Engaging partners in a statewide agenda Ohio School Based Health Care Association

Partnerships Driven Local to State  Where we started: Grassroots-up model of partnerships reflecting the partnerships seen at the local level  In other words, “Who do our centers partner with?”  Drove statewide introductions and education for partnership groups per the OSBHCA Strategic Plan, including:  NASBHC and other state associations  Ohio Association of Community Health Centers (FQHCs)  Ohio Hospital Association  Ohio Children’s Hospital Association  Voices for Ohio’s Children/Covering Kids and Families  Ohio Mental Health Network for School Success  Ohio School Nurses Association

Partnerships Driven Local to State  More partnerships:  Ohio Action for Healthy Kids  Community Learning Centers-Local to Cincinnati  Ohio Nurses Association  Ohio Afterschool Network  Ohio Nurses Association  Ohio School Social Workers Association, Counselors, etc.  Dental-huge need  Family and Children’s First Councils-huge need  Ohio PTA-huge need  School people: teachers, administrators, superintendants, education service councils, early learning, etc.  State Department outreach  Researchers/University partner outreach-especially stemming from other partnerships!

How OSBHCA Engages Partners  Sometimes it’s a coffee or a lunch for an introductory meeting  Continuous follow up breeds new opportunities  A simple phone call or addition of a new relationship contact to an list  Other ways to engage:  Joint meetings for advocacy or continuing education OSBHCA has done 3 in two years, yielding higher results in attendance and overall meeting quality MOU needed at the beginning so all partners know benefits, responsibilities Mantra is currently that there isn’t a meeting we typically do without engaging other collaborative partners

How OSBHCA Engages Partners  Other ways to engage:  Advocacy efforts: joint statehouse days previously and in future  Staff and membership volunteering on committees/boards/leadership teams of these groups  Promotion of partnership groups news and events  Research: Coordinated School Health effort in Ohio-getting SBHCs to the table  Letters of Support for grants-giving and receiving  Inviting participants to be on OSBHCA Board It’s all about getting the right people on the bus!

Why We Engage: Huge Benefits!  Resources and Rewards:  OSBHCA has contract staff and receives grant funding and other budget consists of CE receipts and small pot of membership dollars  Other groups have paid affiliates or statewide networks/regions, but may lack association structure or general Board leadership  If you can develop a relationship that puts the cause before the people involved-the best partnerships- engaging can become a way of sharing staff and resources to accomplish so much more!

Challenges to Statewide Partnerships Blending of Agendas Continuous Communication-can be a full-time job Keeping in-line with the goals of the organization: “How Big do We Make our Tent?” Keeping the partnerships effective at the local level  If the local partnerships drive the state association, how are state partnerships benefiting individual centers/regions and what is the expectation/communication flowing from state to local?  Volunteer engagement-if a new partner is developed, challenges arise in asking individuals at the local level to get involved as well-what’s the compelling reason they should?