Successful collaboration through Systems of Care--and other news from Community Science

November 2012   IN THIS ISSUE:  Welcome to the November issue! This month we focus on the benefits of agency, community, and family collaboration through Systems of Care: *           Spotlight: Community Science helps build strong community                   infrastructure by supporting Systems of Care *           Client Briefs: Nassau County Family Support System of Care *           What We're Reading: Systems of Care SPOTLIGHT ON:  Making It Count Through Coordination and Collaboration Community Science helps build strong community infrastructure by supporting Systems of Care   Change is rarely an individual effort. In order to shift even the simplest process, multiple stakeholders must be involved, working collaboratively to ensure that no needs are left unmet. Unfortunately, it's far easier in theory than it is in practice. For youth- and family-serving systems, achieving this goal means working with their counterparts in other agencies and organizations to coordinate - and integrate - services available for children and youth in the multiple systems, and those at risk of behavioral and other health challenges. Meeting the needs of these children means building a better system. That's the foundation of Systems of Care programs throughout the United States - a service delivery approach that builds partnerships across agencies and communities to create a broad, integrated process for meeting families' multiple needs. Although Systems of Care were originally developed to address the needs of children with serious emotional disturbances, the approach is now being applied to other populations whose needs require services from multiple agencies, including  youth involved in the child welfare and juvenile justice systems.  Simply defined, a System of Care is a wide-ranging spectrum of effective, community-based services and supports for children and youth with or at risk for mental health or other challenges and their families. The system is organized into a coordinated network, building meaningful partnerships with families and youth, and addressing their cultural and linguistic needs, in order to help them to function better at home, in school, in the community, and throughout life. On the ground level, that means reducing the number of children placed outside of their homes for care. However, unlike some "top-down" programs, the key difference in a System of Care is that it's driven by the communities and families that benefit from it. From government agencies to local community leaders, the system only works when everyone works together.    The Systems of Care approach is based on  the principles of interagency collaboration; individualized,  strengths-based care practices; cultural competence;  community-based services; accountability; and full participation  of families and youth at all levels of the system. Community Science is proud to help build, support, and evaluate these systems through our own passion, partnerships, and expertise. Senior Associate LaKeesha Woods, Ph.D. is currently working with the Nassau County Family Support System of Care as co-project director and an evaluator.  "System of Care in general, and Nassau County's No Wrong Door Family Support System of Care in particular, promote the holistic health of diverse children and families. As local evaluators, we are charged not only with measuring the initiative's desired outcomes, but providing information to help the program develop and improve, celebrate its successes, and add to the field of children's mental health," said Dr. Woods. In this role, Dr. Woods follows the implementation of services and supports as well as the progress of children and their families throughout the program, documenting outcomes and assessing impact. The constructive, detailed feedback and insight based on the evaluation findings enable program administrators to make data-informed decisions to strengthen the system of care. This data are also fed to a national Systems of Care evaluation team to build the evidence base for the field. To learn more about Systems of Care, click here. To read about Community Science's approach to Community & Systems Change, click here.   MEET COMMUNITY SCIENCE: Senior Associate, LaKeesha N. Woods, Ph.D.   As passionate about practice as she is about research, Dr. Woods is focused on cultural influences on the development and functioning of youth and families of color; and culturally relevant preventive interventions for youth placed at risk. That passion was recognized with her promotion to Senior Associate in 2010. She currently serves on the evaluation team for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Minority Health (OMH) National Partnership for Action to End Health Disparities (NPA), as co-project director for the Nassau County Family Support System of Care, and as project director for juvenile justice diversion initiatives and cross-cultural competency trainings for youth workers in Montgomery County, Maryland. Dr. Woods' contributions to the team and the community are seen first-hand on a daily basis. Click here for her resume.   