Organizing for Change

Case Study of Black English Speaking Network to Reduce Over Representation

of Black youth in Provincial Youth Protection system

HOW DOES A VISIBLE MINORITY, ENGLISH SPEAKING COMMUNITY ORGANIZE FOR CHANGE IN THE PRESENT CONTEXT IN QUEBEC?

AFRICAN CANADIAN DEVELOPMENT AND PREVENTION NETWORK

1. Raise public awareness and consciousness about the social and health disparities negatively impacting on Black communities, and build networks within and external to the community which promote policy reforms

2. Identify, assess, and promote best practices and evidence –based approaches which increase access and improve outcomes for Black families at risk.

3. Mobilize key stakeholders and build the capacity /leadership of front line Black community organizations to participate fully in reform efforts

4. Develop a strategic planning process and structure which reflects the above values, and which describes a “roadmap” to promote policy reforms by focusing on adaptations of existing services, mobilization of key stakeholders, university-community partnerships to increase local capacity, empowerment and support for local leadership, and network development with English and French public services.

Accomplishments-translating research into practice

• Awarded funding for 6 years by Health Canada to develop a best practice program to address at risk Black families, called the strengthening families program ( 2003-2009. $900,000)

• Awarded funding for 5 years by National Crime Prevention Program to develop a more advanced version of strengthening families for more difficult families ( 2010-2015, $1.2 million)

• Awarded Kaiser Foundation national prize for excellence in community-based prevention planning

• Evaluation of strengthening families program by McGill School of Social Work –process and outcome evaluation. We were one of the few community-based organizations with tools to document outcomes, logic model, curriculum, cultural adaptations, training for staff, and integration of program within public networks

• Over 400 families graduated from 16 week program• Over 40 staff from various professional backgrounds in Black community have

been trained and certified • Sites include 3 School Boards, church, 3 community front line agencies in Black

community, public housing site.• Partners include McGill, Concordia, Institute in Community and Family Psychiatry

( Children), LBPSB, EMSB, CECM, and community partners• International Partnership with ALPHA KAPPA ALPHA SORORITY in US to establish

links with university scholars and Black communities promoting best practices

ACDPN is the first visible minority NPI within CHSSN network

• CHSSN as a community development partner of ACDPN”• The Community Health and Social Services Network (CHSSN) is a network

of 64 community resources, associations, foundations, public institutions and other stakeholders dedicated to creating partnerships that enhance health and social services for English-speaking communities in Quebec.

• A fundamental goal is to ensure that English-speaking Quebecers are working as partners within Quebec’s health and social services system to improve health outcomes and to enhance the vitality of their communities.

• At the heart of its community development mission is the CHSSN program “Networking and Partnership Initiative”. The CHSSN partners with community organizations sponsoring the development of 20 community health and social services networks across Quebec. ACDPN is one of our partners.

• A community network brings together community, institutional and other partners of the health and social services network. It aims to improve access to health and social services through partnership initiatives, cooperation with and participation in the public system, provision of information on community needs, support for the volunteer and community resources sector, and the promotion of services adapted to the needs of English-speaking people.

• The CHSSN has provided resources to ACDPN over the last five years to meet these objectives. We are pleased to continue our support through a new five-year agreement.

• CHSSN supports key development principles through its partnership model with sponsoring organization like ACDPN:

– Community empowerment is an important principle applied at each step of the development process.

– Community governance implies the minority community is taking charge of its long-term sustainability. The community plays an active role in developing and controlling its resources and strengthening networks within.

– Knowledge development, evaluation and research reflect a commitment to evidence-based action and on-going evaluation, for example by identifying best practices.

– Influencing public policy to create lasting change is a key development outcome promoted by active participation of community in the policy milieu. The goal is to secure the recognition of community as a legitimate stakeholder by institutions, government and the larger society.

– Leadership development is an essential principle supporting empowerment of individuals, groups and organizations in order to take action on issues of community vitality and well being.

• The CHSSN subscribes the World Health Organization model of partnership between all stakeholders promoting the health of populations

Action Research –• Diagnostic to identify profile of Black English speaking community and

disparities in social determinants of health– CHSSN data describing profile of Black English speaking community and

comparisons with English and French speaking communities– Data collection on rates of signalements for Black families; placement

numbers, and other data describing crisis facing Black families– Focus groups with Black parents to identify challenges facing families,

experiences with services, and suggestions for improvements– Focus groups with social service workers at Batshaw and CSSS Cavendish– Key informant interviews with stakeholders in public network agencies and

school boards– Community forums held to elicit feedback on preliminary data and identify

priorities for action– Organizational review-identify pre-conditions for implementation of policy

reform campaign

Research & Policy Change -• Review of literature describing disproportionality issues and links to policy

analysis focusing on systemic barriers and lack of access to prevention services• Review of literature describing under-utilization of mental health and

prevention services by minorities in US, Canada, and Quebec• Review of literature describing best practice solutions focusing on “differential

intervention” or child welfare/community partnership policy development• Identification of existing MSSS policies which promote adaptations of services

to improve outcomes for minority communities• Identification of conceptual framework, a Montreal adaptation of differential

intervention ( child welfare) which promotes role of community responses to child welfare service demands

