Current CSI Projects
Colorado LINKS for Mental Health (LINKS). Colorado LINKS for Mental Health (Linking Interagency Networks for Kids’ Services) is an initiative seeking to create partnerships between state agencies and community groups working in the kid’s mental health system. The Center for Systems Integration (CSI) has been working with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and members of the LINKS advisory group to implement this initiative. Some of the key activities CSI has undertaken are statewide surveys, including a social network survey of state agencies; community meetings and youth and family focus groups across the state; action planning meetings; a guidebook; a workbook for boards on family and youth involvement, a fiscal coordination white paper and tip sheets, and a website repository of systems integration tools. (For more information about the LINKS Initiative, or to download the guidebook or other materials, please click here.)
Colorado Children and Youth Information Sharing Collaborative (CCYIS). The Guidelines for Juvenile Information Sharing, developed by the Center for Network Development, provide a roadmap to states and local communities interested in creating comprehensive juvenile information sharing systems. Colorado is the first state to implement the Guidelines and is beginning with a state level initiative that will include local community pilots. As part of this effort, CSI is evaluating the implementation of the Guidelines. Additionally, CSI is helping to design the long-term evaluation capacity that will be embedded into the juvenile information sharing protocols and practices as they are developed.
Rural Collaborative. The Rural Collaborative brings together the resources, knowledge and expertise of six rural Colorado communities (providing services to a 13 county region) to form an effective safety net of support for TANF eligible families, and youth without stable housing. While helping youth and families with rent one month offers a short term solution, it does not address the systemic nature of poverty in rural Colorado. This project is looking at housing as a foundation for stability, but will include significant nonresidential support that specifically targets expanding training and educational opportunities and, subsequently, job access, to increase the overall economic wellbeing of rural Colorado youth and families threatened with homelessness. In addition, the Collaborative uses their experience and collective voice to shape public policy that is beneficial to all Colorado’s rural communities. The Center for Systems Integration is providing training, technical assistance, project coordination, and evaluation on the project.
Building Bridges for Children's Mental Health. Building Bridges is designed to build a statewide system to support and sustain the integration of public schools and local behavioral health systems that will lead to increased access to behavioral health services and improved outcomes for school-aged children. Building Bridges will integrate two complementary approaches currently in place in many Colorado communities: Positive Behavior Supports (PBS) from the education system, which is based on a preventive or public health framework, and System of Care (SOC) from the behavioral health system, which has focused on children and youth with serious mental health issues and those with co-occurring disorders. Both approaches have corresponding values and guiding principles that will drive the systems change process leading to a full continuum of behavioral health services and supports for Colorado’s students.
Deaf and Hard of Hearing Implementation Team. The Deaf and Hard of Hearing Planning Effort was designed to bring together the various stakeholders with expertise in both behavioral health and services to deaf and hard of hearing individuals and their families. Although Colorado has undertaken planning efforts in the past, there is currently no plan to address the disparities experienced by deaf and hard of hearing individuals with mental health and substance abuse needs. Access to services can be inhibited by cultural, communication, and technology barriers. The final action plan, developed in 2008 and being implemented in 2009 and 2010, is intended to build on the capacity that already exists within Colorado to create a more accessible and comprehensive array of services and supports.
School Health Services Leadership Task Force. In June 2007, The Board of Trustees of The Colorado Trust approved $2.25 million to implement the two-year Colorado School Health Improvement Initiative. The initiative is guided by the vision that students in all Colorado public schools have access to quality, integrated school health services that optimize academic achievement and enhance well-being. The school health services leadership task force selected the Colorado Children’s Campaign as the lead organization to develop and convene task force and the Center for Systems Integration to facilitate the planning process and provide technical assistance and research existing policies and practices. The expected outcomes of this planning process will be improved statewide partnerships and the development of a governance system and infrastructure to implement a state plan. It is intended that the plan will be based on sound finance, business and policy strategies that provide a system of change as defined by infrastructure development, sustainable financing, integrated programs and services, and policy development. It also is expected that a constituency of associations, school health providers and education administrators will be strengthened to build and sustain the newly-developed governance system and infrastructure.
All Kids Covered (AKC). In 2007, the 2010 All Kids Covered Initiative was awarded a $50,000 grant from the David and Lucile Packard Foundation to work on narrative communications for covering kids. In 2008, the Initiative was awarded a $750,000 3-year grant by both the Packard Foundation and the Colorado Health Foundation to work towards the goal of covering all kids in Colorado with health care by the year 2010. The Center for Systems Integration wrote the original grants and continues to provide project coordination, grant writing, and grant reporting assistance to the project.
Trust Advocacy Program Evaluation (TAPE). The Colorado Trust has assembled a team of evaluators to work on their new Health Advocacy Program. CSI is participating, specifically assigned to evaluate the Colorado Rural Health Center’s new Rural Outreach and Advocacy Program. The purpose of this evaluation is to gauge the impact of advocacy investments on health policy changes that lead to increased access. This evaluation is also designed to provide a real-time feedback loop to the grantees and The Trust so that they can shift strategies as needed in response to a rapidly changing environment. The evaluation will help The Trust examine the collective impact of their funding on the state’s momentum toward health policy results and increased access.
Recent CSI Projects
Legal Profession:
Colorado Bar Association. The Center for Systems Integration worked with the Colorado Bar Association's Pledge to Diversity Legal Group to conduct a survey and analysis of its membership on diversity issues. The survey examined the experiences of diverse and non-diverse attorneys, exploring the opportunities for improving diversity recruiting and retaining practices in the Denver-metro area. The report on the survey, published in August of 2007, is called Diversity in Colorado's Legal Profession and was prepared by CSI and the Colorado Institute of Public Policy for the Colorado Pledge to Diversity Legal Group. (A copy of Diversity in Colorado's Legal Profession is available on our products webpage.)
