Executive Summary
Welcome to the UWGH Data Collaboration Newsletter. This newsletter features approvals and updates provided during the July and August Governing Body meetings; the completion of the discovery phase and progress on the development and customizations of the ICJ Tech Tool; and updates for funded partners onboarding into the ICJ Data Collaboration.
Table of Contents
Recap from July & August 2022’s Governing Body Meeting
The ICJ Governing Body met in July and August to continue its work as the main decision-making mechanism for the ICJ Data Collaboration.
At July's meeting, the Governing Body voted to approve two key interim procedures: the Voting Procedure and the Member and Proxy Turnover Procedure. Those will be revised by the Governing Body in the future and assessed if they shall be modified or voted as permanent. In addition, the Workgroup "What data should be collected/shared on vulnerable populations (e.g., immigrants & refugees)?" will resume its discussion following the request for further information from the Governing Body.
At August’s meeting, the Governing Body discussed the need for two distinct types of workgroups: Governance Recommendations Workgroups and Technical Requirements Gathering Workgroups.
- The Governance Recommendations workgroups (GRW) address topics that require a decision of the Governing Body, such as what data should be shared and how data is used.
- The Technical Requirements Gathering Workgroups (TRGW) focus on providing technical and functional requirements to PCIC to inform the development of the ICJ Tech Tool. The purpose of these workgroups is to gather subject matter experts together so they may provide necessary input on the Tech Tool’s features and functionality in a timely manner.
During the meeting, the Governing Body heard an update from the TRGW, championed by Kristen Wallace with HAAM, that previewed and provided feedback on features of the Intake form for Navigation with the goal of making the Intake form as simple and clear as possible for the clients. The Governing Body also unanimously voted to adopt the recommendation from the GRW: “Key inclusion criteria the Governing Body should incorporate for stakeholder representation into the succession plan for the Governing Body.”
ICJ Tech Tool Update
Patient Care Intervention Center (PCIC) is a Houston-based non-profit building a new approach to improving the health of communities. They work to align the facets of the healthcare system with the unique social determinant factors of a patient’s life. By utilizing far-reaching data sets across health systems, government, and social services agencies, and championing a client-directed, values-based approach to care coordination, their work is paving the way for the modern practice of healthcare.
PCIC has completed the detailed requirements gathering (discovery) phase of the project and has made progress on development and customizations in the following areas:
- Public and navigator-directed client intake functionality.
- Workflows to support pre-enrollment functions for navigators.
- Listening for readiness tracking capabilities- allowing navigators to connect with and prepare prospective ICJ participants prior to formal enrollment.
- Integration of the Self Sufficiency and Wellbeing matrix (SSWB), to measure client progress in 6-month intervals along the way.
- Setup of the technology infrastructure and data security architecture.
The next batch of feature integrations will include components, such as the client dashboard, navigator dashboard and referral-management functionality. Stay tuned for more updates on this innovative platform.
Reminders for 1st & 2nd Cohort
The ICJ Data Collaboration is expanding and welcoming its 1st cohort of 30 agencies. The kick-off meeting on July 19, 2022, covered topics such as Data Governance Framework and how it works, what we learned so far, and what the agencies can expect as they onboard into the ICJ Data Collaboration. It was also an opportunity for the agencies to ask questions regarding the Governance Framework, the ICJ Tech Tool, and the next steps.
During the first kick-off meeting, we asked what the partners hope to gain from the collaborative. One common theme was that partners wanted to "feel that there really is help available." This is our hope as well that the ICJ Data Collaboration will ensure programs are working together to make the journey as easy as possible for clients. We also hope that partners know that we're always here to help them through the process in a truly collaborative way.
The 1st cohort will sign a Commitment of Participation letter to join the ICJ Data Collaboration by end of September. We are happy to have you with us. The 2nd Cohort will be onboarding into the ICJ Data Collaboration from October – December 2022.
Cohort 2
- Alliance for Community Assistance Ministries (ACAM)
- Avenue CDC
- Bay Area Council on Drugs & Alcohol (BACODA)
- Big Brothers Big Sisters Lone Star
- Boy Scouts
- Children's Safe Harbor
- Coalition for the Homeless
- CollegeCommunityCareer
- Communities In Schools of Houston (CIS)
- Community Family Centers
- Covenant House Texas
- Cy-Hope, Inc.
- Fort Bend County Women's Center, Inc.
- Fort Bend Regional Council on Substance Abuse, Inc.
- Fort Bend Senior Citizens Meals on Wheels
- Girl Scouts Of San Jacinto Council
- Girls Inc. Of Greater Houston
- Interfaith Ministries for Greater Houston
- Interfaith of The Woodlands
- Katy Christian Ministries
- Legacy Community Health Services, Inc.
- Meals On Wheels Montgomery County
- Second Mile Mission Center
- Texas Hearing Institute
- The Womens Home
- Urban Enrichment Institute
- YES to YOUTH - Montgomery County Youth Services Inc
Please be on the lookout for your initial onboarding information in September. Email Jessica Davison at jdavison@unitedwayhouston.org with any questions related to onboarding.
Call to Action
Please feel free to share the newsletter with any of your staff that would benefit from the content. We will use this forum every other month to keep all funded partners updated.
If you missed the either of the first two issues of our Data Collaboration Newsletters, please click here to view them on our website.
If you are interested in joining United Way of Greater Houston’s Partner Microsoft Team’s Channel, or would like to share with us any links to interesting things happening in the Houston area and beyond related to data sharing, feel free to contact us using the button below.
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