Phase II State Learning & Action Collaborative: Convening #1

In May, the Delta Center held its first convening of Phase II, bringing together alumni from Phase I and grantee teams from Phase II. Through didactic and interactive sessions, participants had the opportunity to:

• Build relationships and learn from each other;
• Hear insights from Phase I; 
• Learn about the projects that grantees will be implementing during Phase II; and 
• Build a shared understanding of the Delta Center’s collective goals to integrate primary care and behavioral health while centering racial equity and consumer voice. 

Grantee teams discussed their project goals and challenges and heard firsthand accounts of successful primary care and behavioral health collaboration. Dr. Arthur Evans, CEO of the American Psychological Association, provided the keynote address. He discussed the importance of building the same kind of public health infrastructure for behavioral health as currently exists for physical health and of moving upstream and away from a treatment-first model. He also described the importance of improving literacy around mental health and cited strategies, such as shifting to a frame of “mental strength,” to reduce stigma. Finally, he discussed initiatives that engaged people with lived experience to support others in their communities. Examples included community mural projects to facilitate discussions around mental health topics, and training residents in psychological first aid to support their neighbors in the aftermath of traumatic events.