The work toward cross-sector collaboration has never been more urgent. Through a global pandemic, an increasingly polarized society, intensified violence locally and abroad, societal reckoning with injustices, and a surge in adolescent mental health challenges, many child-, youth-, and family-serving agencies have invested greater resources in supporting systems improvement.

These efforts include California’s recent multibillion-dollar investments in community schools and children and youth behavioral health. Such efforts motivate state and local agencies to work together across education, health, social services, and other sectors to align their efforts toward a shared, coherent purpose.

This guide from The California Center for School Climate shares strategies for creating and sustaining seven essential conditions for effective cross-sector collaboration to improve equitable access, experiences, and outcomes for young people, families, and communities:

  1. Collaborative Leadership Capacity
  2. Diverse and Inclusive Representation
  3. Relational Trust
  4. Collective Vision and Purpose
  5. Clear Structures and Approaches to Teamwork
  6. Continuous Improvement Routines and Infrastructure
  7. Adequate Resources and Abundance Mindsets

For each condition, the guide describes indicators of implementation that leaders and cross-sector teams can use to identify strengths, gaps, and opportunities in the design and implementation of their own collaboration efforts. The guide also offers tips for how to begin or strengthen each condition and points readers to further resources.