DSG is a woman-owned small business in downtown Bethesda, Maryland, that works extensively with federal, state, and local agencies, especially in behavioral health, justice, and education. We have special expertise and experience in assisting programs that address the health and behavioral needs of high-risk populations. We take pride in our work, and we are committed to making a difference in the work of our client agencies and the people they serve.

DSG offers outstanding technical and subject-matter competence in areas such as training, quantitative and qualitative research, evaluation systems development for government agencies, community planning, materials development, and information systems and Web development. DSG staff and consultants are experts in a wide range of scholarly disciplines, practice fields, and topical areas including, but not limited to, juvenile justice, criminal justice, minority health, corrections, systems improvement, substance abuse prevention, mental health, child welfare, behavioral research, education and schools, information sharing, software applications, and international development.

Our Mission

DSG’s mission is to use science in the service of people. We work with difficult-to-reach populations to tackle some of the toughest problems in public health and justice.

Our Philosophy

DSG’s corporate philosophy is composed of three key elements.

First, we are committed to supporting the development and strengthening of community solutions balanced by effective utilization of federal, state, and private resources and expertise, and our organizational and staff capability has enabled us to fulfill this commitment effectively in highly diverse contexts. DSG typically engages in multilevel problem-solving, working with communities to understand problems as they manifest in the “real world” setting; drawing from community expertise to identify needs, resources, and relevant problem-solving frameworks; and serving and supporting broad government/agency initiatives to provide resources and operationalize policies and programs for communities. We understand the importance of multicultural competence, and we maintain active affiliations with key practitioner, community/CBO, and research networks.

Second, we concentrate on client service. Our clients have come to know that they can rely on DSG as a committed and effective partner. We have a solid reputation for “going the extra mile” to help clients achieve their long-term goals as well as meet short-term needs. Moreover, DSG staff are highly familiar with policy and program environments at the federal, state, and local levels; and thus are extremely attuned to the special situations and contexts of diverse client agencies.

Third, we emphasize “field competence.” DSG staff are applied subject-matter experts in their respective disciplines, not merely technicians or theoreticians. They keep current in their areas of emphasis; actively participate in and contribute to the appropriate practitioner and research networks; and are encouraged to present papers, submit articles, and attend relevant professional/practitioner meetings. DSG also maintains an extensive and continuously expanding consultant database.