Whole Health Louisiana: Our Partners
The implementation of the Whole Health Louisiana initiative is led by a collaborative public-private partnership introduced and supported by the Louisiana Department of Health, Office of Public Health, Bureau of Family Health and coordinated by the Kathleen Babineaux Blanco Public Policy Center at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, which functions as the statewide lead agency. Whole Health Louisiana Coalition members and other contracted partners guide and direct the initiative to ensure that Louisiana’s child- and family-serving entities can more effectively collaborate in the service of improving outcomes for children and families.
Statewide Lead Agency
The Louisiana Department of Health has contracted the Kathleen Babineaux Blanco Public Policy Center to direct the implementation of Whole Health Louisiana objectives, evaluate the Whole Health Louisiana State Plan’s impact, and serve as the neutral convener of the Coalition. This includes the identification of key performance indicators, the development of data collection tools, data analysis, research, and reporting to evaluate the plan’s process, outcome, and impact.
As the Whole Health Louisiana lead agency, the Blanco Center is responsible for the implementation of the State Plan objectives. They work in conjunction and with support from the Office of Public Health, but the two organizations have distinct roles in implementing the State Plan.
Bureau of Family Health
The Bureau of Family Health is a part of the Office of Public Health within the Louisiana Department of Health. The Louisiana Department of Health serves as the Whole Health Louisiana State Plan’s public sector “anchor” organization and has dedicated $1 million annually for the first five years of plan implementation. To support the work of the Blanco Center and the implementation of the State Plan, the Office of Public Health (on behalf of the Louisiana Department of Health) coordinates with contracted partners and provides programmatic support and subject matter expertise. To advance the State Plan’s implementation, the Bureau of Family Health has increased internal data analysis and expanded the Louisiana Childhood Adversity Resilience Education (CARE) Network, offering more training and educational opportunities aligned with recommended strategies. Additionally, the Bureau has engaged additional partners to strengthen the infrastructure supporting the plan’s overall execution.
The Louisiana Department of Health is extremely proud to have partnered on this effort to develop a comprehensive approach to preventing and addressing trauma across child-serving systems. We remain committed to working with our partners from across the state to support the implementation of the Whole Health Louisiana State Plan. Building on the community input we have gathered, we will continue to integrate the healing-centered and trauma-informed objectives outlined in this plan within our agency, and provide support to other state agencies, organizations and communities that are working to do the same.
-Tonya Joiner, JD, Assistant Secretary, Office of Public Health, Louisiana Department of Health
The Center for Children and Families
To advance the cross-sector, collaborative work of the Whole Health Louisiana initiative, the Center for Children and Families in Monroe, Louisiana, has been contracted by the Louisiana Department of Health to provide support to regional organizations that seek to integrate or strengthen their trauma-informed policies and procedures through training and technical assistance. This pilot program will develop a toolkit and training program that can be adopted and replicated in the state’s other public health regions. Data collection activities will include a report of findings on the adoption of a universal, trauma-informed approach.
Trepwise
Trepwise is a strategy consulting firm that aligns people, process, and vision for purpose-driven organizations. Contracted by the Louisiana Department of Health, Trepwise has supported the Whole Health Louisiana initiative since its inception, providing organizational planning and system coordination. Trepwise facilitated the Whole Health Louisiana statewide discovery process and convening that informed the State Plan, which Trepwise collaborated with the Bureau of Family Health and the Whole Health Louisiana Coalition to develop and release in 2023. Trepwise continues its commitment to the initiative by providing ongoing coordination and facilitation to Whole Health Louisiana partners and coalition with a focus on base building and scaling.
Public Sector Leaders
Louisiana’s public sector leaders have been actively involved in plan development and have provided valuable feedback on how the Whole Health Louisiana State Plan priorities will be brought to life within their agencies. These leaders are committed to integrating and expanding trauma-informed principles within their respective agencies, fostering cross-sector collaboration to advance efforts aligned with plan recommendations, and pledging sustained involvement in the Whole Health Louisiana Coalition. While leaders from state agencies have implemented trauma-informed policies and initiatives within their organizations, their commitment to cross-sector collaboration and advancing plan recommendations will ensure a coordinated and successful execution. The outcome of this collective work will improve the overall well-being of Louisiana’s children, families, and child- and family-serving workforce.
Department of Children and Family Services
The Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) has been actively involved with the development and implementation of the Whole Health Louisiana initiative since its inception. DCFS leadership participated in the Whole Health Louisiana Steering Committee during plan development, and Secretary Matlock continues DCFS’s commitment as a champion of trauma-informed work and Whole Health Louisiana. DCFS and the Bureau of Family Health are currently collaborating on a data linkage project that will inform future interventions and implementation of Whole Health Louisiana objectives and the allocation of resources.
If we want to change Louisiana’s future, we must start by addressing childhood trauma. Trauma is the common thread running through so many of the challenges we face — from poverty to poor health, to high school dropouts and beyond. It impacts physical, emotional, and behavioral well-being. But here’s the good news: by making trauma-informed care a priority, we can change these outcomes and build a stronger, more resilient Louisiana. Whole Health Louisiana is leading that work, and we are proud to join them in this effort.
Keeping children safe is the heart of our mission at the Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services and we’re committed to breaking these cycles and creating pathways to wellness for every Louisiana child and family.
-David Matlock, Confidential Assistant to the Secretary, Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services