Slide 1:

Slide 2:

OVERVIEW OF THE POLICY ACADEMY PROCESS

Slide 3:

What is a Policy Academy?

• Process, not an event
• Technical assistance to help decision makers:
  • Think through policy options
  • Make existing systems and programs more effective and coordinated; and/or
  • Design and implement new systems and programs

Slide 4:

What are the Objectives of the Policy Academy?

• Bringing stakeholders together to focus on increasing access to mainstream services
• Enhancing coordination, collaboration, and integration among systems providing mainstream and targeted services for people experiencing chronic homelessness
• Identifying and sharing evidence-based practices
• Identifying and coordinating resources

Slide 5:

What’s Involved in the Policy Academy Process?

• Pre-Meeting Work, Technical Assistance Site Visit, and SWOT Analysis
• Formal Academy Meetign (On-site Technical Assistance)
• Post-Meeting Technical Assistance and Follow-up
• National Learning Meeting (On-site Technical Assistance

Slide 6:

Why a Policy Academy?

• Promote strategic planning
• Provide opportunities to learn from other State experiences
• Establish/reinforce dialogue
• Build consensus among stakeholders and plan for change
• Provide technical assistance and develop local capacity

Slide 7:

Purpose of this Academy

For your team to develop a State-wide policy initiative (Action Plan) that can be realistically implemented in your State to increase access to mainstream services for people experiencing chronic homelessness, enhance the linkages between services and housing, and develop prevention strategies.

Slide 8:

Participant States - Academy I (focusing on homeless families with children)

• CT, KY, NV, OR, IL, MD, NJ, WA.

Slide 9:

Participant States - Academy II(focusing on chronic homelessness)

• CO, HA, NH, PR, GA, ME, NY

Slide 10:

Participant States - Academy III(focusing on chronic homelessness)

• AZ, FL, MS, NM, SC, AK, KY, MO, NC

Slide 11:

Participant States - Academy IV(focusing on chronic homelessness)

• IA, MA, NJ, RI, TX, KS, MT, PA, SD, UT

Slide 12:

General Team Composition

• Governor’s office
• State legislators
• Senior-level policy makers from mainstream systems including Veterans Affairs, housing, mental health, substance abuse, health, Medicaid, welfare/social services, labor, criminal justice
• State-level homeless services administrators or Continuum-of-Care contacts
• Local, county, or city-level government representatives
• Homeless or formerly homeless persons
• Providers
• State/local advocacy groups

Slide 13:

Potential Outcomes

• Executive Order(s)
• Legislation
• Budget proposals/funding mechanisms
• Interagency agreements (Memoranda of Understanding/Agreement)
• Informal partnerships
• Program standards/ guidelines (licensure requirements) Task forces/committees

Slide 14:

During the Site Visit

• Become familiar with the Academy process
• Identify key components of a comprehensive service system
• Develop a common vision
• Develop a draft SWOT analysis
• Begin to identify TA needs
• Formalize decision-making process and choose leader(s), timekeeper, and scribe
• Identify key points for team presentation

Slide 15:

During the Academy Meeting

• Teams briefly present vision statement and their State’s key issues and efforts
• Faculty present on systems change, evidence-based practices, and resources
• Teams continue developing Action Plans and identifying TA needs
• Teams receive feedback and technical assistance from faculty and peers
• Teams report-out on Action Plan, priorities, next steps, and TA needs

Slide 16:

Following the Academy Meeting

• Finalize strategies (short- and long-range)
• Finalize specific action steps
• Submit revised action plan and receive comments from Federal Planning Committee
• Prioritize and coordinate TA with HSR
• Implement the Action Plan
• Submit 6-month progress reports

Slide 17:

Team Challenges

• Building team consensus around Action Plan
• Identifying feasible strategies
• Presenting a clear message to influential policymakers
• Generating public and political will to support Action Plan
• Implementing the Action Plan through executive, legislative, administrative, and private sector (non-government) processes

Slide 18:

Team Tips

• Try to stay focused
• Develop and respect Team ground rules
• Encourage ideas
• Challenge your assumptions
• Highlight and explore your differences
• Differentiate between what you are totally committed to and what you can live with

Slide 19:

What Should Be Accomplished Before Arriving At The Academy Meeting?

