JFK UNIVERSITY COMMUNITY COUNSELING CENTERS: A ROADMAP TO BUILDING ROBUST AND RESILIENT COUNSELING CENTERS

Transcription

1 JFK UNIVERSITY COMMUNITY COUNSELING CENTERS: A ROADMAP TO BUILDING ROBUST AND RESILIENT COUNSELING CENTERS JFKU CCC 3-Year Strategic Plan

2 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY With the publication of its Strategic Plan for , the John F. Kennedy University Community Counseling Centers articulate their preferred future and share their vision of what the Centers seek to be as an organization by the year With the introduction of health care reform, the exciting developments in brain science, and our expanded community partnerships, we acknowledge the opportunities for improved mental health care for individuals and families residing in the communities served by the Centers. As Community Counseling Centers, we embrace and exemplify our core values of integrity, accessibility, inclusiveness and diversity, community, service excellence and responsible stewardship which underlie our intention to be the preferred in-house training site for our JFKU students and the provider of choice in the community. Economic Perspective: Our Strategic Plan puts forth a roadmap which acknowledges the pressures of our slowlyrebounding economy while reflecting our commitment to a sustainable future for the Centers. Since the creation of our Community Counseling Centers, the University has provided academic, supervisory and financial support to keep our Centers viable. All institutions of higher learning including JFK University are being challenged to respond to new trends in the method of delivery for higher education. Our Centers must be nimble, responsive and adapt to the changing trends in higher education. As the Centers continue to develop and implement programs and services to meet the expressed and evolving needs of the communities, and as the competition for greater academic stature and reputation challenges the University to attract new students, the Centers must develop alternative revenue streams, rely less upon the financial support of the University and provide careful stewardship of our resources, both financial and human. As the economy rebounds, the Centers must keep pace with the marketplace in order to retain highlyskilled, professional staff and supervisory personnel. These are some of the realities faced by the Centers, and if we wish to continue to give the John F. Kennedy University graduate students a place to learn and practice their profession, we must address those realities. Tuition alone is not sufficient to pay for all of the costs associated with the Community Counseling Centers and is not directly reflected in each Center s budget. Economic efficiencies can only provide a short term solution to the problems of staff retention and morale, as well as service delivery at the Centers. Given these economic constraints and the realities of the market place, we need to consider, develop and put into effect certain initiatives that will help to defray the Centers operating costs. Defraying the Centers operating costs will allow the Centers to maintain their independence and sustainability while enhancing their service model to the communities they serve, as well as the students that come to the Centers for training and professional development. These financial and economic initiatives will require a tremendous degree of work and support from the leadership of John F. Kennedy University and the National University System, continuing dialogue concerning 1

3 the direction of the Community Counseling Centers, availability of grant writing resources, academic assistance, and research and data collection to name just a few concerns. Our clear resolution is not to simply survive current conditions which challenge other non-profit providers like us, but to emerge in 2018 as a stronger, more effective and more vital organization. The Centers remain committed to strengthening our communities, one individual, one family at a time, and to remaining the preferred in-house training site for our JFKU students. Our Strategic Plan generated a Vision Statement for our Centers that accentuates our Centers strengths and distinct competencies which include: Providing mental health services across the family life cycle; Collaborating with other community partners in the design and delivery of communitybased services; Creating and delivering innovative programs designed to treat and prevent the occurrence of mental health problems while promoting individual and family wellness; Working with our academic programs to provide an experience which will prepare the students for the employment marketplace, while supporting their growth as clinicians and future leaders in behavioral health care by providing them with educational and technological opportunities necessary to succeed. Our success in realizing our enhanced vision will be measured by the extent to which we execute the following three Strategic Initiatives: 1. Service: Enhancing, creating, and delivering family-centered mental health programs and services across the family life cycle to meet the current and growing needs of our community; 2. Community Engagement: Developing strategic partnerships with key local community partners for the purpose of strengthening the social safety net and improving accessibility of mental health and wellness resources to the most vulnerable in our communities. Effectively telling our story to the community, conveying a message that increases the awareness of our mission while demonstrating the impact of our services, as well as the value of the Centers to our communities; 3. Sustainability: Achieving long-term financial stability by developing a strong donor base, creating alternative revenue streams, and implementing continuous evaluation of effectiveness and sustainability of the Centers programs. By effectively telling our story to the community in a way that increases the awareness of our mission and the impact of our services, we will realize the Centers vision. 2

