Getting To Outcomes® in Services for Homeless Veterans 10 Steps for Achieving Accountability



Download 0.98 Mb.
Page1/20
Date17.10.2016
Size0.98 Mb.
#162
  1   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9   ...   20
Getting To Outcomes® in Services for Homeless Veterans
10 Steps for Achieving

Accountability

c:\documents and settings\vhapthhannag\local settings\temporary internet files\content.ie5\izdl4lls\mpj04221100000[1].jpgc:\documents and settings\vhapthhannag\local settings\temporary internet files\content.ie5\bbnqb4aa\mpj04424560000[1].jpgc:\documents and settings\vhapthhannag\local settings\temporary internet files\content.ie5\bbnqb4aa\mpj04003670000[1].jpgc:\documents and settings\vhapthhannag\local settings\temporary internet files\content.ie5\bq99y19t\mpj04222430000[1].jpgc:\documents and settings\vhapthhannag\local settings\temporary internet files\content.ie5\bq99y19t\mpj04277400000[1].jpg

July 2011

Acknowledgments

This document is based on Wiseman, S., Chinman, M., Ebener, P. A., Hunter, S., Imm, P., & Wandersman, A. (2007). Getting to Outcomes: 10 steps for achieving results-based accountability. Santa Monica, CA: RAND, with permission from RAND Corporation and Lesesne, C.A., Lewis, K.M., Moore, C., Fisher, D., Green, D. & Wandersman, A. (2007). Promoting Science-Based Approaches using Getting to Outcomes. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA.

Portions used under license from The University of South Carolina and RAND Corporation. Funding for this manual was provided by the National Center on Homelessness Among Veterans. Some materials originated in other sources, as duly noted, and are not covered by this permission. All other rights are reserved. You may copy these materials free of charge for educational, noncommercial use if you retain all copyright notices included on them; however, citation of the source is appreciated.

Suggested Citation:

Hannah G, McCarthy S, Chinman M. (2011). Getting To Outcomes in services for homeless Veterans: 10 steps for achieving accountability. National Center on Homelessness Among Veterans, Philadelphia, PA.

Copyright © 2011


Contents

Acknowledgments 2

Contents 3

Preface 4

Introduction 4

Getting To Outcomes in Services for Homeless Veterans 6

Getting Started 11

Glossary 12

Part I: Goal Setting 14

Step 1: Identify The Underlying Needs And Resources Of Homeless Veterans. 15

1.In column 2, write down what kind of information and data you need to get to answer the question in column 1 for the homeless Veteran population in your local area. 19

2.In column 3, note whether this is existing data or if you’ll have to collect new data. 19

3.In column 4, describe where this data can be could (e.g. local homeless census, VA records, focus groups with homeless Veterans, human service resource guide). 19

4.In column 5, specify who will be responsible for collecting the data and by when. 19

1. Starting at the top of the tool, in row 1 (Name of Resource), write down the name of the resource, program or organization you’re describing. 22

5.In row 2 (Location), if relevant, note the location of the resource or where it’s delivered. 22

6.In row 3 (Contact Information), provide contact information, such as phone, email, fax, and contact person’s name and position, if available. 22

7.In row 4 (Hours of Operation), describe how often the resource is available including hours of operation or how often it operates. It’s important to be specific here because this information helps you identify the frequency and intensity of the resource which helps make conclusions about the appropriate “dosage” of the services. 22

8.In row 5 (Who Served?), describe what you know about who uses the program or resource. This goes beyond eligibility requirements and gets more at demographic information about who is served. 23

9.In rows 6 (Services Provided), describe the specific programs or services offered by this resource. 23

10.In row 7 (What’s Working), collect any information you can find on what the successes are associated with this resource or program. 23

Step 2: Identify The Goals And Objectives For Your Homeless Program. 29

1.Make as many copies of each of this worksheet as you and your workgroup need to complete the task. 31

11.Starting at the top of the tool, write your first program goal. 31

12.Moving down the page, answer the details of each of the five objective questions for your first objective related to the above program goal. Don’t worry if you don’t have all the answers. Working through this task may reveal some of the gaps in your information you need to fill so you can develop more specific objective statements. 31

13.If you plan to track progress towards this goal with more than one objective, answer the five objective questions for the other objectives below. If you have more than three objectives linked to this goal you will need to attach another copy of the tool for the remaining objectives. 31

