Why Use a Policy Toolkit?
Perhaps no other infrastructure mechanism addresses the issue of sustainability more directly than developing policy. The options for the kind of policy you develop are numerous and depend on what you are trying to achieve. It is important to take your time with policy development work in your system of care and tease out what aspects of your system need and/or require policy development to be sustained. The next step is to choose the policy vehicle you will need to use. This toolkit will help you make that decision. You will see examples of legislation, memorandums of understanding and interagency agreements, as well as other policy possibilities, embedded in this toolkit. You will also be exposed to the words of those who have already developed policy and some of the lessons learned in how to approach the work of policy development. Many speak to the need to have patience and develop meaningful relationships with your interagency partners before you embark on developing policy. This toolkit will be of great value in helping you forge policy to sustain your system of care work.