Data sharing discussed during transition policy meeting

The Care and Community Actions Committee, part of the incoming Meyer administration’s transition policy effort, met Dec. 4, to discuss services for families, children and the Department of Correction.

Carolyn Petrak of the Health and Social Services Subcommittee said members have discussed ways to better share protected data within divisions and across departments in order to improve services for the community. 

“We’re too small for duplication of services, and the more we can be careful and thoughtful about the services that are already out there, and not reinventing the wheel, I think frees up time and funding for all the other things,” she said.

Data sharing was also a topic of the subcommittee on the Department of Services for Children, Youth, and Their Families and the Department of Correction. Alison McGonigal said that includes collecting, analyzing and reporting to make sure the right populations and demographics are targeted.

Co-Chair Aaron Goldstein said throughout his legal career with the state, he has experienced legal obstacles that prevent sharing information.

“A lot of them are important privacy protections for people that you wouldn’t want to sidestep, but I do believe that with technology the way it is now, we might want to look at whether there ought to be some limited exceptions to certain things,” he said.

Goldstein acknowledged that the committee won’t be able to solve the issue of data sharing because it involves state and federal legal authority.

“But it’s something that we can all think about as you think about recommendations,” he said.

The Care and Community Actions Committee is one of four that is meeting to form policy recommendations for Gov.-elect Matt Meyer and his incoming administration.