• Circulate draft vision statement to all members of team for polishing
• Provide HSR with revised vision statement and completed SWOT analysis to be included in meeting packet
• Select team leader(s), timekeeper, scribe
• Review resource material

Slide 20:

THE ACTION PLANNING PROCESS

Slide 21:

Policy Initiative Framework(The Action Plan)

• The Vision (Your State Tomorrow)
• The Reality Assessment (Your State Today)
• Priorities/Goals (Gaps)
• Strategies with Potential (Tactical Plan)
• Action Steps (Work Assignments)
• Technical Assistance and Follow-up

Slide 22:

The Vision for Improving Access to Mainstream Services for People Experiencing Chronic Homelessness(Your State Tomorrow)

• Provides a statement of purpose
• Presents a picture of your ideal future (independent of the current reality)
• Serves as a reference point for all future decisions
• Specifically addresses issue of improving access to mainstream services

Slide 23:

Sample Vision Statement

To create an comprehensive system of care for persons who are chronically homeless by making optimal use of existing mainstream resources, creating new resources, and improving coordination and collaboration across service and housing systems.

Slide 24:

The Reality Assessment of Access to Mainstream Services for People Experiencing Chronic Homelessness (Your State Today)

• Requires a review/inventory of:
  • Key problems and issues in your State
  • Previous policy actions taken to address these issues
  • Current political environment
• Assesses your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats
• Helps to identify resources at your disposal
• Provides context for your efforts

Slide 25:

Team Priorities/Goals (Gaps)

• Likely to be the “gaps” between your vision and the current reality
• Areas where you will focus your energy and resources in order to influence policy
• Form the basis for planning, policy-making and setting performance standards
• May be short-term and/or long-term

Slide 26:

Sample Goals/Priorities

• Priority/Goal 1: Create a permanent interagency committee that will oversee the implementation of the strategic plan
• Priority/Goal 2: Realign Federal, state and local funds for developing services and housing
• Priority/Goal 3: Implement evidence-based effective services
• Priority/Goal 4: Integrate services to increase access to mainstream services
• Priority/Goal 5: Develop affordable housing

Slide 27:

Strategies with Potential(Tactical Plans)

• Broad range tactics to affect change
• Often require Statewide or cross-agency efforts
• Usually involve the combination of several courses of action
• Should be directly related to your priorities/goals

Slide 28:

Action Steps(Work Assignments)

• Specific activities undertaken based on your strategy(-ies)
• Require action from specific individuals or entities (differentiate between what is within your control and what is not)
• Considerations
  • Who is responsible for coordinating each action?
  • Who is responsible for completing action?
  • What resources are required?
  • What is the timeline?
  • Who will be affected?
  • How will success be measured?

Slide 29:

This slide titled "Visualizing the Action Plan," shows a hierarchical representation of the Action Plan. The five levels shown are:

• Level One:
  • Reality Assesment (Your State Today)
• Level Two:
  • Vision (Your State Tomorrow)
• Level Three:
  • Priority/Goal # 1
  • Priority/Goal # 2
  • Priority/Goal # 3
• Level Four:
  • Strategy 2.1
  • Strategy 2.2
• Level Five:
  • Under Strategy 2.1
    • Action 2.1.1
    • Action 2.1.2
    • Action 2.1.3
    • Action 2.1.4
  • Under Strategy 2.2
    • Action 2.2.1
    • Action 2.2.2
    • Action 2.2.3

Slide 30:

This slide titled "Visualizing the Action Plan," shows a hierarchical representation of the Action Plan. The four levels shown are:

• Level One:
  • Strategy
• Level Two:
  • Action
• Level Three:
  • Manager
  • Expected Outcomes
  • Completion Date
• Level Four:
  • Implementer
  • Benchmarks

Slide 31:

Technical Assistance and Follow-Up

• Teams will clarify and prioritize technical assistance needs with HSR via conference call
• Requests may include:
  • Written or internet-based materials and contacts
  • Web site chat room and other resources
  • Peer-based TA with other States
  • Teleconference with content experts/consultants
  • On-site visit from content experts/consultants
  • On-site facilitation of State Team
• Teams will submit 6-month progress reports
• HSR will track and coordinate evaluation of TA