Please Note:The MOU template and planning guide were developed by the California Community Colleges Student Mental Health Programin response to repeated requests from campuses for guidance around how to formalize relationships between campuses and their respective Departments of Mental Health. The Guide is intended to help campuses engage campus stakeholders in preparing to initiate an MOU by providing them with an overview of the choices, priorities, and responsibilities that will need to be established in advance of an MOU. The Template is intended to help campuses and Departments of Mental Health decide and document the goals, objectives, and scope of the partnership. The Template is for planning purposes only; the final MOU will need to be reviewed by the appropriate legal teams of each partner.

MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING[1]

between

[Community College Campuses or District]

and

[County Department of Mental Health]

Term of Agreement/Date

I.Purpose

[NOTE: Include a paragraph on the background and purpose of the alliance. What are the conditions under which the partners are working and that have brought them together? Describe the common challenge(s) that the partners intend to address through the alliance. Sample text is provided below. Click on each field to enter your information.]

Enter Campus or DistrictCommunity College Campuses ORDistrict and

Enter OrganizationCounty Mental HealthDepartment have a common interest in supporting the mental health and wellness of the student body residing inEnter CountyCounty and surrounding areas. [Sample: Through collaboration and partnership, our campus(s) or district are better able to leverage our resources to support the development of sustainable systems to meet the increasing demands for mental health services by community college students. This partnership is supported by CalMHSA funds. CalMHSAis an organization of county governments working to improve mental health outcomes for individuals, families, and communities. Prevention and Early Intervention programs implemented by CalMHSA are funded through the voter-approved Mental Health Services Act (Prop 63). Prop 63 provides the funding and framework needed to expand mental health services to previously underserved populations and all of California’s diverse communities.]
Please Describe Purpose

The purpose of this Memorandum of Understanding (“MOU”) is to establish an alliance between Enter Campus or DistrictCampuses OR District and Enter Organization County Mental Health Department to further the goals set forth below (the “Goals”), and to outline the understandings and intentions with regard to these shared Goals. The Parties seek to share their respective strengths, experiences, technologies, methodologies, and resources in order to achieve these Goals.

The Parties Share the Following Goals:

[NOTE: Goals should be high level and typically no more than 2-3 sentences, e.g. “Reduce the incidence of depression and suicide among students in______Community College District” or “Provide early intervention mental health services for students at-risk for mental illness” or “Provide emergency intervention for students at ______Community College experiencing mental health crises”]

  • Enter Goal #1
  • Enter Goal #2
  • Enter Goal #3

The Parties intend to focus joint activities around the following objectives:

[NOTE: Objectives should be tactical and measurable. Each objective can be stated in one sentence with additional sentences that detail the activities associated with the objective. It is helpful for the objectives to be measurable in order to track progress and evaluate the success of the alliance, e.g. “Establish a campus/district mental health referral system and train campus/district student health or other appropriate staff to implement the system. This objective will be met through the development of a referral system that enables staff to effectively refer students directly to CMH for services. This objective will include a way for campus/district to track referral outcomes.”]

  • Enter Objective #1
  • Enter Objective #2
  • Enter Objective #3
  • Enter Objective #4

The Parties enter into this MOU while wishing to maintain their own separate and unique missions and mandates, and their own accountabilities. Unless specifically provided otherwise, the cooperation among the Parties as outlined in this MOU shall not be construed as a partnership or other type of legal entity or personality. Each Party shall accept full and sole responsibility for any and all expenses incurred, as per activities described in this MOU. Nothing in this MOU shall be construed as superseding or interfering in any way with any agreements or contracts entered into among the Parties, either prior to or subsequent to the signing of this MOU. Nothing in this MOU shall be construed as an exclusive working relationship. The Parties specifically acknowledge that this MOU is not an obligation of funds, nor does it constitute a legally binding commitment by any Party or create any rights in any third party.

II. Partner Roles, Responsibilities and Notices

[The background, role and point of contact for each partner who is party to this MOU are to be included in this section.]

  1. CAMPUS/DISTRICT Enter Campus or District

Campus/DistrictBackground:
[NOTE: Include additional alliance-specific information about Campus’s role in the country/region]

Please Describe Background

Campus/DistrictRole[NOTE: The role should summarize each partner’s contribution to the program and management/implementation role in the alliance.

  • e.g. provide initial diagnosis, referrals, trainings, follow-up procedures,etc.]

Under the MOU, it is expected that Campus’srole will be to:

Please Describe Role

All notices to Campus shall be sent to the following Campus Point(s) of Contact:

Main Contact: / Alternate Contact:
Name
Title
Mailing Address
Phone Number
Mobile Number
Fax Number
Email Address / Name
Title
Mailing Address
Phone Number
Mobile Number
Fax Number
Email Address
  1. County Mental HealthEnter County Mental Health Department Name

CMH Background

[NOTE: Include overall description of the organization, specific activities related to the alliance and any previous experience with the partners or on similar alliances.]

