DiGirolamo, Ann M

Snyder, Angela

Williams, Cynthia

English

ScholarWorks @ Georgia State University

Georgia State University ScholarWorks @ Georgia State University GHPC Materials Georgia Health Policy Center 12-24-2014 SYSTEMS MAPPING AND UNIVERSITY PARTNERS HELP GEORGIA COLLABORATIVE’S STRATEGIC FOCUS Ann M. DiGirolamo Angela Snyder Cynthia Williams Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.gsu.edu/ghpc_materials Recommended Citation DiGirolamo, Ann M.; Snyder, Angela; and Williams, Cynthia, "SYSTEMS MAPPING AND UNIVERSITY PARTNERS HELP GEORGIA COLLABORATIVE’S STRATEGIC FOCUS" (2014). GHPC Materials. 129. https://scholarworks.gsu.edu/ghpc_materials/129 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Georgia Health Policy Center at ScholarWorks @ Georgia State University. It has been accepted for inclusion in GHPC Materials by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks @ Georgia State University. For more information, please contact scholarworks@gsu.edu. ANDREWYOUNGSCHOOLO F  P O L I C YS T U D I E SSYSTEMS  MAPP ING AND UNIVERS ITY PARTNERS  HELP  GEORGIA COLLABORATIVE ’ S  STRATEGIC  FOCUSAnn M. DiGirolamo, Ph.D., M.P.H.; Angela Snyder, Ph.D., M.P.H.; and Cynthia Williams, M.P.A.*INTRODUCTIONInteragency collaboration is a core element in the system of  care concept and philosophy. While many states and communities have worked to build this infrastructure across child-serving systems, it is only more recently that local university partnerships—beyond national-level technical assistance centers—have been recognized as a supportive external resource for interagency groups. This poster describes how the Georgia Interagency Directors Team’s (IDT) partnership with the Georgia Center of  Excellence in Child and Adolescent Behavioral Health (COE) assisted the IDT’s efforts to “manage, design, facilitate, and implement an integrated approach to a child and adolescent system of  care which shares funding [and] resources and informs policy and practice.”1 The partnership yielded a systems map ushering in a more preventive focus and a revised strategic plan with manageable objectives. gacoeonline.comFor more information, please contact  the Georgia Center of Excellence at  404-413-0075 or gacoe@gsu.eduBENEFITS OF THE PARTNERSHIP : USING SYSTEMS MAPPING FOR STRATEGIC PLANNINGIn 2012, the IDT group created a strategic plan, tackling six strategy areas with multiple sub-strategies:1. Policy, administrative, and regulatory changes2. Development and expansion of  services and supports3. Financing 4. Workforce development5. Support and advocacy6. Evaluation The group expressed a desire to rethink its collaborative capacity and future direction, and the COE brought in a system dynamics expert to help them frame the important issues, analyze the root causes, and consider solutions.  This process facilitated two changes. The first was a shift in focus to prevention. The systems expert helped the IDT create a map of  children’s progress from birth to adulthood, either staying “on track” behaviorally or falling “off  track.” The map and resulting discussion made clear that the children served cannot be divided into siloes and are not only the concern of  agencies funding their care, but “belong” to all the partners as “Georgia’s kids.” The discussion also helped members realize their agency resources were currently directed toward the middle and high school years—and the potential cost savings of  a more prevention-focused approach for younger children. The second change involved bringing the group together to revisit its original strategic plan. With an eye toward prevention, the group concentrated on more manageable—and fewer—strategic areas: namely #1 and #4 from the previous six strategic areas. Their new goals included: • #4: Identification of  best practices of  ADHD treatment and a survey of  current practices in Georgia. Results from the survey will inform implementation approaches for training Georgia’s workforce. • #1 and #4: Identification of  the best methods for integrating these trainings into the policies and practices of  IDT child-serving agency partners.• #1: The writing of  a policy statement on the recent Georgia juvenile justice code rewrite, responding to state-level policy.BACKGROUND: SUPPORTING COLLABORATIVESThere is much research explaining what constitutes effective collaboration.2 The Wilder Research Center’s work encompasses most of  these elements: environment, membership characteristics, process and structure, communication, purpose, and resources.3 Research also shows that a separate entity, such as the COE, is integral to the growth and sustainability of  an interagency collaboration.4 Such an entity supports the collaborative through “ongoing facilitation, technology and communications support, data collection and reporting, and handling the myriad of  logistical and administrative details needed for the initiative.”4The IDT’s membership includes nonprofits, government agency representation from child-serving agencies, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as a Federal Consultant, and the COE at Georgia State University in an administrative and research/evaluation capacity. In this context, the COE serves as the “resources” element. The COE supports the IDT through research of  best practices, facilitation, data management, and administrative support, with the goal of  helping the collaborative make fully informed decisions. They also evaluate the IDT’s efforts and progress toward their strategic goals.IMPLIC ATIONS FOR SYSTEM-WIDE COLLABORATIVESUniversity partners ensure interagency collaboratives have the information they need and assist group members with staying on track or considering new options. These partners provide access to resources possibly unavailable to government entities and also operate outside the day-to-day challenges associated with policy development and implementation. Future research should consider how university partnerships help interagency alliances sustain collaborations.REFERENCES1Georgia Interagency Directors’ Team. (2013). IDT action plan. Atlanta, GA. 2Callaly, T., von Treuer, K., van Hamond, T., & Windle, K. (2011). Forming and sustaining partnerships to provide integrated services for young people: An overview based on the headspace Geelong experience. Early Intervention in Psychiatry, 5, 28–33. 3Mattessich, P. W., Murray-Close, M., & Monsey, B. R. (2008). Collaboration: What makes it work (2nd ed.). Nashville, TN: Fieldstone Alliance.4Kania, J. & Kramer, M. (2011, Winter). Collective impact. Stanford Social Innovation Review, 49, 36–41.*Currently works for Public Citizen

