ANALYSIS OF SOCIAL SERVICE AGENCIES Report

ANALYSIS OF SOCIAL SERVICE AGENCIES REPORT

2011 Social Services Convening

© 2010 by Root Cause

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Research Partnership

Bermuda Civil Society Project (BCSP): Bermuda-based, independent research and data analysis initiative designed to clarify how nonprofit agencies and other stakeholders deliver programs and services to the community. Its purpose is to better inform plans for allocating resources and collaborative work.

BCSP commissioned Root Cause to develop a report to: Summarize existing research on current status of Bermuda’s third

sector specifically as it pertains to children and families Analyse social service agencies in Bermuda to increase

understanding of the gaps and overlaps in services being provided


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Third Sector Trends

Government’s changing role: Government refocus on economy results in outsourcing social service delivery to agencies

Cross-sector collaboration: Increase in collaboration among business, government , and third sectors represents an opportunity to proliferate best practices and increase information sharing

A new type of donor: Increasingly donors seek results, proof of outcomes, and transparency from agencies

Sector Challenges: Funding shortage is exacerbated by dramatic growth in number of agencies Lack of standardized data inhibits agencies’ ability to track progress and

identify greatest opportunity for impact Unclear sector oversight and purpose Lack of integration between advocacy and direct service agencies


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Sector Landscape in Bermuda

With the number of nonprofit agencies in Bermuda nearing 700, agencies face severe capital constraints, and most operate on miniscule budgets

Revenue levels among nonprofit agencies


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Sector Landscape in Bermuda

Donor giving is difficult to predict; donors’ stated priorities and actual giving don’t always match…

Actual giving by social issue area Donor stated priorities


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Analysis of Social Service Agencies

In 2010 Root Cause conducted an analysis of social service agencies in Bermuda, focusing on the following activities: 2010 Social Service Agencies Convening Cause/effect analysis on convening data Survey to identify gaps/overlaps in services and recommended

reprioritization


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2010 Convening Takeaways

Widespread consensus around desire to identify and

address causes of presenting problems to create systemic

change Social service agencies identified seven presenting

problems and three underlying causes for each Cause/effect relationships between presenting problems and underlying

causes are fluid, weakening issue hierarchy Possible solutions are difficult to identify due to broad and numerous

presenting problems and underlying causes Significant overlap between presenting problems and underlying

causes is an opportunity to synthesize further


Categories Defined at the Convening

Lack of healthy relationships

Lack of education and life skills

High cost of living

Lack of protection for our vulnerable

populations

Lack of parenting skills

Lack of data/research/

statistics

Inadequate socialization

Presenting Problems Underlying Causes

- Unaddressed trauma over generations- Family and community disconnect- Lack of focus on well being as a country

- System is broad from the top down – doesn’t accommodate learning styles- Politics/lack of leadership in education- Lack of community / family involvement

- Goods- Food- Shelter

- Unaddressed trauma over generations- Lack of system(s) that work to address issues- Over / mis / convenient diagnosis of drugs

- Breakdown of extended family/community, lack of support- Generational pattern of unresolved trauma- Lack of clarity around what a good parent is

- Data not disseminated- No central database- Not an independent body to ensure findings are ethical – lack of accountability

- Poor understanding of cause / effect, resulting in loss of personal responsibility and accountability- Breakdown of family unit- Discouraged mixing between systems (races, classes etc)

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Cause/Effect Analysis

Root Cause reclassified categories of presenting problems through a cause/effect analysis to: Reduce overlaps in causes and effects between categories Separate problems that require government intervention

from those that can be addressed with 3rd sector services Identify causes that link to high-leverage social issue

area(s) on which Bermuda’s 3rd sector should focus


Unaddressed trauma over generations

Causes Effects

Lack of quality education

Lack of life skills

Lack of political infrastructure and

systems to prioritize/address

social issues

Lack of data and central repository

Lack of healthy relationships

Family disconnect and lack of involvement

Lack of protection for our vulnerable populations

Over / mis / convenient diagnosis of drugs

Lack of parenting skills

Community disconnect and lack of involvement

Lack of clarity around what a good parent is

Data not disseminated

No central database

No independent body to ensure findings are ethical / lack of accountability

Inadequate socialization

Discouraged mixing between systems

Req

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vern

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Lack of focus on well being as a country

Causes on which to focus

High cost of living

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Reclassified Categories


Third Sector Opportunity

Three major causes present the greatest opportunities for agencies in Bermuda to have large-scale impact: Unaddressed trauma over generations Lack of quality education* Lack of life skills

Collaboration with government to define a political infrastructure around the third sector remains important

