Back to Annual Meeting

Back to Annual Meeting

APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Recorded presentation

Elaine O'Reilly, BA, Governmental Strategies Inc, 8 Beacon St. Suite 44, Boston, MA 02108, 617-523-7808 x 124, eoreilly@governmentalstrategies.com

This presentation will describe an ongoing relationship between state legislators and the Together for Kids Coalition designed to implement best practices and increase state resources for early childhood mental health services. The TFK Coalition numbers over 75 health care, mental health, early childhood education, early intervention, public school, and community agency staff, administrators, and parents in Central Massachusetts. With local foundation and United Way funding, the Coalition implemented and evaluated a pilot demonstration program to address the growing problem of young children being expelled from preschool classrooms due to out of control behavior. The discussion will focus on how legislators and constituencies work together to learn about community health issues that require public policy making. The speaker, a legislative lobbyist, will present the role of data gathering, learning from evaluation and research, and bringing the message to legislators in various formats. The work of the TFK coalition to meet with legislators, present findings to the Children's Caucus, answer questions about costs and outcomes, and develop strategies with legislators and other public officials to achieve change will be discussed. The context of the state political environment, balancing competing public interests, responding to a newly emerging public health issue, understanding the costs and benefits of changing policy, and identifying specific action steps will be reviewed. The presentation will provide a framework for how to approach public health policy change at the legislative and executive office level.

Learning Objectives:

• Understand how to effectively work with legislators on public health issues.
• Identify key action steps required of community coalitions.
• Appreciate the policy context and modify strategies to achieve outcomes.

Keywords: Child/Adolescent Mental Health, Advocacy

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No

Recorded presentation