Resiliency in Action Policy Workgroup Meeting
April 8th 2015
Participants: Sally Fuller, Andy Balder, Stephen Boos, Jim Canning, Joni Beck Brewer, John
Fischer, Kate Roper, Eve Wilder, Maria Curtin-McKenna
Meeting objectives:
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Further refine workgroup project proposal and determine next steps
Sustainability planning
o Discuss role and plans of workgroup after formal grant funding ends in June and
how workgroup project intersects with broader Resiliency in Action goals.
Project Proposal: Seek funding for an early childhood resilience staff person in Springfield to:
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Convene cross-disciplinary stakeholders around priority early childhood (EC) issues &
continue to support on-going work of Resiliency in Action group
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Serve as systems level EC coordinator (connect the dots across agencies to help align,
avoid duplication of services and facilitate info. and resource sharing)
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Develop EC strategic plan; focus on promotion & prevention level of service.
Project Planning:
Alignment with other potential early childhood mental health projects/grants in Springfield:
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ECMH System of Care Expansion Grant: $1 million per year over 4 years from Substance
Abuse Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Application proposes tri-city
partnership between Boston, Worcester and Springfield. Would fund a team of an
ECMH clinician and family partner at a behavioral health agency in each city as well as a
½ time position at the city health department to convene stakeholders around mental
health service needs of young children. Services targeted to young children with mental
health diagnoses or those at imminent risk.

LAUNCH Replication: 5-year grant from SAMHSA to replicate model of team of ECMH
clinician and family partner at High Street CHC as strategy for integrating behavioral
health in primary care. Focused on prevention of mental health diagnoses in young
children and promotion of social-emotional wellness.
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CSEFEL in Pre-K Special ED: MA DESE looking to improve EC social-emotional outcomes
by implementing CSEFEL Pyramid Model in public special ed. preschool in communities
that currently use positive behavior intervention and supports in classrooms. Springfield
is on their radar. Would include training and coaching for teachers.

If grants are awarded, will the scope of their work fully achieve the goals & address early
childhood systems gaps identified by the policy workgroup or does the group’s
proposed EC resilience position address other needs?

Staff position proposed by policy workgroup is broader than scope of position in ECMH
SOC grant. Could consider pooling funds to support a full time position at the Health
Department via ECMH SOC grant? Or have separate ½ staff keep RIA focus (promotion
and prevention) and partner with SOC convener?

How should policy workgroup prepare and be ready to partner with/influence these
projects? SAMHSA awards will be made sometime between June – September.
Sustainability:

DPH sees a continued role in providing support to this group. With momentum building,
DPH wants to maintain this investment with staff time - could work with student intern
until local staffing is formalized.

Workgroup would like to continue to meet after grant funding ends. Would need
someone to continue to organize meetings and facilitate communication.
Important for RIA to distinguish itself from other activities in Springfield and determine
how it can augment and fit with our projects. The value-add could be RIA’s focus on
resilience (promotion and prevention level of service and supports).
Suggestion to develop a Venn diagram or map of various early childhood projects in
Springfield to identify intersections and opportunities for RIA.
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Next Steps:
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DPH will create a draft Venn diagram of Springfield early childhood projects for strategic
planning and share with group to edit/expand upon.
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DPH will share ECMH SOC & LAUNCH grant abstracts.

Identify student intern to work with DPH over the summer to continue facilitation of
policy workgroup.
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Attend 4/10 RIA Learning Collaborative – listen to workgroup presentations and think
about how policy workgroup proposal supports and aligns with other projects
(especially Face 2 Face messaging campaign)
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Schedule next policy workgroup meeting in May. Agenda - begin mapping out versions
of project plan/proposal for EC position based on outcomes of other grant awards and
4/10 learning collaborative presentations (potential to merge or restructure workgroups
based on momentum and interest)

DPH will reach out to Joanna Bogin of Help Me Grow to meet with workgroup and
schedule a time for interested workgroup members to tour child development info-line
in Hartford.
Resiliency in Action Policy Workgroup Meeting
April 10th 2015
Participants: Jim Canning, Stephen Boos, Kate Roper, Eve Wilder
Reflection on Workgroup Presentations at Learning Session

Face 2 Face Time message is powerful and the campaign is a concrete, shorter-term project
of the overall RIA initiative. Once disseminated, it will serve as a key project outcome that
RIA can showcase to funders and other potential partners. RIA can build on that success as a
platform tackling longer term projects (i.e. Early Childhood Resilience Staff Person)

Is it time to consider re-structuring the workgroups after formal grant ends in June around
short-term & long-term projects? Or just have one group since membership is now lower?
o Many in community and policy workgroups have expressed interest & have
expertise to lend to the Face 2 Face messaging project.

Will still need a core group to guide and coordinate activities
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Feedback from other workgroups re. idea of Early Childhood Resilience Staff Person was
positive and that this is a needed role in the community. Should hold on to the idea and
start mapping out the various ways this could play out while waiting to hear about other
grant opportunities – be ready to act.

Looking around the room to see who’s still engaged in RIA, we’ve lost some of the younger
generation, parent & front-line providers. Core team should think about how to re-engage
them, especially around developing, disseminating & evaluating F2F message.
o Important to maintain guiding principles of inclusion, diversity, multigenerational
reach
Idea to engage interns from participating RIA agencies to support the Core Team and
workgroup projects.
Springfield College School of Social Work could establish a yearlong internship focused on
this project.
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Next Steps:

Eve will reach out to schedule next policy workgroup meeting in May. Agenda - begin
mapping out versions of project plan/proposal for EC position based on outcomes of
other grant awards and 4/10 learning collaborative presentations.