Behavioral Healthcare Meets Predictive Analytics: The Science of Making Compassionate, Effective Mental Healthcare Scalable.

Michael Castanon is the founder and CEO of Alter Behavioral Health and Care Predictor, and founder of the Behavioral Health Outcomes Consortium.  After 30 years in banking and predictive analytics, Michael brings an outsider’s eye to behavioral health and makes a case the field can’t ignore: if you can measure the inputs, you can improve the outcomes. He explains how a deeply personal trauma journey led him from private equity and finance into mental health care, and why that intersection of lived experience and data science became the foundation for Care Predictor. Michael discusses two important concepts  - “relational velocity and relational intelligence” - and how these traits can be measured, scored, and developed. He describes how Care Predictor uses psychometrics and AI to help deliver better care. We also get into what some are calling the loneliness epidemic, driven by AI “companionship,” remote work, and algorithmic echo chambers. Michael makes the case that when we lost human connection, people lose the friction, challenge, and healthy conflict that build resilience, judgment, and real relationships. Finally, Michael discusses the upcoming BHOC 26 gathering, where policymakers, health plans, providers, technologists, and researchers will come together to create a more unified outcomes framework for behavioral health (more information is provided below).  The Behavioral Health Outcomes Consortium (BHOC26) is an outcomes-focused event designed for behavioral health leaders, operators, providers, payers, and partners committed to advancing measurable outcomes across the continuum of care.  Dates: September 8th – 10th, 2026 Location: Waldorf Astoria Monarch Beach, Dana Point, California Register here.