Lessons Learned From Using an Academic-Community Partnership to Evaluate a DEI Initiative in Public Mental Health Services

To advance diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives within community organizations, more attention is needed to how community-engaged research can contribute to the effectiveness of such initiatives. The authors describe their experiences of participating in an academic-community partnership to conduct a DEI evaluation of an evidence-based program implemented through the public mental health system. Elements of this successful partnership included valuing community-initiated research, building connections and learning together, including multiple perspectives, finding shared goals in different contexts, leaning into problem solving, and using feedback to move forward. The lessons learned may inform continued collaborative efforts to support DEI in mental health services contexts.