Ramsey County Children's Mental Health Collaborative

Our Approach​

 

Our approach is grounded in 3 collaborative models: System of Care, Collective Impact, and Self Healing Communities. 

 

​A system of care is a coordinated network of community-based services and supports designed to meet the challenges of children and youth with serious mental health needs and their families. These partnerships of families, youth, public organizations and private service providers work to more effectively deliver mental health services and supports that build on the strengths of individuals and fully address children’s and youths’ needs. These systems are also developed around the principles of being child-centered, family-driven, strength-based and culturally competent, provided in the least restrictive environment; community based; accessible; collaborative and coordinated across an interagency network.​

 

Collective Impact is a a research informed approach to collaboratively address complex community issues. Collective impact initiatives include a centralized infrastructure, a dedicated staff, and a structured process that leads to a common agenda, shared measurement, continuous communication, and mutually reinforcing activities among all participants. Collective Impact 3.0 takes this further as an evolving framework for community change that focuses on equity and community engagement/ownership. 

• Eight principals of practice: 1) Design and implement the initiative with a priority placed on equity, 2) Include community members in the collaborative, 3) Recruit and co-create with cross-sector partners, 4) Use data to continuously learn, adapt, and improve, 5) Cultivate leaders with unique system leadership skills, 6) Focus on program and system strategies, 7) Build a culture that fosters relationships, trust, and respect across participants, 8) Customize for local context​

• The centralized infrastructure should: • Have a high level of credibility within the community• Serve as neutral conveners• Have a dedicated staff• Build key relationships across members of the initiative• Focus people’s attention and create a sense of urgency• Frame issues to present opportunities and difficulties• Use evaluation as a tool for learning and progress• Ensure coordination and accountability • Stay “behind the scenes” to establish collective ownership​

 

The Self Healing Communities model is a research informed approach to reduce health issues and social problems. The model is built on the concept of empowering families and communities to recognize their own ability to make change and create spaces for healing, belonging, and hope.  ​

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