Partnerships and Collaborations

This page will help teams identify and expand support from stakeholders. It will also help build partnerships within the community. This is to provide sustainable mental health services for children and their families.

Definition:

Partnerships and Collaborations These relationships foster growth. They can contribute to building long-term sustainability for your program. Partnerships occur at many levels: local, state, regional, and national. As you build your partnership network, you should consider these different levels. Partnership activities and benefits include but are not limited to::

Increasing provider engagement in the community
Exchanging data
Idea sharing on improvement efforts among group
Education creation and dissemination
Legislative and policy support

Developing and Strengthening Partnerships and Collaborations in Your ED Work

Engaging with stakeholders in your community will enhance your emergency department work. It will also promote long-term sustainability. By partnering with them, you will be able to generate new ideas and insights. This will better meet the needs of EDs. It will ultimately serve the patients of those communities.

Types of Partnerships

Your team has many entities and organizations to consider for collaborating on your ED work. Below are a few your team may look into::

EMSC State Partners (early stages)State legislators
Hospital administrators
Hospital physicians, providers, and staff
Local chapters for national organizations (AAP, AACAP, ACEP)
Local and regional mental and behavioral health resources in their states
Primary care offices
Psychiatrists
Parents
Public health departments
School administrators
Social Workers
Workforce development departments
Universities
Youth

Your choice of partnerships will depend on your desired level of engagement. It will also depend on your ultimate goals for ED work. The Community Tool Box lists the different levels of partnership. Here's what it involves:

Internal Assessment for Teams

Identifying potential partnerships and collaborations requires research. This involves healthcare professionals, ED staff, and relevant stakeholders. Establishing partnerships can enhance the success of your ED expansion.

Here are some important questions to consider. They will help you determine your team's partnerships and collaborations:

Team Activity Pro-Tips The 4 S's of Partnerships and Collaborations

Your team should consider how it wants to partner and collaborate with different stakeholder groups. You should answer the following questions::

Who do you want to partner with?
Who will manage the relationships with these partners?
What is your strategy for outreach?
What does each collaboration look like?
When do you plan on engaging partners in your work?
Where will you be investigating these partnerships?
Why is this partnership important?
How will you engage each partner you collaborate?
How frequently will you meet?

Develop Your List of Partners
- Who needs to be involved in order to accomplish your goals? Do their goals align with yours?
- Review that list for completeness – who else is missing?
- Begin your outreach. As you do your outreach, consider those ‘emerging leaders’ for your work – those individuals who are early in their careers and who have the time and ability to collaborate.
- Share your goals – share the why, the impact, and the vision for collaboration with your potential partners.
- Establish trust – trust is critical for any partnership. What can you give back to their work?
Establish a Charter
- The charter is a document that outlines the purpose, goals, and responsibilities of a partnership or collaboration. It involves two or more organizations. It serves as a written agreement and helps to establish mutual understanding and trust between the entities involved.
- The charter includes details about the roles and responsibilities of each partner. It also includes the resources that will be contributed. It has the timeline for the project, and the metrics that will be used to measure success. It is an important tool in ensuring that all parties are aligned and working towards a common goal.
- It is a tool for trust and transparency among all participating members.

Stuff: What partnerships do you already have available to you?
Staff: How is your current staff engaging partners?
Space: What spaces are you engaging in for partnership?
Systems: What policies and procedures are in place guiding these partnerships and collaborations?

For helpful resources, visit the PMHCA Resource Library!