Mindworks Georgia’s mission of improving outcomes for children and young adults with behavioral health needs requires reliable and adequate funding for the system. 

Georgia State Budget

Georgia’s system of care is currently supported by spending across child-serving state agencies. State spending is allocated through the Georgia state budget and supports the operations and programs administered by these agencies. Leveraging the Georgia state budget process is one opportunity to finance a system in which every child with a behavioral health need – regardless of economic circumstances – has the opportunity to readily access evidence-based care.

Each year, Georgia is required to set a balanced budget for the fiscal year which runs from July 1^st to June 30^th. The budget process begins in the Fall, when the Governor sends out guidelines for submitting budget requests to all state agencies. In September, all agencies must submit their budget requests to the Office of Planning and Budget (OPB) for review. Agencies submit their specific funding needs along with a strategic plan outlining how their use of funds will reflect their outlined objectives and state priorities. The Governor sets a revenue estimate each year outlining the amount of money that can be spent in the fiscal year which OPB then uses to analyze agency budget requests on cost-effectiveness. The Governor reviews these requests and the recommendations of OPB to outline a proposed budget in the Governor’s Budget Report. This report then goes to the General Assembly within five days of the start of the legislative session.  

The General Assembly is responsible for appropriating funding. The legislative appropriations process begins when the legislature reviews the Governor’s proposed budget and drafts an appropriations bill which is introduced in the House of Representatives. The House Appropriations Committee holds hearings to review the bill and make amendments. Once the bill is passed in the House it crosses over to the Senate where the same committee process takes place. The Senate then adopts a substitute bill that the House can accept or reject. If the House rejects the substitute bill, a conference committee is convened in which members from both chambers meet to develop a final appropriations bill to be voted on. The Governor then has 40 days to sign the bill into law following the passage of the bill by both chambers. The Governor is also able to veto specific line items within the budget. Agencies operate under their new budget starting at the beginning of the fiscal year on July 1^st. 

Working on a write up of FY 2026 budget can be linked to and updated each year

Blending and Braiding 

Blending, braiding, and layering funds are mechanisms to increase access to services for children and families. This is done through the coordination of funds between multiple streams for efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and improved outcomes. 

For more information on blending and braiding including their uses, state examples, and recommendations for implementation, see our Blending and Braiding brief. 

Funding Mapping

Georgia’s System of Care is complex, encompassing many agencies, objectives and services creating a fragmented funding web. Mindworks Georgia aimed to untangle these underlying funding streams to better understand Georgia’s System of Care. The first step toward analyzing the system was produced in a Funding Framework 1.0 document. Mindworks is currently working toward the next step, an updated map of spending titles the Funding Mapping 2.0.