Published By Community Science Authored by past and current Community Science staff and our client, this article is based on a project evaluated by Community Science, "Health Literacy in Adult Education: A Natural Partnership for Health Equity" has been selected for publication in SAGE Health Promotion Practice Volume 13 Issue 6, November 2012. A hard copy reprint of the article can be downloaded from the Sage Publications website. What We're Reading: Systems of Care As a national program implemented on many local levels, Systems of Care offer many lessons and best practices as data continues to be collected on individual successes. Below are some helpful publications and manuals related to the foundations and successes of Systems of Care.    A Coordinated Response to Child Abuse and Neglect: The Foundation for Practice Goldman, Salus, Wolcott, Kennedy, 2003 This manual addresses the definition, scope, causes, and consequences of child abuse and neglect. It also presents an overview of prevention efforts and the child protection process from identification and reporting through investigation and assessment to service provision and case closure.        Community Partnerships: Improving the Response to Child Maltreatment Children's Bureau, 2010 This manual reflects the widespread recognition that coordinated multidisciplinary responses are needed to address the complex needs of today's children and families. It offers guidance on how diverse community agencies, organizations, and individuals can join together to provide a web of support for families and create safe, healthy environments for children to thrive. Bulletins for Professionals: SYSTEMS OF CARE Child Welfare Information Gateway, 2008 This bulletin includes: the history of systems of care, its application within child welfare systems, guiding principles, and a list of organizations involved with systems of care.       Child Neglect Demonstration Projects: Synthesis of Lessons Learned Child Welfare Information Gateway, 2004 This publication provides an overview of services and outcomes, common challenges and successful strategies, and lessons learned for 10 demonstration projects to address the prevention, intervention, and treatment needs of neglected children and their families.       CLIENT BRIEFS:   Nassau County Family Support System Of Care  Nassau County Family Support System of Care (NCFSSoC) is a partnership between Nassau County, Nassau University Medical Center and Families Together in New York State, Inc. With a six-year, 8 million dollar federal Children's Mental Health Initiative Grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), NCFSSoC is working to transform the manner in which public mental health services were provided to families and youth in the county. Community Science serves as local evaluators of the program.     Conferences   of note: Repositioning Culture in Evaluation and Assessment Hosted by the College of Education at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, this conference will bring together an interdisciplinary group of US and international scholars to focus on the role of culture in theory and practices of evaluation and assessment.  The CREA conference is unique in its definitive recognition of culture's centrality to evaluation and assessment and will illuminate the landscape of culturally responsive evaluation and assessment. April 21-23, 2013 Center for Culturally Responsive Evaluation and Assessment (CREA), Chicago, Ill.    The Society for Prevention Research 21st Annual Meeting: "The Science of Prevention: Building a Comprehensive National Strategy for Well-Being" Join colleagues for the most important prevention science conference of the year!  The Society for Prevention Research envisions a wellness-oriented society in which evidenced-based programs and policies are continuously applied to improve the health and well being of its citizens, fostering positive human development and citizens who lead productive lives, in caring relationships with others. May 28-31, 2013 Hyatt Regency San Francisco, San Francisco, CA  Join Us! If you are a motivated, conscientious professional who can help us take the practice of social change through science and capacity building to a higher level, Community Science wants to hear from you. In fact, Community Science is currently recruiting for the following positions: Senior Associate in Community Change Research & Practice (Washington, DC) Associate in Research & Capacity Building (Washington, DC) To learn more about each position, or apply now, visit the Community Science CAREERS page.   About Community Science   Community Science is an award winning research and development organization that works with governments, foundations, and non-profit organizations on solutions to social problems through community and other systems changes.  To learn more, visit our PROJECTS page.  To discuss how Community Science can collaborate with your organization, contact us at  301-519-0722  or info@communityscience.com