4 Figure 1 : The Service, Engagement, and Sustainability Pyramid the three Strategic Initiatives of JFK University s Community Counseling Centers. The Pyramid illustrates the importance we place on Service to the Community, thoughtful Engagement with key Community Partners, and our commitment to a Sustainable business model that will ensure continuity of programming and services to the community. Sustainability Engagement Service 3

5 OUR MISSION The Mission of the John F. Kennedy University Community Counseling Centers is to provide high-quality, affordable, outpatient mental health and psycho-educational services to the community. As well, the Centers exist to provide in-house, highly-supervised training for J.F.K. University students seeking professional licensure as Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists, Licensed Professional Clinical Counselors or Licensed Psychologists. OUR BOLD VISION FOR THE FUTURE Building upon on our strengths and history as a provider of family-centered mental health treatment and wellness services in Alameda, Contra Costa and Santa Clara counties, and as the primary provider of in-house, highly supervised training for JFK University students seeking professional licensure, we envision a future in which the John F. Kennedy University Community Counseling Centers will: Be the preferred provider of choice for mental health and wellness services; Lead the effort to prepare the next generation of behavioral healthcare practitioners; Be known for delivering culturally appropriate and responsive mental health, wellness, and psycho-educational services; Partner with primary health care providers and clinics to deliver integrated behavioral health services to our communities; Be a leader and a game changer in the health and wellness space. 4

6 OUR CORE VALUES As JFK University Community Counseling Centers, we embrace and exemplify SIX CORE VALUES: Integrity, Accessibility, Inclusiveness and Diversity, Community, Service Excellence and Stewardship. These Core Values inform our: Conduct and Professionalism Commitment to our client s holistic needs Cultural respect and sensitivities Quality and effectiveness of our services Fiduciary and stewardship responsibilities Integrity: We hold ourselves accountable as individuals and as an agency to interact within our learning community and with our clients and community partners in a manner that is respectful, transparent and honest. Accessibility: We seek to provide our mental health services at community locations that are easily accessible to our clients, counselors-in-training and the community. Inclusive and Diversity: We seek to promote a sense of social inclusiveness at the Centers. Our staff, JFKU students, community partners, the Community Leadership Board and volunteers reflects the diversity that enriches and contributes to our programmatic effectiveness and our vibrant learning community. We are committed to serving the traditionally underserved while embracing diversity. We challenge ourselves to create a climate of acceptance and respect within our Centers and continue to create culturally appropriate and effective services. Community: We seek to demonstrate compassionate support, concern and a welcoming environment at our Centers for the individuals and families we serve through our programs and services. We seek to be a part of making our communities healthier so as to make a positive difference in the lives of children and adults. Our sense of community also extends to our JFKU students and our Centers staff. We seek to create an environment where individuals are recognized for their strengths, as well as supported in their professional and personal growth. Service Excellence: We are committed to innovation, continuous inquiry and responsiveness to the expressed needs of our communities, so that we might develop programs and services that are easily assessable when particularly to those who have experienced marginalization. In addition, we practice ongoing evaluation of all policies, procedures and programs offered at our Centers. 5

7 Good Stewardship: We are aware that the Centers work in our communities will be needed for many years into the future. Therefore, we must strive to make careful financial and strategic choices that will lead to a sustainable organization, so that we will remain a resource for the individuals and families most in need of our support. For a more compressive discussion of our Core Values, please see Appendix One. 6

8 CENTER INITIATIVES Initiative One: The Centers will need to create and deliver family-centered mental health programs and services across the family life cycle in order to meet the growing needs of our surrounding communities. Efficiency and high quality customer service will be critical to the success of the Centers. To that end, the Centers will look to streamlining existing processes. Action or Activities Initiative One: Support Service Quality to Students and Clients Develop family-centered mental health prevention programs and services Develop and implement plan to update technology across all three centers Time Frame Individuals and Departments Responsible Executive Director Clinical Director 2016 Executive Director Clinical Director Administrative Coordinator IT 2015 Clinical Director Clinical Coordinator Decrease waiting period between intake and assignment Assess feasibility of facilitating a volunteer program 2015 Executive Director Administrative Coordinator Establish and disseminate clear protocols for 2015 Executive Director communications between the Centers and Academic Program University Chairs/Dean of CGPS Hire Clinical Director for Concord 2015 Executive Director Develop and implement a customer satisfaction survey for Center clients and external partners 2016 Executive Director, Office of Institutional Research, Clinical Develop and implement and ongoing method of program evaluation to measure and report treatment outcomes Director, Clinical Supervisors 2015 Executive Director, Office of Institutional Research, Clinical Director, Clinical Supervisors, 7

