Listening Sessions from Summer 2024

LEAD: Kristen Eriksen and David Deere 

Affiliate Executive Council members—Musa Kamara and Jennifer Wisdahl

Purpose

The Connectivity Committee of the FASD United Affiliate Network was newly formed in 2024.  In order to find the most important, potential points of connection for affiliates and to provide a foundation for the Network’s Executive Council’s work on a strategic plan, the Connectivity Committee conducted a series of listening sessions.

Purpose of the Workgroup: The workgroup provides resources, opportunities for learning and meaningful conversations, and capacity building related to widening our circle in our Network, focused, in particular, on the intersectional nature of FASD.

Approach: In the summer of 2024, the co-chairs of the Connectivity Committee, Kristen Eriksen and David Deere, conducted a series of 8 listening sessions. Each affiliate was encouraged to select one representative to participate in one of the sessions, with 24 affiliates participating. In order to find the needs of the affiliates and to find the assets existing within the Network, five questions were posed to the participants.
• What is your affiliate’s area of greatest strength, and what is one way you benefited from being part of the Affiliate Network?
• How can the Affiliate Network assist you over the coming year?
• How can the Affiliate Network impact FASD in the next two years?
• What can your affiliate do for the Affiliate Network?
• Are you interested in being part of a regional group?

Findings: The questions were designed to discover both the strengths and needs of the Network.  The comments from the participants are gathered into broad categories for this report.

Work Group Expectations (time commitment, meeting schedule, etc.): February 19, March 19, and April 16 at 3:00 p.m. Eastern and on Wednesdays on the third Wednesday.

Workgroup Members and Email Addresses

Eriksen	[email protected]	member
Deere	[email protected]	member