4th Asia Pacific Regional Conference on Service-Learning in Hong Kong, China

[Announcement from he-sl listserv]

Dear All,

Greeting from the Office Of Service-Learning, Lingnan University, Hong Kong!

We are excited to announce that the 4th Asia-Pacific Regional Conference on Service-Learning, which will be held , on 4^th to 7^th   June 2013 (Tuesday to Friday) in Hong Kong and Guangzhou, China.  

The theme for the upcoming conference is “Service-Learning as a Bridge from Local to Global: Connected World, Connected Future”.With globalization, the world gets more and more connected. Barriers to movement are being decomposed and local demographics are dramatically changing. The connected world calls for all parties to collaborate and work together for a connected future. The need for bilingual and culturally sensitive professionals and service providers urges the universities to prepare graduates with the ability to act in the world and for the world. However, social problems may need to be addressed through an interdisciplinary approach from local to global.

This conference provides a platform to connect knowledge from different academic disciplines and different social sectors, to learn from each others’ best practices and to apply knowledge in different settings to achieve a better world. We would like to invite YOU all to attend this conference and jointly work with people from different backgrounds to address the social issues above. We are pleased to have Prof. Andrew Furco, Associate Vice President for Public Engagement, Associate Professor of Education, Director of the International Center for Research on Community Engagement, University of Minnesota; Dr. Mabel Erasmus, Head of Service Learning, University of the Free State; and Mr. Chung Po Yang, Founder of DHL International, Chairman Emeritus of DHL Express (HK) Ltd, Chairman of The Hong Kong Institute of Service Leadership & Management and The Good Life Initiative Limited, as our keynote speakers. They will share with you about what they have been doing and what we can do it together. More speakers from other countries will be announced very soon as well.

If you are interested to join us, please do send us a proposal that echo this conference theme around the world.

Conference presenters will have a variety of formats from which to choose; the Conference committee will make the final decisions on which format best suits each proposed presentation. The possible presentation formats are: Paper Presentation, Panel Presentation, Poster Presentation, Student Forum, and Interactive Workshop. Through these different topics and modes of presentations, we aim to achieve the following conference goals:

(1) Provide a platform for Service-Learning Coordinators/Practitioners/Researchers, Professors/Course Instructors, Community Partners, Administrators, and Educational Policy Makers to share their ideas and practices on Service-Learning

(2) Share best practices for Service-Learning and the wise use of knowledge for the improvement of the world, i.e. to see how Service-Learning can address social issues, e.g. Ageing, Health care, Social Enterprises, etc  

(3) Review Service-Learning theories and practices from an international perspective

Interested scholars are invited to submit paper abstracts of maximum 350 words, to be sent to the Conference Secretariat on or before 31^st January 2013. Presenting authors will be notified via e-mail, the status of their abstracts, and prior to 1st March 2013. All presenters must register for the conference. The deadline of Early Bird registration is before 15^th March, 2013

For enquiry, you can contact us by email: oslconf@ln.edu.hk. Further information about the conference will be available at http://www.ln.edu.hk/osl/conference2013. We are looking forward to seeing you at our conference.  

Yours Sincerely,

Office of Service-Learning

Lingnan University

Hong Kong 

Report on Democratic Devolution: How America's Colleges and Universities Can Strengthen their Communities

[Announcement from Comm-engagedscholarship]

We thought you would be interested in the new report "Democratic

Devolution: How America’s Colleges and Universities Can Strengthen Their Communities," released by the Progressive Policy Institute, an independent, DC-based think tank.

The report can be downloaded at http://bit.ly/S1ZRsL

The report calls for new civic partnerships between government and higher education to tackle urgent community problems,especially low-performing schools.  The report seeks to make service to their communities once again an integral part of the public mission of every U.S. college and university.  The report includes examples from the University of Pennsylvania, Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis, Syracuse University, and Widener University.

A summary of the report's recommendations follow:

"Through financial incentives and the bully pulpit, government should encourage community colleges, colleges, and universities to do well by doing good — that is, to better realize their missions by contributing significantly to developing and sustaining democratic schools and communities.  Specific steps for the federal government to help catalyze Higher Education-Civic Partnerships include:

1. Create a multi-agency, multi-sector federal commission designed to help forge civic partnerships between colleges and universities and their surrounding communities.

2. The Commission should develop strategies for coordinating federal programs and funding streams to help catalyze the formation of local coalitions of civic partners, including higher educational institutions.

3. The Commission should promote regional consortia of higher educational institutions dedicated to improving schooling and community life.

4. Create prestigious Presidential Awards for outstanding local and regional Higher Education-Civic Partnerships to provide recognition and further legitimize the work.

5. Provide support for higher education-civic partnerships that demonstrate community benefit, not simply benefit to the college or university, as well as transparent and democratic collaborations with local partners.

Thanks,

Rahma Osman

CCPH Program Assistant

******************************************************************************

Community-Campus Partnerships for Health promotes health equity and social justice through partnerships between communities and academic institutions.