SYSTEMS MAPPING AND UNIVERSITY PARTNERS HELP GEORGIA COLLABORATIVE’S STRATEGIC FOCUS

Georgia State University ScholarWorks @ Georgia State University GHPC Materials Georgia Health Policy Center 12-24-2014 SYSTEMS MAPPING AND UNIVERSITY PARTNERS HELP GEORGIA COLLABORATIVE’S STRATEGIC FOCUS Ann M. DiGirolamo Angela Snyder Cynthia Williams Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.gsu.edu/ghpc_materials Recommended Citation DiGirolamo, Ann M.; Snyder, Angela; and Williams, Cynthia, "SYSTEMS MAPPING AND UNIVERSITY PARTNERS HELP GEORGIA COLLABORATIVE’S STRATEGIC FOCUS" (2014). GHPC Materials. 44. https://scholarworks.gsu.edu/ghpc_materials/44 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Georgia Health Policy Center at ScholarWorks @ Georgia State University. It has been accepted for inclusion in GHPC Materials by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks @ Georgia State University. For more information, please contact scholarworks@gsu.edu. ANDREWYOUNGSCHOOLO F  P O L I C YS T U D I E SSYSTEMS  MAPP ING AND UNIVERS ITY PARTNERS  HELP  GEORGIA COLLABORATIVE ’ S  STRATEGIC  FOCUSAnn M. DiGirolamo, Ph.D., M.P.H.; Angela Snyder, Ph.D., M.P.H.; and Cynthia Williams, M.P.A.*INTRODUCTIONInteragency collaboration is a core element in the system of  care concept and philosophy. While many states and communities have worked to build this infrastructure across child-serving systems, it is only more recently that local university partnerships—beyond national-level technical assistance centers—have been recognized as a supportive external resource for interagency groups. This poster describes how the Georgia Interagency Directors Team’s (IDT) partnership with the Georgia Center of  Excellence in Child and Adolescent Behavioral Health (COE) assisted the IDT’s efforts to “manage, design, facilitate, and implement an integrated approach to a child and adolescent system of  care which shares funding [and] resources and informs policy and practice.”1 The partnership yielded a systems map ushering in a more preventive focus and a revised strategic plan with manageable objectives. gacoeonline.comFor more information, please contact  the Georgia Center of Excellence at  404-413-0075 or gacoe@gsu.eduBENEFITS OF THE PARTNERSHIP : USING SYSTEMS MAPPING FOR STRATEGIC PLANNINGIn 2012, the IDT group created a strategic plan, tackling six strategy areas with multiple sub-strategies:1. Policy, administrative, and regulatory changes2. Development and expansion of  services and supports3. Financing 4. Workforce development5. Support and advocacy6. Evaluation The group expressed a desire to rethink its collaborative capacity and future direction, and the COE brought in a system dynamics expert to help them frame the important issues, analyze the root causes, and consider solutions.  This process facilitated two changes. The first was a shift in focus to prevention. The systems expert helped the IDT create a map of  children’s progress from birth to adulthood, either staying “on track” behaviorally or falling “off  track.” The map and resulting discussion made clear that the children served cannot be divided into siloes and are not only the concern of  agencies funding their care, but “belong” to all the partners as “Georgia’s kids.” The discussion also helped members realize their agency resources were currently directed toward the middle and high school years—and the potential