GETTING TO GREAT

COMMUNITY RESOURCES FOR JUSTICE, INC.

STRATEGIC PLAN

2005-2008

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Acknowledgements (Type in on top of page 3?) 3

Introduction 4

Strategic Planning Themes from the Field Meetings 10

Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats Analysis 14

Mission, Vision, Values, Corporate Goals and Guiding Principles 18

Corporate Initiatives Plans 22

Finance and Growth 23

Treatment Culture 29

Division Plans 32

Advancement 33

Crime and Justice Institute 38

Program Department Plans 45

Adult Correctional Services 46

Community Strategies 51

Youth Services 57

Administrative Department Plans 60

Standards and Quality Assurance 61

Fiscal/Administration 66

Technological Services 84

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Many people worked very hard to develop this plan over the past year. In all, over 200 employees gave input into the contents either through planning groups or through staff discussions. At the risk of leaving people out, we would like to thank the following people for their commitment to the process and the work they contributed to the product.

The PSI Forum that lead the process:

Bill Coughlin, Chair John Larivee Elyse Clawson Kathleen ZawaskyMitch Gordon Bill Briand Liz Curtin Susan Jenness PhillipsEric Scharf Deborah Hopkins Bill Barnes Elaine Keane Sergio Reyes

The Program and Professional Staff who contributed to the plan:John Bujak John Sullivan Shannon Mountain Ray Michelle McCormackMike Tausek Heidi Nagel Margareta Winnell Terry Burch Leslie NelsonPhil Cyr Cheryl Roberts Lore Joplin Kate Florio Howard JardineJC Swenson Shawn Webb James Christian Brenda O’Donnell Brian MurphyPeggy Lucien Danielle DiCarlo MonDerrick Willis Lorie Burrell-JonesMaria Alexson Natalie Rice Shane Gooding Zarina GildenbergAnna Milewska SiminBakhtiar Rafael Medina Sandy Moore

The Program Teams that engaged in the staff dialogues:Crime and Justice Institute Administrative Team Brooke House Coolidge HouseMcGrath House Ambrose House Sargent House Somerville Transition Shelter Watson House CSNH Program Team Abington Residence Bellingham Residence Brookfield Residence Franklin Residence Hubbardston Residence Leominster Residence Milford Residence Paxton Residence Winchendon/Alger St. Residence Winchendon/Teel Rd. Residence Westboro Residence Wrentham Residence

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COMMUNITY RESOURCES FOR JUSTICE, INC.

STRATEGIC PLAN

INTRODUCTION

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Introduction to the Community Resources for Justice Strategic PlanFY 2005-FY 2008

Simply put, we at CRJ are working to be the best in the world at what we do. By that we mean that we want to be best in the world at making operational those practices that have been shown by evidence to be most effective for adult and youthful offenders and those with dual-diagnosed or forensic developmental disabilities to live safely and productively in the community.

The purpose of this strategic plan is to outline the path we need to take to get us there. This will not be an easy path, many obstacles face us. But we also have a vast number of strengths to aid us.

Our view of the environment in which we will operate includes these primary elements:

Community-based servicesOur programs need to provide services that anchor our clients and consumers to their communities. This will likely mean that we must build on our strengths in residential services and case management and develop an expertise in services and programs that will continue to support as they move toward independent living in the community of their choice. The emphasis on reentry and independent living in least restrictive environments will continue. A wider variety of programmatic models will need to be employed and, in some cases, a different set of skills will be required of our employees. We will need to continue to develop deep ties to community-based service providers and support the development of such providers when there are service or quality gaps in the communities we serve.

An increase in the challenge our clients and consumers presentWe are already seeing an increase in mental health and substance abuse issues among our current population. Due to the government policies and economic climate in the areas we serve, we see that continuing or even increasing. This means we must put a greater emphasis on treatment than we have in the past. We will need to improve our in-house treatment capacity both through the involvement of treatment professionals in programming and in the development of collaborative relationships with community treatment programs that are proven to work. We will also need to provide our staff with the skills and technology tools for them to successfully work with this more challenging population. And we will have to be ever vigilant for new models, practices and technologies that are proving to be successful with these individuals.

