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People may be wondering what has been happening with the implementation of the NZ ASD Guideline since a consortium led by the New Zealand Guidelines Group working in partnership with the Ministries of Health and Education began working on it earlier this year. An Implementation Advisory Group (IAG) was set up, has now met three times, and has started prioritising the work. The following is a letter to the IAG members and the sector from Matt Frost, the Chair of the IAG. The purpose of the letter is to advise the IAG of Cabinet’s decision, and the implications for service purchasing. 

Hi  

At the last meeting of the ASD guideline Implementation Advisory Group (IAG), we noted that Cabinet would soon be considering the Ministry’s purchase and implementation plans for the ASD new funding.  That happened on Tuesday 4th November and the plans were approved.  This is terrific news, and means that the Ministry of Health can start to allocate the funding to the priority areas it defined after input from the IAG after its August meeting.  It aligns also with the phased approach that Cabinet approved in 2007. 

You may remember that the Ministry’s desire since the outset of this project was to scale up existing, proven programmes and services in the first phase of work.  The priority areas for this (as discussed at the August meeting) will be strengthening families, respite care and behavioural support.  The purchase plan approved by cabinet also includes some further work on evaluating programmes and assessing the feasibility of putting in place new programmes.  The Ministry intends to announce details of this in due course.

Requests for proposals for all the planned work will come out in the next month.  Where extensions of current programmes are going to occur, discussions with the relevant providers will also occur in the next month.  

The work the IAG is contributing to over the next eight months in terms of ASD-specific respite and behavioural support will be funded and hopefully lead to new service provision.  

Beginning in 2009, the Ministry intends that funding will flow into the prioritised areas of supporting individuals, families and carers, coordination, diagnosis/assessment and interventions, and improving the skills of the workforce.  

As discussed out our October meeting, the Ministry of Health intends to coordinate communications around the work of the IAG and NZGG, and the first major communication will come out in the nest 2-3 weeks, published on the Ministry’s website.  Pam Henry at the Ministry will be collating material from NZGG, Altogether Autism, Ministry of Education and others involved in guideline implementation activities so that the communications are as holistic as possible.  Please feel free to let your networks know that this communication is coming.  Once it is released, NZGG will forward a link for circulation to your own networks.   

Best wishes

Matt Frost, Chair, NZ ASD Guidelines Implementation Advisory Group matt.frost@ccsdisabilityaction.org.nz