1.  Get stakeholders involved.

The planning group should include:

• Government, nonprofit, and faith-based agency administrators and service providers, including outreach;
• Advocates and consumers; and
• Trainers, content experts, and facilitators.

2.  Get representatives of different content specialties and philosophies willing to explore attitudes, sensitivities, and confidentiality issues faced by clients and service providers that can be barriers to integration of care.

3.  Get experienced facilitators, with skill in creating synergy among providers, consumers, and administrators to enable them to share with and learn from each other, look at best practices, and develop appreciation of each others' experiences and approaches.

4. Once together:

• Focus on keeping communication open and inclusive.
• Keep everyone up to date on progress.
• Make sure people know they are part of the process.
• Keep the focus on developing a clear plan with shared goals, specific action steps, and a means of monitoring progress.