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CBHC Citizen Engagement Process
The Children’s Board has always partnered with community residents and service providers to serve the needs of children throughout Hillsborough County. Over the years, the Board has tried a variety of ways to increase the advice we receive from the large and diverse population who live in Hillsborough County and who care about the well-being of children and families. Our most recent model for engaging citizens in the mission of the Children’s Board includes several key parts:
1. Community Dialogues
Throughout the year, a team consisting of staff and Board members from the Children’s Board, together with youth members of our Youth Action Collaborative, visit with groups of people in communities throughout Hillsborough County. Traveling to family support and resource centers, churches, recreation centers, private homes, public parks and any place that community residents congregate, our team spends a couple of hours listening and conversing with concerned citizens about how to improve conditions for children and youth specific to each neighborhood we visit. Action plans are drawn up as community residents volunteer to work together to achieve their goals. The Children’s Board adds its resources to bring in other key people and pieces to help the community achieve its self-selected goals.
Click here for a schedule of upcoming Community Dialogues. Everyone, young and old, is invited to attend. If you want to schedule a Community Dialogue in your neighborhood, please Patricia Lewis at (813) 204-1703 or plewis@childrensboard.org.
2.Neighborhood Advisory Councils
We are developing a network of neighborhood-based Community Advisory Councils (NCAC) in five regions of the county (north, south, east, west and central), each composed of 12-15 residents who live in the local community. Citizens will be recruited at Community Dialogues and encouraged to develop their leadership skills through active involvement as NCAC members. NCAC membership applications will be distributed at every Community Dialogue and reviewed by current NCAC members. Two to three (20%) of the members of each NCAC will be youth aged 14-20 years. Members will serve one two-year term, so we can gradually expand the knowledge and involvement of citizens involved in the work of the Children’s Board. NCAC meetings will be held monthly at a regular time and place convenient to the local members. NCACs will monitor the conditions and needs of children and families in their community, reporting to the leadership of the Children’s Board through the county-wide CAC (see below). If you are interested in serving on a local advisory council in your community, please contact Patricia Lewis at (813) 204-1703 or plewis@childrensboard.org .
We will also create a new county-wide Community Advisory Council (CAC) to the Board of Directors of the Children’s Board. Members will be citizens, including youth (providers should be in the minority). The CAC will be chaired by a community citizen. Members of the CAC will be selected from each of the NCACs. The Chairperson of the Board of Directors will serve on this committee throughout his or her term in office. Members will serve one two-year term in order to grow the number of community partners involved. The CAC will submit quarterly reports to the CEO and Board of Directors of the Children’s Board, highlighting recommendations to develop new services, expand or delete continuing programs and support Children’s Board policy positions. This Board committee will hold meetings monthly during evening hours. The CAC will invite members of the community, based on their experience and expertise, to join as rotating members of various internal staff committees of the Children’s Board.
3.The Youth Action Collaborative
The Children’s Board hosts a monthly meeting of children and youth, ages 12-21, and youth advisors on the third Monday evening of each month. This group of young people and adults actively considers how to increase the voice of children and youth in participating in discussions and decisions made in Hillsborough County that affect the quality of their lives. They are currently planning a series of Youth Summit meetings that will result in strong youth-adult partnerships, youth leadership development programs and youth collaborations with schools, town councils, health care organizations and others whose activities influence the prospects for children and youth in Hillsborough County. Ultimately, we hope that every time a decision has to be made in the public or private sector in our county, the first question asked will be “How will this affect children?”
Peter A. Gorski, M.D., M.P.A. heads the Citizen Engagement Team at the Children’s Board. He would be happy to hear from you and discuss your interest in promoting our community partnerships. Dr. Gorski can be reached at (813) 204-1701 or pgorski@childrensboard.org.