Please Describe Background

CMH Role

Under the MOU, it is expected that the CMH’s role will be

  • [e.g. Provide mental health services to referred students, trainings to campus/district staff, etc.]

Please Describe Role

All notices to CMH shall be sent to the following CMH Point(s) of Contact:

Main Contact: / Alternate Contact:
Name
Title
Mailing Address
Phone Number
Mobile Number
Fax Number
Email Address / Name
Title
Mailing Address
Phone Number
Mobile Number
Fax Number
Email Address
  1. Implementation
  1. Governance Structure

[NOTE: For somepartnerships, a governance structure may be necessary, but is not relevant or required for every partner. If applicable, this section should outline how decisions will be made,frequency of partner meetings (e.g., quarterly all partner meetings with high-level staff and monthly check-in meetings with select staff), mechanics of how meetings may be called and run. Potential governance structures may include:

  • A Steering Committee comprised of representatives from each partner and/or other stakeholders. Outline what decisions this committee will make, how often they will meet and other details.
  • Other governance structures as agreed upon by the partners]

Please Describe Structure

  1. Funding

The partnership between [Campus/District] and [CMH]may or may not involve financial obligations on the part of either or both parties. However, if there is a fiscal agreement, it should be detailed in the MOU.

[NOTE: While an MOU is a non-obligating agreement, it is helpful to include the contributions expected to be made by each Party.]

Partner / Estimated Cash Contribution / Estimated In-kind Contribution
Campus / $ / (e.g., training materials, staff time)
CMH / $ / (e.g., training materials, staff time)

In-Kind Description

[NOTE: This is an important opportunity to verify that the in-kind contributions addvalue and investment to the collaboration. Is new value truly being generated? Or, is a new resource truly being contributed? If the answers to these questions are affirmative, be sure to include:

  • A detailed description of the in-kind contributions of each partner
    Please Describe
  • How the in-kind contribution is valued and who values it
    Please Describe
  • How the value attached to the in-kind contributions is verifiable
    Please Describe
  • Who will report on the in-kind contributions
    Please Describe
  1. Communications

The Parties will collaborate in the development of outreach and education materials regarding the programs for external audiences. Where relevant, branding will be accomplished in accordance with the Parties’ respective legal, policy and procedural requirements.

The Parties will respect each others’ confidentiality policies, with the mutual understanding that the Parties intend to publicize their alliance and its objectives without disclosing any confidential or proprietary information of the other Party [or Parties].

[NOTE: If the alliance will have complex communications activities, this clause may include additional provisions addressing:

  • An agreement on the key messages of the alliance and materials to be used by each partner. It may be important to the alliance to understand each partner’s agenda for the alliance and ensure that all the partners are comfortable with how other partners are communicating the alliance to external audiences.
  • Other guidance on how information on the alliance may be communicated (e.g.partner-level approval of major speaking engagements where the alliance is the primary presentation and guidance on partner responses to press inquiries).]
  • How and when confidential student information will be shared between parties (e.g. how partners will obtain consent to share confidential information, how confidential information will be securely stored, what will happen to this confidential information upon termination of the partnership).

Please Describe Communications

  1. Reporting and Evaluation

(a) Reporting

[NOTE: If a reporting requirement is desired, consider setting forth terms on (i) contents of the report (e.g., updates on progress in achieving objectives of activities, challenges encountered, addition of new partners, use of alliance funding and in-kind contributions), (ii) the frequency of such report (e.g., quarterly, annually, etc.), (iii) to whom and when will the report be provided, and(iv) which organizationwill be responsible for preparing and disseminating the report(s).]

Please Describe Reporting

(b) Evaluation

[NOTE: This section may set forth the timing and method of the alliance evaluation (e.g.,which organization will be responsible for evaluation activities, what data each partner is expected to contribute to evaluation reporting, what outcomes will be measured). The evaluation may include analysis of the alliance activities as well as the feedback on the effectiveness of the alliance itself and the partners’ participation.]

Please Describe Evaluation

IV. Effective Date, Duration, Amendments, and Termination

This MOU becomes effective on the date of the last signature of all the Parties and is expected to continue for Enter Number of Yearsyears from such effective date. However, the Parties may decide, in writing, to extend this period. In addition, this MOU may be modified or amended if all Parties agree in writing. Any Party may terminate this MOU at any time but should endeavor to provide at least 30 days’ written notice to the other Parties.

V. [Other topics as needed]

[NOTE: Every alliance is different and may requireunique agreements among partners. For example, non-discrimination clauses, accessibility, licensing requirements, interagency or interdepartmental cooperation, accountability processes, etc., may need to given additional consideration within this section of the MOU]

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Parties, each acting through their duly authorized representatives, have caused this MOU to be signed in their names and delivered as of this Day ofMonth, Year.

1

Campus

By: ______

(Signature)

Name:

Title:

Date: ______

Attested By:

By: ______

(Signature)

Name:

Title:

Date:______

County Mental Health

By: ______

(Signature)

Name:

Title:

Date: ______

1

[1] Adapted from USAID