Final Report FY

Transcription

1 Final Report FY Tisa McGhee, PhD NTA Lead

2 Program Purpose and Objectives: The program goals for The Neighborhood Technical Assistance Program were threefold: Technical Assistance, Capacity Building and Program Assessment. Each component was designed to help identify neighborhoods and assist them to achieve their stated outcomes for their geographic area. In addition, it built and expanded the Center/ Network. The process began with an assessment and recommitment to the program with the 13 existing members and established connections with five other partners within the current network. How funding was used: Technical Assistance An assessment of educational and training needs was conducted A roundtable discussion and survey with network members occurred. Developed and executed 3 Professional Development Seminars with Partners Provided more than 150 hours of Technical Assistance to include attendance at partnership meetings, consultations with agencies, program staff and partners and program assessment below Capacity Building Established Student Learning Labs at the most critically identified agencies to provide support and capacity building opportunities through the internship placement of Master of Social Work (MSW) students Provided additional resources for capacity building for partners Program Assessment Developed community based needs assessment for critically identified agencies Fund Development grant research and writing (Sant La, Hands 2 Help, Inc, Glory Temple Ministries, Hosana Community Foundation, Urgent Inc, The Resource Room) Developing resources for the agency and the community to use website Outcomes Achieved Several outcomes were reported on a monthly basis from 1/13 to 9/13 and some outcomes were reported on a limited basis. The following includes information regarding outcome target and the final reporting of each of the reported outcomes. The body of the report will include how each outcome was associated with how the funding was used. A total of 3,638/3,600(actual/projected) internship hours were provided to three (3) agencies (New Horizons, Switchboard of Miami, Mujer Inc, Touching Miami with Love, Urgent Inc and Sant La) from 1/13-09/13. Ninety-nine percent of the targeted goal was achieved. Ninety-five percent of agencies reported increased service capacity to clients including a minimum of 60 clients that were served through clinical intervention workshops and 150 additional clients that were 2

3 served through individual, family and group counseling as measured by time sheets from 1/13-09/13. The total number of new network members developed 5 of the intended 18 partners. One hundred percent of the targeted goal was reached. The total number of technical assistance hours provided by Barry personnel to network members from 1/13-09/13 was 196/150 (actual/projected). For the second year in a row over 100% of the outcome was reached. Accomplishments: The following accomplishments were achieved during this grant period: Three professional development seminars were conducted and resulted in a capacity building effort. Grantee partners were interested in increasing their social entrepreneurship knowledge. Seventy five percent of network members that attend the seminars reported satisfaction with the program as measured by satisfaction report. Student Learning Labs resulted in a total of 3,638 internship hours provided to clients. One hundred percent of agencies reported increased service capacity to clients. A total of 253 supervision hours were provided by Barry personnel. Lessons Learned: The following lessons learned occurred during this grant period: Student Learning Labs While the placement and documentation processes improved student commitment needed further clarification. While both students and agencies found the experience of the Student Learning Labs beneficial improved communication will be the strived for in the next grant cycle. Cultivating Partnerships we will aim to cultivate more partnerships and reevaluate the current partners to make sure that needs are still being met. Technical assistance will be provided for in an ongoing basis in person and technology based. 3

