APHSA Symposium 2019

IV. Highlights of Breakout Sessions Breakout Topics. There were four breakout sessions on specific topics, each attended by several state or local teams. Below are highlights of each session. Session 1: Making your desired state for data and analytics clear. This session was facilitated by Fred Wulcyzn (Chapin Hall) and Phil Basso (APHSA). The group discussed how to build an understanding of purpose for data and analysis throughout an agency and arrived at a common definition: “To understand the root causes of barriers to desired outcomes so that effective innovations can be advanced.” Key discussion points: • Initial steps are needed to improve the quality and scope of data collected and the ability to use data across programs. Agencies can then build up a basic skillset for using data and analysis throughout the agency including the local office level, such as through a learning program that embeds needed critical thinking and continuous improvement methods. • It’s helpful to then focus on tangible challenges like child trauma prevention, economic mobility for TANF recipients, establishing an ROI for long- term support services, or reducing dependency on opioids. Aligning culture to agency vision and values is best accomplished by changing decision-making, casework practices and resource allocation versus in the abstract. • Phasing the effort and being patient with small steps and small wins is important. Linking progress in data and analysis with support from functions like HR, Legal, Finance, and especially Communications is also critical. Session 2: Specific analytics applications, especially matching resources to needs, preventing trauma, and making the ROI case. This session was facilitated by JenniferWalthall (Secretary, Indiana Family and Social Services Administration) and Scott Dunn (Optum). The group discussed examples of using data analytics to understand the needs of clients, prevent and mitigate trauma, and achieve high ROI. Examples included: • Indiana’s Office of Healthy Opportunities 8 is driving a cross-agency, data-driven focus on social determinants of health that helps match resources to needs. IN now collects voluntary information on social needs from applicants for TANF, SNAP and Medicaid and uses the information to create a state-wide heat map of unmet needs. Staff receive training on how to ask clients sensitive questions

authentically engaging community members to build trust and increase transparency. The group offered strategies including: (1) increasing racial diversity among decision-makers in policy roles; (2) forging alliances between government and authentic voices in advocacy organizations to build consensus on how to use government levers appropriately; (3) writing into RFPs agreed-upon terms for data use; (4) involving community members in the early planning stages of analytics initiatives to get public buy-in; (5) improving staff training; and (6) making improved access to services (rather than “scrutiny” of individual behavior) the focus of using integrated data.

8 Indiana Office of Healthy Opportunities, Driving a Cross-Agency Focus on Equity and Access: https://www.chcs.org/media/IN-Office-of-Healthy- Opportunities-Case-Study_120518.pdf

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Building a culture of analytics to create a healthier world!