In April 2021, the Camden Coalition’s National Center for Complex Health and Social Needs initiative convened representatives from five ecosystems of care from around the country to participate in an 18-month Ecosystems Learning Collaborative. The Ecosystems Learning Collaborative was an action-oriented opportunity for teams to learn from peers and technical experts about how to rapidly expand and sustain cross-sector partnerships to address the needs of individuals with complex health and social needs in their communities.

This is the story of how one ecosystem of care — in Spartanburg, South Carolina — was developed.

Ecosystem participants 

• AccessHealth Spartanburg (lead organization)
• Jumpstart Ministry 
• Spartanburg Area Mental Health Center 

Community of focus

People re-entering the community from long-term incarceration and those under probation and parole across South Carolina.

Ecosystem aim

To increase enrollment in care coordination services and long-term community-based supports toward the goal of improved physical and mental health and well-being for recently released, uninsured formerly incarcerated people in the Spartanburg, Cherokee, and Union counties of South Carolina. Ecosystem development focused on expanding collaborative efforts between community/ faith-based organizations, employers, healthcare providers, social/human services, criminal justice stakeholders, and individuals with lived experience.

View the case study to learn how this ecosystem started, its successes and challenges, advice for others looking to build an ecosystem, and next steps.

Explore the other ecosystem case studies

• Allegheny, Pennsylvania
• Camden, New Jersey
• San Diego, California
• York, Pennsylvania