Many people who have had contact with the criminal-legal system are also struggling with behavioral health challenges. Approximately 80% of people incarcerated in California have a substance use disorder, and 36% are living with a mental illness (CCJBH 2023 Annual Report). Yet among those released, behavioral health service utilization remains low. This gap points to the urgent need for coordinated, integrated care between the behavioral health and criminal-legal systems.

From December 2024 to April 2025, Third Sector collaborated with the California Council on Criminal Justice and Behavioral Health (CCJBH) to form

This post is an excerpt from our Changing Systems, Changes Lives Series – Doing “Whatever It Takes” To Improve Mental Health Service Delivery for High-Need Populations: Exploring the Impact of Full Service Partnership Programs In Ventura County, CA. 

Mental health conditions are becoming more prevalent throughout the United States, with low-income populations and communities of color facing higher barriers to access and quality care. In the U.S., it is estimated that more than 23 percent of adults, or roughly 1 in 5, live with a mental illness (59.3 million in 2022).

This post is an excerpt from our Changing Systems, Changes Lives Series – Doing “Whatever It Takes” To Improve Mental Health Service Delivery for High-Need Populations: Exploring the Impact of Full Service Partnership Programs In Ventura County, CA. 

In 2020, Ventura County Behavioral Health’s (VCBH)  involvement in the Multi-County Full Service Partnership (FSP)  Innovation Project with Third Sector marked an important turning point for the agency. It was the first time VCBH committed substantial time and resources toward clarifying and improving its FSP programs to improve its services and outcomes for

Collaboration between state agencies and local communities is critical in building a sustainable and equitable early childhood education mixed delivery system. A mixed delivery system recognizes that one size “does not fit all” and offers an individualized approach. Families are thus provided with access to early childhood education through a variety of providers, including public schools, private child care centers, Head Start programs, and family child care homes. This approach ensures flexibility and choice, with the goal of equitable access across settings.

Over the past year, Third Sector worked closely to support

Everyone can benefit when our government agencies collaborate with community members, local providers, and business leaders to design and deliver services. The programs that help our children learn, prepare us for good jobs, ensure we can get and stay healthy, and keep us safe rely on strong partnerships to succeed. Strong collaborations make our government more efficient and innovative by enabling partners to share resources in ways that make sense, fostering the connections that allow communities to dream big—and to succeed.

At Third Sector, we are excited about working with policymakers,

Across the country, SNAP Employment & Training (E&T) and other workforce development programs often operate in silos. Each aims to support economic mobility but does so through disconnected strategies, funding streams, and eligibility requirements. This fragmentation makes it harder for job seekers, especially those relying on SNAP, to access coordinated, high-quality services that lead to lasting employment.

To address this challenge head-on, the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center), in collaboration with Third Sector, created the Policy Academy to Strengthen SNAP E&T Delivery. Designed as a structured, multi-state