Social Workers as Technical Assistance Providers in an Urban Community Change

Initiative

Leslie D. Hollingsworth, PhD, Associate ProfessorUniversity of Michigan School of Social Work

Paula Allen-Meares, PhD, Chancellor & John Corbally Presidential ProfessorUniversity of Illinois at Chicago

Trina Shanks, PhD, Assistant ProfessorUniversity of Michigan School of Social Work

Larry Gant, PhD, ProfessorUniversity of Michigan School of Social Work

Social Workers as Technical Assistance Providers in an Urban

Community Change Initiative

Introduction

Building on the history of the settlement house movement

•Andrew Carnegie• Introduced a place-based foundation work•Embedded funders•Moved from traditionally funding programs to• direct and long-term engagement, • concentration of resources

toward community change.

Embedded FundersPrinciples of embedded foundations (Soujourner, Brown Chaskin, Hamilton, Fiester, & Richman, 2004):

1) Maintaining direct community involvement

2) Long-term investment of time & money

3) Emphasizing the importance of gaining the trust of neighborhood stakeholders

4) Leveraging resources of time, money, networks, and personnel

5) Partnering with grantees and residents

6) Remaining flexible to demands and opportunities “on the ground”

7) Using multiple investment strategies (financial, social and political capital)

Concurrent role for social workers as providers of technical assistance

Purpose of this Presentation

•Describe the social context•Describe the project•Apply process theory w/in context of theory of change to give one example (case study) of our approach to technical assistance•Discuss rewards, challenges, and lessons learned

The Social Context

Earlier history:Large ethnic minority populationHigh resident achievementActive community participationStrong political involvementImmense civic pride

Recently:

Highest unemployment rate

Lowest high school graduation rateLowest median household income

Highest mortgage foreclosure rateSerious crime decreased

The Good Neighborhoods Project2005: Detroit- based Skillman Foundation committed its

financial resourcestime and expertise of staff, and reputation and influence as a civic leader,

over a ten-year periodto help improve the developmental outcomes of children in•Six of the city’s most heavily child-populated neighborhoods•City population of approximately 951,000 in 2000•205,000 residents lived in the six targeted neighborhoods•36.7% of the being under 18 years of age

3 Phases of the project

Planning phase (years 1-3)

Residents and service providersIdentified neighborhood specific goals

Strategies for achieving themShort-term and long-term action plansAction planning teams were consolidated into a single community plan

Phases of the project cont.

Readiness phase (years 4-5)

Acquired the knowledge and skills necessary to implement the community plan

Preparation and establishment of a governance process and a governance body

Phases of the project cont.

Transformation (year 6-10)Funding and change-making function of the Foundation is modified

Change-making role of the neighborhoods increases

Neighborhoods assuming active implementation of an integrated Foundation/community plan

The University of Michigan School of Social Work Technical Assistance Center

Process Theory: Events or occurrences are the result of•Certain input states•Leading to a certain outcome (output) state •Following a set processUseful for replication

Technical Assistance

Technical assistance defined by (Motes, Whiting, & Salone, 2007): “Offer of concrete and tangible help or support for a specific purpose”

The strength of technical assistance arises from:

(a) Specialized knowledge and skills that are(b) Grounded in theory, research, and practice and(c) Adapted to a specific function or environment

Examples of services and strategies-UM-SSW Technical Assistance Center

Skill building and capacity building in the neighborhoods through coaching

Team buildingWorkshopsLeadership developmentLearning seminars in addition to data collection and dissemination

Knowledge developmentKnowledge dissemination

The UM-SSW Technical Assistance Center Theory of Change

Built on the recognition that:

1) Communities have existing assets and can develop to their full potential

2) Knowledge can be enhanced through education and training

3) Change will occur systematically across neighborhoods

4) Partnerships must be established in order to achieve community change

UM-SSW Technical Assistance Center brings to the Good Neighborhoods project:

1) Knowledge of the local community2) faculty and staff expert knowledge and experience3) Faulty and staff time, talents, and

representativeness

4) Forecasting

Levels of technical assistance

1) To the Skillman Foundation2) To the neighborhoods3) Across neighborhoods

Anticipated Outputs

1) Residents and service providers gain skills and knowledge

2) Partnerships and working relationships are established across communities

3) The Good Neighborhoods program responds to emerging issues in a timely and intelligent manner

Anticipated Outcomes

1) Good Neighborhoods partners and communities make informed decisions

2) Residents and service providers develop a sense o community cohesion

3) Residents and service providers respond to community issues with skills acquired

Neighborhood-Specific ActivitiesConsultation and coaching provided to neighborhood-based action planning teams, learning grantees, residents, and small groups

Participation in:Neighborhood coordination teamsNeighborhood-specific workshops

Preparation of technical briefs to address learning needs.Providing structured opportunities for neighborhood sharingPreparation for community meetings

Cross-neighborhood activities•Cross-neighborhood forums•Symposiums and other events•Support and evaluation to cross-neighborhood partnerships •Facilitating roundtable discussions/learning clusters•Preparing technical briefs serving the needs of multiple neighborhoods•Identifying and recommending areas of strategic focus (e.g., governance, capacity-building, leadership development, and communication)•Collaborating in planning and staffing a recurrent Leadership Academy for residents and stakeholders

Foundation Level Activities•Creation of evaluation forms, templates, and working documents for on going Good Neighborhoods program activities.•Qualitative and quantitative analysis of data from community meetings•Action planning team meetings•Community-based assessment of systems of support and opportunities

•Facilitation of learning clusters (e.g., regarding transportation; community, organization)

•Participation in partner administrative/operational meetings, conference calls, and learning partnerships

•Compilation of best practices research, including literature reviews and preparation of technical briefs•Development of a system of learning from, and integrating best practices

Foundation Level cont.

•Support internal management and communication•Identifying effective communication mechanisms•Conducting scholarly presentations and publications of knowledge developed•Serving as a community organization/community practice field instruction placement site

•Developing a future vision for the Technical Assistance Center

•Reviewing and addressing ongoing grant requirements

•Measurable indicators are associated with key activities

The Case Study

A key activity identified

“concentrate successful programs and youth development programs that operate in a network of services for all children ages 0-18 years”

Center was asked to develop a framework

Pay particular attention to the Harlem Children’s Zone project model

Definitions and concepts

Ecological theories of child development

Positive youth development

Empirical evidence

Ecological Theory ConceptualizationEdna McConnell Clark Foundation’s Generic Model of Youth Development

Needs Resources/InputsMaterial Resources Adequate food, housing,

clothing

Safety and Security Health care—acute, maintenance, and preventive (physical and mental)

Emotional support Love, warm/close relationships with caring adults

Information and technical and academic knowledge

Supervision/monitoring/limit-setting, control discipline

Social support/interaction

Positive role models Youth Outcomes

Spiritual/meaning in life High expectations Health and Safety

Young Adult Outcome

Good health Education in academic skills Social and Emotional Well-being

Self-sufficiency as a young adult

Training in life skills Educational Achievement and Cognitive Attainment

“Constraints” and “Opportunities” for Teens

Training in social skills

Characteristics present at birth

Moral value/responsibility/character expectations

Family SES Gate keeping/interface with schools and other organizations

Residential location Routines and traditions

Chronic health conditions

Community supports and services, norms, future opportunities

Conceptualization cont.Edna McConnell Clark Foundation’s Generic Model of Youth Development

Research questions

1) What do children need, at each stage of development, to reach desired outcomes?

2) What contributions are required from parents, family, and other adults in the community?

3) What evidence-based positive youth development interventions exist that address the desired outcomes?

