Role of an Intermediary Organization and State Government Partnership to Advance Practice and Policy in Children's...

Policymakers navigating an increasingly complex and evolving landscape can benefit from establishing intersectoral partnerships with researchers, providers, schools, family advocates, and other stakeholders in children's behavioral health. Intermediary organizations, which serve as neutral conveners to bridge cross-system improvements to systems, policy, and practice, are relatively new but are increasing in number and offer an efficient way to support government with strengthening partnerships and systems. We describe an evolving 25-year-long partnership between an independent non-profit intermediary organization, the Child Health and Development Institute (CHDI), and state government that has contributed to systems, policy, and practice improvements as well as research on children's behavioral health. Key components of the partnership include the number and diversity of partners, ongoing involvement of family members with lived experience, use of research and data to inform policy and system development, translational communication of research for policymakers, and the agility, efficiency, and strength as a convener of an independent intermediary organization. Case examples of the partnership's efforts to improve practice, policy, and research through dissemination of evidence-based practices, development of a statewide children's behavioral health plan, implementation of a school-based diversion model, and creation of a strategic plan for the behavioral health workforce are provided. Recommendations are made for states to develop and strengthen partnerships to improve the integration of research, policy, and system development.