- AOT Champions
- Identifying Key Stakeholders
- Convening a Meeting of the Stakeholders
- Engaging the Media
- AOT Planning Committee Process
Convening a Meeting of the Stakeholders
If you, yourself, are not in one of these key positions, it is essential that you recruit at least one person from the list above who is willing to lend their name to the convening of a meeting to discuss AOT. This may mean meeting individually with each person until you identify one who shares your view regarding the need for AOT. Be well prepared for the meeting by reviewing the following information beforehand:
- AOT Implementation White Paper
- Your state law
- AOT research demonstrating how AOT reduces hospitalizations and arrests and saves money
Also, you can print off and bring the following one-page documents which include highlights from these sources.
Once you have recruited your meeting convener, work with them to identify the meeting logistics. This will likely require careful planning to determine the most convenient time and location for the majority of the stakeholders. Send out the meeting invitation approximately three weeks before the meeting. Include a copy of the agenda and a list of the other invitees.
Be sure to include plenty of time on the agenda for a discussion of “Next Steps”. This is when key stakeholders should offer or be asked their position with regard to the idea of establishing an AOT program in the community. If the stakeholder is undecided, the facilitator should try to glean from them what additional information is needed so they can take a position. The meeting facilitator can be the convener, the AOT champion, a TAC representative or some combination.
If there is consensus among the stakeholders to advance the idea of establishing a program, the next step is to identify the AOT Planning Committee. While support of top organizational leadership is critical, some participants on the planning committee should be middle management staff more directly involved in the day-to-day functioning of the system. Although top leaders may know how things are supposed to work, those with direct supervisory roles know how things actually work, which is critical to inform the planning.
Ideally, the Stakeholders will identify the planning committee members before the conclusion of the meeting, but this may not always be possible. At a minimum, be sure to identify who is responsible for following up with Stakeholders and/or AOT Planning Committee members and organizing the first meeting of the AOT Planning Committee.