14.Repeat the above steps for all of your program goals. 31

Part 2: Program Planning 35

Step 3: Find Existing Best Practices That May Be Useful In Achieving Your Goals. 36

1.are designed around a clear theory 36

2.include clear instructions for how to implement the program 36

3.have demonstrated through high-quality research success at achieving specific outcomes across multiple settings. 36

1.Learning about potential evidence-based programs and best practices. 37

15.Considering which programs will work best for you. 37

16.Narrowing down your options to one or more programs to research further. 37

1.Can you simply copy and use an existing evidence-based program as-is? Faithfully copying an evidence-based program is referred to as implementing with “fidelity”. 37

17.Do you need to change an evidence-based program in some way to make it fit more appropriately with your target population, your level of resources, or the philosophy of your organization? Needing to change some components of a program so that it works well for your participants is referred to as “adaptation”. 37

1.Document the logic of your program – How do the activities in your program lead to the achievement of the programs goals and objectives (improvements in the lives of Veterans)? Clearly documenting the links between program activities, specific objectives, and long-term goals can help clarify and refine existing programs. Such documentation is often achieved through the creation of logic models or a theory of change. 54

18.Find new ideas and ways to improve your program – Learn about the evidence-based programs and best practices in this chapter and elsewhere to glean ideas for improving or updating your work. Ask yourself, what best practices in these programs can be applied to your programs? 55

19.Evaluate your work – Take steps to have your program evaluated or use some of the material coming up in this guide to find ways to begin evaluating your program. 55

Step 4: Modify The Best Practices To Fit Your Local Context. 56

Step 5: Determine What Capacities Are Needed To Implement Your Program. 67

1.Networking – the exchange of information for mutual benefit. The most informal type requires little trust or time, although these factors may be create barriers to expanded collaboration. An example: the VA homeless center provides information about its programs to the community agency to facilitate referrals. 69

2.Coordinating – the exchange of information and change in activities for mutual benefit and common purpose which requires fewer turf issues as well as more trust and time. An example: the VA homeless center and community agency coordinate the times when their programs are offered to enable Veterans to take advantage of programs at both locations. 69

3.Cooperating – the exchange of information, change in activities and sharing of resources for mutual benefit and a common purpose. This requires: 69

More organizational commitment than networking and coordinating 69

Shared resources such as human, technical or financial capacities 69

High amounts of trust, time and access to each other’s turf 69

An example: the community agency provides office space to allow a staff member from the VA homeless center to be on-site to provide outreach to homeless Veterans and the VA homeless center provides space on its property for the community agency to operate a homeless shelter to serve both Veterans and non-Veterans. 70

4.Collaborating – a formal, sustained commitment by several organizations to enhance each other’s capacity for a common missions by sharing risks, responsibilities and rewards. An example: the VA homeless center and community agency provide professional development to each other’s staff to better meet the needs of the homeless populations they both serve. 70

1.Gather together information describing what is required to implement the program you’re considering including costs, staffing levels and requirements, training needs, materials, facilities and other fiscal and resource capacities. 73

2.For each of the programs you’re considering, go through each of the capacity worksheets and answer the questions about capacity requirements, whether you think your organizational capacity is adequate in each area and what your plan is to increase the capacity if you need to. 73

3.If filling out all the worksheets for several programs seems like a lot of work, you might consider splitting the tasks up among several people. You could divide the task by each program you’re reviewing or have one person responsible for finding out all about one capacity area such as technical expertise for all of the programs you’re considering. 73

Step 6: Make A Plan For Implementing Your Program. 80

1.Gather together all of the materials you’ve developed in previous GTO steps you need to complete the work plan such as assessments, outcome statements, adaptation guide, and program descriptions. You may also find the Capacity Assessments from Step 5 useful. 81

2.Fill in the basic program information at the top of the form. 81

3.Starting on the left-hand side of the form, under the Activities column, work your way through filling in the details of what it will take to implement your program. List program activities sequentially where you can to help you plan them out. 82

Part 3: Program Evaluation 94

Step 7: Evaluate The Process Of Implementing The Program. 95

1.Have your work plan and program materials (i.e., guide or manual if available) as well as tipsheets from this step to help you complete the planning tool. 101

2.Starting with the first question on the Process Evaluation Planning Tool, fill in: 101

Which evaluation tools/methods you plan to use (e.g., surveys, focus groups, etc.) 101

