1. Strategies for Effective Communication with Members
Eric Foster, AM, CADC
VP Substance Abuse Policy and COO
Illinois Association for Behavioral Health

2. Illinois Association for Behavioral Health
60 Provider Members Delivering Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services
Primarily Public Policy and Advocacy Driven
Recent change in association name and mission, from solely addiction services to both Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders (Behavioral Health)

3. Association Cont’d
Run Two Statewide Alcohol and Drug Prevention Programs
Operation Snowball Inc. (OS)
Cebrin Goodman Teen Institute (CGTI)

4. Communication platforms
Phone and – Individual & Groups
Weekly Member Update News Letter – Membership
Quarterly Membership News Letter - Membership
News Blog ( Public
Website – Public and Member specific
Social Media - Global

5. In the Beginning…
How many of you have a personal Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or other social media account?
My Personal Experience with Social Media
Joined Facebook 2009
Linkedin and Twitter 2010
Instagram 2014

6. Why Social Media?
Increase our Association foot print and ability to connect with other stakeholders on topics related to Mental Health and Substance Use
Decrease Delays in Dissemination of Information by providing a platform for real-time reporting of Association activities.
Author IABHs experiences through written, image, and video content;

7. Real-time Dissemination

8. Why Social Media Cont’d
Establishing and Maintaining Association Relevance on issues related to budget, service delivery, social issues, research, and public policy
Share information with IABH members and community stakeholders, state and federal legislators, media outlets, and the general public.
Drive traffic to our organizations’ programs, websites, events, and activities, by sharing information that incites conversation.

9. Paying to Boost FB posts

10. IABH Social Media Presence
Facebook – 2010
Similar Branding, Advertising, Scheduling and promoting events, pushes information to Twitter.
Multi-media content (images, video, text)
Encourage personal FB friends to interact with organizational page

11. IABH Social Media Cont’d
Twitter Page 2008 & 2015
An access point for news and real-time reporting from meetings hearing and events
Association mission expansion to include advocacy of mental health issues, we established three separate twitter pages
Association
VP Substance
VP Mental

12. IABH Social Media Cont’d
Instagram 2015
Primarily a mobile platform sharing Images and video content related to Association Activities
Association
New Association Website:
Updated and relevant with current platforms
Incorporate Social Media in to the site
Similar color scheme and use of logos
Advertising - Non-dues revenue

13. IABH Prevention Programs
OS and CGTI Website:
2 Twitter accounts
@CGTI12
@OperSnowball
2 Facebook pages
@CebrinGoodmanTeenInstitute
@OperationSnowbalInc
2 Instagram
@CG_TI
@OperationSnowball

14. Things to Consider
Personally and professionally participate in social media; Must be willing to share content
If social media is a priority, then be willing to invest time in the development.
Is there a policy in place that dictates the use of social media during work hours?
Does the policy support the goal of increasing use of social media?

15. Things to Consider Cont’d
Decide who is going to manage the social media for your organization?
Ensure that there are checks and balances in place.
Who is your target audience and does it match with the use of social media?
Is content relevant and interesting to the target audience; learn the tricks of the trade.

16. QUESTIONS???