Our Mission, Values & Leadership
About SAE
We believe every grant, data point, and program evaluation tells a deeper story—the story of a provider agency doing whatever it takes to care for our most vulnerable populations. Of frontline teams doing the work that few see but many depend on. Of leaders navigating workforce shortages, regulatory shifts, and the complexity of multi-stream funding—while trying to expand impact. Of limited resources and shifting regulations.
At SAE Behavioral Health Consulting, our job is to make sure that story gets told—and funded.
With over $480 million secured in federal, state, and local grants, SAE is a national force in behavioral health consulting. We specialize in program development, grant acquisition, parity and compliance strategy, performance evaluation, and revenue cycle sustainability—equipping mental health and substance use recovery providers with the tools to grow, stabilize, and scale their services.
We work across the lifespan—supporting services for children, families, veterans, justice-involved individuals, people experiencing homelessness, and those facing co-occurring mental health and substance use challenges. Our firm, built by experts who’ve walked in your shoes—from clinicians to executives—has one mission: to elevate and equip behavioral health providers so they can continue doing what they do best.
Founded in 2005 and led by Steve Estrine, Ph.D., a behavioral health executive with over 45 years of experience (and 15 NYC marathons under his belt), SAE brings a mindset of endurance, strategic accountability, and heart to every partnership. We’ve learned that success in this field is about preparation, consistency, and staying the course —for systems change, for equitable care, and for communities that can’t afford to be left behind.
Our multi-disciplinary expertise spans grant acquisition, fiscal and operational compliance, strategic program development, performance evaluation, licensing, and full-spectrum revenue cycle sustainability, supporting infrastructure that’s measurable, compliant, and scalable.
Our integrated team-based model allows us to work with organizations of all sizes—urban to rural, community-based to state-supported—delivering a client-centered, evidence-informed, and impact-focused approach that strengthens internal capacity, improves operational resilience, and drives long-term sustainability.
This work is more than consulting. It’s our commitment.
We are SAE. Let’s build stronger systems, together.
SAE (the business) was incorporated as SAE & Associates, LLC in September of 2005. Today, SAE embraces our identity as SAE Behavioral Health Consulting, DBA (SAE BHC).
Our Mission
To Help Behavioral Health Providers Increase Resources & Operational Efficiency On Behalf Of the Populations They Serve
We Recognize
Times of crisis create dangers, but also provide opportunities for innovation and change
Systems – organizations, communities, public agencies – do best when they view themselves as part of a System of Care
More can be accomplished when stakeholders come together around a common agenda to create long-term solutions. “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts”
There are no cookie-cutter problems and no cookie-cutter solutions
We Value
Systems focused change along a continuum from the individual, family, organization, community, and public sector
Provider-driven needs assessments and solutions
Data-driven strategies with measurable outcomes using evidence-based practices
Inclusion of community stakeholders and indigenous leaders in the identification of challenges and the development of feasible and sustainable solutions, “Nothing About Us Without Us”
Schedule A Consultation
SAE Behavioral Health Consulting enhances provider service provision that is integrated, accessible, data-driven, and person-centered.