Stay on top of the latest CCPH news through Facebook, LinkedIn & Twitter!

http://www.ccph.info

******************************************************************************

Gulf South Summit

[Announcement from he-sl listserv]

The Gulf South Summit on Service-Learning and Civic Engagement through Higher Education will meet February 27-March 1, 2013 in Louisville, Kentucky.  The deadline for submissions has been changed to November 30.  See website:

http://kycompact.nku.edu/request-for-proposals-main

Alternative Break Professional Staff Development Summit

[Announcement from he-sl listserv]

Alternative Breaks Professional Development Summit
Hosted by Indiana University Purdue University of Indianapolis
 
Indianapolis, IN
Thursday and Friday, December 6-7, 2012

 
Facilitated by:  
Staff of Break Away
Jarod Wilson, Assistant Coordinator for Community Service, IUPUI
Melody Porter, Associate Director of Community Engagement, College of William & Mary
Shoshanna Sumka, Assistant Director of Global and Community-Based Learning, American University
 
Join us in a unique gathering with staff supporting alternative breaks programs. The Professional Development Summit will equip programs to have the highest possible impact on the participating students and on the social issues and communities addressed through alternative break work.  Two tracks will be tracks: one focused on helping newer staff and programs to establish the basics of a solid alternative break programs, and another for those with more experience or longer-established programs interested in taking their to take alternative break programs to the next level.  
·         Staff will move beyond the 8 Quality Components (having received a good review on them to look at ways their programs can help promote social justice for communities and increase active citizenship in their students.
·         Staff will consider ways to foster active citizenship in their participants beyond their break experience.
·         Staff will gain the tools to take their programs to the next level - international service, stronger student leadership, more thoughtfully developed community partnerships, and sophisticated issue approaches.
 
Tentative Schedule

	Thursday:  December 6th
	Advanced	Basic
9:30 - 11 am	Overview of Alternative Break Programs
11 am - 12: 30 pm	Developing Core Principles and Values to Increase Program Effectiveness
12:30 - 1:30 pm	Lunch
	Advanced	Basic
1:30 - 3:30 pm	Furthering Active Citizenship in Participants	Reflection, Reorientation, and Retention
3:30 - 5:30 pm	Ensuring Positive Community Impact - Developing Mutually Beneficial Projects	Site Selection and Development
	Friday:  December 7th
	Advanced	Basic
9:30 - 11 am	Developing International Programs	Alternative (Not) Spring Break:  Various Models of AB
11 am - 12: 30 pm	Assessment	Developing Policies and Evaluation
12:30 - 1:30 pm	Lunch
	Advanced	Basic
1:30 - 3:30 pm	Alumni and Fundraising	Fundraising
3:30 - 5:30 pm	Compacts and Collective Action

Cost:  $200 – membership discounts apply
$200      non-member alternative break program
$160      Break Away Advantage Chapter School member
$180      Break Away Associate Chapter School member
 
You can register through Paypal here (warning – there is a 2.9% processing, or “shipping” fee), or you can send a check to Break Away.  Once we receive your registration, we will send you the agenda, suggestions for your social time in Indianapolis, and a little get-to-know you homework assignment.  Registration includes two days of continental breakfast, inter-continental lunch, one dinner (Thursday) and cross-continental snacks. Also includes post-conference materials and a memorable, yet practical souvenir.
 
Travel: Fly into Indianapolis International Airport.  You can ask your housing arrangements about shuttles.  Here is information about Indianapolis taxis and buses.
 
Housing Options:
·         There is a hotel close to campus (.8 miles) called the Candlewood Suites which we have secured at $84/night (not including tax).  However – these are all 1 bedroom King Suites.  To make reservations at this rate, you must reserve by 11/25 (you can cancel up to 24 hours in advance).  You can either call the hotel directly at 317-536-7700 or use this reservation link which has the code BAG (for Break Away group) already inserted.  The hotel address is:
o   1152 White River Pkwy, West Drive, Indianapolis, IN  46222
o   We just heard from Sallie Scheide, who is coming from Michigan, that she booked a double here for $144.99.  
·         Our Marriot reservation information is attached for the Courtyard at the Capitol.  Walking distance from IUPUI for $109/night (singles and doubles) and $19 parking.  The nice slide show that walks you through the entire booking process.
 
