THE TRANFORMING OF A CULTURE Steps to Strengthen the Alliance Between Presented By: Mark Washington, DHS Assistant Commissioner Steps to Strengthen the Alliance Between Private and Public Organizations in Georgia April 23, 2010 “Preparing for Tomorrow Today” Part II

Redefining How We Work Together Public and Private Cooperation DFCS has rolled-out several initiatives in the past year to enhance the cooperation between our public agency and private providers. Our goal is to increase accountability on all fronts and give caregivers the tools they need ensure safety, well- being and permanency for Georgia’s most vulnerable youth.

OPUOM Office of Provider Utilization and Outcomes Management was established in the fall of 2009. With leadership staff in place DFCS continues to enhance the work of this office through the addition of more staff to assist providers. Monitoring and technical assistance will be the primary focus of this office in the coming year. Customer service is very important. OPUOM will be the foundation to ensure that our provider partners have a voice with DFCS.

Provider G Provider G meetings have been occurring regularly since November, 2009 and are the cornerstone of our mutual accountability. They give us an opportunity to not only review performance but discuss the manner in which we measure success and learn from the success of others. Developing common protocols for defining and measuring success will be a critical goal for us all in the coming year.

Performance-Based Permanency Initiative Initiative is designed to provide funding for our private partners to perform the necessary work associated with finding permanency for youth. CCI’s began enrollment in December with CPA’s following in February. Through April 15th there have been 28 youth enrolled and 44 providers engaged in the work. We need to work together to find more ways for children and families to access to this important work.

Performance-Based Contracting New contracts will be centered on the principal that we must work together to produce quality outcomes for children and families. By focusing on key outcome measures and sharing ideas for improvement we will provide better service to children and families. The over-riding purpose of the performance-based system is to recognize high performing providers and provide assistance to those who struggle in one or more areas.

Focus Groups Focus groups established in December were instrumental in the design of the performance-based contract. Gathering feedback from our provider partners in this way helps redesign our tools and are foundational for our success moving forward. Be aware of opportunities to participate in focus groups through out the coming year (both with PBC review and other initiatives).

The Work Ahead Decisions need to be made regarding how the rescinding of unbundling will effect service provision moving forward. While returning to our “old system” will not move us forward there are certainly opportunities that must be explored. A Public/Private focus group will be established to explore our historical model and examine new ideas to find parts of both that will enhance our work.

Family-Centered Work Leads to Better Outcomes for Youth Our ability to align with and engage a child’s family is central to achieving success with all of our performance indicators. We need to explore new and innovative ways to make our family-centered case practice model the foundation on which all services are built. As these philosophical and structural shifts are made within your business model OPUOM will be readily available for technical assistance.

Future Provider Summits Two Key Strategies DFCS should provide useful workshops that focus on technical assistance and emerging trends and initiatives. Providers should hold workshops that showcase strategies they are using to achieve outcomes that are family centered and are yielding positive results, etc.