Amanda Clay
Policy Fellow
Amanda Clay is a Policy Fellow at Chapin Hall, where she directs the continued implementation of the Children’s Behavioral Health Transformation Initiative. Clay has been connected with the initiative since the publishing of the Blueprint to Transformation and has played an integral role in the pilot of the care portal platform now known as BEACON. The Children’s Behavioral Health Transformation Initiative is aimed at decreasing complexities for families seeking mental health care in Illinois while also using data-driven decision making to adjust capacity for available services.
Clay brings two decades of experience in behavioral health both in acute psychiatric care for adults as well as special education for students K–22. As a special education administrator, Clay oversaw the delivery of educational and related services for students with autism spectrum disorders before joining the Illinois State Board of Education as the Residential Placement Specialist for the Special Education department. There, she assisted 850+ school districts of Illinois in finding and funding residential placement and she worked across silos with other child-serving agencies to create continuity in services across the lifespan.
Clay holds a Master of Science in Educational Leadership from Indiana University, specializing in Special Education and School Law. She received a Bachelor of Science in Music Therapy with an emphasis in Voice from Maryville University.
Master of Science in Educational Leadership, specializing in Special Education and School Law, Indiana University
Bachelor of Science in Music Therapy, emphasis in Voice, Maryville University
Invited Presentations
Clay, A., & Hrabe, W. (2024, November). Utilization of nonpublic facilities. Invited presentation for Illinois Purchased Care Review Board.
Clay, A., & Hrabe, W. (2025, March). Special education responsibilities. Invited presentation for Annual McKinney Vento Conference, Bloomington, IL.
Clay, A. (2025, May). Residential placement: Educational guidance and FAQs. Invited presentation for Family Support Programs Operations Meeting.
(2026, September). Supporting Illinois Families through the Children’s Behavioral Health Transformation Initiative. Lake County Resource Fair, Grayslake, IL. [Presenter].
Conference Presentations
Clay, A. (2023, June). Road to residential. Presentation at the ISBE Special Education Directors’ Conference, Springfield, IL.
Clay, A., & Hrabe, W. (2024, June). Legal hot topics & residential guidance. Presentation at the ISBE Special Education Directors’ Conference, Springfield, IL.
Clay, A., & Stiehl, M. (2025, November). Residential capacity reporting: What we’ve learned and where we’re headed. Presentation at Annual Proficio Conference, Oak Lawn, IL.
Clay, A., Knollenberg, D., & Herron, M. (2026, June). Special education responsibilities for the Family Support Program. Presentation at the ISBE Special Education Director’s Conference, Bloomington, IL.
Illinois State Board of Education. (2024). Residential placements: Guidance and frequently asked questions. Springfield, IL.
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