WORk highlights
Below are a few examples of how we have helped clients change the story to shift the outcome.
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Burrell Behavioral Health - Improving Access and Reducing Stigma for Mental Healthcare in Rural Missouri and Arkansas
Situation: In 2017 Burrell Behavioral Health, one of the largest behavioral health systems in the country experienced the unexpected death of their founder. When the new CEO came in they were looking to establish a more positive and welcoming identity and deliver on the fulfillment of a pilot program with federal grant dollars received through The Excellence in Mental Healthcare Act. Their goals were to increase access to care, reduce stigma, improve employee retention and moral and entice more providers to join the team.
Action: Initial work focused on market analysis, industry research and insight development. From these learnings, we led a team to completely rethink the brand, build a new website and develop a full array of inclusive and inviting marketing materials. We also worked with the executive team on internal communication plans, leadership development, the creation of business cases for mergers and acquisitions and a public relations campaign across Missouri and Arkansas to reduce stigma.
Outcome: After relaunching, Burrell saw a 30% increase in referrals to the system for care. New strategic partnerships formed with community organizations such as school districts; bringing care directly to schools. Acquisitions of smaller provider groups expanded services with a deeper bench of resources into new areas and more providers were recruited to the network by creating a meaningful brand clinicians want to be affiliated with. Employee retention and engagement also increased with the launch of the internal BE WELL program.
KC Healthy Kids - Create an Elevator Pitch and Document Impact
Situation: KC Healthy Kids is a non profit that has been around since 2005. As the organization's services and impact have grown, they have struggled to come up with a simple way to explain the work they do to the community and new potential funders. They work to improve the physical and mental health of kids in the community through a complex network that involves policy, local food, early child care centers and more. KC Healthy Kids wanted to seek additional funding from new foundations. To do this they needed to improve their elevator pitch and document their reach and impact in a way that was easy for funders to quickly understand.
Action: After analyzing the body of their work and the metrics on the health inequities of the communities they serve in Kansas and Missouri we landed on the following statement. KC Healthy Kids connects communities to close health gaps.
Following this positioning shift, we created stories of impact to share with donors. These featured individualized testimonials as well as documentation of the impact they make to more than half a million kids in Kansas and Missouri.
Outcomes: For the first time their board and staff felt confident to articulate what they do.They were able to share specific examples of impact that highlighted how seemingly abstract work makes a tangible impact in the lives of children.The new positioning and impact stories led to the creation of the “Million Dollar Video” that enabled KC Healthy Kids to be one of the McKinsey Scott Yield Giving Awardees. With this funding they will be able to expand their impact and put additional resources into improving the organization's messaging so they can better serve the community.
Center for Scholars & Storytellers at UCLA - Reducing Inequities in Onscreen Representation for Gender, Race, LGBTQIA+ and Disability
Situation: The Center for Scholars & Storytellers at UCLA unlocks the power of storytelling to help the next generation thrive and grow. With focus areas in on-screen representation, implicit bias, narrative stereotypes and supportive mental health portrayals, the Center wants to create a world where young people of all shapes, sizes, colors and experiences can see themselves reflected in the content they consume. Following the death of George Flloyd, the Center felt an urgency to move beyond industry reports and tip sheets to conduct workshops that would explore these topics more deeply and on a level that makes sense for people writing, casting, animating and directing stories for youth. They took it one step further by supporting creators to speak to the financial impact addressing these themes has on the businesses bottom line because the fear of profits taking a hit is one of the biggest barriers to changing narratives.
Action: We developed a series of DEIA focused Media Impact Workshops that addressed issues of implicit bias, race in kids media, colorism, gender stereotypes, character creation and body diversity, LGBTQIA+ identities, socio economic diversity, intersectionality and the importance of allyship. Each workshop was grounded in innovative research that proves how authentic and inclusive storytelling isn't just better for the world, it’s also better for the bottom line.
Outcome: The flagship workshop was launched with Disney and was met with resounding praise and a desire to continue with more in depth programming across departments. Soon the Center was expanding mission delivery on a deep level to not only Disney, but National Geographic, Warner Media, Lego, Sony, Twitch, Activision, YouTube, Lionsgate and beyond. Show runners have documented how these workshops have changed storylines and hiring practices that are impacting the lives of millions of young people through major movies, tv shows, independent online creators, the gaming community and more.
The Colorado Health Foundation: #HealthiestCO Statewide Listening Tour
Situation: The Colorado Health Foundation hired a new president to run the organization in 2015. The Foundation sought to start an ongoing conversation with communities across Colorado to more effectively address the health needs of residents within the state.
Action: To understand the needs of the state and to familiarize the new president with grantees, the Communications Team planned and executed a statewide listening tour. The 11-region tour took place between September 2015 and March 2016, visiting communities across Colorado, from the Eastern Plains to the Western Slope. The tour was an opportunity for grantees, community residents and local leaders to share their perspectives on health. The team organized event logistics around the state and attended the tour to ensure event success. The team also drafted regional reports and wrote a blog series reporting out the learnings and executed a social media strategy.
Outcome: Foundation President and CEO, Karen McNeil-Miller, asked attendees What does being healthy mean to you and your community? The Foundation learned that while each region and community has its own unique perspective and set of barriers, the team found many consistent themes throughout Colorado. The main themes statewide included: Poverty; Access to primary and specialty care; cost of health insurance; behavioral health and substance abuse; qualified health professionals; health care navigation; affordable child care options; affordable housing and homelessness; transportation; senior services. With this information, the Health Foundation drafted new funding priorities to better serve the state.
