience and operational efficiency by implementing a patient portal.
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Use technology and informational dashboards to assess outcomes to drive clinical decision-making and improvement of service delivery.
Service Excellence
Goal 3: Strengthen the business model to ensure the appropriate and sustainable use of resources by aligning services with community needs and organizational capacity.
Strategies
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Evaluate existing programs and tools using data-driven decision-making to guide better utilization of resource allocation, service planning, and staffing needs.
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Use existing survey methods to address service gaps and improve communication based on feedback to drive decision making for service provision.
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Modernize fiscal tools and processes in an attempt to decrease use of multiple platforms.
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Utilize CARF accreditation and the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) standards to better serve the client through formalized quality improvement plans.
Financial Excellence
Goal 4: Achieve financial health for today and tomorrow as evidenced by a commitment to managing existing service model, assets, and funding portfolio.
Strategies
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Achieve a business model that sustains revenue in excess of expenses.
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Review and update our financial system in order to provide real-time details down to the department and program levels and ensure the ability to report all financial health issues accurately.
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Ongoing monitoring and improvement to our revenue cycle management to reduce or eliminate outstanding accounts receivable.
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Use data analytics to assess service performance and cost-effectiveness; prioritize investments that offer long-term operational value.
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Monitor and assess all funding streams to ensure diversity and reduce risk to protect operations to sustain the longevity of the organization.
Growth
Goal 5: Utilize all BNC locations to enhance care delivery and collaboration to create a supportive and effective team member and client experience.
Strategies
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Develop and implement a targeted plan to match BNC facilities with operations by June 2026.
Excellence in Equity
Goal 6: Advance health and workplace equity by ensuring that all individuals regardless of identity have access to high-quality, culturally responsive behavioral health care and a safe, inclusive, and supportive work environment.
Strategies
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Develop a long-term strategy for workplace equity that utilizes feedback from team members and clients to inform daily operations, practices, and procedures.
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Conduct a Service Equity Audit to assess accessibility, language access, and cultural responsiveness and integrate a long-term workplace equity strategy.
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Implement Equity Impact Tools for decision making organization-wide to assess how proposed decisions, programs, policies, or practices will impact underserved and underrepresented populations and to identify opportunities to advance equity.