Agencies will benefit from and should actively contribute to the establishment of a central repository of data

*Although quality education will require government intervention, there are 3 rd sector agencies that can provide beneficiaries with programs across service types

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Analysis of Agency Survey Data

107 survey respondents work in 23 sectors…


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Connecting Convening and Survey Data

Unaddressed Multigenerational

Trauma

Lack of EducationLack of Life Skills

Human Services

Youth Development

EducationMental Health and Crisis Intervention

Causes Identified in Analysis of Convening Data

Corresponding Sector(s) in Survey*

*Revised NTEE structure used in survey to provide consistency


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Lack of Life Skills

Youth Development Human Services

Key Findings: Majority of services are “push” services (advocacy, awareness/ education,

prevention), aiming to prevent the negative consequences of social issues Females receive fewer services than males in youth development but adult females

receive more services than adult males in human services


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Lack of Education

EducationKey Findings: Majority of services aim to prevent

the negative consequences of social issues

Youth receive fewer services than adults

More agencies identified as being involved with adult education than with higher education, indicating a greater focus on life skills than academic achievement


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Unaddressed Multigenerational Trauma

Mental Health and Crisis InterventionKey Findings: Despite 3rd sector consensus that

“unaddressed multigenerational trauma” is a key problem, few programs focus on this issue

Adults are offered more than twice as many services as youth

Lack of push services (advocacy, awareness, prevention) is concerning as mental health issues were prioritized by 2010 Convening attendees


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Summary

Based on research and agency input, unaddressed multigenerational trauma is a key issue on which to focus

Although gaps in services exist, collaboration is critical to leverage minimal resources and gain funder attention

Developed a draft continuum of services to provide a framework to address this issue in a comprehensive and collaborative way

18 Questions

SERVICE CONTINUUM DEFINITION AND EXAMPLES


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The Service Continuum Approach

Definition: The service continuum defines the spectrum of services that exist to meet the needs of a given population, specifically related to the given issue.

Root Cause defines the service continuum in terms of service type Begins with “push” services, which aim to prevent the

negative outcomes of the issue (advocacy/awareness/education and prevention),

Ends with “pull” services, which address the negative outcomes (intervention, treatment, and aftercare)


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The Service Continuum Approach

Why think of social issues in terms of a service continuum? Assesses capacity and identifies gaps in services to tackle

a given social issue Provides a proactive versus reactive framework Establishes common goals for agencies Encourages coordination and linkages among

agencies/services Ensures stakeholder and community “buy-in” and access

to mainstream resources


Draft Service Continuum: Unaddressed Multigenerational Trauma

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Advocacy/ Awareness/ Educa

tion

Prevention

Interventio

n

Treatment

Aftercar

eCounselling/private psychological services• Adult individual therapy• Family therapy• Couples therapy• Group therapy• Adolescent/youth therapy

Substance abuse screening

Drug and alcohol case management

Substance abuse problem assessment

Recovery support groups

Mental health screeningEducational workshops and/or skills programs

Resource centres

Youth mentoring

Alternative education

Alternative education

Offender reintegration

Victim reintegrationYouth development/ coaching

Crisis hotlines

Supportive residency

Cultural preservation and education

Case management


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Adding Nuance to the Continuum

Tailoring the continuum for a specific subpopulation creates a more nuanced spectrum of services that more clearly shows opportunities for agency collaboration

Subpopulations may be defined by: Age group Gender Common risk factor(s)

The following slides show two examples that leverage multiple services to achieve a common goal


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Childhood Obesity Prevention: Shape Up Somerville Pilot

“It takes the leadership and support of an entire community to create an environment that supports children’s health from the time they leave their homes to go to school in the morning until the time they return home in the evening”

- Joseph Curtatone, Mayor of Somerville; White House, 2010

Structure: Multi-sector, community-based initiative to combat childhood obesity Strategic Partners:

Government: Somerville Public Schools, Massachusetts Department of Health Academic/Research: Tufts University, Institute for Community Health Sample Service Providers: Somerville Youth Network, Cambridge Health Alliance,

Groundwork Somerville, Active Living by Design Target Beneficiary: Children in grades 1-3 Early Results:

Effectively decreased BMI scores 21 Shape Up approved restaurants Named one of the 100 best communities for young people

ccalzadilla

Type of org


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Childhood Obesity Prevention:Holistic Strategy

Home

CommunitySchool

Newsletters to parents

Farmers marketsHealthier lunch menu

Nutrition in class time

Increased recess

Training for teachers and lunch servers

After school cooking lessons

Student Health Report Cards

“No TV Week”