9 Initiative Two: In order to increase awareness of the Centers, the Centers will need to demonstrate to their surrounding communities the impact and value of their services. By doing so, the Centers will be recognized not only as a leader and advocate for family mental health and wellness, but also as the provider of choice for individuals, couples and families, at all income levels, seeking high quality, affordable, outpatient mental health services. Initiative Two: Enhance Community Engagement and Increase Awareness Actions or Activities Time Individuals and Departments Responsible Develop and implement an ongoing marketing plan to include the use of social media (Linked In, Facebook, Centers website, etc.) Executive Director Office of Marketing & Communications Administrative Coordinator Survey the Centers internal and external community stakeholders 2016 Office of Marketing & Communications Educational and Institutional Effectiveness Executive Director Clinical Directors Establish a Centers Leadership Board 2015 Executive Director, Office of Host foundation and individual donor or potential Centers Leadership Board members visits at the Centers Actively outreach to other non-profits, community based organizations, and other kinds of agencies which might be potential referral sources or future community partners with the Centers. Attend functions and actively participate in community events to provide exposure of our Centers Create marketing materials to leave at sites in the community, make available to prospective funders and donors, and our contractual partners. Provide space at each center for key community partners to host community meetings Develop strategic partnerships with key local community partners, as well as non-profits, developing working Memorandums of Understanding. Serve as No Wrong Door site for Returning Citizens (AB 109) Advancement 2015 Executive Director, Office of Advancement; Centers Leadership Board 2015 Executive Director Clinical Directors 2015 Executive Director, Clinical Director Office of Marketing & Communications, Center Students, Centers Leadership Board 2015 Executive Director Office of Marketing & Communications Administrative Coordinator Administrative Coordinator Executive Director 2015 Administrative Coordinator 8

10 Initiative Three: Achieving long-term financial stability will require the development of a strong donor base, alternative revenue streams, and ongoing evaluation of the overall effectiveness and sustainability of programs. In order to optimize the use of existing resources and improved access to mental health and wellness services, the Centers must continue to develop strategic partnerships with key local community partners. Initiative Three: Achieve Greater Financial Stability Actions and Activities Time Individuals and Departments Responsible Generate $500,000 million in funding requests/grants annually to develop additional revenue streams, build capacity expand services into areas which are lacking affordable mental health services, and create innovative programs for the Centers to reflect the needs and service gaps of the communities served by the Centers Obtain Medi-Cal certification, and identify and pursue possible contracts with FQHCs and other key insurers of Medi-Cal recipients. Obtain additional school contracts through Centers School Base Program, particularly expanding into other previously underserved communities Executive Director Centers Leadership Board Executive Director VPBA Administrative Assistant External Consultant Clinical Directors Executive Director School Base Program Coordinator Refine and further expand fee-based intern program 2015 Clinical Coordinators Administrative Coordinators Clinical Directors Executive Director Conduct annual review of fee structure Administrative Coordinators Clinical Coordinators, Clinical Directors Increase client base by 5% (based on FY ) 2015 Executive Director Clinical Coordinator Administrative Coordinator Office of Marketing & Communications University Outreach Coordinator Increase client base by 7% (based on FY ) 2016 Executive Director Clinical Coordinator Administrative Coordinator Office of Marketing & Communications University Outreach Coordinator Explore the potential to become a contracted provider for Victims of Crime compensation Executive Director Clinical Directors Clinical Coordinators 9

11 Initiative Three contd.: Achieve Greater Financial Stability Actions and Activities Time Individuals and Departments Responsible Development of MOUS with other community entities Clinical Directors for the purpose of increasing referrals and generating new sources of revenue through contracts for services. Research and increase submission of grant applications 2015 Executive Director Hire part-time grant writer to work with the Office of 2016 Executive Director Advancement on Center-specific grant opportunities Hire additional staff to manage eligibility determination, QI, QA and billing submissions and tracking for Medi-Cal Executive Director Host and annual fundraiser, The Power of Hope Executive Director, Office of Marketing & Communications, Clinical Directors, Centers Leadership Board Board members to host small, individual gatherings to create an awareness of the work of the Centers, and opportunity to network, and also develop the individual donor base, and recruit future Board members Executive Director, Office of Marketing & Communications, Clinical Directors, Centers Leadership Board 10

