Statewide Compilation of Common Themes from Regional Group Reports A Conversation: Virginia’s Social Services System Roles · Responsibilities · Funding April 25, 2012

Question 1. What’s going well? Strong and effective community partnerships and collaboration across localities and planning districts Locality staff are experienced, committed, and motivated Successful delivery of services despite caseload increases, staff turnover, and limited resources Changes implemented as part of the children’s services transformation, which put the focus on families in communities, have resulted in reductions of children in care and increases in permanency Strong working relationships between county and city administrators, LDSS and local boards A Conversation: Virginia’s Social Services System Roles · Responsibilities · Funding April 25, 2012

Question 2. Things we could be doing or doing differently? Invest in prevention; include a consistent definition and capture data on efforts Streamline & integrate processes & policies across programs Improve funding flexibility; base allocations on caseload and a defined standard of care Include those impacted by decisions in the decision- making & timeframes (clients, LDSSs, etc.) Improve technology (i.e. mobile devices, shared network drives, and systems that are integrated) A Conversation: Virginia’s Social Services System Roles · Responsibilities · Funding April 25, 2012

Question 2. Things we could be doing or doing differently? (cont’d) Improve our ability to tell our story and show the return on investment to members of local governments, General Assembly and educators about the contributions of social services Increase the amount and enhance the availability of training Foster integrated service delivery (e.g. CSBs, Health Dept., Courts) Develop performance measures that take into account compliance and outcomes, as well as, quality and process and are based on delivering to local needs A Conversation: Virginia’s Social Services System Roles · Responsibilities · Funding April 25, 2012

Question 3. What would help us get there? Flexible funding at the programmatic and administrative levels; reduced reporting requirements, streamlined/collapsed budget lines and eliminated redundancies More and better integrated technology Real time management reports; analysis of trend data to promote sustainability Training (timely, comprehensive, partnered with higher education) Increased recognition of staff Grass roots (locality-wide) teams for non-LDSSs initiatives A Conversation: Virginia’s Social Services System Roles · Responsibilities · Funding April 25, 2012

Question 3. What would help us get there? Cont’d Stronger collaboration between VDSS and other state human services organizations Enhanced, consistent communication between VDSS and the localities A streamlined approach to issuing policy Strong state direction and leadership Policy and business processes driven by identified outcomes A comprehensive human services plan developed by each community A Conversation: Virginia’s Social Services System Roles · Responsibilities · Funding April 25, 2012