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The economic and political climate will not likely result in much growth in the revenues to be put toward human services and innovative programmingWhile there are some indications that there is an increased awareness of the need and economic wisdom of putting additional revenues in the area of Community Corrections (the new Parole Initiative in MA being a positive signal in that direction), there are few such indications of this being true in Human services elsewhere in our region. New Hampshire, for example, continues to plan for cuts and cost-savings. In MA, revenue increases have come after hard-fought political battles and have not grown to meet the current needs. Within the state government bureaucracies, there is much effort to reform contracting procedures and move toward standardized rates for services, climates that do not lend themselves to innovation and experimental services. Moreover, there also appears to be a movement toward consolidation of non-profits and increased competition among them. This can be a benefit and a constraint for CRJ. It opens the field and allows us to compete for contracts that we may not have been considered for previously. It supports our effort to use proven evidenced based and best practices to operate our programs and functions. With potentially fewer agencies having the funds to operate in the community, it increases the need for CRJ to develop in-house capacity where previously we could contract out to service partners. Fewer agencies can improve our position in the competition for high-quality staff.

This trend does, however, require that we operate in the most cost-effective manner possible. Fewer “cash cow” programs can be used to support innovative programming. Margins will be less so we will have to emphasize effective fiscal management in every program. We will be less able to nurture financially costly programs. We will need to fund these experiments through our fundraising efforts from private sources. We will need to be skilled negotiators and advocates in our contracts and proposals. And we will need to perform at the highest level of quality to justify the potentially more costly nature of our services.

Much of the growth over the next three to five years will likely come in the adult corrections areaThe increase in prison populations due to harsher sentencing provisions has driven up the cost of corrections dramatically. Conservative policy makers are looking for cost effective ways to manage this growing expense. More liberal policy makers are concerned about programs that will prepare people for life after prison. This confluence of interests is centering on reentry initiatives. This has been true in respect to the rhetoric for a number of years. What appears to be changing is that funds to support these programs are beginning to back up this talk. Recent conversations with people in the New England region indicate an increased interest in quality community corrections efforts in MA, CT, NH and RI.

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CRJ, because of its long history of providing both advocacy and quality programming in this area, is a recognized leader in this area. The recent high-quality and high-profile work of CJI in Reentry Advocacy solidifies our position. This will likely mean a significant expansion of the Adult Corrections Department in terms of the number of programs, amount of revenues and the geographic breadth of the Department.

But the impact of this trend affects our Youth Services and Developmental Disabilities Departments as well. Costly residential schools and programs are likely to be targeted by Social Services in MA and community-based day programming and possibly court-diversion programs will receive greater emphasis if they can be shown to be effective in assisting youth to successfully reunite with their family or live independently in the community. Cost-effective programs that will successfully fill the service gaps for girls in the juvenile justice system will receive funding in MA in the next year. Similarly, cost-effective programs to fill the service gaps for developmentally disabled individuals with forensic involvement are a high interest in MA and NH. The care and treatment of sex offenders in the community remains a high priority almost everywhere. These are areas where our experience and reputation are also strong. While the funds to operate programs in these areas do not seem to be as readily available, we do see some opportunity there for new work.

We will need to increase our fundraising revenues significantly in order to compete.With tighter government budgets, contract margin and indirect rates will become tighter as well. Our endowment, once considered strong in relation to the total revenues of the organization, as not kept pace with the growth of the agency. In order to compete, we must develop other sources of revenues to support many of the things we need to do to become the best. A multi-faceted development plan, involving planned giving, foundation and corporate support, capital fund campaigns, events and individual giving, must be implemented both to support the development of the agency’s infrastructure as well as to grow the endowment over time. CRJ has started this process through the creation of the Development Office and the hiring of the Chief Advancement Officer.

Locating programs will continue to be a significant challengeWhile the move of Brooke House in 2003 came with much support from the community, the experiences in Wrentham, MA and Manchester, NH tell us that finding program locations will remain a difficult challenge. Zoning for residential programs will be costly—either in the premium we will be forced to pay for zoned facilities and/or in the high legal fees to get high-quality attorneys to plead our cause. We have seen legislation proposed to curtail our ability to acquire facilities for our DD programs and increased media interest in who lives in these residences.

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Again, this provides CRJ both an opportunity and a challenge. Our current portfolio of real estate is one of our strongest assets, especially our metro-Boston portfolio. The cost and the availability of buildings like Brooke at Park Drive or Ambrose and Sargent Houses limit the ability of others to compete in that market. On the other side, outside of Boston, we can anticipate growth will come at a potentially high cost. We will need to become very skilled both in our ability to identify and acquire high-quality new property and in the maintenance of our current real estate portfolio.

