With kindness and collaboration, we apply the cutting edge science of human flourishing in criminal justice and behavioral health settings to help individuals, organizations, and communities thrive.
Our Approach
What We Know
Mission-driven organizations working in behavioral health and criminal justice are addressing some of society’s most pressing needs. While these systems are broadly damaged and require dramatic reforms, we know these systems have the potential to catalyze positive change, promote healing and justice, and offer people pathways to build the lives they desire for themselves and their families.
What We Do
We offer subject matter expertise, training, and technical assistance to help criminal justice and behavioral health organizations build programs that catalyze personal development, resilience, and strengths, and we support organizational advancement using research-backed strategies for collaboration and leadership.
Who We Work With
We work with leaders and organizations who uphold the dignity of all people, who approach their work in a spirit of caring, generosity, and optimism, and who see beauty and resilience where others see brokenness and despair.
To Sum It Up
Using social science, policy, and program design expertise, we build programs and resources that are hopeful, compelling, and backed by research, and we help organizations advance the most critical aspects of their mission while employing practices that make work more meaningful, engaging, and effective.
Let's ConnectServices
Technical assistance and program design for the development and launch of criminal justice and behavioral health programs that help people thrive.
Curriculum development and course delivery for meaningful, engaging, and action-oriented adult learning experiences that stick out.
Policy analysis and social science translation at the intersection of our areas of expertise in criminal justice, addiction, and trauma.
Coalition and partnership development that harnesses research-backed strategies to build connections, commitment, and meaning that propel action.
A year of content and consultation to build a beautiful nonprofit board from scratch or enhance the capacity of your current board to do more than meet its fiduciary obligations.
Strengths-based stakeholder engagement and strategy development based in Appreciative Inquiry, positive psychology, and positive organizational scholarship.
Three delightful months to connect your meaning and motivation to a development strategy that feels natural and authentic.
Limited coaching availability for directly impacted leaders to find meaning, purpose, and growth through Mark L. O’Brien’s EMPOWERS program.
It's Nice to Meet You.
I came to my work in criminal justice, addiction, and trauma through personal experience. Being responsible for a tragedy motivated me to help others, and grief, trauma, and incarceration gave me insight into some of the challenges and opportunities in the systems I now work in.
(Learn more about my story and other aspects of my work at marklobrien.com.).
I’ve had the privilege of collaborating in coalitions and partnerships with hundreds of incredible organizations and individuals, and I’ve been fortunate to have colleagues who inspired me and friends who dreamed big with me. Helping people connect and collaborate has been at the core of my work from the beginning.
In 2019, I began studying posttraumatic growth and then returned to school to better understand why and how people and organizations thrive amidst adversity and trauma, earning a master’s in applied positive psychology at the University of Pennsylvania Positive Psychology Center. I’ve incorporated what I learned into the work we do at Springlake Solutions.
It’s not enough for us to be successful by the traditional measures, we aim to create collaborative experiences that leave everyone involved feeling good.
At Springlake Solutions, we work with people we love, doing work we love, for organization’s whose missions we love.
If that sounds like a good fit for you, let’s connect and explore how we can support your mission and work.
Get in touch.
We’d love to connect. Pick the option that works best for you.
Send us an email message and introduce yourself. Let us know how we can help, and we’ll set up a call, make an introduction, or send you the information you’re looking for.
It’s always good to meet new people doing good work. Let’s hop on Zoom or the phone and get to know each other. We’re happy to offer advice and explore the possibility of working together.
Most Thursdays you can find Mark online for drop-in “office hours” on Zoom from 10-12 eastern. Talk about projects, policy, psychology, or anything else. Stop by and say hi!
If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together. – African Proverb
Collaboration is at the core of our work, whether we are helping establish a n ew coalition or figuring out how best to meet a client’s needs. As a small consulting firm, we put together project teams of leading experts we’ve gotten to know and work with.
Their strengths complement ours, and we work seamlessly in together. If you work on something big with Springlake Solutions, chances are, one of our Trusted Partners is going to be involved.
We know what we’re good at, and you know what you need. Sometimes, it just makes more sense for you to work directly with them.
We don’t take it personal when one of our Trusted Partners is a better fit for your project. We believe in their work, and we know you’ll be happy with the results. Let us know if you’d like an introduction.