Many of you are aware that I am on the Board of Directors of SHARE Family and Community Services which serves the Tri-Cities (Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam and Port Moody, BC). The Board recently approved the investigation of a new model of delivery for some of our services.
As part of the new model, SHARE has issued a Request for Proposals and we hope to have selected an individual or firm to help us complete the development of the model. The information below may help and the RFP information is included here. If you are interested check out our website for more information.
Backgrounder
Every year,
SHARE is the “starting point” for thousands of people who need assistance. Although
we have been active in the Tri-Cities for 42 years, we sometimes struggle to
keep up with the different programs and services that are available to
vulnerable people in our community. If this is happening within our agency, it
is safe to say it is happening on a larger scale in the Tri-Cities.
If we
struggle to stay abreast of the services available in our community, imagine
the challenge that clients face in navigating the system and getting the help
that they need, especially when we consider that they are often dealing with
significant income, health, mental health, language, housing, abuse and/or
other issues.
In response
to this challenge, SHARE will be developing a new approach to providing
services for people who are struggling to meet their basic needs: a “Catalyst
Centre” model, that will help clients develop the skills and get the support
they need to move forward. Potential services might include:
The focus of
the proposed Catalyst Centre will be to quickly and clearly understand the
needs of clients and to bring together, in one location where possible, the
services and supports required to help them develop and implement a plan to
move forward. Putting this information
and support under one roof, or in a campus or networked setting, would:
ü
Lessen
the travel, time and cost burdens for people with limited incomes and limited
transportation options;
ü
Help
us consolidate our information-gathering systems, to create a clearer and more
reliable picture of service needs, outcomes and other useful information;
ü
Create
more opportunities to leverage skills, knowledge, relationships and resources
from multiple individuals and agencies, towards common goals;
ü
Simplifying
referral procedures between services and agencies;
ü
Identifying
and addressing unnecessary duplications of systems and processes that create
delays in service.
Clients will
complete an intake process where key information is gathered and initial
priorities related to basic needs are established. Clients will be assigned a Coach
who will be their primary contact and who will act as a case manager, advocate
and referral agent. The Coach will help clients develop a realistic plan and will
regularly check in with clients to monitor their progress and provide feedback
and other support where appropriate.
The goals
that will be pursued, in all circumstances, are increased independence and
improved quality of life for all clients, which could mean:
- improved
ability to secure and prepare appropriate food;
- improved
employment-related skills that are appropriate for the labour market;
- participating in recreation programs;
- achieving a
high school diploma;
- getting
government identification cards;
- staring a
small business;
- finding
affordable child care;
- improving
literacy skills;
- learning a
new language;
- dealing
with a chronic health or mental health concern;
- finding
stable housing;
- escaping
abuse;
- building
supportive and constructive relationships;
- dealing
with an addiction.
Our
interactions with clients will focus on finding their strengths, helping them
build their skills and knowledge, asking them to be part of their own solution
and asking them to give back.
It may seem counter intuitive to ask people with significant economic and other challenges
to give back, but the very act of asking clients to give back communicates that
they have something important to give to others, which is a value that SHARE
supports. Giving back could mean many things, including:
- helping to
raise, sort, cook or distribute food;
- child
minding;
- repairing broken
items;
- tutoring;
- teaching
others how to use a computer, or a mobile device;
- leading a
cooking class;
- planting a
community garden;
- providing
translation services;
- helping
with an afterschool program;
-
translating;
- preparing
tax returns.
The Catalyst
Centre model will not require clients
to give back in order to receive the support, but, where and when it is
appropriate, we will invite clients to participate, which moves
us further towards an approach that is based on an exchange of value.
We believe
that there are many potential benefits attached to this new direction,
including:
ü
Developing
and implementing a more substantial data gathering and reporting function,
built on stronger intake and client engagement
processes, that will help us identify:
-
gaps in service;
-
approaches that work;
-
approaches that don’t work;
-
service trends in the Tri-Cities.
ü
Creating
opportunities for clients to experience more success and to gain critical new
skills and self-confidence.
ü
Developing
more meaningful opportunities for volunteers to provide service and support.
ü
Decreasing
the amount of time it takes for clients to get the services they need.
ü
Decreasing
transportation, child care and other costs for clients, by offering more access
to services in one location.
At this
stage, the Catalyst Centre model needs to be more fully developed. SHARE has
issued a Request for Proposals and we hope to have selected an individual or
firm to help us complete the development of the model, including:
ü
A
complete funding proposal, including rationale, that can be submitted to
multiple potential funding sources for support
ü
Roster
of permanent and itinerant services to be provided
ü
Complete
intake and referral procedures
ü
Data
gathering and reporting systems and procedures
ü
Staff
organization chart and job descriptions
ü
Start-up
and annual operating budgets
ü
Potential
sources of funding
ü
Potential
service partners (permanent and itinerant)
ü
Service
delivery space requirements and flow
ü
Completed
logic model
We are
excited about the development of the new model and believe that this evolution
of service delivery will increase our ability to bring efficient and effective
services and support to vulnerable people in our Tri-Cities community. We will
be looking for input from people and groups throughout our community as the Catalyst
Centre model is developed.