Systems Change Systems Change Process & Breaking Process & Breaking Out of the BoxOut of the Box

Deb Painte, NATIDeb Painte, NATI

Joseph Walker, NATIJoseph Walker, NATI

TRIBAL PERSPECTIVETRIBAL PERSPECTIVE

National Indian Child Welfare National Indian Child Welfare Association (NICWA), Overview of Association (NICWA), Overview of Relational World ViewRelational World View

Originally presented by Terry Cross, Originally presented by Terry Cross, NICWA at the Western Pacific CWIC NICWA at the Western Pacific CWIC Regional Forum, San Francisco, March Regional Forum, San Francisco, March 20092009

(slide excerpts used with permission)(slide excerpts used with permission)

Linear WorldviewSocial Work/Medical Model

Social History Presenting Problem Assessment Treatment Outcome

Cause Effect New Cause New Effect

Relational WorldviewRelational WorldviewNative and Tribal ThoughtNative and Tribal Thought

Context Mind

Spirit Body

BALANCE

Relational WorldviewNative and Tribal Thought

• Fluid, cyclical view of time

• Each aspect of life is related

• Services aim to restore balance

• Interventions may not be directed at “symptoms”

• Underlying question is “how?”

From Individual to OrganizationFrom Individual to Organization

The model of balance can be The model of balance can be applied to organizations and applied to organizations and communities.communities.

Each element of the Each element of the individual model has a individual model has a parallel in an organization.parallel in an organization.

This is the basis for NICWA’s This is the basis for NICWA’s approach to agency climate.approach to agency climate.

Environment Infrastructure

Mission Resources

Social

Political

EconomicPhysical Policies/Procedures

Mgmt. Structure

Personnel Mgmt.Fiscal Mgmt.

Service Design

MissionVision

PurposeValues

Org. Spirit

Mandate

Strategic Plans

Human Beings

Leadership

“Champions”Information

FundingCoalitions

Relational WorldviewRelational WorldviewOrganizational LevelOrganizational Level

Relational World View Relational World View Theory of ChangeTheory of Change

Change is a constant, inevitable, Change is a constant, inevitable, cyclical, and dynamic part of the cyclical, and dynamic part of the human experience that occurs in human experience that occurs in natural, predictable patterns and natural, predictable patterns and can be facilitated to promote can be facilitated to promote desired and measurable desired and measurable outcomes.outcomes.

RWV-Based PracticeRWV-Based Practice

A change agent joins with the natural forces, A change agent joins with the natural forces, and with purposeful intent, impacts the and with purposeful intent, impacts the quadrants to restore balance and promote quadrants to restore balance and promote harmony.harmony.

Interventions do not necessarily target Interventions do not necessarily target symptoms but rather impact balance and symptoms but rather impact balance and facilitate harmony, and are frequently designed facilitate harmony, and are frequently designed to impact multiple quadrants.to impact multiple quadrants.

Change can be measured by observing key Change can be measured by observing key indicators of balance and harmony and by indicators of balance and harmony and by recording change across time in relationship to recording change across time in relationship to the intervention(s).the intervention(s).

Environment Infrastructure

Mission Resources

Essential Elements for Essential Elements for Systems Systems ChangeChange

NeedsCommunity Readiness

StrengthsPolitical will/urgency

External Relationships

Leadership Family and youth voice StaffingTraining/TAVertical buy-inFunding

FinancingPolicyStandards of Practice

DataAccountabilityDependability of InstitutionsPartnerships Communication

ValuesShared VisionCultural IntegritySovereignty/Governance

Respect for ancestral wisdom

Alignment of principles

Change ProcessesChange Processes

Create a sense of urgencyCreate a sense of urgency Core leadership team Core leadership team Broad participatory planningBroad participatory planning Shared vision and strategyShared vision and strategy Leadership empowering othersLeadership empowering others Vertical buy-inVertical buy-in Short term wins and persistenceShort term wins and persistence SustainabilitySustainability

Adapted from Kotter, 1997

Other tribal Other tribal considerationsconsiderations

Impact of Historical Impact of Historical Trauma, Intergenerational Trauma, Intergenerational Grief & Secondary Trauma Grief & Secondary Trauma on Tribal Systemson Tribal Systems

Need to understand how Need to understand how this may impact your this may impact your systems change processsystems change process

Historical TraumaHistorical TraumaTrauma upon trauma that occurs in history to a specific group of people causing emotional, mental and spiritual* wounding both during their lives and in the generations that follow.

Grief that is passed down from the generation experiencing the trauma to their children (the next generation) even though they may not be aware of or have direct experience of the actual traumatic events.

Intergenerational Grief

DefinitionsDefinitions

Secondary Trauma – “a cluster of symptoms Secondary Trauma – “a cluster of symptoms nearly identical to PTSD which results from nearly identical to PTSD which results from the stress of working with or intimately the stress of working with or intimately knowing somebody who has been knowing somebody who has been traumatized or is suffering. “ traumatized or is suffering. “ (Perron & Hiltz, 2006, p. 217)(Perron & Hiltz, 2006, p. 217)

Secondary Trauma Stress – “an acute stress Secondary Trauma Stress – “an acute stress reaction to a traumatic event experienced reaction to a traumatic event experienced indirectly. indirectly. (Phipps & Byrne, 2003, p. 139)(Phipps & Byrne, 2003, p. 139)

Breaking Out of the Breaking Out of the BoxBox Practice Model and Standards of Practice Model and Standards of

the Lakota Oyate Wakanyeja the Lakota Oyate Wakanyeja Owcakiyapi (LOWO) Agency, a Owcakiyapi (LOWO) Agency, a tribally chartered child welfare tribally chartered child welfare agency on the Pine Ridge Indian agency on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota. Reservation in South Dakota.

See MPCWIC ToolkitSee MPCWIC Toolkit