Nuts and Bolts #1 Collaborative Partnerships and Community Engagement

2 Objectives Participants will be able to: Identify key collaborators and partners, and the steps to a collaborative process Understand the key aspects to community engagement

3 Collaboration and Partnerships

4 Collaborative Partnerships A mutually beneficial and well-defined relationship among two or more organizations to JOINTLY develop structure and share Responsibility Resources Authority Accountability Rewards

5 Why have a Collaboration? To accomplish a common goal that none of the units alone can attain To accomplish a common goal that none of the units alone can attain To help agencies share information, resources, staff and equipment To help agencies share information, resources, staff and equipment To create an awareness of needs, problems, or opportunities To create an awareness of needs, problems, or opportunities

6 Characteristics of Successful Collaboration Develops clear, concrete, achievable goals. Develops clear, concrete, achievable goals. Operate in a receptive environment that facilitates its work. Operate in a receptive environment that facilitates its work. Have good leadership. Have good leadership. Understand and respect each member for their different role and responsibility. Understand and respect each member for their different role and responsibility. Build cooperative teams. Build cooperative teams.

7 Typical challenges Differences among collaborators must be understood and acknowledged. Differences among collaborators must be understood and acknowledged. Mixed loyalty that some members may have to their organization. Mixed loyalty that some members may have to their organization. Merging of agencies can cause conflict. Merging of agencies can cause conflict. * Lack of clarity * Lack of awareness

8 Difficult Issues that Undermine Collaborations Territorial questions Confidentiality Certification/Crede ntialing Conflicting priorities Political roadblocks Financial resources

9 Strategies to Overcome Resistance in Collaboration Joining with the host school Relay the message that you are there to support rather than supplant. Engage in ongoing negotiations with key players. Developing common goals and group consensus. Setting Boundaries.

10 Establish a Planning Group Composition Considerations Local health department Community or rural health center Community and/or teaching hospital(s) Mental health, substance abuse, and social service agencies Private physicians University faculty Elected Officials Business and community leaders Faith community School superintendent, board, or designee School administration and Faculty (school nurse, teachers, principals, guidance counselors, physical education, nutrition/food services) Students Parents

Community Engagement What is community engagement What is community engagement Why do it? Why do it? How do you do it? How do you do it?

What is it? It is a redistribution of power It is a redistribution of power Enabling the less powerful- marginalized from the political and economic game Enabling the less powerful- marginalized from the political and economic game To make their own future To make their own future Douglass Taylor, Director Southeast Community Research Center (SCRC)

Characteristics of Community Engagement Transparent: all processes are open Knowledge Exchanged: expertise of both partners affects decisions Decision making is shared: joint planning, shared authority and responsibility and collaborative evaluation Trust: open and intentional evaluation of partnerships SCRC, 2008

Community Engagement with a multicultural lens What is multiculturalism? A process of recognizing, understanding, and appreciating one’s own cultural background as well as the cultural backgrounds of others. SCRC, 2008

Multiculturalism…continued Stresses an appreciation of the impact of differences in social location – based on: Race/ethnicity, gender, class/level, age sexual orientation, religion, physical/mental ability, immigration status, language, and military experience. SCRC, 2008

Stages of Community Readiness Community Tolerance: the problem or behavior is normative and accepted Denial: belief that the problem does not exist or change is impossible. Vague Awareness: recognition of the problem, but no motivation for action.

Stages…continued Preplanning: recognition of a problems and agreement that something needs to be done. Preparation: active planning. Initiation: implementation of a program.

Stages…continued Institutionalization : 1 or 2 programs operating and are stable. Confirmation and Expansion: recognition of limitations and attempts to improve existing programs Professionalization: marked by sophistication, training, and effective evaluation SCRC, 2008 adapted

Why Do Engagement? It enhances understanding of clients we serve. Increases willingness to employ health services. Expands and strengthens policy change process for sustainability (advocates and voters. Aligns with new paradigms in health.

Why Do Engagement? Creates sustainable change in people and programs Provides a ‘voice’ for clients Increases sustainability by integrating into the community health model SCRC, 2008 adapted

How do you do Community Engagement? Start where the people are

Levels of Engagement SCRC, 2008 adapted 1. Informing: usually one way relationship, one agency producing and delivering information for use by the community AgencyCommunity (health, education child advocacy) Usually presentations, informational forums

Levels 2. Consulting: more of a two way relation where the community provides feedback to the agency. Agency is defining the issue on which the community’s view are being sought. AgencyCommunity Seeking advice from community No implication of a solution

Levels 3. Participating: the community is beginning to come more involved with increasingly shared perceptions and experiences. People are recognizing that they need to ensure their interests are taken into account. AgencyCommunity More people getting involved, adding to the process through their experiences: writing letter, attending events, sending s.

Levels 4. Actively engaging: the partnership includes and depends on the community in the policy making processes. The community is acknowledged for their critical role in the policy dialogue. AgencyCommunity Taking action and learning together towards a common vision.