Federal Policy Meets Clinical Innovation: A Conversation with ASTP/ONC

March 24, 2026
1:00 PM ET

Executive Web Briefing Courtesy Of Core Solutions 

Despite record investment in behavioral health, millions still face months-long wait times and fragmented care. This webinar explores how federal policy and innovative health IT are working together to change that.

Through a dynamic, conversational format, this session features Talisha Searcy, Senior Advisor in the office of policy at ASTP/ONC, in dialogue with Dr. Mike Arevalo, Core’s Director of Clinical Strategy. Together, they will explore three pillars of behavioral health transformation: expanding access, elevating quality, and improving measurable outcomes.

Talisha will share ASTP’s Behavioral Health IT Initiative which is designed to standardize behavioral health data and reduce provider reporting burden, including the USCDI+ BH effort and pilot projects. Mike will then demonstrate how modern EHR and AI capabilities can amplify these efforts—showing providers how to translate federal policy into actionable, technology-driven improvements at the point of care.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this webinar, participants come away with:

  1. ASTP/ONC priorities that directly impact provider workflows, data requirements, and quality measurement
  2. Insights into ethical AI development and the importance of human oversight in clinical decision-making
  3. Real-world examples of how EHR and AI innovations expand care access, enhance quality, and measure outcomes
  4. Actionable strategies for building a more connected, tech-enabled behavioral health system

This session is ideal for providers, health IT implementers, policymakers, and innovators looking to align with national efforts and maximize the impact of behavioral health services.

Featured Speakers

  • Talisha Searcy, MA, MPA

    Senior Advisor, Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy (ASTP) | Office of Policy (OPOL), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)

    Talisha has many years of experience at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). As the Senior Advisor for the Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy (ASTP) in the Office of Policy’s Interoperability Division, Talisha is responsible for behavioral health technology policy. Prior to joining ASTP, Talisha was the Director of the Office of Performance Analysis and Management, where she was responsible for performance monitoring and measurement development for programs within the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT). Talisha has master’s degrees in economics and public administration from the Maxwell School of Citizenship & Public Affairs at Syracuse University.
  • Michael Arevalo, Psy.D.

    Director of Clinical Strategy | Core Solutions

    Michael Arevalo, Psy.D., is a licensed clinical psychologist with experience in evidence-based treatment and quality improvement across diverse clinical settings, including community mental health organizations, private practice, university counseling centers, and major healthcare systems like the VA and Kaiser Permanente. As Director of Clinical Strategy at Core Solutions, Inc., he leads the integration of clinical best practices into the company’s EHR platform, collaborating with product, engineering, and AI teams to develop data-driven solutions that enhance clinician workflows and patient care. He also defines quality metrics, ensures regulatory compliance, and develops training programs to optimize digital health tools.
Event Sponsored By:
About Core Solutions Core Solutions is the progressive leader in transforming the behavioral, medical, and social services experience for behavioral health providers, consumers, and state agencies. Core’s Integrated Behavioral Health EHR platform, Cx360, allows for the improvement of the provider, consumer, and payer relationship through increased consumer-centric collaboration which results in improved outcomes. This is accomplished through our ability to simplify the end-to-end behavioral health experience, deliver integrated care coordination, improve consumer engagement, and streamline accurate provider reimbursement. For more information, visit www.coresolutionsinc.com.

Registration for this executive web briefing has been provided at no charge courtesy of Core Solutions.

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Unable to attend? Still register! At the conclusion of the event, all registrants will receive a recorded copy of the executive web briefing and presentation slides.

Federal Policy Meets Clinical Innovation: A Conversation With ASTP/ONC

3/24/20261:00pm EDT1 hour
Despite record investment in behavioral health, millions still face months-long wait times and fragmented care. This webinar explores how federal policy and innovative health IT are working together to change that.

Through a dynamic, conversational format, this session features Talisha Searcy, Senior Advisor in the office of policy at ASTP/ONC, in dialogue with Dr. Mike Arevalo, Core's Director of Clinical Strategy. Together, they will explore three pillars of behavioral health transformation: expanding access, elevating quality, and improving measurable outcomes.

Talisha will share ASTP's Behavioral Health IT Initiative which is designed to standardize behavioral health data and reduce provider reporting burden, including the USCDI+ BH effort and pilot projects. Mike will then demonstrate how modern EHR and AI capabilities can amplify these efforts—showing providers how to translate federal policy into actionable, technology-driven improvements at the point of care.

Attendees will come away with:
● ASTP/ONC priorities that directly impact provider workflows, data requirements, and quality measurement
● Insights into ethical AI development and the importance of human oversight in clinical decision-making
● Real-world examples of how EHR and AI innovations expand care access, enhance quality, and measure outcomes
● Actionable strategies for building a more connected, tech-enabled behavioral health system

This session is ideal for providers, health IT implementers, policymakers, and innovators looking to align with national efforts and maximize the impact of behavioral health services.