Rebalancing Health Care in the Heartland
More than 200 representatives of business, industry and health care, as well as policy makers and consumers attended Forum 2 of the health care reform series sponsored by the University of Iowa and the UI College of Public Health.  SPPG in its role of research and technical assistance for this year-long effort provided a state-by-state compendium of legislation and policy initiatives for all 50 states.  The states of Massachusetts, Oregon, and Tennessee, provided a “lessons learned” presentation.  Legislators leading Iowa’s Health Care Commission also presented at the forum and will use the research provided in Forum 2. Proceedings from the Forum are available, along with the Compendium Research and other information on www.rebalancinghealthcareintheheartland.   Also see www.sppg.com  web site also for a link.

Successful Families Caucus (SFC)
SPPG presented at a regional conference on the creation of the SFC’s bi-partisan legislative caucus created over the last 10 months. Senator Amanda Ragan, Chair of the Human Services Committee was a part of the presentation panel. The caucus, which focuses on poverty issues, is made possible by the support of the Northwest Area Foundation.  SPPG has helped facilitate and bring together both sides of the aisle to make a firm commitment to work together on poverty policy issues.  Leading the Caucus, affectionately referred to as the “First Four” is Senators Joe Bolcom (D), Iowa City; Senator Jim Seymour (R), Woodbine; Representative Ro Foege (D), Mount Vernon; and Representative Dave Heaton (R), Mount Pleasant. A series of SFC meetings is tentatively scheduled across Iowa prior to the 2008 session.  Please refer to article in Council of State Governments Magazine – http://www.csgmidwest.org/MemberServices/Publications/SLM/2007/august07.pdf

Program for Infant and Toddler Care Study (PITC)
The Iowa Department of Human Services (DHS) has been working over the last several years to raise the quality of care for infants and toddlers in Iowa by ensuring the availability of high quality training and professional development for caregivers. In 2001 DHS adopted the Iowa Program for Infant and Toddler Care (PITC), a 40-hour training program offered to caregivers statewide by certified trainers. With hundreds of caregivers now trained, DHS is working to strengthen and expand PITC. This is where SPPG comes in. SPPG is conducting a statewide study to gather input from those who know best – trained caregivers– through a series of twelve focus groups. The study will identify program successes, needs, and supports to further PITC implementation and continue to improve the quality of infant and toddler care in Iowa

Experience Wave Iowa
This initiative brings together mature Iowans from every corner of the Hawkeye State to discuss issues that are important to their quality of life.  Focused on raising the awareness of the value that mature Iowans bring to both the community and the workplace, many Experience Wave Iowa members have worked at different levels of government and also represent the business, labor, non-profit, and educational sectors. Additionally, members of the Coalition have also displayed a deep commitment to giving back to their community through concerted volunteerism efforts.  Experience Wave Iowa recognizes the value of mature Iowans and is working to make change and address work force and policy issues through research, policy maker contacts, and the media. SPPG supports this “new thinking” in understanding the tremendous value of mature Iowans to the Iowa communities and the work force.

Iowa Peer Support Training Academy
Outlooks, Inc., a non-profit company affiliated with SPPG, works with the Iowa Department of Human Services to direct a Peer Support Training Academy for adults with serious mental illness. The goals of this program are to facilitate training of mental health peers, to create an infrastructure in Iowa that provides peer support, and to work with providers and consumers to embrace a philosophy of consumer involvement. Outlooks established a 10 member Consumer Advisory Committee to provide guidance throughout the development of the program and recruited individuals from across the state to apply for peer support training, selecting 35 to attend the Academy during the first year through an application and peer interview process. The specialists that developed the nationally recognized Georgia model of peer support delivered the training. Iowa’s first academy, held the last week of June, was a major success. Next steps include coordinating training for Academy graduates about Iowa’s mental health system and supporting policy development to make peer support an established and funded part of that system.