Amanda Lechner
Health

Amanda Lechner

Senior Researcher

Amanda Lechner is a California-based Senior Researcher at Mathematica, where she leads program evaluations to strengthen the state’s health and behavioral health systems. Her work focuses on initiatives such as California’s Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative and Medi-Cal policy innovations that expand access to patient-centered care.

Lechner is also a clinician, providing counseling in community settings in California. She integrates research and policy expertise with clinical practice experience to ensure evaluations reflect the lived experiences of children, youth, and families.

Lechner holds an M.P.P. from Georgetown University’s McCourt School of Public Policy and an M.S. in Counseling from California State University, Sacramento. Her research has appeared in peer-reviewed journals such as Health Affairs and Family Practice.

Expertise
  • Program evaluation for health and behavioral health systems
  • Policy analysis and innovation in Medi-Cal and California behavioral health
  • Translating lived experiences of children, youth, and families into policy insights

Focus Area Topics
  • Health
  • State Health Policy
  • Mental Health and Substance Use
  • Medicaid and CHIP

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