Behavioral Health Policy
and Advisory Council
Facilitated Collaboration to Build Understanding and
Group Effectiveness
Session 2: Thursday, March 3, 2016
Meeting Framework and Norms
Welcome and
Overview
 Council members as participants, guests as observers
 Respectful of different communication styles and varying levels of
comfort with group work
 Take care of yourself – stand up, walk around, take breaks as needed
 Cell phones and electronics are silenced and put aside
 Patience, a growth mindset, and a willingness to learn will make this
process most meaningful
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Goals for BHPAC Facilitation
Welcome and
Overview
 Reconnect Council members to common purpose
 Improve understanding among Council members about each other
and constituencies represented
 Establish group norms and statement of purpose to guide the
Council’s work for a strong future
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Goals for Today:
 We will:
 Identify themes for group norms
 Clarify the ADVISORY role of Council
Welcome and
Overview
 Draft a BHPAC Statement of Purpose
 Focus on our group dynamics and commitments to a strong collaborative culture
 We will not:
 Focus on strategic priorities of Council
 Create new strategic tasks or goals
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Key Take-Aways From Last Session:
 What inspired me to serve on Council?
 Make a difference
 Understand the bigger system
 Effectuate change using personal and professional expertise
Welcome and
Overview
 Influence and advocate smart use of dollars
 Improve systems so people get care they need
 To collaborate with the diverse membership of Council
 To ensure people with lived experience have a voice in funding decisions
 Represent rural needs
 Guide and shape mental health treatment
 To become an advocate
 To be a voice for children, youth and families
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Key Take-Aways From Last Session:
 What we learned…
Welcome and
Overview
Prevention
Treatment
Recovery
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Checking In
Guiding Question:
 What word best describes how you are feeling this morning?
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Groups have a life of their own…
Why work on
group
dynamics?
 Expressing difference is natural and helpful;
 Getting confused and frustrated is to be expected;
 Building shared understanding is a struggle…but it’s worth it!
 Without shared understanding, meaningful collaboration is
impossible;
 Finding common ground is THE precondition for insightful and
innovative decision making;
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Why work on
group
dynamics?
The benefits of creating group norms and statements of
purpose…
 Stronger Individuals – more confidence, more commitment, more
empathy, stronger leadership;
 Stronger Groups – ability to better utilize all talents and skills of
members; respectful, supportive “culture”, increased capacity for
tackling difficult problems;
 Stronger Outcomes – more robust and interesting ideas, better
integration of diverse goals, more reliable follow through;
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Why do groups
need to define
their core
values?
Participatory decision making and core values…
 Guide groups through challenges;
 Inspire commitment to find common ground;
 Foster inclusiveness and honor diversity of all types;
 Support mutual accountability;
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Let’s Take a
Break!
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Participatory
Decision
Making - Core
Values
 Full Participation
 Mutual Understanding
 Inclusive Solutions
 Shared Responsibility
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Full Participation:
Participatory
Decision
Making - Core
Values
 All members are encouraged to speak up and say what’s on their
minds – share “first draft” ideas;
 Develops competency within the group to recognize the diversity
of opinions, backgrounds, and expertise of fellow members;
 People are more willing to take risks and surface controversial
ideas;
 Fosters a room full of people curious and respectful of each other;
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Mutual Understanding:
Participatory
Decision
Making - Core
Values
 For a group to reach sustainable agreement, members have to
understand and accept the legitimacy of one another’s needs and
goals;
 Empathy – thinking from another’s point of view – catalyzes new
ideas that serve the greater good;
 Spending time getting to know one another in different ways and
on deeper levels is viewed as an important and legitimate use of
time;
 Leads to discoveries about common purpose and mutual goals.
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Participatory
Decision
Making - Core
Values
Inclusive Solutions:
 Wise solutions that result from the integration of all perspectives
and needs present in the group;
 Are typically not obvious or expedient, but emerge from genuine
willingness to learn and collaborate.
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Shared Responsibility:
 Applies to the process of group work, not just the outcomes;
Participatory
Decision
Making - Core
Values
 Everyone in the group is an owner of process and outcome and
acknowledges this as a core value;
 Agreements and outcomes need everyone’s support to be
sustainable, which means members are not reluctant to raise
important questions or concerns, even if this may delay action;
 All other participatory values – full participation, mutual
understanding, and inclusive solutions – foster shared
responsibility;
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Working
Towards Group
Norms
Unsupportive Attitudes in
Action
Supportive Attitudes in
Action
“Stop wasting our time.”
“Go ahead…I’m all ears.”
“You’re confusing people.”
“That’s interesting, I never
thought of it that way.”
Where did that come from?”
“Haven’t we already been
around that block?”
“That idea is impossible.”
“That has nothing to do with
what we’re talking about.”
“Let’s keep it simple.”
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“Can you tell me more about
that or share an example?”
“What’s your opinion?”
“Before we change the
subject, let’s make sure
everyone has had a chance to
speak.”
Self Reflection…
Working
Towards Group
Norms
 What commitments am I willing to make to ensure that my own
communication style helps our group develop a more supportive
atmosphere?
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Advice: Noun. A suggestion for a beneficial course of action.
Synonyms: warning, indication, recommendation, proposal
What does it
mean to
ADVISE?
Advise: Verb. To give advice.
Synonyms: urge, warn, talk over, consult, discuss, recommend
Antonyms:
Mandate, direct, prescribe, authorize, impose, dictate
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By-Laws, Article II – Purpose:
What is
Council’s
Purpose?
1.
Exchange information and communicate ideas about
behavioral health planning;
2.
Write and amend strategic plans for behavioral health services
in Colorado and recommend these plans to Colorado state
government;
3.
Advise Colorado state government concerning proposed or
adopted behavioral health service plans and their
implementation;
4. Monitor, review and evaluate the provision of behavioral
health services in Colorado and advise regarding quality and
availability;
5.
Develop and take advocacy positions on behavioral health
policy;
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What is the real value of advice?
What is OUR
purpose?
Recovery
Treatment
Prevention
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What is
Council’s
Purpose?
What does our work here today tell us about what is important
to us as a group when we give advice to OBH?
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We have the pieces to this puzzle:
What is
Council’s
Purpose?
1.
What inspired me to participate in Council?
2.
Group norms that reflect participatory values – full
participation, mutual understanding, inclusive solutions, and
shared responsibility;
3.
Confidence in and commitment to our advisory role with OBH.
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At the Behavioral Health Policy and Advisory Council, we believe…
1.
2.
3.
Statement of
Purpose for
Council
We are a diverse group of people with a commitment to…
1.
2.
3.
We will fulfill our advisory role by developing work that…
1.
2.
3.
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What would you like to have happen at the next Council meeting
so that momentum is not lost?
Next Steps
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