Your anticipated schedule for completion 101

The person or persons responsible for gathering the data for each question 101

3.Repeat this process for each question. 101

Step 8: Evaluate The Outcomes Of The Program. 105

1.Identify what will be measured. 105

2.Choose the design of the evaluation. 105

3.Develop the methods to be used. 105

4.Develop and finalize a plan to put those methods into place. 105

5.Conduct the outcome evaluation. 105

6.Analyze the data, interpret the findings and report your results. 105

Part 4: Improving and Sustaining 118

Step 9: Use Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) to Improve Your Program. 119

1.Insert the name of your program, the name of the person(s) completing the tool, and the data it was completed. 121

2.Reconsider each of the previous eight accountability questions from GTO listed on the CQI tool in Column 1in light of all the information that you have gathered about your program. Summarize your conclusions in Column 2. 121

3.Think about the implications of your conclusions in Column 2 for the on-going implementation of your program. In Column 3, summarize how these conclusions will be used to improve the implementation of your program in the future. 121

Step 10: Consider What Will be Needed to Sustain the Success of the Program. 124

References 129

Appendices 131

Appendix A – GTO Example 132

Appendix B - Helpful Contacts 136

Appendix C – Library of Evidence-Based Programs, Promising Programs, and Best Practices 141

Appendix D – Assessment Measures 173

Appendix E – Sample Project Insight Form 175


Preface


All of us working to serve homeless Veterans want to know: Are we making a difference? Do Veterans who receive our services achieve greater levels of self-sufficiency and independence? This question takes on added significance with the Veterans Administration’s (VA) new plan to end Veteran homelessness in five years. Progress towards this ambitious goal will only be successful if programs at the local level are implemented with quality and outcomes for Veterans are monitored. This manual represents an effort to help those working with Veterans use an evidence-based approach to how they set goals, consider and plan homeless programs, develop and conduct process and outcome evaluations of programs, and learn how to improve and sustain programs that reach outcomes.

Knowledge about evidence-based programs is a necessary but not sufficient condition to achieve outcomes. If you are in the everyday world of implementing programs, you have probably heard that you should do the following: a needs and resource assessment, have clear goals and objectives, use evidence-based practices, be culturally competent, build your capacity to deliver services with quality, have clear and thorough program plans, implement your plan and do a process and outcome evaluation, continually improve your work, and sustain your work. These are essential ingredients for effective service delivery.

However, the question remains: how can you incorporate all of these tasks into your day to day work? This guide describes the Getting To Outcomes® (GTO) model that puts all of these steps together with the knowledge base of evidence-based homeless services in one comprehensive approach. GTO integrates the process and guidance offered by the 10-step, Getting To Outcomes process (Wiseman, Chinman, Ebener, Hunter, Imm, & Wandersman, 2007) with identified best practices in the homelessness field and the experiences of practitioners in the VA who work hands-on providing assistance to homeless Veterans.

This GTO manual draws from two other completed GTO books in other areas of public health:

Wiseman, S., Chinman, M., Ebener, P. A., Hunter, S., Imm, P., & Wandersman, A. (2007). Getting To Outcomes: 10 steps for achieving results-based accountability. Santa Monica, CA: RAND.

Lesesne, C.A., Lewis, K.M., Moore, C., Fisher, D., Green, D. & Wandersman, A. (2007). Promoting Science-Based Approaches using Getting To Outcomes: Draft 2007. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA.

The GTO model has been shown to improve individual capacity and program performance to facilitate the planning, implementation, and evaluation of human service programs (Wiseman et al., 2007). In that research, the GTO manual was supplemented with training and technical assistance. Similarly, it is recommended that this manual be supplemented with training and technical assistance, where possible, to achieve the maximum impact in eliminating Veteran homelessness.

Introduction

Getting To Outcomes in Services for Homeless Veterans

Getting Started

Glossary

Getting To Outcomes in Services for Homeless Veterans

About one-third of the adult homeless population have served their country in the Armed Services. Current population estimates suggest that about 76,000 Veterans (male and female) are homeless on any given night (http://www.va.gov/opa/pressrel/pressrelease.cfm?id=2053) and perhaps twice as many experience homelessness at some point during the course of a year. Many other Veterans are considered near homeless or at risk because of their poverty, lack of support from family and friends, and dismal living conditions in cheap hotels or in overcrowded or substandard housing. Right now, the number of homeless male and female Vietnam era Veterans is greater than the number of service persons who died during that war -- and a small number of Desert Storm Veterans are also appearing in the homeless population (United States Department of Veterans Affairs, 2010). Although the number of homeless Veterans has been on the decline in recent years, it remains a substantial problem and addressing and preventing homelessness is one of the VA’s top priorities. The VA has adopted a “no tolerance” policy towards Veteran homelessness and has created a 5-year plan to end homelessness among Veterans.

