Mountains of Success: Using Effective State Task Forces to Increase System-wide Impact

1. Mountains of Success:Using Effective State Task Forces to Increase System-wide Impact Kathy Jo Stence, Program Analyst Pennsylvania Department of Health, Bureau of Drug and Alcohol Programs 02 Kline Plaza Harrisburg, PA 17104 717-787-2712 kstence@state.pa.us

2. Getting Started… • People • Passion • Persuasion • Purpose

3. People, Passion, Persuasion, Purpose within the Bureau of Drug & Programs Frontline staff Bureau Leadership • Supervisor • Division Director • Bureau Director (Input from SAMHSA, FASD Center for Excellence)

4. Securing Additional Partners(People, Passion, Persuasion, Purpose) • Bureau of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DOH) • Bureau of Family Health (DOH) • Bureau of Children’s Services (DPW) • PA Community Providers Association

5. By October of 2005, we were ready to officially request permission from the Deputy Secretary of Health to create the PA State FASD Task Force To give credence to the process by having the Deputy Secretary for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention sign particular invitation letters to the task force members/attendees

6. Building a Task Force The Collaborating Agencies (DOH, DPW, Community Organization) got together to determine the following: • Who should be invited to participate in the task force? • Location of the task force meetings? • How should the meetings be organized?

7. Who should be invited to participate? First, broad categories for inclusion were considered, including individuals from: • Medical professionals, i.e. nurses, ob-gyns, pediatricians • Mental health personnel • Child protective services • Juvenile justice • Educators • Family Members • Statisticians • Women and Children’s providers

8. Who else to invite? • Insurance Agencies • The PA Association of Community Drug and Alcohol Providers • Council for Exceptional Children • American Pediatric Association • March of Dimes • Association of Retarded Citizens • SAMHSA FASD Center for Excellence • Etc.

9. Who…continued… • An extensive list of particular individuals and/or organizations was made to include representation from the broader categories • Letters requesting that they or their representative participate in the task force were sent, signed by either the Bureau Director or the Deputy Secretary of Health Promotion and Disease Prevention

10. Making the Task Force Operational We were able to set aside some funds to provide the following to individuals participating on the task force: • Lunch was provided at the meeting • Commonwealth employees from other agencies/departments were reimbursed by their respective agencies • Individuals from the private sector were reimbursed mileage. • Those individuals who qualified for overnight accommodations/subsistence were reimbursed as per Commonwealth guidelines.

11. Where and how’s… Mr. Dubovsky recommended: • That the 1st meeting of the task force include a training on FASD so that all members would be on the “same page” regarding the topic; • That the task force consider completing an informal needs assessment, and • That after determining needs/impact the development of a state plan could begin

12. Where and how’s… • Based on Mr. Dubovsky’s recommendations, it was determined that a more formalized process should occur with the organization and oversight of the process, therefore, the Bureau of Management Consultants (BMC) were hired to facilitate the task force meetings.

13. Working with BMC (Meeting Facilitators) The Meeting Facilitators helped BDAP to: • Develop mission and vision statements for the task force (which were later adopted by the task force) • Develop a schedule of meetings when the task force would convene

14. Working with BMC • BMC staff served as meeting facilitators for each of the task force meetings • Provided a summary for each of the task force meetings • Facilitated the development of the FASD State Plan, including: • Goals and objectives • Conducting an SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) • Etc.

15. Working with BMC BMC guided us through to the final draft of the actual state plan including: • Executive Summary • Background • Strategic Direction • Action Plan • Monitoring Plan • Evaluating Plan • Resource Requirement Plan • Follow up Plan

16. Maintaining Task Force Interest • People • Passion • Persuasion • Purpose

17. Ongoing Efforts of the Task Force Have formed the following sub- committees that meet on an as needed basis: • State Plan Reformatting Committee • FASD Awareness Week Planning Committee • Research Committee • Poster Contest Judges • Others as needed

18. Extension Efforts of the State Task Force • In October 2007, Northrop Grumman accepted Request for Proposals for FASD Subcontractor Programs • The information was forwarded to the State Task Force members to inform them of the opportunity, offering support to agencies that intended to apply • Consequently, one such RFP was accepted and currently The Philadelphia FASD Screening, Diagnosis and Treatment Initiative is underway!!!!

19. Challenges Regarding the Task Force • Budgetary Constrictions limited the continuation of the original collaborating agencies • BDAP is currently the primary agency regarding FASD efforts in the state • Most individuals who agreed to serve as members of the task force remained throughout, but there was some loss of commitment as time progressed. • There has been some lag time in getting the state plan approved, therefore, we have lost some of our momentum.

20. Challenges regarding the State Plan • In May 2007, the Task Force with the help of BMC created a finalized draft of the plan to be submitted to the Department of Health for approval. • Still working on a reformatting of the Plan. • Hope to have it approved/announced by FASD Awareness Week, September 2008. • We will need to continue to maintain People, Passion, Persuasion and Purpose to implement the plan and secure resources.

21. Challenges, continued… • Need to ascertain funds for the programs outlined in the plan

22. Contact Information Kathy Jo Stence Department of Health/Bureau of Drug and Alcohol Programs 717-787-2712 kstence@state.pa.us PEOPLE.PASSION.PERSUASION.PURPOSE