# Presentation: 323880

## 65 Years and Counting:  The Legacy and Future of MCH Leadership

***Sustaining the Training: Advocacy and Policy Development as Key Sustainability Strategies***** **
**MCH Training Program All Grantee Meeting ****April 22-23, 2008**
**Omni Shoreham Hotel **
**Washington, D.C.**

## Learning Objectives

**Increase participants’ knowledge of strategies that the MCH Leadership Education in Adolescent Health (LEAH) program and its 7 project sites are using to leverage support and funding to sustain training activities **
**Use principles of “the tipping point” to advance your MCH work**
**Recognize that a focus on strengths enhances the likelihood of sustainability**
**Engage global partners in common-ground activities**

## Tipping Point in Social Epidemics

**Law of the Few**
**Stickiness Factor**
**Power of Context**

**Notes:**
Those who heard my presentation of the long-range strategic plan two years ago may recall that I used the best-selling book by Malcolm Gladwell, The Tipping Point, to frame SAM’s position15.  I draw your attention to the subtitle: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference.  There are three main points that are relevant for us and our organization with respect to social epidemics: the law of the few, the stickiness factor, and the power of context. 

## MCH Training: At a Tipping Point?

**Law of the few****: : 20% of the people do 80% of the work**
**Connectors****: MCH training program members whose personalities, multiple roles and ability to cultivate ties enables them to bring people together.**
**Mavens****:  MCH training program members who are in-the-know, always on the cutting-edge, “go-to” people.**
**Salespersons****:  MCH training program members whose persuasiveness and appeal make others want to join in MCH activities.**

**Notes:**
First, the “law of the few” says that 20% of the people do 80% of the work in creating a social epidemic and they can be broken down into three categories: 
► Connectors are SAM members whose personalities, multiple roles and ability to cultivate ties enables them to bring people together,
► Mavens are SAM members who are in-the-know, always on the cutting-edge, our “go-to” people, and 
► Salespersons are SAM members whose persuasiveness and appeal makes others want to be in adolescent health, join SAM.  Where would you fit in that classification system? I challenge you to become more involved in our organization, so that 80% of the work is done by 40% of our people.  But I am only interested in your being involved in our organization if you plan to be constructive.  Remember that the concept is that little things can make a big difference.  Little good things can result in big difference in a good way, while little negative things can make a big difference in a negative and destructive way. 

## MCH Training: At a Tipping Point?

**Stickiness Factor****:  Ability of messages regarding MCH training, its members, or adolescent health to have an impact, to grab attention, to stay in one’s mind—to stick.  Simple changes in  presentation and structuring of an idea can make it more sticky.**
**Power of Context****:  Perceptions about MCH training based on context, time and place.**** **

**Notes:**
► Second, the “stickiness factor” is the ability of messages regarding SAM, our members and adolescent health to have an impact, to grab attention, to stay in one’s mind—to stick.  Relatively simple changes in the presentation and structuring of an idea can make it more sticky. We will be focusing on strategies to make our messages more sticky.  It will be essential, however, to have our sticky messages be positive.  I’m not sure that that is the case now. 
► Third, the “power of context” posits that perceptions about SAM are based on context, time and place.  Having obesity as the theme of this meeting is a wonderful example of the power of context.  The media has jumped all over press releases for this meeting in part because obesity is public health problem #1, but also because we have distinguished guests and panelists.  Between now and our next meeting in Los Angeles in a year, each one of you will become aware of contexts, times and places where I hope that you will think of yourself as a SAM connector, maven and/or salesperson, who has a strong positive sticky message about SAM and about adolescent health.  The context may be in a community organization, or in a health care setting, or at the local, state, regional, provincial or canton level. 

## Focus on Strengths

**Efforts guided by research evidence, often developed by LEAH faculty and former trainees**
**Scientific journals**
**Web-based educational materials**
**Technical assistance**
**Synthesize data from a variety of sources for use by a variety of audiences**
**National Adolescent Health Information Center**
**Public Policy Analysis & Education Center for Middle Childhood, Adolescent and Young Adult Health**
**State Adolescent Health Resource Center**
***eAdolescence***

## Challenges in Adolescent Heath Care: Workshop Report

**Challenges in Adolescent Heath Care: Workshop Report**
**National Research Council and Institute of Medicine**
**2007**

## Focus on Strengths

**Collaboration and partnership for synergy and leverage with professionals across our training program, as well with as adolescents, young adults and parents**
**National Network of State Adolescent Health Coordinators (SAHCs)**
**National Initiative to Improve Adolescent Health (NIIAH 2010)**
**Partners in Program Planning to Improve Adolescent Health (PIPPAH)**
**Innovations in approaches, such as Positive Youth Development as a public health strategy**

## Partners in Program Planning for Adolescent Health (PIPPAH)

**American Academy of Pediatrics**
**American Bar Association**
**American College of Preventive Medicine**
**CityMatCH (Urban Maternal Child Health)**
**Healthy Teen Network**
**Nat’l Assoc of County and City Health Officials**
**Nat’l Conference of State Legislatures**
**Nat’l Institute for Health Care Management**

## Guest Members: Partners in Program Planning for Adolescent Health (PIPPAH)

**Society for Adolescent Medicine **
**Partnership to Promote Adolescent Health (States Association of Maternal & Child Health Programs**
**National Network of State Adolescent Health Coordinators**
**Leadership Education in Adolescent Health (LEAH) Interdisciplinary Training Program**
**4-H Building Partnerships for Youth: Capacity Building to Promote Youth Development**
**Children's Safety Network**

## Improving Public Health Through Youth Development

**J Public Health Mgmt & Practice 2006 (Supp). www.health.state.ny.us**

**Improving Public Health Through Youth Development**

## Engage Global Partners in MCH Work

**European Training In Effective Adolescent Care And Health (Euteach) Programme **
**Web-based materials and activities from other countries**
**Strength-based approaches to youth in other countries**
**Recognizing that we don’t have all the answers makes us stronger**