Collaboration The Key to Success

Goals Participants will be able to: Define collaboration Identify win/win situations Identify potential partners Identify and avoid potential pitfalls

Agenda Where did ETBHC start The first collaboration Development of the community buy-in Sustaining the collaboration What ETBHC learned Where we are going

Defining our Collaboration Our definition was to develop a team that included non-profit and for profit members to advance a common goal. We wanted members who would: 1. Share knowledge and learning 2. Were creative and thought outside of the box 3. Committed to the common good of the community

Collaborative Culture Starting with the Board, ETBHC developed a collaborative culture at all levels of the organization. Selection of Board members based on community involvement Our Board actively promotes collaboration at the community level: Speakers Disseminating information

Collaborative Culture All staff members job descriptions include requirements to collaborate with the community: Speakers Participate in health fairs Serve on other community coalitions & organizations Serve on other boards Serving on emergency response teams

Choosing the Right Grant Questions to ask: Will the grant further your mission? Do you have the infrastructure to support the grant? Will the community support the efforts? Can it be sustained? More Questions: If new positions are required, does the area have the available, qualified workforce? Does it address an identified community need? Are you writing because you can?

ETBHC at the Beginning Reviewed the Outreach Grant and determined it would improve the community health as a whole by increasing access to mental health services. Reviewed the current partnerships and determined that the grant provided a means to further our common goals. Partners agreed that an outreach worker in the field would promote awareness and enhance access to services.

First Team First team included: East Texas Council on Alcoholism & Drug Abuse Community Healthcore (mental health provider) United Churches Care (faith community) East Texas Border Health Clinic All were chosen because they were committed to enhancing access to mental health/substance abuse services in the community and ETBHC had worked with agencies since 2004.

Grant Awarded – What next? Read your work plan – You will be held accountable Inform your partners – start planning for sustainability HRSA has available TA – ask for it if you need

First Things First ETBHC grant was initially written for a mid- level provider to do the outreach. What we discovered: 1. Mid-levels are not that available in East Texas 2. Mid-levels when available do not want to do outreach 3. If primary health care was provided through outreach, ETBHC would need a home health license.

First Things First What we did: 1. Contacted the Project Officer and asked the mid-level be changed to a nursing position. 2. Hired a nurse to travel throughout the community to provide outreach services 3. Primary health care services were provided in our clinics through referrals made by the Outreach Nurse

Developing Community Buy-In Needed to expand the collaboration Searched for members from: School systems Aging Local businesses Indigent service providers Began formalizing and defining prior relationships and developing new relationships Each partner was responsible for bringing new partners into the collaboration

Develop Win-Win Situations Our agreements included: Placing signs/info of available services in visible locations Agreeing to provide speakers, when appropriate Agreeing to provide space Agreeing to accept/refer to agency, when appropriate

Search for Partners Do not underestimate the number of partners you have: 1. Who are you working with that you do not have a Letter of Agreement? 2. Define the efforts in a Letter of Agreement or Memorandum of Understanding

Look Everywhere 1. Parent/Teacher Organizations / Colleges 2. Area on Aging/Senior Centers 3. Business – Lowes / Wal-Mart / Walgreens 4. Chamber of Commerce / Economic Development 5. Local Churches /Auxiliaries / Rotary 6. Other Coalitions / Initiatives 7. County Extension / County Health Dept 8. Home Health Agencies/Hospitals

Teamworks Today Collaboration named: Just for the Health of It / Teamworks Members include: County ExtensionCounty Emergency Preparedness Home Health AgenciesEarly Childhood Development Area on AgencyRepresentative of State Senator Mental Health ProviderSchool Nurse Substance Abuse ProviderDepartment of State Health Services County Indigent Provider Insurance Agent

3 Year Goals Enhance care to 3000 low income individuals with chronic physical/mental illness Provide prevention education to 1500 patients Establish 4 Outreach Clinic sites Hold 200 clinic/consortium days Expand availability of rural health care by 1% Provide healthcare/education to 20 new patients weekly/1000 new annually.

Quality Improvement Plan Systematically monitored efficiency / effectiveness of patient care Assure satisfaction of patient and their family members served Promoted excellence in patient care (monitored against established best practices)

Meeting our goals Held regular outreach clinics Maintained proper supplies Provided basic primary/preventive care Referrals to consortium members for mental health/substance abuse Maintained continuous communication with all consortium members Gathered necessary data to measure outcomes

Outreach Clinics

Consumers Educated

Access to Care

Increase to Mental Health

Sustainability Continue monthly consortium meetings Wrote other grants Out Stationed Medicaid Eligibility Worker

Next Year Program is changing Continuing consortium meetings Continuing case management Continuing attending other coalition meetings September 1, 2009 beginning digital screening for mental health issues in exam rooms Outreach at community health fairs and gatherings

What we learned Be flexible Always include your partners Do not promise something you cannot do Deliver high quality care Be consistent

Pitfalls Workforce was not available Case management and outreach services are not for everyone

Contact Info Wanda M. Kennel, PhD Chief Executive Officer East Texas Border Health Clinic P O Box 1326 Marshall, TX Phone: (903) Fax: (903)