• Leadership and "buy-in" from influential people in the community and service system.

• Representation from a broad range of players from the prevention and treatment continuum, including public health, addiction, mental health, primary care, and criminal justice.

• An effective planning infrastructure and in-kind support from local agencies for collaborative cost sharing.

• Clear paths of communication among Cross-Training planning team members.

• A dedicated leader to coordinate the planning activities, facilitate communication, and assign tasks (such as recruitment and logistical functions) to team members.

• Participation by all levels of practitioners and people in recovery, affected, and infected.

Example: Connecticut and Virginia have provided these essential components. Both have strong local coordinators, as well as local funding and resource support to compliment the Federal resources, and have gathered support for training trainers and local replication of Cross-Training locally.

Successful Cross-Training responds to local issues, supports local decision-making, and balances inclusive planning with the ability to maintain accountability and leadership.