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California College and University Collaborations: Summary

Core Content

This document summarizes the findings of a collaboration survey conducted by SRI International and the RAND Corporation as part of an evaluation of the California Statewide Prevention and Early Intervention (PEI) Student Mental Health (SMH) initiative funded under Proposition 63. The initiative aimed to enhance collaboration between higher education institutions and county mental health systems to improve student mental health outcomes through shared resources, training, and culturally responsive practices.

Main Objectives of the Initiative

• Establish a formal process for ongoing collaboration between higher education systems and county mental health services.
• Increase collaboration among higher education campuses to enhance the delivery of SMH PEI services.
• Improve access to mental health services for diverse student populations.
• Promote the development and sharing of innovative and culturally responsive practices and policies.

Key Findings from the Collaboration Survey

Participants

• Total respondents: 43
• Institutions represented:
  • California Community Colleges (CCC): 14 respondents
  • California State University (CSU): 21 respondents
  • University of California (UC): 8 respondents

Demographics

• Age distribution:
  • 26–35: 23%
  • 36–45: 19%
  • 46–59: 40%
  • 60+: 19%
• Gender:
  • Female: 74%
  • Male: 26%
• Race/Ethnicity:
  • White: 69%
  • Black: 14%
  • Latino: 9%
  • Asian: 7%
  • American Indian/Alaska Native: 5%
  • Other: 12%

Collaboration Focus

• Most frequent focus: Informing audiences about available mental health services (63%)
• Other areas:
  • Training students and staff/faculty (49%)
  • Identifying and promoting best practices (42%)

Governance and Structure

• Informal relationships: 74% of respondents relied on informal personal relationships for decision-making.
• Formal agreements: Only 13% used formal agreements like memoranda of understanding.
• Information sharing: 54% believed they had consistent opportunities to share information with partners.
• Problem-solving together: Only 33% reported working together to solve problems.

Facilitators of Collaboration

• History of working together: 61%
• Similar or complementary program goals: 61%
• Similar populations of interest: 57%
• Ease of information sharing: 57%
• Agency support for interagency work: 55%
• Similar policy goals: 50%

Challenges to Collaboration

• Lack of agency resources: 61% of respondents identified this as a serious challenge.
• No preexisting relationships: 25% or fewer reported this as a challenge.
• Difficulty sharing information: 25% or fewer reported this as a challenge.

Impact of Collaboration

• Improved outcomes: 47% of respondents believed collaboration improved mental health outcomes.
• Improved awareness: 50% believed collaboration increased awareness of available SMH supports.
• Increased referrals: 40% believed collaboration improved referrals for students in need.
• Cultural competence: 37% believed collaboration enhanced cultural competence of services.
• Better coordination: 37% believed collaboration improved service coordination.

Sustainability and Support

• Sustainability planning: 54% of respondents reported planning for the sustainability of SMH PEI services beyond grant funding.
• Belief in long-term effectiveness: 57% believed the collaboration would remain strong and effective after grant funding ends.
• CalMHSA support: 70% of respondents believed CalMHSA provided essential resources for collaborative activities that would not have occurred otherwise.

Conclusion

The collaboration survey revealed that while most campus representatives relied on informal relationships to build partnerships, they generally perceived the benefits of collaboration as outweighing the challenges. The initiative supported the development of mental health services across California's higher education systems, and many respondents felt that the collaboration had a positive impact on student mental health outcomes, awareness, and service coordination. Despite challenges related to resource allocation, the majority of respondents were optimistic about the long-term sustainability of these collaborative efforts.