1. Community Services: Mapping Your Resources
Kelli Crane, Ph.D.
Debra Martin Luecking, Ed.D.
TransCen, Inc.
NSTTAC Secondary Transition State Planning Institute:
Building for the Future

2. Learning Objectives Define Community Resource Mapping
Describe purposes for resource map
Introduce the process for resource mapping
Share examples of the process

4. Resource Mapping Defined
A system building process that links community resources with an agreed upon vision, goals, and expected outcomes.

5. Resource Mapping Defined
A system-building process that:
Leads to change
Identifies resources and barriers to building a system
Strategizes optimal uses of resources
Identifies limitations and gaps in resource coordination
Explores new resources
Coordinates resources for strategic planning

6. Purpose of Resource Mapping
Comprehensive approach to:
build capacity
sustain practice
inform strategic action planning
make informed decisions
collect and analyze data
share information that benefits all stakeholders

7. Outcomes of Resource Mapping
Improved post-school results for youth
Competitively employed
Enrolled in postsecondary school
More collaborative partnerships
More efficient and effective in delivery of services to youth and families
“Map” of resource available for youth and families

8. how come it NEVER gets done?
If everyone is doing it,
how come it NEVER gets done?
— Joe Marrone, UMass-Boston

9. Four Step Process Step 1: Pre-Mapping/Assessment Step 2: Mapping
Step 3: Strategic Implementation
Step 4: Maintaining Mapping Efforts

10. Step 1: Pre-Mapping / Assessment
Establish a Coordinating Team
Create a Vision/Goal
reduce drop-out rates
improve transition results (e.g., competitive employment & postsecondary education)

11. Establish a Coordinating Team
New or existing team
Consider self-interest
What brings people to the table & keeps them there?
Common goal
Diverse representation
Significant ties to community
Include “rotating” members to address particular issues and resources
Why to work
What are your desired outcomes (six months, 1 year)?
How often will you meet?
What is the work plan ( responsibilities, timelines, communication, activities)?

12. Potential Partners
Secondary education staff (i.e., transition, general, special)
Adult education representative
Advocacy organizations
Business-education partnership representative
Community action agency representative
Correctional education staff
Drop-out prevention representative
Employers
Extension service representative
Transportation representative
Higher education representative
Community-based organizations

13. Create a Vision Break traditional thinking
Provide continuity of purpose & direction
Prioritize issues & concerns
Promote interest & commitment to action
Create ownership of success

14. Step 2: Mapping Know your organizing framework
Develop tools to collect resource data
Collect and map community resource data
Identify existing limitations, gaps and overlaps in resources
Determine implications of the findings

15. Create an Organizing Framework
Universal Resources- Resources available to all youth -- aimed at enhancing success and reducing barriers to the transition process
Selected Resources- Supplemental resources provided to small groups of youth- to reduce the potential for increased difficulty and risk for long term failure
Targeted Resources- Individually designed, intensive resources / interventions needed by very few youth

16. Organizing Framework NASET Transition Domains:
Secondary Education & Graduation
Career Preparation & Employment
Family Involvement
Youth Development & Leadership
Supportive and Adult Services

17. Organizing Framework Taxonomy for Transition Student-focused planning
Student development
Family involvement
Program structure
Interagency collaboration

18. Data Collection
Determine what data to collect & evaluate - vision & goals will drive data collection decisions
Use a variety of evaluation strategies (on-line surveys, interviews, observations, focus groups, public forums)
Value the opinions/ideas of both stakeholder groups & end-users
Limitations, gaps, overlaps
Analyze data for trends or patterns.
Identify limitations, gaps and overlaps (duplication) in existing resources.
Identify activities / services in place at each level of support (universal, selected, and targeted).
If needed, conduct a formal “needs assessment.”
Determine implications for practice and policy.