12 Appendix One 11

13 OUR CORE VALUES DEFINED Integrity: We hold ourselves accountable as individuals and as an agency to interact within our learning community and with our clients and community partners in a manner that is with respectful, transparent and honest. We respect the confidential nature of our client work and actively protect client Personal Health Information (PHI) in compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA). We respect the privacy rights of our JFKU students in compliance with the Family Educational and Privacy Act (FERPA). We respect the employee s right to privacy in the workplace in addition to all employee rights in the workplace as set forth by federal and state laws. We are knowledgeable of and uphold at the highest level the laws and regulations and ethical codes for Marriage and Family Therapists, Professional Clinical Counselors, and Psychologists. Accessibility: We seek to provide our mental health services at community locations that are easily accessible to our clients, counselors-in-training and the community. We provide extended hours six days a week for our clients in order to accommodate their scheduling needs. These extended hours also benefit our full-time working JFKU students or students who have other responsibilities that curtail their ability to do a practicum or internship at an external agency. We provide counseling through our School Base Programs for our Counselors-in-training to see their clients at various school sites during the school day making it more convenient for families to access counseling. We provide a state of the art, HIPPA-compliant, Electronic Health Record Keeping system (Vālant) accessible by our Counselors-in-Training for students, supervisors and staff to access their client or supervisee s information from their smartphone or laptop from any location at any time. 12

14 Inclusive and Diversity: We seek to promote a sense of social inclusiveness at the Centers. Our staff, JFKU students, community partners, the Community Leadership Board and volunteers reflects the diversity which enriches and contributes to our programmatic effectiveness and our vibrant learning community. We are committed to serving the traditionally underserved while embracing diversity. We challenge ourselves to create a climate of acceptance and respect within our Centers and continue to create culturally appropriate and effective services. We train our JFKU students, clinical supervisors and Centers staff to respect and embrace one s cultural differences and similarities. We create programs that are sensitive to differences in language, traditions, cultural perspectives, and preferences for services and supports. We strive to create a workforce that reflects the cultural and linguistic diversity of our Centers clients and JFKU students. Community: We seek to demonstrate compassionate support, concern and a welcoming environment at our Centers for the individuals and families we serve through our programs and services. We seek to be a part of making our communities healthier so as to make a positive difference in the lives of children and adults. Our sense of community extends also to our JFKU students and our Centers staff where we seek to create an environment where individuals are recognized for their strengths as well as supported in their professional and personal growth. We make ourselves available and accessible to others both within and outside of the organization. We convey a clear and powerful message that communicates our mission and services and the value of our organization to the community. We work to improve access to mental health treatment while erasing the stigma of the treatment of mental illness. We build long term strategic partnerships and collaborations with our community partners to optimize and leverage existing resources for our clients. We use social media effectively to enhance the visibility of our Centers in the community. 13

15 Service Excellence: We are committed to innovation, continuous inquiry and responsiveness to the expressed needs of our communities so that we might develop programs and services that are easily assessable when particularly to those who have experienced marginalization. In addition, we practice ongoing evaluation of all policies, procedures and programs offered at our Centers. We believe in ongoing program evaluation to measure and report treatment outcomes in order to demonstrate our effectiveness to the community, the University donors and foundations. We demonstrate our responsiveness to the needs of our constituencies and emerging trends within the field. We train our Centers staff and JFKU students in the importance of high-quality customer service. The Centers only exist because of our clients who provide purpose for our programs and services. Our clients are an integral part of our Centers mission. Without our clients, we have no purpose. We believe in supporting the success of our JFKU students who are doing their practicum or internship at one of our Centers as they are integral partners in supporting the accomplishment of our Centers mission. Good Stewardship: We are aware that our work in our communities will be needed for many years into the future. Therefore, we strive to make careful financial and strategic choices that will lead to a sustainable organization so that we will remain a resource for the individuals and families most in need of our support. We manage our funds responsibly and prudently. We compensate staff reasonably and appropriately, and provide professional development opportunities. We ensure that all spending practices and policies are fair, reasonable and appropriate to fulfill the mission of the Centers. We seek to increase staff capacity at our Centers We look for opportunities to leverage our dollars for maximum impact We submit all financial or grant reports accurately and completely. We use our website to highlight our grantors and the Centers projects and programs to attract and inform potential donors and foundations who share a mutual interest in the mental health needs of our community. 14