Vermont Interagency Coordinating Council

Facilitator: Heather Case, CIS Family Engagement Coordinator

Date: January 20, 2017

Location: Waterbury State Office Complex, Beech Conference Room

Time: 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM

Our Core Statement: We are the Vermont Interagency Coordinating Council. We believe in all children reaching their developmental potential. We advise and assist Children’s Integrated Services. When children and families thrive, Vermont thrives.

Today’s Meeting Goals:

Revise the draft definition/vision of Family and Community Engagement in Vermont

Develop recruitment strategies for parents to reach five (5) representatives by May 2017

Revise the draft Vermont Interagency Coordinating Council Core Mission

Draft a Vermont Interagency Coordinating Council Core Vision

Present: Heather Case (ICC Coordinator - Facilitator); Jen Hurley (UVM); Danielle Howes (CIS Part C Coordinator); Sheri Lynn (CIS Contractor); Tony Gillam (CIS Rutland); Joanne Godek (South Burlington P.S.); Barbara Frankowski (Burlington Pediatrician); Natalie Whitfield (CIS Personnel Development Coordinator); Tracy Wells (Dept. of Financial Regulation – By Phone); Amanda Cookson (Parent); Andreas Koenig (Parent); Patti Shane (Head Start)

Regrets: Leslie Freedman (Agency of Education); Monica Ogelby (Children With Special Health Needs); Terri Edgerton (CIS Program Director); Karen Bielawski-Branch (CIS Continuous Quality Improvement Coordinator); Christel Michaud (Child Care Licensing, Child Development Division); Pam McCarthy (Vermont Family Network); Dana Robson (Department of Mental Health); Carol Lang-Godin (Lamoille Family Center)