19. Step 3: Implementing the Map
“The power of resource mapping comes with what happens after the resources have been identified.”
Develop a strategic action plan
Facilitate access to resources
Communicate & disseminate information

20. Strategic Action Planning
Strategize how resources can be redirected
Determine which needs exist after realignment
Identify other community resources
Plan to access additional funding or resources
Build mutually beneficial partnerships;
Anticipate challenges, and solutions.

21. Facilitate Access to Resources
Consider a variety of possible formats for sharing and aligning resources
Work to increase access and use of the resources

22. Step 4: Maintaining Mapping Efforts
Examine process
Measure progress
Maintain momentum
Regular communication
Sustain efforts
Use of intermediaries
Refresh, recycle

23. Evaluate Process and Progress
Survey stakeholders (especially end-users) to determine if resource mapping process has served purpose.
Survey team members to determine if process was beneficial and meaningful.
Analyze outcome data to measure effectiveness of realigning resources.

24. Improved outcomes are the ultimate indicator of effective resource mapping.

25. Maintain Efforts Build your “Case for Support” Maintain flexibility
Continue to increase and diversify resources by engaging community
Evaluate and monitor progress periodically- report out to stakeholders
Communicate both successes and challenge
Build your “Case for Support”
Maintain flexibility(mid-course corrections)
Engage in marketing and promotion
Continue to increase and diversify resources by engaging community
Evaluate and monitor progress periodically- report out to stakeholders
Communicate both successes and challenges

26. The Value of Reflection
“Here is Edward Bear, coming downstairs now, bump, bump, bump on the back of his head, behind Christopher Robin. It is, as far as he knows, the only way of coming downstairs, but sometimes he feels that there really is another way, if only he could stop bumping for a moment and think of it.”
- A. A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh

27. Mapping Experience 4 Stages of Change Contentment Denial Chaos
Creativity
Grand idea—brainstorm how they can improve outcomes
Denial—people who say we have already done it. What will we gain. It is another process
Chaos—making sense of the data…catotic if they have not determined what they want to map.
Group—wanted to sustain but not sure what to sustain. Wanted grant source to pay to continue. Took awhile a … evaluating what they wanted to sustain and …. Lesson in that what it is they want to map.. The more specific the less catoci.
Creativity – using resources differently…

28. Example—Mapping for Sustainability
7 communities in California
Goal to sustain program practice “continue benefits services in schools”
Defined “benefits services”
Collected and analyzed project data
Looked for new ways to “blend” & “braid” funds
Determined who benefits
Found new partners and new ways to do business

29. Example-Mapping for Improved Results
State of Florida—Interagency Services Committee
Vision: To develop strategies to eliminate barriers which will ensure successful transition to employment and further educational opportunities for youth with disabilities.
Goals:
1) increase number of youth transitioning to competitive employment
2) increase number accessing post-secondary education

30. Example -- continued
Mapping to gain baseline data on the resources to support transition to employment and post-secondary education
Results provide the BIG PICTURE & strategic direction
Present the plan to the state legislature and get support in implementing the actions
Individual—need dedicated resources
Foundation is action planning what learned into a
FATAL mistake—don’t do because the gold star kid on block. Need to know how to use.

31. Lessons Learned Purpose driven – clearly defined goal
Action plan must follow the data collection (e.g., map)
Engage a “champion” or “champions”
Inform those contributing to the map of the results
Build come language and purpose across all players
Action research….need to be on the same page. A facilitated process and strategic thinking.
Need a clearly defined goal

32. Resources
Essential Tools: Improving Secondary Education and Transition for Youth with Disabilities-Community Resource Mapping. (2005). Crane, K., & Mooney, M.
Early Ongoing Collaboration and Assistance- Resource Mapping: A Toolkit. (2006). Sanetti, L., Kratochwill, T., Volpiansky, P., & Ring, M.

33. Kelli Crane, Ph.D. TransCen, Inc. kcrane@transcen.org 240.418.2684
Debra Martin Luecking, Ed.D TransCen, Inc ext. 245