The factors that place Veterans at risk for homelessness are similar to the risk factors for non-Veterans. Social isolation is one of the primary risk factors for homelessness. Many homeless Veterans, similar to the rest of the homeless population, also suffer from mental illness and (with considerable overlap) from alcohol and other substance abuse problems. There are differences, however, between homeless Veterans and homeless non-Veterans. Homeless male Veterans are more likely to be chronically homeless than homeless male non-Veterans. On the positive side, homeless Veterans tend to be better educated and more likely to be working for pay than homeless non-Veterans.




Demographic

2008 Statistics

Mental Health Diagnosis


78% Serious Psychiatric or Substance Abuse

51% Serious Psychiatric

61% Substance Dependence

35% Dually Diagnosed



Length of Time Homeless

22.0% Greater than 2 years

9.0% 1 – 2 years

11.0% 6 months – 1 year

26.0% 1 month – 6 months



Employment


19.6% full time

27.4% part time, irregular

26.4% unemployed

25% disabled, retired



What is Getting To Outcomes (GTO)?

Getting To Outcomes (GTO) is a user-friendly process for comprehensive planning, implementation, and evaluation of programs and services. It’s designed to help programs and services do exactly what it says: get to desired outcomes. Many of the steps in this GTO process will look familiar because this is just a structured way of approaching the work you’re already doing.

The original Getting To Outcomes manual was written in 1999 for community-based organizations trying to reduce youth drug use to help them implement evidence-based programs developed by researchers (Wandersman, Imm, Chinman & Kaftarian, 2000), then updated in 2004 to broaden its scope and applicability to a wider range of programs and organizations (Getting To Outcomes 2004: Promoting Accountability through Methods and Tools for Planning, Implementation and Evaluation, Chinman, Imm & Wandersman, 2004). Based on established theories of traditional evaluation, empowerment evaluation, results-based accountability, and continuous quality improvement, GTO represents a collaborative effort to make it easier to turn evidence-based knowledge into evidence-based practice. To accomplish this task, this guide offers you a practical, powerful set of tools which you can use to plan, implement and evaluate new programs or fine-tune and refine existing ones.

The Ten Accountability Questions

The primary purpose of this guide is to help you improve the quality of your programs aimed at serving homeless Veterans. This guide’s planning, implementation and evaluation process is organized by ten accountability questions that correspond to GTO’s 10 steps. Following these ten steps can increase your chances of getting better outcomes as well as help you meet accountability requirements such as the VA’s performance indicators, VA’s Uniform Mental Health Services Handbook or CARF accreditation.



The 10 GTO Accountability Questions

Goal Setting

1.

Needs/Resources

What are the needs of homeless Veterans and what resources are available to meet these needs?

2.

Goals

What are the goals and objectives of your homeless program?

Planning

3.

Best Practices

Which evidence-based programs and best practices can be useful in reaching the goals?

4.

Fit

What actions, if any, need to be taken so the selected best practice(s) “fits” your local context?

5.

Capacities

What capacities are needed to implement the program?

6.

Plan

What is the plan for your program?

Evaluating

7.

Process Evaluation

How will the quality of implementation be assessed?

8.

Outcome Evaluation

How well did the program work?

Improving and Sustaining

9.

CQI

How will continuous quality improvement strategies be incorporated?

10.

Sustainability

If the program is successful, how will its success be sustained?

The term accountability is basic to an understanding of GTO. We define “accountability” as the systematic inclusion of critical elements of program planning, implementation, and evaluation in order to achieve results. In GTO, program development and program evaluation are integral to promoting program accountability. Asking and answering the ten questions begins the accountability process. This guide will assist you in answering each question and direct you to other resources that may aide in the process when appropriate. We believe that systematically linking together all of these critical elements through the ten questions increases the likelihood of programs achieving their desired outcomes and demonstrating accountability for their services.


Download 0.98 Mb.

Share with your friends:
  1   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9   ...   20




The database is protected by copyright ©ua.originaldll.com 2024
send message

    Main page