SACHS
Research
Research
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Disaster Preparedness Resources Summary (May 2008)
Prepared By: Thomas Packard, DSW; and Karissa Erbes, MSW
Coping With Disasters and Strengthening Systems: A Framework for Child Welfare Agencies (February 2007)
Prepared By: National Child Welfare Resource Center for Organizational Improvement (NRCOI)
Managing in Emergencies: Enhancing Collaboration for Human Services (December 2005)
Published In: The Finance Project/Christianne Lind)
Disaster Preparedness, Response and Recovery
Prepared By: Southern Regional Children's Advocacy Center
Design, Implementation, and Evaluation of a Leadership Development Initiative (February 2006)
Prepared By: Thomas Packard, DSW; Jennifer Tucker-Tatlow, MSW; Jessica Waechter, MSW, MPH; Patti Rahiser, BA; and Don Dudley, MSW
Published In: Professional Development: The International Journal of Continuing Social Work Education, (Vol. 8, No. 2, Summer 2005 and Vol. 8, No.3, Fall 2005)
The Leaders In Action training project advances knowledge for social work administration practice through generating detail on specific competencies needed in public human service organizations and how their development can be advanced and measured. Second, the extensive, ongoing, interactions with practicing administrators provide up-to-date information on the state of administrative practice and organizational life for a large part of the profession. This knowledge enriches the teaching of social work administration by providing relevant examples and serves as a reality check to ensure that curriculum content is relevant to actual practice. Finally, this project strengthens town-gown relations through opportunities for joint action research.
Children's Sourcebook: Child Health and Well-being Indicatiors in the Southern California Region ( June 2005)
Prepared By: James Coloma, MSW; and Carrie Gibson, BA
Purpose: The purpose of the sourcebook was to compile a desk-top reference tool providing information on child health and well-being indicators for the Southern California Region.
Key Findings: Within the sourcebook, child epidemiological data is presented in four sections: Population and Family Characteristics, Health Indicators, Access Indicators, and Well-Being Indicators. These tables and charts provide a quick reference guide for comparing indicators among the individual eight southern counties, the southern counties as a whole, and the State of California.
Cutback Management Strategies: Experiences in Nine County Human Services Agencies (February 2005)
Prepared by: Thomas Packard, DSW; Rino Patti, DSW; Donna Daly, MSW; Jennifer Tucker-Tatlow, MSW; and Carrie Farrell, MPA
Accepted For Publication in: Administrations in Social Work
Purpose: This study of nine county human services agencies identified successful strategies and tactics used to address budget reductions and the management tools/processes used to inform these decisions. Tactics were in areas including minimizing the impacts of budget cuts; building staff understanding, acceptance, and support; processes for deciding how to allocate cuts; increasing productivity; and modifying levels and types of services. Strategic themes included collaborative leadership, taking a big picture approach, maintaining focus through strategic planning, relationships with key constituencies, and communication with staff, preserving staff capacity, decentralized decision making, and using data to guide decisions.
Innovations in Performance-Based Contracting (September 2004)
Prepared By: Donna Daly, MSW; Jennifer Tucker-Tatlow, MSW; and Carrie Gibson, BA
Purpose: The purpose of this study was to provide information on performance-based contracting throughout the Southern California Region.
Key Findings: Eight of the nine SACHS county agencies have implemented performance-based contracting to some extent, most frequently in the CalWORKs program. The most common type of performance-based contract utilized among the SACHS counties are “milestone-based,” where reimbursement payments are tied to distinct and critical achievements that form a set of collaboratively defined service outcomes. The key success factors for performance-based contracts included: a planning process; the development of clear work statements and measurable performance objectives; requirements that are described in terms of results rather than methods of work performance; the establishment of realistic pay points and milestones; and the use of incentives.
In-Home Supportive Services: Characteristics, Cost Drivers and Cost Containment Strategies (June 2004)
Prepared By: Donna Daly, MSW; Jennifer Tucker-Tatlow, MSW; and Carrie Gibson, BA
Purpose: The purpose of this study was to research and report on In-Home Supportive Services’ program characteristics, assessment processes, quality control issues, cost drivers, and cost control strategies.