Healthier breakfasts

Walking/Biking to school

New bike/walking paths

Pediatrician training

“Shape Up Approved” restaurant certification


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Workforce Development:SkillWorks

Structure: Brings together philanthropy, government, community organizations, and employers to help low income individuals attain family supporting jobs and businesses find skilled workers

Strategic Partners: Government/Funder: Boston Mayor’s Office of Jobs and Community, The Boston Foundation Academic: Northeastern University, Cambridge College Sample Service Providers: Jewish Vocational Services, Asian American Civic Association,

Action for Boston Community Development Target Beneficiary: Low-income adults; employee-seeking businesses Early Results:

3,000 workers trained, 500+ workers placed in jobs, 250+ workers promoted Garnered more than $50M in new workforce funding in MA

“We cannot tolerate the coexistence of high numbers of unemployed and underemployed workers looking for positions, and employers with jobs that need to be filled in our region.”

- Paul Grogan, President of The Boston Foundation; 2003


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Workforce Development:Holistic Strategy

Workforce Partnerships

Capacity Building

Public Policy Advocacy

Labor market studies

Software and process trainings

Workforce competitiveness trust fund

One-stop-career centers

Publish issue research and evaluation

Cross-sector collaboration/meetings

Grantmaking

Industry-specific research

Pilot projects in: green economy, hospitality, building services, automotive, health care

Curriculum design

Roundtable discussions

Career coaching

Online tools for providers

Government candidate forums

28 Questions

SERVICE CONTINUUM DISCUSSION AND NEXT STEPS


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Why is a Continuum Important?

Provides a framework for which agencies can collaborate to make progress on a social issue: Involves stakeholders across sectors and services to

become part of the solution Provides a way to analyze existing capacity of

agencies providing services Identifies gaps based on need and their relative priority

Enables measureable progress towards goal of increasing the effectiveness of the third sector


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Exercise: Feedback on the Service Continuum

Further develop the service continuum Under which service type(s) is your organization? Or if you don’t provide a direct service under

which types are you interested in collaborating? What services/programs are missing?

Advocacy/ Awareness/ Educa

tion

Prevention

Interventio

n

Treatment

Aftercar

e


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Service Type Definitions

Advocacy/ Awareness / Education: Efforts to organize groups and/or influence policy Sessions, workshops, trainings, gatherings or other activities aimed at informing

about a particular social issue Prevention:

Services that direct those who are vulnerable away from a given issue before they are affected by it

Intervention: Services that aim to stop an issue as it is taking place, either through

direct/immediate action, or through longer term actions Treatment:

Services that support or care for individuals/populations that have been affected by an issue and/or before they are fully removed from the direct impact of the issue; the goal of these programs is to stop the direct impact of the given issue

Aftercare: Longer-term services that care for individuals/populations that have been affected by

a given issue; these programs seek to stabilize their beneficiaries’ situation after they are no longer being directly affected by the issue, and to prevent a recurrence of the issue through support over a significant period of time


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Exercise: Input on Criteria

Effective collaboration in a continuum of services requires specific expectations of participating stakeholders:

Organisational Capacity

Program effectiveness

Sector and field collaboration

Social Issue experience/ expertise

Other


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Criteria Examples

Organisational Capacity

• Financial stability• Strong leadership

Program Effectiveness

• Collection and use of data to measure performance

Social Issue Experience & Expertise

• Proven results addressing the issue

Sector & Field Collaboration

• Strong partnerships with agencies within the 3rd sector or across the other sectors

Other • Innovative model• Research capabilities


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Next Steps from this Convening

Aggregate and disseminate feedback Refine the service continuum Categorize convening attendees within service

types to be used for collaboration Highlight gaps and opportunities for collaboration Document and determine a list of criteria for the

continuum based upon input Invite agencies to participate in next phase of

work to further develop the continuum


Opportunities to Collaborate

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Conduct a self evaluation based on the criteria discussed to determine if you want to participate in a continuum of service

Self-Evaluation

Review Continuum

Contact Agencies

Review Data

Participate, Share, Learn

Review the continuum and provide feedback on key services that may be missing

Make contact with agencies identified as providing similar services to collaborate

Review data that you currently collect to determine what might be useful across fields

Participate in social service forums/ convenings to share and learn

37 Questions


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Foundation for a Continuum of Service

Agreement on the specific social issue being addressed and for which population

Representation of all types of services that address the social issue

Agreed upon common goals and commitment to collect data to determine agency effectiveness

Database in which data can be stored and analyzed to provide transparency about overlap and gaps in service

Regular forum through which stakeholders can share and learn

Documents

ANALYSIS OF SOCIAL SERVICE AGENCIES Report