Method

Procedure

Comprehensive review of the empirical and theoretical literature

Organize the results according to questions raised

Method cont.Question 1

•Edna McConnell Clark Foundation Generic Model of Youth Development•Minnesota Study of Risk and Adaptation•Minneapolis-based Search Institute’s (2005) individual developmental assets

Question 2

•Review of research studies reported by the Community Guide to Helping America’s Youth (parent, teacher, mentor contributions)

Question 3

•Review of evidence-based program models summarized in national databases and directed toward positive youth development•Input from residents and service providers•Knowledge regarding the Harlem Children’s Zone project provided additional modeling and validation

Criteria for selecting model programsFrom these national databases, we identified those programs that were: • Evidence-based • Directed toward positive youth development• Home-or community-based

Targeted first-time mothers early in their pregnancyTargeted children from birth through early childhoodWere directed to supporting parents and other caregiversWere directed toward making adult mentors availableWere built on content that is developmentally-relevantWere aimed at accomplishing outcomes of being safe, healthy, well-educated, and prepared for adulthood.

Results

Programs Meeting Framework Criteria

We identified 17 program models that met criteria of the proposed framework

Structural supports identified as necessary(Drew from residents’ and other stakeholders’ recommended strategies for implementing Good Neighborhoods goals)

1) Neighborhood-based, centralized service locations

2) A local/neighborhood transportation system

3) An easily accessible mechanism for communicating information about services

4) A wraparound mechanism

5) An evaluation mechanism

A Conversation about Next Steps1) What did the Skillman Foundation envision in writing the good

Neighborhoods Key Activity on which the work of this project was built

2) What grant-making role did the Skillman Foundation anticipate with regard to such a network of services?

3) What would be the process of identifying services to be part of each network?

4) How will capacity, quality of care, and access to service be considered?

5) How would the proposed Good Neighborhood network of services link with other Skillman-driven initiatives and existing public and non-profit agencies?

6) How would a proposed neighborhood governance structure be incorporated with the establishment of a services network in each neighborhood?

We suggested consideration of:•A model in which support would be provided to existing large non-profit agencies (one in each of the six neighborhoods) already offering multiple services in single location

•Piloting of a neighborhood transportation system•Training of large non-profit agencies in developing evidence-based programs according to national models•Establishment of an ongoing process of systematic evaluation•Engagement of neighborhood residents in an advisory role in developing requests for proposals for funding of the above design

Arrival at a System of Care Model•Utilizes comprehensive community planning and implementation• Addresses child and youth development•Utilizes multiple services•Builds on multiple asset domains

Communities that CareMiami Youth Development ProjectHarlem Children’s Zone projectWraparound

Response and Where We Are Now•At least partially in response to our work, the Good Neighborhoods partnership created its Readiness Phase Evaluation Framework in a way that included many of our recommendations

The Technical Assistance team is currently engaged•Finalizing resource directories•Conducting quantitative and qualitative evaluations of the perceived quality of the services

An early task for newly-formed governance bodies•Identify strengths•Identify gaps in services

Rewards, Challenges, and LessonsRewards

•Provide technical assistance in an area of historical importance•Opportunity to create knowledge•Arrival at systems of care models•Realization of the Foundation’s revision of its Readiness Phase Evaluation Framework to reflect our work ad findings

•Opportunity to be part of the efforts of people deeply committed•Opportunity to work with knowledgeable and excited local and national partners•Opportunity to make a difference

Rewards, Challenges, and Lessons cont.

Challenges•Lack of a system for response to technical assistance provided•Working within the Foundation’s time and emphasis priorities•Balancing a commitment to positive youth development with more immediate intervention and prevention needs•Providing technical assistance n a way that respects the dual reality of a top-down-bottom-up planning process•Alignment of roles and responsibilities among foundation, community, and non-profit provider partners•Lack of an integrated communication process

Rewards, Challenges, and Lessons cont.

Challenges cont.

•Balancing multiple levels of technical assistance simultaneously

•Structuring technical assistance in ways that inform knowledge development

•“Selling” innovative project ideas to the Foundation

•Getting credit for substantive technical assistance provided•Disseminating knowledge developed in a timely manner.

Rewards, Challenges, and Lessons cont.

Lessons so far

•Emphasizing regular communication, internally and externally, at all levels and between and among all partners•Ongoing clarification of expectations and roles•Incorporating a structure for:• establishing and revising timelines, • reporting progress, • making modifications, • decision-making ,and • integration of knowledge within the larger initiative

•Holding separate “publications team meetings”•Writing drafts prior to conference presentations