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The ABLe Change Framework: A Conceptual and Methodological Tool for Promoting Systems Change

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American Journal of Community Psychology

Abstract

This paper presents a new approach to the design and implementation of community change efforts like a System of Care. Called the ABLe Change Framework, the model provides simultaneous attention to the content and process of the work, ensuring effective implementation and the pursuit of systems change. Three key strategies are employed in this model to ensure the integration of content and process efforts and effective mobilization of broad scale systems change: Systemic Action Learning Teams, Simple Rules, and Small Wins. In this paper we describe the ABLe Change Framework and present a case study in which we successfully applied this approach to one system of care effort in Michigan.

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Acknowledgments

We are grateful to the organizational leaders, service delivery providers, families and youth in Saginaw who partnered with us on this effort. Their insights, willingness to learn, and strong commitment to improving the lives of youth with SED were critical to the success of this effort.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Michigan State University, 125 D. Psychology Building, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA

    Pennie G. Foster-Fishman & Erin R. Watson

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  1. Pennie G. Foster-Fishman
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  2. Erin R. Watson
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Correspondence to Pennie G. Foster-Fishman.

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Foster-Fishman, P.G., Watson, E.R. The ABLe Change Framework: A Conceptual and Methodological Tool for Promoting Systems Change. Am J Community Psychol 49, 503–516 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10464-011-9454-x

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