New Communities Meeting 2010 February 9, 2010 Washington, DC Only Connect! and Other Axioms of System Implementation Four Critical Lessons from Successful Systems of Care Sharon Hodges, PhD and Kathleen Ferreira, MSE Case Studies of System Implementation Research and Training Center for Children’s Mental Health Department of Child and Family Studies University of South Florida

Research to Practice... Lessons Learned USF New Communities Meeting Research Team... practice to research! USF Established Research Team Systems of Care Lessons Learned

Participating Systems Placer County, CA Region 3 (Behavioral Health), NE State of Hawaii Santa Cruz County, CA Westchester County, NY Marion County, IN (Dawn Project)

System Implementation Factors Asked system stakeholders: How did you create change? Identified factors considered critical to system development Four categories: Values and Beliefs Goals Structures System Information

Values and Beliefs Shift the Mindset of the System Aligning service planning and delivery with SOC values will result in benefits to children and families Importance of trust, commitment, and shared responsibility among stakeholders Change is possible Lesson 1 VB

Connect on Values and Beliefs Systems of care represent a value-based approach for developing services and supports. Work with your team to identify the system of care values and beliefs that you think are most critical for serving your identified population: - What impact would serving children and families according to these values have on how you organize and deliver services?

Connect to your Vision Revisit the population of focus you identified in your proposal with your team In your community, how many children are in your population of focus? What are your community’s strengths in serving these children and their families? What does your community need to change to better serve these children and families?

Goals Enable Action Shared goals focus system partners on shared actions Outcome goals such as reduction of out-of- home placement Process goals such as increasing culturally competent or individualized care Planning goals related to strategic action G A Lesson 2

Connect your goals to action Work with your team to identify the goals you share for your system change System level Program level Practice level For each goal, list action steps you can take in the next 12 months that will move you toward this goal.

Collaborative Structures Support Implementation Changes in physical arrangement of services Changes in regulations and authorities that facilitate interagency decision making Changes that facilitate transition across service environment Lesson 3 S C

Connect collaborative structures What cross-agency partners are key to serving your identified population of focus? Is there an existing family organization that already works on behalf of children and families? Is there an existing board of community elders, religious leaders, or volunteers who already work on behalf of children and families?

Information Facilitates System Responsiveness Content, structure, flow of system feedback Formal and informal Timely and relevant Lesson 4 System Information

Connect through Information Plan for information utilization System of Care Goal Evidence Information Sharing Information Dissemination Information Utilization

Local System Implementation Values and Beliefs Support Collaborative Structures VB GASCSC System Information Local System

Established System of Care Values and Beliefs Drive Outcomes VB GASCSC System Information O SOC

Maximize Return on System Implementation Create focus on values and beliefs Translate shared beliefs into action Recognize that opportunities are not linear Know that concrete does not mean static Be realistic about the impact of structural change Remember the system emerges from stakeholder choices and actions