Pathways for Peer to Peer Collaboration - Native Oral Health Network

PATHWAYS FOR PEER TO PEER

COLLABORATIONS CORE GROUP Actively participates in discussion, makes decisions regarding various projects and overall direction of NOHN, facilitates meetings, works closely with SPTHB in providing leadership for NOHN

OCCASIONAL

OCCASIONAL

ACTIVE

ACTIVE

OCCASIONAL

OCCASIONAL ACTIVE

ACTIVE

Attends NOHN meetings regularly, participates occasionally in discussion and on NOHN projects that are of interest, provides feedback

OCCASIONAL

Interact with NOHN without being members themselves, to receive or provide a service or to gain access to products and resources produced by NOHN or to sponsor NOHN activities

Attends NOHN meetings occasionally, limited contribution, uses information and resources available through NOHN and shares with colleagues and other networks

SPONSORS

SUPPORT

OCCASIONAL

WISDOM OF THE

THREE SISTERS Alone, a bean is just a vine, squash an oversize leaf. Only when standing together with corn does a whole emerge which transcends the individual. The gifts of each are more fully expressed when they are nurtured together than alone. In ripe ears and swelling fruit, they counsel us that all gifts are multiplied in relationship. This is how the world keeps going.

- Robin Wall Kimmerer (Citizen Potawatomi) from Braiding Sweetgrass

WHO WE ARE The Native Oral Health Network (NOHN), established in 2017 by partners from the Southern Plains Tribal Health Board (SPTHB), and the Absentee Shawnee Tribe in Oklahoma, is a program administered through the SPTHB. NOHN consists of members from Tribes, Tribal organizations, state departments, professional organizations, academic institutions, among others across several states that connect to improve oral health in Tribal communities. With momentum and capacity building since 2017, NOHN now consists of over 120 members who bring over 31 unique areas of expertise. NOHN has collaboratively developed resources and facilitated partnerships that have strengthened efforts to improve the oral health of American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/ANs).

WHAT WE DO • Provide opportunities for networking, stakeholder collaboration, and professional development • Provide resources to support AI/AN oral health efforts • Provide education and tools for oral health advocacy • Provide technical assistance (training, data collection, etc.)

HOW WE DO IT • R&R with NOHN • Quarterly calls with updates on NOHN activities and member spotlights • NOHN core team meetings • Quarterly workgroup calls guiding NOHN activities • Frequent outreach and interaction with members and stakeholders to offer and provide technical assistance (data collection, data analysis, educational materials, grant writing, document editing, etc.)

• Monthly newsletter • Regular communication to members about partner events, NOHN activities, and up-to-date resources • Listening sessions and interviews on key topics and priorities • Resource development (toolkits, live/on-demand webinars, fact sheets, data briefs, etc.)

WHY WE DO IT • To improve oral health outcomes and quality of life for AI/AN peoples • To reduce inequities among AI/ANs that lead to lack of access to dental care and poor oral and overall health • To support each other as peers with the goal of increasing productivity and efficiency to affect positive change • To align and enhance our work in providing AI/AN communities the keys to good oral health.

BENEFITS OF BEING A MEMBER • Networking opportunities • Help drive strategy and innovation • Faster problem solving • Access to new resources • Cross pollinate ideas • Leverage resources with collaborations and partnerships • Professional development

Peer-to-peer collaborations and support are at the center of NOHN’s work with SPTHB serving as the main facilitator. Membership and the extent of engagement are fluid and adjust based on topic, knowledge, interest, and availability. Engagement with NOHN activities can be categorized in the following areas: Core member: Actively participates in discussion, makes decisions regarding various projects and overall direction of NOHN, facilitates meetings, works closely with SPTHB in providing leadership for NOHN Active member: Attends NOHN meetings regularly, participates occasionally in discussion and on NOHN projects that are of interest, provides feedback Occasional member: Attends NOHN meetings occasionally, limited contribution, uses information and resources available through NOHN and shares with colleagues and other networks Sponsor/Support: Interact with NOHN without being members themselves, to receive or provide a service or to gain access to products and resources produced by NOHN or to sponsor NOHN activities

YOUR VOICE SHAPES NOHN Consistent and frequent feedback is vital to the value created by NOHN. Ideas and comments on the work NOHN is doing, or should be doing, is what feeds the capacity to serve our members and their communities in a meaningful way. This is the most important aspect of being a NOHN member. For more information on how to get involved, contact Julie Seward jseward@spthb.org.