Who to Include in a System-Level Change Team

First, consider the changes that you want to make. Your Change Team will need to include individuals who play key roles in the existing system. You will assign the same roles that you would if you were establishing a Change Team at the provider level.

For example, changes to program requirements for licensing or certification will need to include:

• The program person responsible for that area
• A person who does site visits, if that is a different individual
• Someone in another division or department who can provide a different perspective
• Someone who will keep track of the data for the change
• Anyone who may make life difficult because of the change if they are not involved

The recommended size for a Change Team is no more than seven individuals, including the Executive Sponsor.

Designate Key Roles for the Change Team

• Executive Sponsor
• Change Leader
• Change Team Members
• Data Coordinator

The Executive Sponsor needs to be someone who has the authority to make change happen. At the state level, this is probably the person identified as the single state authority. At the county level, it is the county substance abuse administrator. At the managed care level, it needs to be the most senior manager at the local level.

Rapid-cycle Change at the State or System Level

The NIATx model of process improvement instructs provider-level Change Teams to test a practice for a short period time—as little as 2 to 4 weeks. At the state or system level, rapid-cycle changes may need to be tested for a longer period.

Remember also that Change Teams come together for a specific purpose for a defined time period. Then they disband as a new Change Team forms to focus on a new aim.