Pacific Clinics was proud to have a strong and visible presence at California Alliance of Child and Family Services’ 2026 Advocacy in Action Conference: United for Community, Rooted in Justice, held in Sacramento. The event brought together leaders, advocates and providers from across California to collaborate on advancing equitable, community-centered behavioral health and child welfare systems.
Our agency showed up in force, and Pacific Clinics leaders participated on five informative and impactful panels. Topics ranged from the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in behavioral health and the importance of investing in infrastructure to strategies for building strong partnerships that support effective mobile crisis response programs.
In addition, several Pacific Clinics leaders helped set the tone for the conference by delivering introductory remarks at various sessions throughout the three-day event, including CEO/President Kathy McCarthy, who is currently serving as the president of the Board of Directors for the California Alliance of Child and Family Services and introduced the Gubernatorial Forum.
The Pacific Clinics Training Institute (PCTI) and Flexible Integrated Treatment (FIT) teams were also in attendance, hosting a booth to promote their services and programs.
“Engaging with partners across the state reinforces that meaningful, lasting change is driven by collaboration,” said McCarthy. “Together, we build sustainable systems that effectively serve children, youth, adults and families.”
Driving Change Beyond the Conference
Advocacy was at the heart of this year’s conference. During Advocacy Day, Pacific Clinics leaders joined peers from across the state in direct conversations with Assembly and Senate offices, championing policies that support children, families and communities.
“These conversations are critical at a time when communities across California are facing increasing behavioral health needs and disparities in access to care,” said Chief Public Policy and Advocacy Officer Eva Terrazas. “By bringing forward real-world insights from our programs, we helped highlight both the challenges and opportunities facing the individuals and families we serve — demonstrating how advocacy can directly influence systems change.”
Everyone’s presence underscored our agency’s dedication to shaping policy, driving innovation and advancing community-based care across California.
