Jonathan McCay specializes in helping practitioners of human services use research and analytic methods to inform decision making and improve program quality. He co-designed the Learn, Innovate, Improve (LI2) framework—an evidence-driven approach to innovation and change in organizations—and regularly applies LI2 as a process for partnering with and building the capacity of state and local human services providers. McCay has led or contributed to redesign and quality improvement initiatives in more than eight states, 30 communities, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Since joining Mathematica in 2012, McCay has worked extensively in Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) programs at the federal, state, and county levels. He also has experience in other subjects, including family support programs, workforce development, education and training, and early childhood. McCay leads a five-year project for the Colorado Department of Human Services, Employment and Benefits Division, that has employed rapid-cycle evaluations of behavioral interventions to improve TANF engagement, a 16-county initiative to design and pilot innovative engagement strategies, and a 10-county pilot of the Goal4 It!™ coaching model. McCay is also the deputy director of Mathematica’s five-year partnership with the Ramsey County (Minnesota) Department of Workforce Solutions to redesign TANF service delivery, known as the Lifelong Learning Initiative. Currently, McCay co-leads a four-year project for Early Milestones Colorado to provide technical assistance and evaluation support to six community-based grantees annually that are focused on moonshot initiatives to transform the workforce of early childhood care and education.
McCay regularly presents at national and state-level conferences and trains frontline staff in coaching practices. McCay holds a B.A. with distinction in political science and global studies from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and he is certified in human-centered design.
As researchers studying case management, we’ve observed a tension between what program participants need to navigate the increasingly complex health and human services system and the central job responsibilities of case managers.
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