Cassy Blakely

Cassy Blakely is a senior technical assistance consultant with AIR. She is a practicing mental health practitioner, with specialization in adolescents, anxiety, trauma, self-harm, and eating disorders. Blakely serves as the project director for the Center for Coordinated Assistance to States (CCAS). In this role, she aids designated state agencies, state advisory groups, and community partners in data-driven strategic planning, collaboration, and youth engagement to support the implementation of the Juvenile Justice Reform Act. She also serves as a subject matter expert on the CDC DASH Youth Empowerment Project and as a hub coordinator for AIR’s Thriving Youth and Justice Systems Hub.

Blakely's past work at AIR includes serving as a coach on the Corrections and Community Engagement Technical Assistance Center; training and implementation support for the Good Behavior Game in urban and rural schools; and assisting the Interagency Working Group on Youth Programs in gathering qualitative data from youth to inform 21 federal agencies that serve youth.

Prior to her time at AIR, Blakely spent 12 years building programming, community collaboration, and policy centered on the inclusion of lived experience in program, community, and system development; particularly with young adults involved in the juvenile justice, child welfare, behavioral health, and homeless/runaway systems. In addition to empowering young adults as leaders and change-makers, she has conducted and applied qualitative research in her work. Blakely served on the Nebraska Coalition for Juvenile Justice, Nebraska Juvenile Services Committee, and was a board member of the Nebraska Juvenile Justice Association during her work in her home state.