title: Education and training column: the learning collaborative.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This column describes the key components of a learning collaborative, with examples from the experience of 1 organization.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  A learning collaborative is a method for management, learning, and improvement of products or processes, and is a useful approach to implementation of a new service design or approach.
  
  
  METHODS
  This description draws from published material on learning collaboratives and the authors' experiences.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The learning collaborative approach offers an effective method to improve service provider skills, provide support, and structure environments to result in lasting change for people using behavioral health services. This approach is consistent with psychiatric rehabilitation principles and practices, and serves to increase the overall capacity of the mental health system by structuring a process for discovering and sharing knowledge and expertise across provider agencies. (PsycINFO Database Record
authors: Community Care Behavioral Health Organization, Insurance Services Division of University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.
authors: Kim L
authors: KL
authors: MacDonald-Wilson
authors: Nemec Consulting.
authors: Patricia B
authors: PB
authors: Nemec
mesh_terms: D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D006801:Humans; D007858:Learning; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D008605:Mental Health Services; D058996:Quality Improvement