use this information

CASE 1-1 Systems Thinking for Native American Health Initiative Written by Nitumigaabow Ryan Champagne In my experience | have the unique opportunity to lead problem solving teams. As consultants, our customers often contract with our firm. Grand River Community Development, to help solve a problem or overcome a barrier. While their lists usually are tangible and concrete \"problems*, we look at the organizational systems and culture before attempting to problem solve. Often this includes an organizational assessment. Such assessment allows our teams and the customer to see the \"bigger picture\" and to focus on systemic or organizational issues versus program and department specific matters. While we employ American Indian consultants from nationwide, we do not utilize consultants who are not versed in systemic solutions. These systems are often complex adaptive systems (CAS) that need a problem solver who understands how relationships, systems, and practices impact organizational culture and productivity. The barrier we often face is getting the customers to understand or embrace the larger need. While | believe they understand and agree, many choose not to explore those type of solutions out of fear of staff resistance, personal resistance, and/or lack of capacity to make such changes. When thinking about systems thinking one case example comes to mind; it was a rural northern Wisconsin tribe that had a population of about four thousand citizens. They declared a state of emergency due to the high rates of drug usage, dealing, and deaths associated with illegal drugs. The leadership was at a loss on how to combat this crisis. The crisis at hand included the following: m@ Twelve deaths related to the sale, consumption, or trafficking of illegal drugs in under four months; g@ Elders and community members reported fear of leaving their house after dark due to the illegal drug trafficking and crime associate with such; mg HeadStart reported that 40% of the children were showing signs of developmental delay due to being born chemically addicted or exposed; and g@ Current government programming appeared to be ineffective in addressing the crisis The first stage was to identify what the crisis entailed. This process included an analysis of the systems. The common themes that emerged included suicide, drugs, unmet behavioral health needs, and crime. The crisis factors allowed for the tribal council to come together to have a unified leadership and shared vision that the status quo was no longer acceptable. The tribal council decided to contract with our firm fo gain an outside perspective and lens on the crisis state. The idea was that their staff and citizens where too close to the situation and could not have the systemic view needed to assist with developing real solutions to combat the crisis No awareness Denial/resistance Vag ue awareness r