Navigating the Triumphs and Tribulations of a University-Community Children’s Mental Health Partnership: Reflections on the First Year as Told by Graduate Students

This paper describes a newly established community-based participatory research partnership that brings together professionals from several disciplines to gain greater insight into the needs of children and the families of children seeking mental health services in a community setting. This paper, written from the perspective of graduate students, outlines the successes and challenges that have accompanied the establishment of our university-community partnership. Informed by the interactive and contextual model of collaboration (Suarez-Balcazar et al., 2005), this paper outlines key elements of developing and sustaining a community-based partnership and offers reflections on our personal experiences and lessons learned as graduate students within the partnership. Our examination reveals that adequate and consistent communication and the early establishment of trust and mutual respect among partners have been integral components of the emergence and success of this partnership.