Family, youth, and community engagement aims to strengthen programming by responding to participants’ experiences.
The Maternal Child Health (MCH) Program is committed to supporting successful partnerships and engagement with family, youth, and community members because this is a key strategy to advance health equity. Read on to learn more about our team.
Our Implementation Team
Becky Burns: Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs Statewide Coordinator, Waisman Center University Center of Excellence on Developmental Disabilities, with Wisconsin Department of Health Services
Terry Kruse: Maternal and Perinatal Nurse Consultant, with Wisconsin Department of Health Services
Arianna Keil: Quality Improvement Director, Children’s Health Alliance of Wisconsin, with Wisconsin Department of Health Services
Barbara Katz: Co-Director of Family Voices of Wisconsin
Amy Olejniczek: Associate Director of the Wisconsin Alliance for Women’s Health and directs the Providers and Teens Communicating for Health (PATCH) program
Shawn Meyer: Maternal and Child Health Nurse Consultant with Wisconsin Department of Health Services
Kara Mathewson: Sexual Violence Prevention Program Coordinator at Wisconsin Department of Health Services
Kelli Stader: Nutrition Coordinator with Wisconsin Department of Health Services
Stephanie West: Epidemiologist and Evaluator for Family Health Section
Karen Morris: Reproductive Health Family Planning Nurse Consultant with Wisconsin Department of Health Services
Strengthening our Communities
Challenge Statements
Family, youth, and community members who receive support through our MCH system of local programs need to have their voices heard in meaningful partnerships because our programs will then be more responsive to their thoughts and ideas.
Local agencies need support to engage families, youth, and community members because this may be a paradigm shift.
Aim Statement
By December 31, 2025, we aim to strengthen family, youth, and community member engagement within all MCH programs because programs that respond to participants’ experiences are more effective.
How We Will Measure Our Progress
Aim
Seventy-five percent of Wisconsin’s MCH-funded programs are making progress or have embedded concepts of family, youth, and/or community member engagement on at least three indicators of the Community Engagement Assessment Tool.
Process Measure #1
MCH programs are making progress in enhancing their family, youth, and community member engagement. Seventy-five percent of programs will have a total score (sum of all indicators) greater than 35.
Process Measure #2
Overall, MCH programs approach the work of family, youth, and community engagement beyond the traditional survey implementation. Sixty percent of programs that assess overall work in the categories of Discuss, Involve, or Partner.
