MCH & Title V Director Indiana Department of Health Indianapolis, Indiana
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Full Description: Following the Title V Needs Assessment, Indiana's MCH team was on a mission to fundamentally change the way Title V funding was distributed around the state. Moving away from legacy programming and repeated applications from the same organizations year after year, the team forged a new path for funding opportunities: one that was equitable, inclusive, and allowed communities to be innovative in meeting the needs of the MCH population. Indiana's MCH program successfully engaged partners, created a more equitable funding opportunity announcement that was only four questions long, and engaged applicants in a creative way with "pitch presentations." In past years, the Indiana Department of Health (IDOH) would receive 20 - 30 applicants per year, but the changes brought in 95 applications. We invited half of those applicants to engage directly with a scoring team (17 staff members from across divisions). Our funded projects span and serve the life course and many of our state action plan measures. Indiana has also engaged new grantees: explaining Title V and linking them to the "why" we collect and report data. Our new subrecipient monitoring policy also ensures we are actively engaged with our partners and always building strong relationships. Lastly, Indiana has greatly benefitted from the MCH Workforce Development Center where the time and space created for systems change and systems building began. In return, the WFD Center coaches have linked Indiana to other states to share our process and grant application process regularly over the past year. By taking a 10,000 foot view and the including the community voices and equitable grants, making stronger partnerships, and rethinking how Title V can be used to serve the life course, we strongly believe our presentation demonstrates how Indiana has reflected on the past and made changes to shape the future.
Abbreviated Description: Is your Title V program ready for a change? Join Indiana's MCH team to learn how they reconstructed the way they grant Title V dollars across the state. Reflecting on past challenges (prescriptive programming choices, limited interest in funding opportunity announcements, and disconnect from partners and their linkage to Title V) led to a health transformation challenge that will shape the future of Title V in the state. Attendees will learn about our process and methods as we navigated change, our successes and failures, as well as provide tools and communication tips to help reconstruct Title V funding systems in your state.
