Transforming Together: Implementation Guide
3 Update interagency agreements and MOUs to reflect the new, broader vision for all children and youth As described above, AB 2083’s required inter- agency MOU and formal and informal multi- agency agreements required by other state initiatives can be adapted and expanded to reflect a county’s new, broader aspiration for all children and youth in the County. The AB 2083 interagency MOU for System of Care outlines the intent and commitments of the participating partners in improving and coordinating family and youth services. This MOU also should capture the work of the ILT and EAC specific to the county, which may include revision of, consolidation of, and/ or alignment with existing interagency table agreements. In cases where an existing AB 2083 MOU is weak, underused, or overly legalistic, consider creating a new MOU. Samples and suggestions from other counties are readily available (see sidebar for some recommendations). Importantly, some form of agreement is needed to specify the shared vision partners are committing to and to identify the key functions each partner will be pursuing. When well written, the MOU aligns vision, identifies key functions and processes, and clarifies how to administer those functions and processes jointly.
Example
Santa Clara County adapts AB 2083 ( linked here ) in support of Whole Child/ Whole Student Integration When Santa Clara County departments and their partners serving children, youth and families began exploring a deepening of their partnership toward a more integrated system to support children and families, they looked to the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and emerging Interagency Leadership process required by California’s AB 2083 legislation as a model that also could help advance their overall vision for improving services for all families and youth. “We were already doing the visioning and collective work,” explained Patty Ramirez, a longtime leader of the effort. “So when AB 2083 came about, it was like, yes—let’s use that model to put on paper what we’re already doing.” In 2008, the county’s Board of Supervisors called on agencies to come together to better support children. They commissioned a new Cross Agency Service Team (CAST), a collaboration of county departments, school districts, community-based organizations (CBOs), and other partners. Together, they had sought to develop a strong partnership to serve children and families better; the work has evolved to what is now the vision of creating a “no-wrong-door” system of care. This work intentionally mirrored local schools’ Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) framework and was deeply influenced by systems change thought leaders like Peter Senge. “That foundational work is what allowed us to even envision what this work could look like,” Ramirez noted.
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