·         On the less expensive end:  There is an Indianapolis hostel (www.indyhostel.us) that runs about $32 per person/per night.  It's about a 15 minute drive from campus or a 51 minute bus ride (buses cost $1.75 per ride--you have to pay each time you get on a new bus, so if there is a transfer, it is $3.50 a ride).  
·         For those driving, there are several hotels downtown (with a La Quinta Inn and Suites Indianapolis Downtown averaging about $92 a night).  That said, if you have access to a car or decide to rent one for the weekend, you can stay pretty much anywhere.  Indianapolis is a very drivable city and it literally takes no more than 20 minutes to get anywhere within the I-465 loop (pending traffic, of course).  Hotel rooms by the airport will take about 15 minutes to get to campus.  You can stay at a hotel on I-65 South around the Keystone Exit (on the southeast side of town), such as the America's Best Value Inn for $50 and the Comfort Inn for $68, and the Southport road exit (also southeast of town) such as the Comfort Suites for $85, the Super 8 for $40, and the Quality Inn & Suites for $64.  
 
Parking (if you are driving in): For Vermont Street Parking Garage: Drive into campus on W. Michigan St (one way).  Turn left at the light for Barnhill Dr. and take the next left onto Vermont St. The garage will be on your left hand side.  Take a guest ticket at the entrance.  Out of that parking garage will be the Campus Center.  Across the street is Taylor Hall.  
 
The Room/s: Thursday we will be in Campus Center – room 409.  Friday, we will be in Taylor Hall room 2110.  You can see Campus Center on the maps – and Taylor Hall is between Michigan and New York (East-West streets) just West of University (N/S street that runs directly next to the campus center).  Here is a link to an IUPUI campus map.  
 
The days will be very interactive – providing chances to learn from the best in workshop format, but also to discuss best practices with your peers, talk directly to Break Away, network to arrange collective action, and give feedback to the national movement regarding directions to take. Those of you who have come in past years know that it’s a packed time together – but full of power conversations and laughs. You’ve found your people – and the best practices of alternative breaks which we discuss here can be solidly transferred to your other leadership and service programming.
Contacts:

Jill Piacitelli, Break Away:  The Alternative Break Connection
Executive Director
801.673.8997
jp@alternativebreaks.org

Jarod Wilson, Office of Student Involvement
Assistant Coordinator, Community Service
317.274.8936
wilsjama@iupui.edu

Proposals due Thurs Nov 15 for CU Expo 2013, the Canadian-led international conference on community-university partnerships

[Announcement from Comm-engagedscholarship]

Dear community-engaged scholarship colleagues,

Don't miss this wonderful opportunity to share your knowledge, wisdom and experience!

Proposals are due this Thurs Nov 15 to present at CU Expo, the Canadian-led international conference on community-university partnerships, set to take place June 12-15, 2013 in Corner Brook, Newfoundland.  Submit a proposal at http://bit.ly/N33FtM

As we did in 2011, Community-Campus Partnerships for Health is supporting CU Expo in lieu of our own conference next year:  http://bit.ly/SSLVPo CCPH members will receive a 20% discount on CU Expo registration fees. If you're planning to attend CU Expo and aren't yet a CCPH member, join CCPH today at http://bit.ly/aNr0kC

And while you have your calendars out...save the date for Community-Campus Partnerships for Health's next conference, April 30 - May 3, 2014 in Chicago!

Download a conference flyer at http://bit.ly/RH9n4y Follow the latest conference developments on Twitter at http://twitter.com/CCPHconference

Please help spread the word about both conferences to students, community leaders, researchers, educators, funders, policy makers and community-builders from around the world who are passionate about the power of community-campus partnerships as a vehicle for social change!

Thanks,

Rahma Osman

CCPH Program Assistant

******************************************************************************

Community-Campus Partnerships for Health promotes health equity and social justice through partnerships between communities and academic institutions.

Stay on top of the latest CCPH news through Facebook, LinkedIn & Twitter!

http://www.ccph.info

******************************************************************************