Agenda Item / Discussion Notes / Next Steps
Welcome, Introductions, Chat Pack Activity /
  • ICC Website Adjustments:
  • We have taken all of the feedback from last meeting and September’s meeting, compiled it and will be working through all of it during the next few months. Changes to make the site interactive for the user will take time, but until then we have completed some of the more minor suggested changes around language.
/ ICC website ready for 3rd round of review during May Council meeting
Review and Adoption of November 2016 Meeting Minutes /
  • Instead of reading the minutes, copies have been distributed for review. Are there any additions or corrections to the minutes?
  • The minutes stand approved as read.
/ First: Jen Hurley
Second: Amanda Cookson
State Updates And Announcements /
  • March Data Meeting:
  • How does the Council want to be involved in the March meeting, as we will not have separate business at this meeting?
  • Council will be actively involved in the development of the regional strategic improvement plans
  • At this meeting, regional teams will receive their APR data and begin to work on Quality Improvement Plans.
  • CIS State Systemic Improvement Plan:
  • Five (5) strategies are continuing and will continue, beyond the end of this SSIP
  • Of concern are 1) evaluations; 2) activities (parent cafes, etc.)
  • Unexpectedly, the Feds mandated use of evidence based practices in the SSIP
  • At this point, there aren’t evidence based practices in place. Pilots in three regions include the use of Touchpoints, Home Visiting models (PAT, not developmental model and not widely used for early intervention)
  • CIS Comprehensive System of Personnel Development:
  • Strategic Planning Team meeting: February 6, @ WSOC (contact Natalie Whitfield for details and to RSVP)
  • Topics include: retention strategies, including supervision and preservice; OSEP has been approached about paid field placements
  • CIS Annual Institute:
  • DETAILS: May 10-11, 2017; Lake Morey Resort, Fairlee, VT
  • 6-hour workshops; may be a supervisors track
  • Institute goals include: understanding family engagement framework; applying framework philosophies; supporting families with tools (not necessarily fixing the problem)
  • Proposed track themes are: cultural competencies (Brian Hsiang); supervision (Lynne Kemp); coaching of parents and families (Auguste Elliott); Baby I-Team presentation; Dianne Bleuter, LFC, protective factor survey-based presentation; Maureen Sullivan coordinating CSEFELS piece focusing on challenging behaviors in child care settings with toolbox/parent guidance piece.
  • CIS Contract Monitoring:
  • Springfield was done in December as combination of interviews and record reviews based on what the contract requires; Pass or Fail
  • Problems: persons not signing with their credentials on Medicare forms, and lack of adherence to 6-mont reviews; Jill Pearl will do a root cause analysis on how to fix these issues
  • Community Café Training:
  • January 4-5, 2017 Robin Higa presented on running, creating, implementing Community Cafes (parent-led, family cafes)
  • Two CIS regions identified to receive targeted supports from Family Engagement Coordinator around implementation: Bennington & Orange
  • Family Engagement Coordinator to work with State Strengthening Families Leadership Team on statewide implementation and supports
  • Family Engagement Coordinator to collaborate with Promise Communities Initiative (out of Child Development Division) on implementation practices and resource supports
/ Council will receive an email in February regarding the participation in the March meeting.
Council members were invited to participate on the CSPD workgroups and at the Feb. 6 Strategic Planning Team meeting.
ICC members are invited to the CIS Annual Institute and will receive e-mail invitations.
PARKING LOT SUGGESTIONS:
- Have one region present their data at March meeting to the whole group with the State data to show local collaboration
Community Café Experience /
  • Facilitator described the community café model and its value to Children’s Integrated Services as a family engagement tool to gathering feedback and data around building social capital in families receiving CIS services.
  • “We need community cafes…because Google does not have children.” - Alaska Parent Café Host
  • “No significant learning occurs without a significant relationship.” - Dr. James Comer
  • “We need to date our parent hosts before we ask them to marry us.” - Robin Higa, Community Café Collaborative
  • Council participated in a sample community café experience around three focus questions and then a harvest(see images at bottom of notes)
  • Question 1: What helps you feel you belong here?
  • Hobby Lobby fabrics & chimes
  • Having something to do
  • Bright, cheerful environment (2)
  • Having quality ice breakers
  • Good facilitation
  • Familiarity…building or people (3)
  • Being offered food and drink (3)
  • Diverse participation
  • Warm/organized space/agenda
  • I was invited, this is my passion
  • People listen and value what others (esp. families) say (2)
  • Emotional attachment
  • Feeling of acceptance – can say/do what you need to (ok to respectfully disagree)
  • Reimbursement, your voice is heard
  • Barriers: time off work, childcare, transportation
  • Best when you know at least 1 person… (3)
  • If you are new you don’t know the norms
  • When I can connect to my work, what is discussed, I feel like I belong (2)
  • Reference materials help understanding especially with details
  • Consistent attendance
  • Use of jargon detracts from feeling of belonging
  • Activities to help us connect
  • To have things in writing – something to refer to
  • Question 2: What must we do together that cannot be done alone?
  • Develop deeper understandings
  • To gather information to bring back to help with programs
  • Strength in numbers
  • Gain data
  • Collaborate
  • Broadly think
  • Challenge each other
  • Laugh
  • Share perspectives and resources (2)
  • Stay fresh…
  • Brainstorming, making decisions (important to foster inclusive feelings/belonging) (2)
  • We need to be together to fully understand another person’s perspective/input
  • Connecting face-to-face (2)
  • Offer a sense of inclusion to have a voice for all (2)
  • Vermont is very consensus oriented so EVERYTHING must be done together (2)
  • Need to have information make sense (lots of information)
  • Question 3: What is the difference between providing parent leadership and partnering with parents?
  • Is there a parent leadership training?
  • How do we “find” families who want to do this? WORD OF MOUTH
  • When parents lead = action
  • Leadership = something is produced versus just talking about things/provide information (support when you partner)
  • “family partners”
  • To provide family based input and feedback
  • Partnering: Equal voice talk about what is necessary, different expertise
  • Leadership: language frame
  • How would a parent/practitioner understand?  lay person summaries
  • “If I have to make them myself it’s harder.”
  • What is leadership? (ownership, lead, direct, advocate, comfortable, to guide, seek counsel)
  • Collaborative = partnering = exchange
  • Family generated One Plan outcomes
  • Families do not need provision of permission to be leaders
  • Keep family connection and voice in assessment/eligibility
  • HARVEST:
  • What is something you heard that you wish the whole room could have heard?
  • Idea sharing
  • Collaboration
  • Commitment to the work
  • Jargon!
  • It cannot just be about the language
  • Diverse perspectives <-----> diverse roles
  • What am I bringing to the table?
  • Leadership versus participation (element of action)
  • Share a time during this conversation when you felt really connected and engaged in the conversation.
  • Genuine listening
  • Opportunities to ask questions
  • Feeling understood
  • Inclusion of data in the conversation
  • Knowing someone before arrival
  • Full participation  not just checking the box!
  • Shared understanding
  • Facilitator!! 
/ PARKING LOT SUGGESTIONS:
- Develop Google Drive with documents and notes
- Identify jargon buster (party wheels) and note taker at each meeting
- Identify meeting norms
- Provide name tags with roles at each meeting
- Develop “lay” person summaries for meetings??
Family & Community Engagement: Elevating Our Core /
  • At November’s meeting the Council worked toward the development of a family engagement definition/vision for CIS.
  • All of the information from the two flip charts synthesized into a graphic (see image below notes)
  • The council worked toward streamlining the language and per the group’s consensus the final Family and Community Engagement Core Statement is:
  • Children’s Integrated Services promotes: 1) family-driven methods through active participation; 2) resilient families building resilient children; and 3) sustainable partnerships with families.
  • The council felt that this statement was better understood and more easily explainable
  • The extraneous language that was dropped will be language to explain when outside council members have questions about what each of the promoting statements means and looks like
  • Consensus was met in appreciation for the image of the concentric circles
/ - Heather to create new graphic representative of the changes
First Comes Dating Then Comes Marriage: Increasing Parent Membership /
  • At March’s meeting last year, Heather had spoken of endeavoring to have five appointed parent representatives sitting on the Council by May of 2017.
  • Rutland, Addison, Washington, Springfield, or Hartford CIS regions have been identified to be targeted for recruitment. These regions may give us younger parents for longer periods of time.
  • Requirements of parent participation: federal regulations for Part C ICC require Vermont to have at least one EI parent (can have a parent with a child up to age 6 because of specialized child care; child must have received Part C services and qualifies for Part B services).
  • Participating parents will receive reimbursement for cost of child care and transportation, as well as hourly compensation of $12.50.
  • Council discussed ICC process modifications to facilitate parent involvement (*add to the website under “Recruitment” section)
  • Convene new member gatherings
  • Carpooling (parent with parent)
  • * Parent reimbursements for participation in meetings
  • * Call-in/web option for participation
  • Agenda structure to allow for flexibility in engagement
  • * Rotate meeting locations (Washington Family Center) and offer guest status at meetings before commitment to membership
  • PCC/Family Center host meetings?? (try it out)
  • * Conversations with current/past parents
  • * Mentor/mentee program (sit with person to express value of perspective)
  • Implement Jargon Buster at meetings (rotate this role and provide party toys to identify person)
  • * Job resume support (look at bylaws to explain this line item)
  • Talk about opportunity to advise (what is this?) the State
  • * Social justice and civil rights opportunity
  • Sitting with people that have the power to make systems change
  • * Influence policy
  • QUESTION TO ASK: What would it take to get you there?
  • Check-in’s immediately after meetings to gauge prospective return
  • Express value by going directly to person
  • The freedom to just listen (building cultural capital)
  • Opportunity to come and bring a friend
  • Use the website as a valuable tool to explain the council mission and current workings
/ - Heather to send brochures, elevator speech, and website link to council members for recruitment
- Add information/ incentives up on the website
- Andreas to draft email/letter for use at PFAC
- Head Start to bring information to management meetings
- Council to look at bylaws to see attendance and resume policy
PARKING LOT SUGGESTIONS:
- develop of family letter from the governor
- outreach to new American families
- provide incentive to regions who recruit the most families
- How can we support the family engagement @ local CIS level?
VICC/SEAC Training /
  • Training being presented by the Agency of Education (Children’s Integrated Services just providing the space)
  • Date: February 15, 2017 (9 AM – 4:30 PM)
  • Location: Waterbury State Office Complex, Mountain Ash Conference Room
  • RSVP Information: Due to security at the State office complex, an RSVP is required (by Monday, February 13 to Heather at ). Additionally, a picture ID will be required to enter the office complex the day of the meeting.
  • Information on content of the training will be determined from the pre-training survey (see link in next steps) distributed by AnLar Incorporated, the contracted technical assistance team for the Agency of Education.
/ Pre-training Survey sent by AnLar Incorporated using the link:

Complete by Tuesday January 31st!
Pointing The Way: Mission & Vision Development /
  • The council discussed if elaboration of the language in “Our Core Mission Statement” developed at November’s meeting was necessary
  • Per the group’s consensus the Core Statement will stand as drafted and the Family and Community Engagement Core Statement will serve as justification for the following questions:
  • If the Council advises and assists CIS well, what will a thriving CIS served family look like?
  • Who are our CIS families?
  • What do our outcomes show?
  • What are some of the most significant issues they face right now?
  • What can we, as a council, reasonably affect?
  • Vision (2004): Vermont children of diverse abilities and their families are fully respected and supported by and integrated into their communities in every possible way.
  • Per the group’s consensus upon review of the provided data and the Council vision statement from 2004 there will be no additional development of a vision beyond the “Core Statement” as it completely expresses the role and the work we do at present
  • What Is The Data Saying?
  • Variability in services across regions including reporting (Q: What causes this?)
  • How do we get buy in for value of reporting all outcomes?
  • How do we make the data more tangible and can be explained (digestible…)
  • Making connections between family survey response rates and family support # of encounters
  • Is anyone better off… data (page 14/22 providers per family)
  • 80% in 2013 to 40% in 2016
  • 40% decrease in 2016 from the first half to the second half
  • Are we tracking outside referrals? (i.e. family support to connect to Head Start outside of CIS)
  • Page 12/22  exiting with no further services
  • Lost to follow-up (10% of children!!)
/ DATA REQUESTS:
- ratio of providers to families across regions (average across state and by host region and services)
- definitions of each CIS service role
- Explanation of how to understand the trend lines
- Case load ratio reports from Terri and have her report out in May
Wrap Up and Next Steps / Next Meeting: Friday, March 17th at Waterbury State Office Complex
At this meeting we will be meeting with the CIS regions to discuss the APR data submitted to OSEP February 1st. The council will also support and participate with region on developing Strategic Improvement Plans. There will be no official council business conducted at this meeting.
Council Norms For March 17 Data Meeting:
  1. Assume competence of service providers
  2. Support better work conditions for better outcomes for families
  3. Express the value of the council to support and understand direct service staff work
  4. Maintain neutrality in conversations with regions with a need/desire for information to inform future council outcomes
  5. Role is to build relationships with the regions
  6. Encourage “region-centered” outcomes