Key Findings: Key IHSS program characteristics for the Southern California Region at the time of this study were as follows:
- Provider wage ranged from $6.75 to $8.50
- Average number of cases per worker ranged from 205 to 355
- Percent caseload growth from 2000 to 2004 ranged from 26% to 85%
- Average monthly paid hours per case ranged from 67 to 87 hours
- Average monthly cost per case ranged from $542 to $776
- Hours of IHSS eligibility and regulations training ranged from 8 to 60 hours.
Major cost drivers were found to be: entitlement statutes and caseload growth; consumer-driven; mode of service delivery; increased wages and benefits; and variations in assessments. The cost control strategies included elimination of contract mode; simplification of assessment tools; utilization of “hours predictor;” provision of consistent training; and moving eligible recipients to Personal Care Services Program. The promising practices included increased use of assistive devices; piloting new assessment forms; utilizing nurses to assist with assessment; cash and counseling programs; waivers to limit per diem costs; and providers to undergo criminal background investigations.
Innovative Approaches to Managing with Less (December 2003)
Prepared By: Rino Patti, DSW; Thomas Packard, DSW; Donna Daly, MSW; Jennifer Tucker-Tatlow, MSW; Carrie Farrell, MPA; with the assistance of Carrie Gibson, BA
Purpose: The purpose of this study was to share the management strategies used by nine SACHS agencies to address budget cuts made in California in fiscal years 2002-2003 and 2003-2004. Particularly, the study cites those strategies that are effective in maintaining client access, program quality, productivity and staff morale when funding for programs has been significantly reduced. It was envisioned that the innovative practices shared by the selected directors, executives and program deputies in the nine agencies would inform colleagues in county human service agencies throughout the state in difficult budget environments.
Key Findings: This research highlighted some important themes regarding how these counties managed the budget cuts during fiscal years 2002-2003 and 2003-2004. First, engaged, visible, and collaborative leadership emerged as an absolute precondition for effective management of the budget challenges. Directors and other leaders demonstrated confident and positive attitudes, articulated broad visions and strategies, and modeled effective team behavior. Related to this, taking a “big picture” perspective mitigated internal competition and kept all focused on the strategic goals of the department. Using a range of communication tools, employees were kept informed about current developments, and interaction with employees regarding fears, concerns, and suggestions were useful in problem solving. Department leaders also decentralized decision-making to broaden the range of solutions and ensure that those most affected by decisions would have a role in making them. This not only built commitment and support but also resulted in many creative solutions, which had not been considered by upper management. Finally, in a time of chaos and uncertainty, the departments maintained an emphasis on using data to inform thinking and guide decisions.
Seeking Better Performance Through Interagency Collaboration: Prospects and Challenges (February 2003)
Prepared By: Rino Patti, DW; Thomas Packard, DSW; Donna Daly, MSW; Jennifer Tucker-Tatlow, MSW; and Karen Prosek, MSW; with the assistance of: Ann Potter, MSW; and Carrie Gibson, BA
Purpose: The purpose of this study was to produce information relevant to county directors as they address issues of service integration. The study also shares county experiences and identifies strategies that appear to be effective in moving public and private agencies into productive collaborations.
As with most kinds of significant organizational change, building successful collaborative results from purposeful, strategic actions and deliberate relationships pursued in the context of national and state policy, local historical, political dynamics and inter personal circumstances. The full report captures the practices that bring agencies and programs together in the concentrated action to promote consumer well-being.
Key Findings: The following key findings emerged from the research on seeking better performance through interagency collaboration:
- Leader needs to champion and articulate the vision
- Board of Supervisors support must be mobilized
- Promote co-location whenever possible
- Explicitly address the merging of professional cultures through cross-training, staff development and team building
- Market to and partner with the community
- Aggressively involve constituencies and stakeholders in planning
- Anticipate confidentiality barriers and focus on resolvable issues
- Incompatible state and federal regulations and databases will need to be addressed
- Local leaders will have to invest in information systems that bridge local programs
- One cannot under communicate about the benefits, costs, progress, and consequences of collaboration
- Use blended or shared funding, when possible, as an incentive for collaboration.