It also means that we should be very wise on how we use our existing residential portfolio. In many ways, this difficulty to site new programs creates a seller’s market. If our contracts do not afford or support our effort to provide best-in-the-world services and programs, we should be seeking new contracts that will support those efforts. If current contract utilization does not support programs in existing facilities, we should be searching for contracts that will. Running programs in these facilities that do not support our hedgehog concept and/or are not financially viable, wastes the valuable advantage our properly zoned properties give us.

Having a highly-skilled, stable workforce is critical to CRJ’s ability to be best in the world.Ultimately, CRJ’s success will be measured on the success of our clients/consumers/residents. Therefore, we must give the people who directly interact and provide services with them the tools and resources they need to work with them effectively. These tools include:1. Proven programs and methodologies, 2. Training and support to master the skills that are needed to execute these

programs and methodologies at the highest level, 3. Workplaces that enable them to do the job we ask them to do,4. A organizational culture based on values and principles,5. An environment that both inspires and rewards success and treats every

person with dignity and respect.6. Tools and systems to measure outcomes

About 75% of our total expenses as an agency go to staff wages, benefits, development and recruitment. We average approximately 40-45% staff turnover. For at least the past two years, we have spent approximately $166,000 on staff recruitment and only $90,000 on staff development. Staff vacancies and other factors lead us to spend about $900,000 a year in staff overtime or about 9.25 of monthly gross payroll. Effective management of overtime and staffing levels could free up at least $150,000 a year, or about $500 per FTE. We need to manage this aspect more effectively. We need to put more money into training, developing and rewarding our workforce and less into paying for the cost of the high turnover and vacancy rates. We also need to employ the most effective practices in recruiting, screening and hiring our workforce.

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Quality will become a competitive edgeWith the marketplace becoming more competitive and the revenue pool even tighter, service providers will be required to prove their value even more so than they do currently. Outcomes measurement will become essential for all the work we do. High evaluations on licensing and accreditation reviews will be expected. We will need to intensify our measurement capacity and benchmark our results against other high quality people in the field. And we must develop processes to integrate what we learn from our results into improvements in all aspects of the agency.

An emphasis on quality also means an emphasis on training and skill development. We must develop ways to efficiently and effectively orient our employees to CRJ and then provide them with regular skill development. We have to develop ways to share what we are learning within the organization as well as to the outside world.

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Strategic Planning Themes from the Field Meetings

Methodology

During the planning process, Bill Coughlin met with 21 different programs, the supervisory staff from CSNH and the Fiscal/Admin Department staff. (CREO staff was involved in Brooke House. He was not able to meet with staff from Southbridge Residence (since closed), Leominster Apt., Westminster, ORP, BRP and IT) This is his report of the findings from those meetings.

In all, I would estimate that I met with approximately 180-200 of our 350+ workforce. The format was consistent in each session. I started off with a review of the Good to Great initiative. I spent time going through the Mission, highlighting the key changes in the new Mission. I then posed a series of questions: What are you passionate about? What should CRJ be best in the world at? How would we know/what is the best measure to prove we are best? In the early meetings I also asked some questions regarding improving communications within the company but dropped the question in the session after early July. Participants were asked to write down their responses to the first question and then read them to each other. After a discussion of common themes, the process was repeated for the second and third questions.

In every instance, the discussions were lively and engaging. It was a wonderful experience for me to hear the passions and the ideas. In most cases, I believe it was a good team experience to hear the same from each other.

Staff Passions

Two major theses emerged from the question “What are you Passionate About?” First and foremost was our staff’s overwhelming passion for family and, to a lesser extent, friends. There is no question one of the most important things we can do is develop a strategy and environment that is “family-friendly.” This starts with paying a wage that people can support a family on with minimum amounts of overtime or second jobs that take people away from their families. We should examine our Benefits offering with this overarching theme in mind. Our managers need to be sensitized to the family orientation and how to assist our staff in finding an appropriate balance between work and family in their management of program scheduling and staff.

The second major theme that emerged from this question is the strong desire to make a difference in our clients’ lives. In some cases this passion flows out of the staff members’ identify with the client or the neighborhood the client is returning to after our work is done. In other cases is it an abiding desire to help populations in need. Our strategies must empower the staff to pursue this passion creatively, within the structures of our programs. We need to support this passion and channel it in ways that have the greatest impact on our residents. The staff may not be the best at it but I am convinced they want to be.

