Partners, Politics and Positive Attitudes: A Rural Community-University Partnership to Enhance School-Based Mental Health Services

There is a tremendous need for mental health services in rural schools and there are valuable resources available in universities for meeting these needs. This paper reports on a three-year grant designed to form a community-university partnership to enhance school-based mental health services in a rural community in Eastern North [State]. Throughout the first year of the implementation of this grant, partners experienced several roadblocks during the collaboration process. However, these partners also learned valuable lessons about how to improve and facilitate this process. Because of the strong commitments of the partners, the first year experience strengthened the partnership. The partners were able to overcome traditional barriers and boundaries that often occur between the community and the university. Progress made in the second and third years was both encouraging and rewarding to all involved and, most importantly, beneficial to the students. The purpose of this article is to share specific information about the process and outcomes in order assist others in developing similar workable and sustainable partnerships