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
© 2010 by Root Cause
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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
© 2010 by Root Cause
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
© 2010 by Root Cause
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
uire
s go
vern
men
t in
terv
entio
n
Lack of focus on well being as a country
Causes on which to focus
High cost of living
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Reclassified Categories
© 2010 by Root Cause
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…
© 2010 by Root Cause
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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
© 2010 by Root Cause
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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
2011 Social Services Convening
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© 2010 by Root Cause
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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)
© 2010 by Root Cause
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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
© 2010 by Root Cause
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
© 2010 by Root Cause
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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
© 2010 by Root Cause
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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
© 2010 by Root Cause
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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
2011 Social Services Convening
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© 2010 by Root Cause
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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
© 2010 by Root Cause
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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
© 2010 by Root Cause
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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
© 2010 by Root Cause
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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
© 2010 by Root Cause
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
© 2010 by Root Cause
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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