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Another theme that stood out at a number of programs was the passion for learning that exists among our staff population. Many are in school and are working toward degrees that will give them skills or ‘better themselves.” In other cases it is expressed in a desire to be given the tools, skills and information to perform the job better. I would recommend that our strategic plan emphasizes training and educational benefits that will assist the staff pursue that passion. We must also find ways to capitalize on their passion to grow and develop by identifying the best and focusing on their advancement through the company.

Another theme that struck me was how many of our people are passionate about music. We have a young population among or staff that are really into their music. There is a large number of staff who is in and in some cases, lead, bands. I don’t know exactly how to capitalize on this passion but, if we could, it could be powerful.

Other passions included art, religion, sports, travel and hobbies.

Best in the World

For some this was a difficult question to answer. It generated a number of generic answers like “Provide the best services” or “Communication.” But here again two major themes emerged. The first and clearest theme was we need to be the best in the world at providing services that will lead to our clients being successful. “We could be best at providing truly comprehensive residential treatment—identifying all areas of need for our clients and providing what they need to be successful.” (Watson House)

Of course, what it means to be successful differed from Department to Department. In Community Strategies, success was frequently described as “independent living” or “living in the least restrictive environment possible.” “Independent living for consumers in least restrictive environments within the community.” (Hubbardston) “Taking a troubled individual who has nothing to bringing them to a level of independence—establishing values where there were none, getting work, having them a productive member of the community.” (Bellingham) In adult and youth services, it would be described more frequently as “productive lives in the community” or “not returning to prison.” “CRJ should be best in the world at our success rate for returning youth in our care to society as productive members.” (Ambrose House) “Helping residents successfully transitioning into community to become positive contributors to society.” (Coolidge House)

Some people also included the community in their definitions of success. “Diversified approaches to impacting the life development needs of its clients and the fabric of its immediate and larger community” (Ambrose House) “Community involvement in a quality way for people we serve, the agency as a whole and the community at large.” (CSNH)

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There were a number of comments across the programs that liked the “most challenged” language in the mission. “Can be the best at showing people with the most difficult disabilities can live and function in society.” (Westboro Residence) “Caring for and implementing safely into all aspects of society those individuals that have been deemed by either social function of society or justice systems as untreatable or hopeless.” (Wrentham Residence)

Words like innovative, creative were also used to describe these services and/or programs. “Creative and imaginative care of our clients.” (Bellingham) Quality Service was also mentioned frequently. In general, this theme closely parallels the current draft of the hedgehog concept that we have been working on.

A second theme that emerged, slightly less often but significant, was that we should be best in our treatment and support of our staff. This theme was usually supported with comments that if you treat the staff great they will produce great work for you. This theme frequently cited pay, benefits and training as the vehicles to focus on in becoming great, but comments about treating people with respect, providing people with opportunities to grow, communicating frequently with staff and involving them more in the decisions were also mentioned. “Properly training staff so they may have all the knowledge and tools available to them, so they may provide the best possible service to their clients; and eventually pass this knowledge on ultimately making a difference in someone’s life.” (Brooke House) “Following through, supporting staff—if good to great you need staff. Hire the best and strive to keep them by making them happy. A happy motivated worker will work hard for the company so there is no reason to go anywhere else.” (Hubbardston Residence)

I also heard a desire for a more positive culture—one that rewarded and encouraged people to try new things rather than a culture that, as they described it, seems to emphasize the punishment of people for making mistakes. . “Providing a great working environment—place that is known for their quality not only to their consumers but to the employees. I think that this helps to also do what I hope we would do best—great services to the more difficult cases. A place to want to retire at.” (Milford Residence)

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From the responses I heard we are pretty closely aligned with the staff on what we are saying we can be best in the world at. Our strategic plan should, as it has in the past, emphasize a Values-based culture. The unifying themes of our values and treatment guiding principles in the Treatment Philosophy document will be very helpful here as well and should be emphasized in the document.

Best Measure

Again, this question caused a fair amount of struggle for the staff. In a number of programs this question had fewer responses than the others. A number of responses centered around the “gestalt” of the program—does it look like people are making progress, does it feel like the staff or clients are happy, are people still hiring us to do work?

There were a number of concrete measures provided however. A strong contingent advocated that we systematically do satisfaction surveys with residents and staff either annually (which we do in CSMA) or as they complete the program. Others built on this to advocate we do longer term evaluation of the clients’ satisfaction and success using this interview methodology.

