LEILA KAWAR GOLDSMITHCHILD ADVOCACY COORDINATOR

360.716.4100

Multidisciplinary Teams

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Why and Who of Multidisciplinary Teams?

Origin of the MDT

Strength of MDTs

Barriers to effective MDTs

Logistics of inter-agency collaboration

Who is included on team?

Strengths of the MDT Model

Cross Training of professionals

Working from strengths of various disciplines

Can enhance accountability of various players

Fewer victims falling through the cracks in systems

We professionals find our support team in the MDT

Indian Country MDT v. Mainstream

Team

A successful team is a group of many hands but of one mind.

~ Bill Bethel

Coming together is a beginning.Keeping together is progress.Working together is success.

~Henry Ford

Goals of MDTs

Agree on guidelines for case progress and priorities

Coordinate care

Focus on best practices

Guard against victims being traumatized by systems

Ensure accountability and case tracking

High Functioning MDTs

Turf and Ego set aside

Understand one another’s mandates

Respect different vantage points and priorities

Ability to integrate new members into the team

Essential Ingredient: Trust

High trust = High collaboration

Addressing sensitive issues in tribal communities

Conflicts of interest in small communities

Forming a Multidisciplinary Team

Identify stakeholders

Identify allies among stakeholders

Initial meeting to gauge commitment and suggestions for whom to include

Discuss common goals and basic logistics

Formation of Multidisciplinary Team

Obtain commitment

Visit other high functioning teams if possible

Set dates for meetings – a month in advance

Try to keep meetings to 1-1 ½ hours

Develop clear Guidelines for the MDT

Establish Guidelines

Protocols v. Guidelines

Guidelines for investigation, prosecution and referral/treatment process

Include mission and vision

Each member’s roles and responsibilities are defined

In theory, all team members agree to follow guidelines

Clearly identify rules for confidentiality - key

Process of Formation

Practice, and don’t be afraid to change days, times, members, guidelines

Talk to members 1-on-1 about the team

Learn from their mistakes and successes

This is in process, not a product

Set Dates & Agenda for Meetings

Establish a pattern for regular meetings: e.g., bi-weekly

Have clear agendas for meetings – Guidelines should address which cases are brought to MDT

Have a set agenda to track new cases for accountability

Team Building

Team building activities are irreplaceable -

Build genuine relationships among team members

Build trustIncrease commitment to one anotherGo deeper in collaborationJust fun!

Steer to the Positive

Celebrate each other’s successesCelebrate case successesDon’t get mired in the negative

Your living is determined not so much by what life brings to you as by the attitude

you bring to life; not so much by what happens to you as by the way your mind

looks at what happens. - Khalil Gibran