Fostering Collaborative Partnerships: Lessons from Primary and Behavioral Health Care Associations

The Delta Center for a Thriving Safety Net ran from 2018-2024 with funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. JSI Research and Training Institute Inc. led the initiative in collaboration with strategic partners at the National Association for Community Health Centers (NACHC), the National Council for Mental Wellbeing and the Center for Accelerating Care Transformation at Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute.  

With this Delta Center Partner Playbook, NACHC and the National Council have documented grantees’ successes, lessons learned and opportunities for collaborative problem solving so state primary care associations and behavioral health state associations can benefit from them. The Playbook is structured around five themes that were instrumental in building successful partnerships, and grantee stories highlight real-life examples in action. It provides a framework other health care associations can follow when forging sustainable, effective partnerships.