This session will focus on the role of the newly launched Live Well Center for Innovation and Leadership, a formal partnership between the County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency and San Diego State University, to strengthen the linkage between health and human services practice and its academic base, with the goal to enhance education and training, research and service. The focus of this health and human services interdisciplinary approach includes social work, nursing, public health, aging, and other human services fields. The first such “academic health and human services department” in the nation, the Live Well Center for Innovation and Leadership is poised to serve as a model for other regions, with a framework centered around People, Data, Service and Partnerships. During the session, participants will hear from a panel that will discuss current work and case studies from each of the four framework components, and how these examples showcase the power of partnerships. This session will also engage attendees in discussions to inform this innovative work, including how this new Center can support Live Well San Diego partners’ needs through workforce development, internship opportunities, and improving outcomes in key focus areas such as homelessness and mental health.

Learning Objective:
1. Understand how the Live Well Center for Innovation and Leadership builds connections between health and human services and academic departments to enhance workforce training, advance research, and collaborate on important issues in the region.
2. Identify ways in which the Live Well Center for Innovation and Leadership can support the needs of partner organizations through workforce development, internship opportunities, and outcomes related to homelessness and mental health.