4 Technical Assistance Roundtable Assess current education and training needs- roundtable and online survey Develop and execute professional development seminar opportunities on identified topics to address agency needs A roundtable meeting was held on January 8 th, 2013 to discuss the grant s strategic plan. The agenda included a discussion of the possible menu of trainings including effective collaborations, developing community outreach, evaluating community goals, social entrepreneurship and clinical issues when working with clients. At the conclusion of the meeting further discussion was required and it was decided an online survey would determine the final training need. Professional Development Seminars Three Professional Development Seminars were held over this grant period. Dr. Mark Smith, Associate Professor, Barry University School of Social Work presented Effective Strategies for Helping Communities Respond to Traumatic Events on Friday, March 1, 2013 from 10-12pm. The seminar description read: While residents of south Florida are likely to have experience preparing for, responding to, and recovering from various natural disasters, large-scale traumatic events such as the recent mass shootings in Newtown, Connecticut may leave community-based agencies wondering about their preparedness for that type of event. This two-hour workshop provides community agencies with an overview of interventions considered most and least effective and ways in which communication with students and parents can encourage dialogue about trauma. The workshop will also focus on strategies for helping community agencies prepare for, respond to and recover from communityaltering traumatic events that result from human sources drawn from lessons learned from the Sandy Hook tragedy. Lorena García Durán, of Ashoka, Miami presented Social Entrepreneurship and How It s Changing the World on Wednesday, May 22, 2013 from 10-12pm. The seminar description read: Just as entrepreneurs change the face of business, social entrepreneurs act as the change agents for society, seizing opportunities others miss and improving systems, inventing new approaches, and creating solutions to change society for the better. While a business entrepreneur might create entirely new industries, a social entrepreneur comes up with new solutions to social problems and then implements them on a large scale. Each social entrepreneur presents ideas that are user-friendly, understandable, ethical, and engage widespread support in order to maximize the number of local people that will stand up, seize their idea, and implement with it. In other words, every leading social entrepreneur is a mass recruiter of local changemakers a role model 4

5 proving that citizens who channel their passion into action can do almost anything. Ashoka website Come learn about what it means to be a Social Entrepreneur and how it s changing our community and the world from a local leader in this work. Our final Professional Development Seminar was a panel entitled Social Entrepreneurship Our How To Panel. It was held on Friday, August 2, 2013 from 10-12pm. The panelist included: Lorena García Durán, Ashoka, Miami; William R. Burdette, Esq., Charity Service Centers; Lauren M. Harper, Esq., Charity Service Centers; and James Rosenberg, President and Founder, Adopt a Classroom. We asked the partners to come learn from actual Social Entrepreneurs and how to from local leaders in this work. 5

6 Capacity Building Student Learning Labs at three of the most critical identified agencies to provide support and capacity building opportunities Design and delivery of capacity building projects to strengthen agency Student Learning Labs An average of two students were placed at each of the student learning labs initiated at the following partner sites: New Horizons, Switchboard of Miami, Mujer Inc, Touching Miami with Love, Urgent Inc and Sant La. New Horizons 1. Beverly Sweeting 2. Love-Diana Rosemond Sant La 1. Dudlyne St. Remy 2. Nadege Cothiere Mujer, Inc 1. Pablo Lorenzo Urgent, Inc 1. Sheyla Pierre 2. Graciela Madrigal Switchboard of Miami 1. Tashar Turner Touching Miami with Love 1. Vanessa Victor Field Educator, Ms. Ernestine Davis provided supervision for all students at the NTA partner sites. Ms. Preeti Charania, Assistant Director of Field Education provided placement assistance for all students and Dr. A. Martene Pierre-Pierre, Director of Field Education supported the NTA project. 6

7 Capacity Building Project One task of capacity building for this grant incorporated expanding the number of grantee partners from the 6 neighborhood networks to include their partners and other neighborhood networks. Original Grant Partners 1. Abriendo Puertas 2. New Horizons 3. Sant La 4. Switchboard 5. Trinity Church, Peace Makers 6. We Care of South Dade 7. Hands 2 Help, Inc 8. Hosana Community Foundation 9. Informed Familes 10. Life Impact 11. Mujer 12. Tacolcy 13. Urgent Inc Additional Partners Added 14. Touching Miami with Love 15. Overtown Youth Center 16. The Resource Room 17. Glory Temple Ministries 18. I Have a Dream Overtown, Inc Associated Outcomes Achieved: A total of 3,638/3,600 (actual/projected) internship hours were provided to three (3) agencies (New Horizons, Switchboard of Miami, Mujer Inc, Touching Miami with Love, Urgent Inc and Sant La) from 1/13-09/13. Ninety-nine percent of the targeted goal was achieved. The total number of new network members developed 5 of the intended 18 partners. One hundred percent of the targeted goal was reached. Ninety-five percent of agencies reported increased service capacity to clients including a minimum of 60 clients that were served through clinical intervention workshops and 150 additional clients that were served through individual, family and group counseling as measured by time sheets from 1/13-09/13. 7

