Swimming Upstream: Strategic Communication in Challenging Political Climates

Featuring Mike Swenson, Barkely PR


Join us on July 21st at Cabela's in Kansas City - register today!www.swimmingupstream.eventbrite.com


The message of political leaders has become increasingly uniform: funding cuts are inevitable...human service providers must do more with less...resistance is fuitle...

Yet, there is very little public outcry about the harm these cuts do to persons in need and to organizations that provide community-based human service supports.  Unfortunately for organizations that serve vulnerable populations, the conservative budget movement has become more pronounced while counterbalancing voices have become less pronounced.

Join expert communicator, Mike Swenson, President of Barkely PR, and your felow human service professionals for a creative training and development session.  We'll spend the day discussing and developing a strategic response to counter the growing public negativity and ambivalence toward human services.  The day will be broken into two focus areas:

9:30am - 11:30am: Communication Upgrade

Individual organizations will learn how to upgrade their local messages to address political rhetoric in their communities.

(11:30am - 1:00pm Lunch)

1:00pm - 4:00pm: Never Underestimate a Network

We'll examine the importance of networks working together to undertake strategies that impact policy discussions in both Washington and Topeka.  We'll discuss tactics to motivate stakeholders and grab headlines in major media markets. 

About Mike Swenson, Barkely PR
Mike Swenson is Founder & President of Barkley PR and Cause for Barkley.  Barkely is a nationallyacclaimed ad/PR firm who's clients include Sonic Drive-In, Susan G Komen 3-Day for the Cure, Lee Jeans and March of Dimes.  Mike Swenson is a respected and well-known expert in his field and has served as a blog contributor for Advertising Age online.  He specializes in cause branding, crisis management, reputation management and public relations. 

Diane McComb Visits InterHab

Today InterHab hosted special guest Diane McComb in a special meeting of the Governmental Affairs Committee.  Diane McComb is Liaison to State Associations, like InterHab, through the American Network of Community Options and Resources (ANCOR).  She also works with Delmarva Foundation (one of twelve CMS approved Quality Improvement Organizations) providing technical expertise on disabilitis, self-direction, individual budgets and community waiver programs.

Diane gave an important update on national trends related to the developmental disabilities field.  InterHab members learned about economic trends affecting state budgets across the country, changes in CMS  principles, and national trends toward managed care systems.

For members unable to attend the meeting, Diane's presentation can be found below:

National Trends & Disabilities: Diane McComb Presentation

Kansas Vulnerable Needs Planning System

Learn more from this article by John Boyd from KWCH 12 Eyewitness News:

"The Kansas Division of Emergency Management is reminding Kansans who have special needs to register with the “Vulnerable Needs Planning System”.  You can do that by calling 211, or by visiting www.helpmekansas.org. 

It doesn’t cost anything to register.

The system helps assist emergency management professionals and volunteers when disaster strikes.  The Kansas Adjutant General’s office says the system helps provide improved coordination and emergency management planning in helping people with vulnerable needs, through registration doesn’t guarantee services and registration should not take the place of personal preparation.

The Kansas Vulnerable Needs Planning System is an Internet-based database. The Website,http://www.helpmekansas.org, has registries for individuals, volunteers and facilities.

The "Individual Registry" is developed for individuals with vulnerable needs to provide information to emergency response agencies. The sole use of this information will be to assist emergency management to plan before, during and after a disaster for possible needs of these individuals. Registration for this voluntary service is also available by calling 211.

The "Volunteer Registry" is an effort administered by Kansas Department of Health and Environment titled the Kansas System for the Early Registration of Volunteers (K-SERV). K-SERV is a state-wide, secure registration system and database for volunteers willing to respond to incidents. The aim is to have a list of pre-identified volunteers who are available for ready deployment in case of a disaster or incident.

The "Facility Registry" form is designed to register facilities serving people with vulnerable needs while at the same time collecting resources they may offer in an emergency. The information gathered will help local emergency response agencies plan for vulnerable needs residents in the event of disaster."