cost savings of  a more prevention-focused approach for younger children. The second change involved bringing the group together to revisit its original strategic plan. With an eye toward prevention, the group concentrated on more manageable—and fewer—strategic areas: namely #1 and #4 from the previous six strategic areas. Their new goals included: • #4: Identification of  best practices of  ADHD treatment and a survey of  current practices in Georgia. Results from the survey will inform implementation approaches for training Georgia’s workforce. • #1 and #4: Identification of  the best methods for integrating these trainings into the policies and practices of  IDT child-serving agency partners.• #1: The writing of  a policy statement on the recent Georgia juvenile justice code rewrite, responding to state-level policy.BACKGROUND: SUPPORTING COLLABORATIVESThere is much research explaining what constitutes effective collaboration.2 The Wilder Research Center’s work encompasses most of  these elements: environment, membership characteristics, process and structure, communication, purpose, and resources.3 Research also shows that a separate entity, such as the COE, is integral to the growth and sustainability of  an interagency collaboration.4 Such an entity supports the collaborative through “ongoing facilitation, technology and communications support, data collection and reporting, and handling the myriad of  logistical and administrative details needed for the initiative.”4The IDT’s membership includes nonprofits, government agency representation from child-serving agencies, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as a Federal Consultant, and the COE at Georgia State University in an administrative and research/evaluation capacity. In this context, the COE serves as the “resources” element. The COE supports the IDT through research of  best practices, facilitation, data management, and administrative support, with the goal of  helping the collaborative make fully informed decisions. They also evaluate the IDT’s efforts and progress toward their strategic goals.IMPLIC ATIONS FOR SYSTEM-WIDE COLLABORATIVESUniversity partners ensure interagency collaboratives have the information they need and assist group members with staying on track or considering new options. These partners provide access to resources possibly unavailable to government entities and also operate outside the day-to-day challenges associated with policy development and implementation. Future research should consider how university partnerships help interagency alliances sustain collaborations.REFERENCES1Georgia Interagency Directors’ Team. (2013). IDT action plan. Atlanta, GA. 2Callaly, T., von Treuer, K., van Hamond, T., & Windle, K. (2011). Forming and sustaining partnerships to provide integrated services for young people: An overview based on the headspace Geelong experience. Early Intervention in Psychiatry, 5, 28–33. 3Mattessich, P. W., Murray-Close, M., & Monsey, B. R. (2008). Collaboration: What makes it work (2nd ed.). Nashville, TN: Fieldstone Alliance.4Kania, J. & Kramer, M. (2011, Winter). Collective impact. Stanford Social Innovation Review, 49, 36–41.*Currently works for Public Citizen

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SYSTEMS MAPPING AND UNIVERSITY PARTNERS HELP GEORGIA COLLABORATIVE’S STRATEGIC FOCUS

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