Conference Abstract Compendium Examples from the ... - CityMatCH

2009 CityMatCH Urban MCH Leadership ConferenceThe process is designed to help stakeholders:• Increase communication and collaboration.• Articulate a shared vision.• Identify current programmatic and policy gaps.• Develop innovative collaborative ideas.• Create state specific action plans.• Build capacity around important issues such as: youth development, funding for collaborative projects,policy and advocacy, disparities, best practices, and engaging hard to reach youth.ACCOMPLISHMENTS/RESULTSThe process has not only led to the development of trusting relationships between state health andeducation agencies, and other stakeholders, but has also led to data sharing, collaborative action planning,reconciliation of differing philosophies, improvement of communications, increased parent andcommunity support for youth access, and development of innovative programs for addressingreproductive and sexual health among adolescents. For example, websites and technology campaigns havedeveloped out of the collaborative efforts in states such as Missouri, where they launched an outreachcampaign using social networking sites, and California where they provide youth with access to onlinereproductive health information through community partners.Evaluation Plan:Retrospective pre-post surveys are conducted by an outside evaluator with all participants after the events,and after the technical assistance follow-up period (9-12 months). In 2010, qualitative interview will beconducted with participants.BARRIERSBarriers to collaboration include time, resources, competing priorities, lack of communication, inability tomeet face-to-face, and silo funding structures.LESSONS LEARNEDNSMs can help strengthen communication and collaboration between state departments of education andhealth, and other stakeholders. Specifically, integrated data sets facilitate the development of wellinformedplans required by all MCH programs, new channels of communication create new opportunities,programmatic synergy results from a track record of collaboration and networking, and new/strengthenedpartnerships provide increased access to staff, expertise and resources otherwise unavailable.67