The Stepping In It Podcast with Renee Schulte & Jason Haglund
The Stepping In It Podcast is a weekly discussion of the latest news and trends in behavioral health policy development and practice. Each episode features interviews with experts from across the field, including policymakers, clinicians, researchers, and advocates. The podcast provides listeners with practical tips and resources for improving the quality and access to behavioral health care.
The Stepping In It Podcast with Renee Schulte & Jason Haglund
127. On the Ground Impact Series: Naming the Barriers to Behavioral Health System Change
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In this On the Ground Impact Series episode, the hosts move beyond the “big three” behavioral health challenges—funding, workforce, and crisis response—to name the deeper, often unspoken barriers that stall real system change. From policy decisions made far from lived experience, to lack of champions and collaboration, to culture and communication breakdowns, this conversation explores why well-intended initiatives fail and what rural and behavioral health leaders must address to create lasting, people-centered change. Grounded in data and real-world stories from the field, this episode challenges listeners to rethink how change is led, communicated, and sustained.
In this episode, you will be able to:
- Why legislation and policy decisions often drive costs without understanding system realities
- How the absence of champions and collaboration creates silos and stalled progress
- What data shows about why nearly 70% of change initiatives fail
- How people, culture, and leadership—not technology—are often the biggest barriers
- Real-world examples of system failures and missed opportunities for alignment
The key moments in this episode are:
00:00:10 – Welcome & Opening (On the Ground Impact Series intro)
00:02:05 – The “Big Three” Challenges in Behavioral Health
00:04:12 – Naming the Unspoken Barriers to System Change
00:06:40 – Policy & Legislation: Decisions Without Lived Experience
00:09:05 – The Cost of No Champion and Lack of Collaboration
00:12:18 – Why 70% of Change Initiatives Fail: What the Data Tells Us
00:15:30 – People, Culture, and Change Fatigue
00:18:42 – Leadership, Communication, and Follow-Through Gaps
00:21:55 – Stories from the Field: When Systems Get It Wrong
00:25:10 – Why Alignment and Local Awareness Matter
00:27:40 – Closing Reflections: What It Really Takes to Create Lasting Change
Connect with us:
https://ruralpolicypartners.com/
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https://www.facebook.com/facebook.com/ruralpolicypartners
https://www.youtube.com/@ruralpolicypartners
Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/wm5G88x9PNI