Are you ready for the challenge and opportunity?
Imagine you wish to take on one of the most complex public health crises in the nation. We’re talking about a costly challenge that impacts children, parents, grandparents, the entire school and higher education system, and ultimately impacts the workforce and local economies. Add to this that the challenge leads to substance misuse and untreated mental health challenges, while prevention requires an understanding of ten distinct social support programs (all with their own field of study, by the way) and can only succeed with a combination of tech-savvy, organizational development experience, social justice insights and deep political wisdom.
Assessing Potential and Current 100% New Mexico initiative Action Team Members’ Knowledge
Addressing the epidemic of childhood trauma is one of the most complex challenges to be taken on in any community. To those seeking to prevent trauma on a systemic countywide level, there’s a rich body of knowledge to guide you. Prevention strategies come from many fields of study including early childhood development, behavioral health, the social determinants of health, continuous quality improvement, collective impact, adaptive leadership, health and education disparities, historical trauma and familiarity with the public education and child welfare systems.
If some of these terms are unfamiliar to you, you are far from alone. Data-driven ACEs prevention is a new muti-disciplinary field that’s still evolving. Our 100% Community course was designed to provide all community leaders and stakeholders with the knowledge and skills to succeed with a process that enriches and improves communities so that residents can thrive.
WE’VE GOT THEM!
The book, 100% Community, by Katherine Ortega Courtney, PhD and Dominic Cappello provides the insights needed to understand the key concepts guiding the 100% New Mexico initiative.
We are a learning community, so here’s a great opportunity to do a self-assessment.
We want to set up 100% Community action teams to succeed, not tinker around the edges of problems related to ACEs, trauma and social adversity. To do this requires that we provide on-going learning experiences for all those local 100% New Mexico initiative participants wishing to get to results. It helps all members of the 100% New Mexico initiative, at the beginning, to get on the same page with a shared understanding of the key concepts informing the 100% New Mexico initiative’s vision, goals, activities and desired outcomes.
This survey asks about your comfort level describing the twenty concepts. This means if you had to stand in front of a group of local community stakeholders and explain a concept, how comfortable are you? The good news is that after taking our 100% Community course, you will be comfortable discussing these concepts as you work to transform your community.
The twenty key concepts are not ones most people are introduced to in college, even in schools of public health or social work. In many ways the data-driven prevention of ACEs represents an opportunity to create a new multi-disciplinary field. Until now, almost all ACEs prevention work has focused on building awareness. The 100% New Mexico initiative goes far beyond awareness and being trauma-formed. It takes the next step requiring a systemic approach, building access to vital services on a countywide level to prevent ACEs before they happen. Hence the need for our twenty concepts to guide this groundbreaking initiative.
What did your score tell you about your comfort discussing the 20 concepts? Our book and course will provide you with all the information you need to discuss our twenty core concepts and use that knowledge to guide and grow a successful local initiative. Thank you for taking the self-assessment.
TEAM MEMBERS: If you are part of a 12-person 100% Community county team, you have an opportunity to discuss with your team members your collective comfort level with our twenty key concepts. Discuss where the strengths are and how to create opportunities to increase knowledge in particular areas. The book 100% Community and the course will most certainly give you all the answers.
INDIVIDUALS: If you are not yet involved in a 100% New Mexico initiative, this survey provides an overview of key concepts guiding the initiative. The survey was designed to give current and potential initiative members an introduction to the complexities of the data-driven prevention of ACEs, trauma and social adversity. In some counties considering taking on the initiative, a local champion has organized a book club focused on the book 100% Community, providing a collective process to explore key concepts. You may wish to explore the course and innovation center to broaden your understanding of how the initiative works.