A second strong theme was using the objective measurements of recidivism, progression to independent living, completion of goals on the ISP/Behavioral plans, client job placements, HR retention rates, job vacancy rates in our programs, etc.

In reflecting on the responses we got from this question, I have a few thoughts on what we might want to say in the strategic plan regarding measurement. First, I am not sure that we will ever get to the ideal one key measure that is envisioned by Collins in Good to Great. I think we might be better off developing a “Balanced Scorecard Approach” which provides us information on a set of key measures (this is what is basically emerging with the monthly reviews, although not all that we track in those reports would be included and other measures for the company would need to be added.). Second, I do think it would be a good idea to figure out how we might do more satisfaction surveys with our clients. Third, I think progress on the issues identified on the assessment/plans would be another good thing—e.g., progress on the LSI-R could be used in adult. Finally, no matter what we choose, we should expect that the measures we are currently tracking will likely change somewhat as we begin to implement evidence-based or best practices in our operations. There will be some significant technology issues involved in all these measurements and tracking needs. And, ultimately, HR and organizational structure issues as well (for example, do we need to staff up more in this area? Where does that staff function get placed?)

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Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats Analysis

The members of the PSI Forum spent parts of three meetings performing a SWOT analysis on the CRJ. First, we brainstormed what we saw as internal Strengths and Weaknesses. At the second meeting we added and clarified the first list and then brainstormed the external Opportunities and Threats. These were then compiled and through a multi-voting process we finally prioritized the lists. In compiling our final plan, we have tried to account for the most important items in each category through our Strategic Goals, Strategic Objectives or Key Actions.

STRENGTHS

History – Reputation (11)Comments: Yes, but weakened by merger.

Success with challenging populations (7)Comments: Particularly CSMA.

Linked with Unique service provider in some markets.

Strong relationships with external partners and other relationships (5)

RE Holdings and Zoning (4)Clinical programming expertise in CS-MA (4)Stable management team (4)

Financial Capacity—history of good audits in the last 3 years. (3)Leading voice in re-entry initiatives (3)

Reputation of program management staff (2)Comment: I’d actually like this to read ALL staff from management to program to CJI, etc. all other categories listed here.

Quality CRJ Contracts (1)Our Endowment (1)Behavior management skills in youth functional and behavioral skills development (1)

Real Estate expertise on the BoardSkilled, committed CJI StaffUnique service provider in some markets Strong turnaround skills Investment in technology Consistent Group of Long-term donors

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WEAKNESSES

Financial: legacy and new contracts don’t fund what we want to do (7)

Development of Direct Support/Service Professionals (5)Poor development of management talent (5)Lack of sharing expertise (5)

Staff stretched too thin – especially our infrastructure (4)Comment: Linked with Shallow depth of management talents

Poor recruitment processes (3)Lack of fundraising expertise on the board (3)Shallow depth of management talents (3)

Comment: Linked with Poor development of management talent.Shallow pool of long-term donors and they are getting older (3)

Hiring and retention weaknesses (2)Comment: Linked with Poor recruitment processes.

Lack of capital—endowment is too small in relation to the size of the agency. (2)Lack of Developmental Disability expertise on the board (2)

Comment: Linked with lack of geographical representation on the Board

Poor institutionalization of our ad hoc actions (1)

Resources (Tech. money) also stretched thin Poor record with change management Lack of STD Admin. Processes Diverse clients that have different supports needsPoor internal communication from top down Lack of geographical representation on the boardLack of attention to strategic planning once it is done.

Added at rating session:Inability to document results (1)Lack of funding for Quality Initiatives

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OPPORTUNITIES Juvenile re-entry and adult heightened awareness by policy makers (7)Demand for system change (7)Foundation demand for EBP’s (7)

Lack of programming for 18 to 21 year olds (6)

Strategic mergers / acquisition with weakened / struggling Non Profits (5)

Generational transfer of wealth (4) Girls / gender specific programming (4)

Comment: Linked with Lack of programming for 18 to 21 year olds

More higher ed / community connections (3)

Trained workforce getting downsized (new hires) (2)

Continued deinstitutionalization (1)Lower profile, more rational attitudes on crime (1)

Comment: Coupled with reduced state revenues.Corporate volunteer connections Activist role for CRJ? Stronger advocacy positions (separate corporation). Connect with consumer groups (1)Openings for non-traditional / Non Profit Initiatives (1)