Behavioral Health:
Colorado JR07-1050 Behavioral Health Taskforce. In 2007, the Colorado Legislature passed a resolution requiring a taskforce to examine and make recommendations on how to increase coordination, streamline, and maximization of funding for the behavioral health system. The Center for Systems Integration coordinated this high visibility Task Force's presentations, and engaged in the research for and writing of the report and recommendations. To access the Task Force website, including the final report with legislative recommendations, click here.
Mental Health Disparities. The Center for Systems Integration in partnership with Bridging Cultures, Improving Performance prepared The Policy Brief and The Report on Mental Health Disparities in Colorado commissioned by The Colorado Trust to inform its ongoing grantmaking activities related to advancing quality mental health care for the people of Colorado. (A link to the Policy Brief and Report can be found on our products page.)
Mental Health & Wellness Scan. The Center for Systems Integration on behalf of Jefferson Center for Mental Health in Colorado conducted a literature review and national scan to identify, compile, and analyze information on innovative and effective mental health and wellness programs offered by mental/behavioral health providers across the country.
Blue Ribbon Policy Council for Early Childhood Mental Health Policy Toolkit. The Center for Systems Integration has developed an online policy toolkit for the Blue Ribbon Policy Council. The purpose of the toolkit is to support the mental health, and social and emotional development of young children through policy and systems change in Colorado. (A link to the Blue Ribbon Policy Council Toolkit can be found on our products page.)
Health:
Health Disparities. The Colorado Institute of Public Policy and the Center for Systems Integration began exploring the problem of health disparities by holding a series of meetings with over 50 community leaders. The first related policy brief was released in March 2007. The brief examines the breakdowns in communication, understanding, and information among stakeholders. These breakdowns result in decisions and actions that appear appropriate and helpful to one group of stakeholders, but inappropriate or even problematic for other stakeholders. (A link to the Health Disparities Policy Brief can be found on our products page.)
Interagency Health Disparities Leadership Council. The Center for Systems Integration did the research and convening to begin the Colorado Office of Health Disparities’ interagency council. The council brings together community partners with representatives from many different state agencies to develop a coordinated and effective approach to decreasing health disparities. CSI has also helped to develop marketing materials for the council, including a policy brief with recommendations to the executive branch and legislature. A success guide to health disparities efforts in the Denver Metro area is available as a product of the original convening effort. (A link to the Success Stories can be found on our products page)
Colorado School Health Summit. The Center for Systems Integration served as the conference planners of a school health summit on November 13, 2006 for The Colorado Trust and The Colorado Health Foundation to identify best practices and to build on the existing efforts underway to provide quality school health care in Colorado.
Juvenile Justice:
Framework and Plan for Colorado's Juvenile Justice System: In 2004, the legislature mandated the development of a plan for effective, collaborative services in the juvenile justice system to improve outcomes for youth with mental illness and co-occurring disorders. This plan was developed by the Center for Systems Integration in partnership with the Federation of Families for Children's Mental Health ~ Colorado Chapter, on behalf of the Task Force for the Continuing Examination of the Treatment of Persons with Mental Illness who are Involved in the Justice System. The Task Force has adopted the plan and is exploring implementation opportunities in partnership with the Colorado Divisions of Criminal Justice and Mental Health and the Prevention Leadership Council. (A copy of the Final Plan and Framework is available on our products webpage.)
System of Care:
Project BLOOM’s Wraparound Comparison Study. Project BLOOM, an early childhood system of care initiative in Colorado, commissioned a study conducted by The Center for Systems Integration to compare the wraparound planning process with other individualized planning processes mandated by different service systems to inform its planning efforts to address the social, emotional, and behavioral issues of young children and their families.
The Evaluation of the Evolution of a System of Care: A Case Study of the Colorado’s Cornerstone Initiative. Cornerstone began in 1999 through a grant to the Colorado Division of Mental Health from the federal Center for Mental Health Services. As federal grant funding ended, the Division of Mental Health commissioned a monograph prepared by The Center for Systems Integration in partnership with Christine Engleby to share what had been learned from evaluating Cornerstone during its first five years of operations. The purpose of the monograph is to offer guidance to others involved in system of care and system integration projects on how to use the information gleaned from these evaluation activities to improve their ongoing efforts. (A copy of the Cornerstone Monograph can be found on our products page.)
Family Leadership:
Family Leadership Academy: The Center for Systems Integration developed a family leadership curriculum in collaboration with Red Rocks Community College, JeffCo Family Support Network, and the Federation of Families for Children’s Mental Health ~ Colorado Chapter to prepare families to sit on policy boards and councils.
Natural Resources and the Environment:
Mapping the Colorado Basin Roundtable’s Water Policy Networks. The Colorado Institute of Public Policy and the Center for Systems Integration completed a social network analysis project with the Colorado Basin Roundtable, on behalf of the Public Education, Participation, and Outreach Work Group of the Interbasin Compact Committee, Colorado Department of Natural Resources.
Colorado’s Water Roundtables. In partnership with the Colorado Institute of Public Policy, the Center for Systems Integration has done multiple projects on behalf of the Water Roundtable process in Colorado, including developing a literature review of relevant negotiation and consensus processes, available at: http://www.cipp.colostate.edu/pdf/CIPP_Neg_paper.pdf
Climate Change and Renewable Energy. The Center for Systems Integration has provided research support to the start-up of the Colorado Institute of Public Policy’s energy and climate change activities. More work in this area is upcoming for the Center, including co-authoring policy briefs on key issues for Colorado.
