Innovation Stakeholder Meeting Description,
continued
A Community Program Planning (CPP) process that is inclusive and representative,
especially of unserved, underserved and inappropriately served individuals included a
series of stakeholder meetings (conducted in June and July 2013), which focused on
the Innovation (INN) program component. These meetings were intended to provide a
platform for community stakeholders to engage in learning, reflection, and interpretation
of current and future INN projects with the goals of promoting:
•
Diffusion of knowledge gained through implementation of those projects to date
•
Dissemination of innovative practices to stakeholders
•
Enhanced sustainability of funded projects beyond conclusion of INN funding
•
Generation of new ideas for future INN funded projects
The format used for the INN stakeholder meetings was standardized to ensure each
group of participants went through the same process. Each meeting began with an
introduction of MHSA and an overview of the INN component conducted by a member
of the DBH-INN team. The introduction included a description of MHSA, current funding
context, the purpose of the planning process, and an explanation of the Innovation
component. Handouts were provided to further explain this same information
(please
see Attachments)
.
A meeting facilitator provided an overview of the stakeholder meeting process, defined
the guidelines and commitments of participation, as well as provided a handout with
suggestions for how participants might engage most productively in the meeting
discussion
(please see Attachments)
. A brief description was given of each of the
current six (6) INN projects being discussed and participants were asked to “vote with
their feet”, by breaking out into small groups around whichever project they wanted to
learn more about or contribute feedback on. Each of the projects was represented in its
respective breakout group.
To make the process more accessible for the stakeholders, our approach centered on
“
storytelling
” as a method for participatory evaluation of program activities. Stories help
people understand the patterns behind sequences of events, empathize with people
whose life-circumstances may be far removed from their own, and open to new
perspectives that may reveal and challenge deeply held assumptions. Stories can also
help stakeholders relate very complex, abstract systems-level interventions to their own
lived experience.
County of San Bernardino Department of Behavioral Health
Mental Health Services Act Innovation (INN) Plan
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