Click here to access the FASD State Mapping Tool. This tool is designed to help you stay on top of your state advocacy and help you work collaboratively with others in your state.
What This Tool Is For
| This tool is a Google Sheet meant to help state advocates and coalitions organize outreach to state agencies, track interactions, and turn one-time emails into relations that will support FASD-informed systems. This is an internal working tool, not a reporting requirement. The end goal is having a better understanding of who is working on FASD in your state and what they are doing. This will make it easier to educate them on FASD Respect Act program implementation and how your state can strengthen its response to FASD. |
How to Start Using the State Mapping Tool
- Click File > Make a copy
- Save the copy to a shared Google Drive or folder that your team can access
- Click Share (top right)
- Add your team members and change General Access to “anyone with the link”
This makes sure that everyone is using and updating the same file
Organization
- Each tab (at the bottom of the page) represents a state system that interacts with FASD
- Each row represents one contact within a state agency
- Columns track interactions with contacts, next steps, and notes from meetings
Feel free to add, remove, or rename tabs and columns. This is just meant to make sure your advocacy touches every system interacting with FASD and that these interactions turn into relationships
Getting Started
- Choose one system tab (Education, for example)
- Identify a contact within your state’s Dept of Education. Your first contact does not need to be an individual person- look for the “contact us” section of an agency/office’s website for a general email to reach out to and request a meeting
- Reach out to contact to request a meeting to discuss FASD and how the FASD Respect Act can help update and coordinate their response across systems
- Record interaction and assign responsibility for next interaction
Recording this data will make it easier for you and other advocates in the state to follow up. By using one contact per row, you and your team can use this tool for bulk emailing/mail merge.
What to Track
- Who you contacted
- Their stance/knowledge level of FASD
- Their role in their state system
- Dates of interactions, intended next action, and who is responsible for next action
Collaboration
This tool works best when used:
- In coordination with other advocates in your state
- During planning sessions
- To assign responsibility for follow-ups and strengthen relationships
Success
Success does not require immediate policy change. Success looks like progress, and we move this field forward by creating FASD-informed systems. You will be successful if you can:
- Plan clear follow-up actions
- Identify champions within state agencies
- Increase the number of contacts you have within your state’s agencies