• Identification of pilot project which demonstrates the proposed adaptation

Roadmap for Reform1. Conceptual framework describing the context for change

– Partner with Center for Research on Children and Families, McGill to promote adaptation of “differential intervention” to match local needs and history

– Alicia Boatswain-Kyte, Ph.d student, will briefly review this development

2. Identify a “Roadmap To Promote Policy Reforms which Increase Access To Prevention Resources for Black Families at risk “– Complete diagnostic major challenges facing Black Families, their

experiences with services, and suggestions for improvements, etc.– Complete research with support from MCGILL on disparities-especially over-

representation of Black youth in Youth Protection system and Quebec context describing adaptations des services as a policy goal

– Partner with McGill and Concordia, along with BATSHAW, CSSS, and school boards, community partners to develop a shared vision of change

– Jim Carter, CHSSN, will briefly describe CHSSN support for ACDPN policy reform initiatives

McGill Center for Research on Children and Families

• Responsible for impact evaluation funded by PHAC from 2006-2012;

• Responsible for process evaluation funded by the NCPC since 2011 – present;

THE APPROACH:Participatory Action Research (PAR) a process of

working collaboratively with those most involved or impacted by the issue.

Conceptual Framework to Promote Policy Change

KEY OBJECTIVE: To further identify dissemination and sustainability strategies…

DIFFERENTIAL RESPONSE:• Child Protection practice that allows for a more

flexible response to reports of child abuse and neglect.

• Recognizes variation in the nature of reports and the value of responding differently to different types of cases.

Discussion

• What does differential response LOOK LIKE and how do we IMPLEMENT?

KEY RECOMMENDATION: Build and formalize partnerships with community organizations

ROADMAP- demonstrate the change

3.Build on the success of the strengthening families program by integrating the prevention resource/network within public social and education services

– Partner with BATSHAW FAMILY AND CHILDRENS SERVICE CENTER and CSSS, school boards, and community partners to develop a pilot project using elements of strengthening families to demonstrates adaptation des services

4. Identify and develop criteria for adaptation des services reflecting MSSS policy and agence guidelines

– Improve outcomes for target group through the following:– Inter-organizational team building, practice, program development– Needs assessment– Involves multi-sectoral collaboration – Using evidence to support policy change through evaluation and dissemination – Establish dialogue with agence and MSSS to apply for funding to demonstrate

adaptation

ROADMAP –university engagement

• Increase local capacity of Black community to participate in reforms– Don de Guerre, Chair, Applied Human Sciences,

Concordia will describe the long standing partnership to increase local capacity and role of university in promoting innovations at the community, public networks of government services, and university level to support policy reforms

The multiple inter-relations of open systems

14

PurposefulPeople

Community

Environment

15

STRUCTURAL CHARACTERISTICS OF ACTION RESEARCH

CommonGround

AResearched

BResearcher

XFocus

Problem

Assumptions Method

Reality

van Beinum, 1993

Don de Guerre 16

Open Systems Translated into a Search Conference

Environment: What’s going on in the world around us?

Desirable and Probable Future Environment

Where have we come from?

Keep, Drop, Create

Desirable Future for Us

Constraints

Desirable and Achievable Future

Action Plans

community

grows and

diffuses

ACDPN Member retreat –building organizational capacity and leadership

Forums involving public network partners Dr F Hickling, University of West Indies, presenting an overview of working with Black families to social workers and partners at BATSHAW

STRENGTHENING BLACK FAMILIES

OVER 300 FAMILIES HAVE SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED 14 WEEK PROGRAM

ROUND TABLE FORUM AT CONCORDIA WITH ALPHA KAPPA ALPHA SORORITY , OLDEST AND LARGEST BLACK SORORITY IN

US

Dr Tricia Goodley, Chair Graduate Studies, School of social Work Howard University leads forum to discuss policy reforms

Maitre Bram Freeman, Vice-President Development and External Relations, Concordia and Ms.Carolyn House Stewart, International President, AKA at the Concordia Breakfast event for the AKA Board and ACDPN partners

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

• alicia.kyte@mcgill.ca FOR ALICIA• chssn@sympatico.ca FOR JAMES CARTER• don.deguerre@sympatico.ca FOR DON• leith.hamilton@gmail.com

• For copies of ACDPN ROADMAP ON POLICY REFORM TO INCREASE ACCESS which includes bibliography, summary of focus groups findings, and policy objectives, CONTACT LEITH