Now and Next: a Novel Partnership between families and professionals Presentation by Hori Barton and Trisha Benge Supported by Dr. Annick Janson

McKenzie Centre We are an early childhood intervention centre for pre- school children with special needs and their family/whanau We are a charitable trust and based in Hamilton. 34 years of operation We support families in the greater Hamilton region We employ both health and education professionals We are funded by government contracts and our own efforts

Why explore a novel partnership? History ECIA conference 2016 key note speaker Sylvana Mahmic, Plumtree, talk about family capacity building and the Now and Next programme A Good Start in Life project NZ Transforming landscape of funding

Our aims for trialling Now and Next Internal evaluation- continuum of family centred practice Intentional Investment in parent capacity building and leadership Investment in staff professional learning and development – enablers Keeping current with changes in disability

What is Now and Next? 2 parts Pictability – visioning and goal setting. This is a novel approach using a visual experience which facilitates parents to vision and write goals for their child, family and self. These are measured during the programme. Now and Next- strengths based series of workshops that teaches parents a strategy of how to take ‘goals to action’, uses an e book that documents progress, create positive relationships with professionals, how to look after yourself and take responsibility for this.

Now and Next Hamilton Partnership between CCS Disability Action and McKenzie Centre Course was held over 4 Saturdays in March 2018 Attended by 11 couples and 1 Mum Parent Facilitator from Sydney

How are we making change real and using our new thinking and innovations Family Centred practice: movement towards this Intentional investment in parents; Parent volunteers in our sessions, parents contributing to developing our service delivery, parent interpreters Parents facilitating other parents with Pictability Staff PLD: 5 windows tool. Research its effectiveness in parent engagement taking goals to action These are our first steps our challenge what will we look like in 5 years?

Research and Development 6 key messages Novel approach: Setting a positive vision for our family future A whole family perspective: Family-Centered Practice and beyond Evidence-informed/research-based: Positive Psychology Parent-professional collaboration: Optimum outcome Celebrating achievements with relevant peer group is motivating . Growing empowerment from our starting point. Keep the (learning) cycles going: after goals are achieved, new ones are set – promoting wellbeing practices

Evaluation Global longitudinal evaluation: Dr. Tim Moore, Murdoch Children’s Hospital, Melbourne [250 families] NZ data: benchmarked to global evaluation Now and Next Vision to Plan and Goal to Action methodologies implemented at McKenzie Centre Short-term impact: Programme impact Goals achieved Empowerment, Agency, Wellbeing Mid-term impact: Community building & Peer Network

1. Programme impact Tool: Duncan & Reese (2015) Partners in Change Outcome Measures (PCOMs)

2. Short term goals achieved Child goals: 100% Family goals: 100% Personal goals: 78% Vision to Plan with Pictability©

3(a). Empowerment Ref: Akey, Marquis & Ross (2000) Validation of scores on the psychological empowerment scale: A measure of empowerment for parents of children with a disability.

3(b). Agency and outcomes Agency increase of up to 31% (*) Sense of community increase 151% [twofold] (*) Reported value of continuing to build a peer network: increase of 30% (*) (*) Before vs. after the programme scores that are statistically significant) Ref: Snyder (2002) Hope Theory: Rainbows in the Mind. Psychological Inquiry

3(c). Wellbeing and flourishing Ref: Butler and Kern (2015) The PERMA profiler: A multidimensional measure for flourishing. University of Pennsylvania

Our theoretical basis: Benefit Mindset and Peer Network building 4. Mid-term impact Our theoretical basis: Benefit Mindset and Peer Network building

This model was co-designed with the researcher and one of the Alumni to reflect the Alumni understanding of the impact of the program

A Parent’s perspective

Mind shift Evidence from Positive Psychology Signature Strengths Well Being Agency Goals to Action 5 Windows

NZ’s first Now and Next parents! Alumni Plans Mission Presenting at NZDSN conference Online knowledge platform Updating Pictability visioning tools with NZ graphics Pictability facilitation with peers Contributing to research Training in Now and Next Long term funding

Dr. Annick Janson, Centre for Applied Cross-cultural Psychology, Victoria University of Wellington annick@egl.ac.nz; 027 288 1949 Trisha Benge, Centre Director, McKenzie Centre director@mckenziecentre.org.nz; 07 835357