Building a Southeastern Community of Caring in North Carolina

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Building a Southeastern Community of Caring in
North Carolina

• Joshua J. Alexander, MD,
• Juliellen Simpson-Vos, M.Ed, and
• Libby Rogers, LPT

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Todays Agenda

• Introductions
• Overview of TelAbility/WATCH
• Building a Community of Collaboration in the
  Wilmington area
• Questions
• Complete Survey

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Who Are We?

• Joshua Alexander, MDDirector of Pediatric
  Rehabilitation and TelAbility Program Director
• UNC School of Medicine
• Juliellen Simpson-Vos, M.Ed
• TelAbility/WATCH Project Director

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Who are You?

• Name
• Field of discipline and you agency
• Knowledge of TelAbility/WATCH?
• Experience with videoconferencing?
• Sticky note
• File folder
• Three ring binder

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TelAbility (http//www.telability.org)

• An Internet-Based
• Telehealth Program For
• Young Children with Disabilities

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Building a Community of Practice

• A group of people who share a concern, set of
  problems, or passion about a topic and who deepen
  their knowledge and expertise in this area by
  interaction on an ongoing basis.

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WATCH

• Wake Area
• Telehealth Collaborative
• Helping Children
• with special needs

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WATCH includes

• Inclusive Child Care Settings
• Services Agencies
• Residential Care Programs
• State Agencies (CDSA and School system)

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Current Programming

• Website Content /Expertise Directory
• List serv
• Newsletters
• Videoconferencing

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Wake County Services and Resources for Children
0-5 webpage
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What does the webpage do?

• The webpage is a searchable database where anyone
  can select specific fields to find the services
  they need.
• Agencies that match their needs will be sorted
  and listed.
• When you click the link for the agency all the
  agency data will be provided.

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Other Website Features

• Expertise Directory
• Handouts
• Links
• Calendar
• Books
• Articles
• Videos
• More!

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Videoconferencing
Videoconsults
Videoclinics
Point to point meetings (administrative, family
visits, etc.)
Professional Development Sessions
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6 Years of Success in Wilmington

• January 2002-June 2008
• In the past 6 years there have been a total of
  101 videoconferences held between TelAbility and
  families and professionals in the Wilmington
  area.

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Videoclinic and Videoconsults

• 70 videoclinics/consults have been held
• Involving 554 families, therapists, and medical
  personnel
• Satisfaction level average 4.7 out of 5.0
• Comfort level average 4.95 out of 5.0
• Families saved a total of over 7,500.00 in
  travel mileage and 250 hours in travel time.
• Average savings per videoclinic is 309 miles
  (156.00) and 5 hours in travel time.

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Professional Development Opportunities

• 11 Professional Development opportunities have
  occurred with therapists in the Wilmington area
• 56 area therapists have participated (including
  school system, private agencies, and CDSA staff)
• Satisfaction level average 4.0 out of 5.0
• Comfort level average 4.4 out of 5.0
• Total mileage savings 8,484
• Total hours saved616

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Professional Development Continued..

• Sessions were held free of charge to participants
• Session were coordinated through TelAbility and
  with help from Libby Rogers
• Infant Toddler Certification credit was offered
  for all sessions
• Some of the session topics included
• The Use of Standardized Tests in Early
  Intervention
• Gross Motor Delays for Children with Visual
  Impairments
• Advanced Feeding Techniques
• The Uses of Electrical Stimulation
• Brachial Plexus
• The Use of Theratogs
• Using the GMFM and GMFCS

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Administrative Meetings

• 13 Administrative meetings have been held between
  the Early Intervention Branch, individual CDSAs,
  Commissions, and Committees
• Involving 98 administrators
• Satisfaction level average 4.2 out of 5.0
• Administrators saved a total of 14,847 in travel
  mileage and 490 hours in travel time.

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Networking Sessions

• 7 Networking sessions have been held via
  videoconference
• 35 people participated
• Satisfaction level average 4.5 out of 5.0
• Comfort level average 5.0 out of 5.0
• Total mileage savings 5,303
• Total hours saved 175

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Wilmington Data Recap

• 101 videoconference sessions have been held
  between January 2002 and June 2008.
• Approximately 750 people have participated in
  videoconference sessions.
• Average Satisfaction level 4.3 out of 5.0
• Average Comfort level 4.8 out of 5.0
• Total driving hours savedover 2000
• Total mileage savings over 36,000.

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Videoconference Benefits for Providers

• Improves communication and care coordination
  efforts
• Increases professional development and education
  opportunities
• Increases collaboration with other locations and
  professionals
• Reduces professional isolation across the state
• Responsive to their needs and interests
• Reduces travel time and costs

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Videoconference Benefits for Parents

• Improves communication, education, and care
  coordination efforts
• Responsive to their needs and interests
• Reduces isolation
• Reduces travel time and costs
• Allows for long range care coordination (from IT
  program to Preschool to School system)
• No extra charge to use the technology

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• The Recipe for Building a Successful Community
  of Practice

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You will need

• 1 Champion for Your Cause
• A respected leader in the community, committed to
  investing in and sustaining the program.
• Can articulate the benefits.
• Has access to resources and can build
  infrastructure.

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• 1 Collaborative Coordinator
• Detail oriented person who can make the
  infrastructure work.
• Facilitates communication among collaborative
  members.
• Responds to needs and concerns.
• Builds relationships within and among
  collaborative members.
• Requires support and resources. (personnel and
  funding)

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• Collaborative Coordinator should also be
• Non-territorial
• Credible (know the field)
• Trusted by the participating agencies
• Involved
• Inquisitive and responsive

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• 1 Technical Support Contact
• Responsive with the ability to problem solve.
• Makes the technology easy for your members to
  use.
• Provides on-site training and face to face
  support.

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Member Buy-in

• Search out the experts in your community.
• Start with agencies committed to the mission.
• What are their areas of strength and need?
• Where are the gaps?
• What are the common goals?
• How can you help them meet their goals?
• Give them what they need.
• Build sustainability.

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Question to Consider

• What is your need?
• How would a telehealth collaborative help to meet
  those needs?
• Who would you look to be a part of your
  collaborative? (agencies, services)
• What services could your agency offer the
  collaborative?
• Who might be your champions?
• What do you see as the initial challenges?

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WATCH2

• Wake/Wilmington Areas
• Telehealth Collaborative
• Helping Children
• with special needs

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• What would this look like in this area?

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Potential for funding from the Cape Fear Memorial
Foundation
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Discussion Questions

• Who are your champions?

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Discussion Questions

• What are the strengths of this area?
• What are the strengths of your programs?

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Discussion Questions

• What is the areas greatest need?
• What are your agencies greatest needs?

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Discussion Questions

• What are your current challenges to meeting your
  needs?

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Discussion Questions

• How do you see this community utilizing the
  Collaboratives resources?
• Website
• Listserv
• Newsletter
• Videoconferences (clinics/consults, education)

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Discussion Questions

• What do you see as the biggest barriers to buy in
  and participation?

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What will it take?

• Reciprocal participation
• Sweat equity
• Enthusiasm
• Thinking outside the box
• Belief in the network
• Feedback and responsiveness

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• Instead of all competing or working as separate
  entities, WATCH allows for us all to come
  together for the greater good of the child and
  family.

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Future Goals
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