Community Assessments as a Tool in Future Planning

1. Community Assessments as a Tool in Future Planning Ohio Association of County Boards of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities December 2007

2. Goals of the Presentation • Provide outline of strategic planning. • Discuss the role of feedback in strategic planning. • Use Ottawa County as an example of recent community assessment and use of the data in program planning.

3. Customer Satisfaction Surveys Individuals and Families

4. Market Research/Public Opinion Polling for Levy Campaigns Taxpayers and Voters

5. Community Assessments Taxpayers and Voters Stakeholders and “Opinion Leaders” Individuals and Families

6. Why Care about Stakeholders? • ODMRDD Rule • Collaborative Opportunities (i.e. FCFC) • Conflict Resolution • Levy Campaign Preparation • Strategic Planning

7. ODMRDD Rule: OAC 5123: 2-1-02 (B) Each county board shall develop and adopt an annual action plan which covers at a minimum the following: (1) The results of the assessment of the facility, service, and support needs of eligible individuals… The assessment results shall include… the following: (a) Documentation of input received from [see list of parties] as to the quality of services and supports received, gaps in the services and supports available, and recommendations for change.

8. Stakeholders list (per rule) • People and their families receiving services and supports. • Local public service agencies. • County board staff. • Developmental centers. • Residential providers. • Other providers of services to people with mental retardation or other developmental disabilities.

9. Other Potential Stakeholders • County MRDD Board members. • Elected officials: county commissioners and staff, city/village mayors, township trustees, others. • Private social service agencies. • School superintendents, psychologists, special education directors. • Law enforcement officials: judges, sheriff and deputies, police chiefs and officers. • Community employers.

10. Collaborative Opportunities • Family and Children First Councils. • Help Me Grow. • Superintendents’ Group (Education). • Council on Health and Social Concerns. • United Way, Kiwanis, Rotary

11. Conflict Resolution • Assessment tools can be used among board members, staff, sister agencies, families, etc. • Look beyond positions to determine common or complementary interests of individuals or organizations. • Create safe conditions to spell out areas of disagreement. • Assess whether mediation, facilitation, or another consensus-building process is needed or likely to be successful.

12. Levy Campaigns • Discover community expectations. • Learn what is important to “opinion leaders” and whether they are likely to favor your levy request. • Provide lead time for communicating messages meaningful to these community leaders.

13. Strategic Planning • Crucial for long-term direction of organization. • Consists of: • Vision • Mission • Philosophies/Values • Goals/Objectives • Serves to focus board on its role, rather than on day-to-day operations. • Establishment of priorities guides budget planning. • Guides development of management plan, and staff operations. • Provides accountability to taxpayers.

14. Strategic Planning Step 1:Plan to plan • Form a planning steering group to organize the work. • Include the superintendent and representation from the board. • Develop your stakeholder list. • Determine budget and timeline. • Set parameters for planning group.

15. Strategic Planning Step 2:Form Planning Group • Include representation from stakeholders. • Review mandated vs. discretionary services. • Review budget. • Gather existing data together and make a plan for developing any further information that is needed. • Organize a strategic planning retreat or meeting.

16. Strategic Planning Step 3:Conduct Environmental Scan • Internal Review – Board and Staff. • External Review (Community Assessment) • Individuals and Families • Stakeholders and Opinion Leaders • Taxpayers and Voters

17. Strategic Planning Step 4:Conduct Planning Retreat • Planning group with facilitator if possible. • Review data from environmental scan. • Create a shared vision, mission, values. • Establish goals and objectives. • Organize task forces or work groups to develop action plans for specific goals.

18. Strategic Planning Step 5:Develop Action Plans • Working after the retreat, the task forces: • Clarify goals • Identify strategies and action steps to achieve goals • Determine WHO should do WHAT by WHEN Note: In Ottawa County, the Superintendent takes goals established by the board at their retreat and develops management plan for implementation.

19. Strategic Planning Step 6:Approve Plan The Board of Directors is responsible for final approval.

20. Community Assessment / Environmental ScanData Gathering Methods • Surveys • Telephone Interviews • In person Interviews • Focus Groups

21. Surveys • Cost-effective way to reach out to all potential stakeholders, making all feel included and welcome to contribute their perspective. • Electronic: • www.surveymonkey.com • www.zoomerang.com • Mailed: • Letter from sponsor outlining significance of project, how data will be used, and assuring confidentiality. • Include self-addressed envelope to boost response rate. Downside: Survey results can be dominated by those who self-select into the pool or respondents: i.e. those who have an ax to grind.

22. Telephone Interviews • Creates more representative pool of respondents. • Should be preceded by letter to potential respondents. • Interviews should be scheduled with respondents. • Can be more cost-effective, but is less thorough than in-person interviews. • 2 hours of consultant time per interview as opposed to 4 • Developing less material to be reviewed and reported • People provide information less freely than in-person

23. In-Person Interviews • Gives respondent greater sense of their own importance to you. • More respondent-driven: gives interviewer greater chance to follow “markers.” • Should be preceded by letter to potential respondents. • Especially useful in conflict resolution situation.

24. Importance of Confidentiality • Whenever possible, respondents should be assured that the interviewer will not reveal to anyone what they said. • This is an implicit element of the research partnership - respondent will not be harmed as a result of participating in the project (i.e. it is SAFE to talk.) • No tape recorder. • Makes most people willing to talk (provided they are assured of legitimacy of the project.) • Confidentiality should be broken in cases of danger to health and safety of individuals.

25. Focus Groups • 8-15 invited guests engage in a facilitated discussion of pre-selected issues. • Allows individuals to expose each other to new ideas (for better or worse.) • Discussion of issues often yields common answers where individual interviews do not. • Can be used for “data normalization” after individual interviews. • No possibility for confidentiality.