8 Program Assessment Community Needs Assessment Overtown Community Fund Development grant research and writing (Sant La, Hands 2 Help, Inc, Glory Temple Ministries, Hosana Community Foundation, Urgent Inc, The Resource Room) Developing resources for the agency and the community to use website Community Needs Assessment Overtown Community From February to July of 2013, a team of students and faculty from Barry University's School of Social Work directed by Professor Fabio Naranjo (the CNA-Team) completed a Community Assets and Needs Assessment Map (CNA) of Overtown. The Barry CNA- Team worked closely with and under direct advisement from two NTA partners, Ms. Saliha Nelson of Urgent, Inc. and Mr. Jason Pittman of Touching Miami with Love. The focus of the assessment was the needs, challenges and resources in Overtown for its children and youth--from 0 to 24 years of age. The work of the two organizational leaders and their agencies was as part of the efforts of the Overtown Children and Youth Coalition to improve the overall quality of life, services and outcomes for these two vulnerable groups in the community. Grant Research and Resource Development Sixty three MSW Students participating in three sections of SW 625 assessed, researched and contributed to developing and existing programs for grants for NTA partner agencies: Sant La, Hands 2 Help, Inc, Glory Temple Ministries, Hosanna Community Foundation, Urgent Inc and The Resource Room. Grant applications are available. Associated Outcomes Achieved: The total number of technical assistance hours provided by Barry personnel to network members from 1/13-09/13 was 196/150 (actual/projected). For the second year in a row over 100% of the outcome was reached. The total of three months of grant research and resource development provided by MSW graduate students to partners from 6/13-08/13. This was above and beyond the outcome projected for technical assistance. A community presentation of the Community Needs Assessment was attended by over 100 community stakeholders on August 7 th,

9 Final Evaluation At the end of the grant period a final evaluation was sent to partners. Eight of the eighteen partners responded with a 44% response rate the results are shared below. When asked if the Neighborhood Technical Assistance Grant met my expectations more than half of the respondents strongly agreed or agreed and the other 37% were neutral. Fifty percent indicated their outcomes work plan was clear and easy to follow. One hundred percent agreed that the professional development seminars were pertinent and useful and that participation and interaction in the Neighborhood Technical Assistance Grant was encouraged. Almost 80% strongly agreed or agreed that technical assistance was provided and 75% strongly agreed and agreed web resources were provided. When asked Did you gain enhanced knowledge and skills in working with clients and building organizational capacity as a result of participating in the professional development seminars? sixty-two percent strongly agreed and 37% agreed. (see chart). Sites with Student Learning Labs were asked to respond to the following questions: 1. Do you believe more clients were served through clinical intervention workshops this year than last year ? 2. Do you believe more clients were served through individual, family and group counseling this year than last year ? 9

10 3. Do you feel there has been an increase in your agency capacity this year than last year due to the Barry interns placed at your agency? 4. Would you like to have Barry interns placed at your agency again next year ? The chart below displays the responses to all of the above: Finally partners were asked to rate their experience with the Neighborhood Technical Assistance Grant overall. Fifty percent rated the experience as excellent, 12% as good and the final 37% as average. When asked what could be improved responses included More communication from students who take on projects and grant assistance ; times of the workshops offered ; and No improvement needed, continue with this opportunity for students and community organizations to participate. 10

11 NTA Program Management Dr. Tisa McGhee is the project manager for this grant. Dr. McGhee has an organizational development background with extensive experience in facilitating, training, coaching, planning, leading and collaboratively designing strategies for individuals, groups, organizations and communities to respond effectively to change. Over the past 8+ years, Dr. McGhee has consulted with multiple organizations including public, start-ups, not-for-profit, private and established organizations. At the core of all of her work: Building community and systems capability using engaging and empowerment techniques. 11