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Board workshop zeroes in on IRIS referral system, McHelp app and outreach as pillars of strategic plan
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Summary
At a workshop session, the board discussed four draft goals and prioritized IRIS referral‑system implementation, McHelp app evolution, provider network outreach, internship/workforce strategies and a community needs assessment; staff will draft a consolidated plan for review tomorrow.
The Committee of the Whole devoted much of its meeting to a strategic‑plan workshop focused on four draft goals: collaboration, advocacy and awareness; accountability and quality; access and coordination; and community resource development.
Chair opened the session and asked staff to synthesize survey results and prior planning materials. Bridget, staff facilitating the workshop, walked members through proposed objectives and invited discussion on concrete actions. Multiple board members and staff recommended prioritizing IRIS — a centralized referral and closed‑loop referral platform — as a key infrastructure project but stressed the need for a deliberate rollout, training, and monitoring. "IRIS is a referral system for providers...it closes the loop," Amanda explained, noting that uptake must be supported to avoid early attrition.
Board members suggested several near‑term, concrete actions tied to Goal 1: (1) pilot IRIS adoption with funded providers and set multiyear adoption targets; (2) host provider network fairs and outreach events (chambers, village boards) to increase awareness of services and reduce stigma; (3) consider a refreshed McHelp app and associated marketing (staff will obtain vendor quotes and capacity estimates); (4) develop workforce supports, including internships and job‑fair coordination, possibly tied to workforce‑development funding. Chris stressed that advocacy — not just service promotion — should be explicit in the collaboration goal, citing needs such as supported housing and transportation that require cross‑agency work.
Some board members proposed that the planned community needs assessment be timed so that data collection informs the three‑year plan (options floated: begin planning in FY27 and execute in FY28, or phase costs across two years). A small working group to scope the McHelp app and to synthesize strategic goals was proposed; staff agreed to populate a OneDrive template and circulate it before the next meeting. The board recessed after directing staff to consolidate notes for tomorrow's session.