26. Ottawa County Project - 2006 “If you don’t know where you are going, any road will take you there.” --Lewis Carroll

27. Project Goals • Developed with Superintendent, Assistant Superintendent, and Business Manager. • Developed before consultant was under contract. • Used during: • Project design process • Interview process • Report-writing process

28. Project Goals • Create a mechanism to provide the board with specific and necessary feedback from clients and other stakeholders to help inform their planning process. • Find out whether stakeholders feel OCBMRDD is generally on the right track or what advice they would give for making a course correction. • Check to see whether existing board goals are in alignment with community expectations. *** • Provide MRDD stakeholders in Ottawa County with information about existing programs and recent changes to them.

29. Questions • (Other than your own family member) Do you have much contact with people who have a Developmental Disability? • What do you notice about stigmas or barriers citizens with disabilities in Ottawa County must overcome? • How would you characterize your understanding of Ottawa County Board of MRDD’s role in these citizens’ lives? • Has this changed since I sent the material for your review?

30. Questions, cont. • On a scale from 1 to 5, with 1 meaning extremely dissatisfied and 5 meaning extremely satisfied, what is your overall impression of how well OCBMRDD is fulfilling that role? (And Explain.) • Using the same scale, what general impression do you believe other [parents, educators, law enforcement professionals, etc.] have of OCBMRDD and how well they fulfill their role? • Are you aware of the changes in the system of services and supports that have been taking place at the MRDD over the last few years? If so, what is your view of the changes?

31. Education Materials • Frequently Asked Questions (side by side analysis) • Mission, Vision and Philosophy • 2005 Annual Report • 2006 Action Plan • Bill of Rights for Persons with MRDD Q. Based on this description have you or will you or your family/agency’s clients feel the impact of these changes? How?

32. Questions, cont. • Using the same 1 to 5 scale, with 1 meaning very wrong for our community and 5 meaning very right for our community, how would you rate the Mission Statement as a guide for the county MRDD board? Explain. • Do you have any specific thoughts about the action plan or is there anything specific about it that you noticed? • Generally speaking, would you say that the overall direction of the county board is on the right track or wrong track? • Speak specifically to the trend toward privatization of services.

33. Questions, cont. • Are there other pressing needs in the county right now that you think OCBMRDD needs to acknowledge? • The Ohio Revised Code provides a Bill of Rights for people with mental retardation or a developmental disability. Focusing on these rights, what one thing would you say the county board could focus on in the next year to most improve the lives of Ottawa County citizens with developmental disabilities? • What opportunities do you see for OCBMRDD to work collaboratively with other agencies and organizations for increased service delivery, or enhanced information and resource sharing?

34. Residential Provider (2007) • Board, staff, and community leaders (N=35) • Prior to facilitated strategic planning retreat • SWOT analysis • “What three concrete things would you like to see us accomplish in the next two years?” • “What distinguishes us from others?” • “What important needs are there in the community where we could make a difference?”

35. Reporting Data • Report format developed in project design phase and confirmed before beginning. • Report all data vs. consultant conclusions. • Developing categories of information. • Verbatim comments. • Written and oral reports delivered at Board’s Strategic Planning Retreat.

36. How would you characterize your understanding of Ottawa County Board of MRDD’s role in these citizens’ lives? • No Idea – No Clue (18) • After pressing (9) • Program Coordination and Oversight- 9 • Support for Individuals/Self -Determination- 9 • Public Awareness/Outreach- 9 • Support for Families/Respite- 7 • Education/Guidance for Families- 6 • Community Employment- 6 • Others

37. “My children are in the public schools…There’s not much contact for families, getting to know other parents or siblings for my kids. There’s a support group in Lucas County but not here. There is nothing in Ottawa County.” -Family Member

38. “….Finding out what the resources are. If you don’t know where to begin, you can’t get in. If you don’t even know what you are trying to find out, that’s huge.” -Social Services Professional

39. “Very little understanding. The only thing I know is when the magic I.O. waiver comes, the ship will be in. Otherwise, I have no understanding of their role.” -Family Member

40. On a scale from 1 to 5, with 1 meaning extremely dissatisfied and 5 meaning extremely satisfied, what is your overall impression of how well OCBMRDD is fulfilling that role? (And Explain.)

41. “I know Jim Frederick and I trust him. I have a lot of confidence in his ability as a director.” -Government

42. Using the same scale, what general impression do you believe other [parents, educators, law enforcement professionals, etc.] have of OCBMRDD and how well they fulfill their role?

43. “When the rug was pulled out from under them ten years ago… School people are not happy with MRDD.” -Education Professional

44. Are you aware of the changes in the system of services and supports that have been taking place at the MRDD over the last few years? If so, what is your view of the changes?

45. “Don’t begin to understand. When Jim Frederick starts talking in meetings about Medicaid, he starts somewhere in the middle as though I know what I am talking about and I don’t.” -Social Services Professional

46. “Once I saw a client out in the cold without a coat. So I called MRDD and they said it was his choice. Now come on. This is a safety issue. You have to intervene. Ten years ago he would have had a case manager and the case manager would have responded.” -Social Services Professional

47. Ottawa County Mission Statement To ensure the availability of supports that assist those eligible citizens with MRDD in choosing and achieving inclusion in their community. Further, we exist to assist and support families and individuals in achieving a life that they establish for themselves.

48. Using the same 1 to 5 scale, with 1 meaning very wrong for our community and 5 meaning very right for our community, how would you rate the Mission Statement as a guide for the county MRDD board? Explain.

49. “I would maybe change ‘establish’ to they would ‘wish’ for themselves.” -Law Enforcement

50. Generally speaking, would you say that the overall direction of the county board is on the right track or wrong track?