Advancing Birth Justice with Wholesome Management - The Formative First Year -
A Case Study
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Background: Six community based organizations led by and serving African American and American Indian communities came together to form The Birth Justice Collaborative in response to a call to create an implementable and actionable plan around maternal health disparities in partnership with Hennepin County Public Health. The collaborative set out to engage the community in the co-creation of strategies to improve maternal health outcomes, reduce exposure to adverse experiences, to better equip children and families to thrive, and reflect a future we wish to live in through re-connection with cultural strengths and wisdom, while addressing the harm of structural racism and barriers to health equity.
Challenge: The Birth Justice Collaborative required comprehensive project management expertise and a deep understanding of the communities involved in their initiative. Additionally, it became clear there was also a need for support in communication, coordination, and planning and realization of the necessary community engagement. Additionally, they sought assistance in internal and external meeting planning, facilitation, and reporting/storytelling. It was crucial for them to have someone who could effectively communicate the collaborative's intentions, chart a course strategically and hit the ground running, going beyond a traditional project management role.
Solution: Wholesome Management stepped in, lead by Corenia Smith. Experienced in project management with a background in healthcare and birthwork, Corenia brought with her a profound understanding of healthcare systems and a diverse skill set to contribute to the project at this crucial stage. Corenia's lived experience and strong facilitation skills were instrumental in addressing Birth Justice Collaborative's needs. Leveraging her extensive connections in the birth work community, Corenia engaged key stakeholders who might have otherwise declined to participate.
Implementation: Wholesome Management initiated the project by leveraging an existing roadmap created for the RFP. The initial focus was on planning, coordinating, and facilitating community convenings, which served as crucial listening sessions with community stakeholders and partners. On an accelerated timeline from August to December 2022, Corenia successfully gathered insights and synthesized the results into five strategies to advance maternal health and birth justice. Furthermore, a leadership coalition was formed to help effectively integrate the work with the community in an ongoing manner.
“Very organized, action oriented, positive, and inspiring. Supports that help us achieve goals.” ~ Louise Matson, Division of Indian Work
Results: The initial stages of the project were completed ahead of schedule and under budget, engaging over 300 community members. It demonstrated a deep commitment to cultural sensitivity and equity, resonating with the communities involved. Continuous iteration and feedback from the community ensures that the strategies and plans are refined to align with the community's needs. Ultimately, the county acknowledged the effectiveness of the approach and encouraged its further implementation of the plan.
Thanks to Wholesome Management's tailored approach and Corenia's broad expertise, the Birth Justice Collaborative successfully advanced their mission of advancing birth justice and maternal health. The strategies implemented under Corenia's guidance resonated with the community and received the backing of key stakeholders. The project not only met but exceeded expectations, and continues to impact the partners and communities involved.
Conclusion and Reflections: The experience of this project was very fluid, with many aspects of the work becoming clear as the project progressed. In future projects involving capacity building with organizations or coalitions, we would definitely explore a future-focused strategy alongside project management. The long-term strategies might include planning for and hiring a team including leadership roles so the client will not depend on Wholesome Management to step into such an embedded role, but rather Wholesome works as a strategy and capacity-building partner until the organization can take full control of all roles and Wholesome Management can leave behind a strong, self-sufficient organization to continue the work.
“My organization feels supported in our joint work together.” ~ Akhmiri Sekhr-Ra, Cultural Wellness Center
Areas of Expertise
Project Management
Capacity Building
Facilitation
Community Engagement