Lower cost / cost avoidance for our programs additional funding

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THREATSFinding and keeping committed low-wage workers (11)

Push for “standardized” rates - don’t support our specific service (9)

Competition from for-profits (6)Comment: And from other non-profits

Continued push to faith-based community-based programs (5)

Increased pressure on community based service for sex offenders – zoning challenges (4)Higher scrutiny of non-profits (4)

Funding threat from inflexible slow-to-adapt agencies (3)

Career paths less common (2)Changes in Medicaid (2) “Blue State” pressure from D.C. (1)Parochial nature of our business (1)

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COMMUNITY RESOURCES FOR JUSTICE, INC.

STRATEGIC PLAN

MISSION, VISION, VALUES, CORPORATE GOALS AND GUIDING PRINCIPLES

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MISSION, VISION AND VALUES

The Core Mission, Values and Corporate Objectives of CRJ have not changed. Throughout the process we used them to inform us in our thinking and decision making. We are proud of our Mission and Values and throughout the variety of changes that are envisioned in this document these core statement must form the foundation of everything we do. We started the process by exploring our vision of what we wanted to be best at, given what we are motivated by and what can make us a truly great company. That statement is outlined as our Vision, or in the language of James Collins’ book, Good to Great, our Hedgehog Statement. We see this Vision evolving over time as we learn from what we do and as the field evolves in its learning of what works best with our clients. This statement will need to be revisited regularly. We have also added four Guiding Principles to inform our interactions with the people we serve, our co-workers and our funding sources and vendors. These principles are at the core of the culture we are trying to create.

MISSION

Community Resources for Justice supports our most challenged citizens.

We work with individuals in, or at risk of being in, the adult or juvenile justice systems; individuals transitioning out of these systems back to their communities; and individuals with developmental disabilities requiring intensive support to be part of the community.

Our unique mix of innovative services, advocacy for system improvement, research and publications is designed to build the capacity of people to live safe and productive lives.

These efforts also help communities gain an enhanced sense of safety and improved quality of life.

In everything we do, we are dedicated to being an organization that performs at the highest level, with a workforce possessing the skills and knowledge that ensure a strong and positive impact on our clients, our communities and our profession.

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VISION

Hedgehog Concept: We can be best in the world at making operational those practices that have been shown by evidence to be most effective for adult and youthful offenders and those with dual-diagnosed or forensic developmental disabilities to live safely and productively in the community.

VALUESCommunity Resources for Justice's values govern and set goals for our behavior with colleagues, clients and all constituents such as other providers, neighbors and citizens.

INTEGRITY We are honest and open in our work and our dealings with

others. We are principled and fair. Our actions engender trust and we seek always to deserve that

trust.CREATIVITY

We are innovative in conceiving and executing our work. We are creative in making the most of our resources. We encourage cooperation and collaboration to foster creativity. We are open-minded, flexible and adaptable to change.

COMPASSION We honor the inherent dignity of every individual. We exhibit consideration, courtesy and a cooperative spirit. Others' opinions, culture, contributions and safety are regarded

as highly as our own. We demonstrate sensitivity and maintain confidentiality.

EXCELLENCE We exhibit professionalism in our interactions, language, dress,

and attitude. We strive for continuous improvement in ourselves, our services

and facilities. We use our skills to enhance the service and reputation of the

agency. We make informed choices to obtain maximum benefit from finite

resources.

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BOARD OF DIRECTORS STRATEGIC GOALS

All programs are achieving high standards of client outcome measures, as well as financial viability measures, while learning the critical components of success that enable us to enhance our offerings and to improve our performance.

CJI is recognized as a nationwide thought-leader in the fields of criminal justice system reform, public safety policy, and forensic developmental disabilities.

CRJ divisions have a close internal working relationship, such that it enhances both the programmatic outcomes and CJI’s national influence.

CRJ has broadened its impact through adding new services, creating social venture businesses, or expanding geographically.

CRJ’s real estate holdings are optimized in meeting the operational needs of the organization.

CRJ’s contract revenues are increased by better than the inflation rate; its endowment has grown by an average of 5% at year; and revenue from fundraising from non-governmental sources has reached $500,000.

PRINCIPLES OF CRJ'S TREATMENT CULTURE

Community Resources for Justice embraces a culture of treatment that is client-focused and includes certain principles which all staff follows in their dealings with clients/consumers, and by which the quality of care and service should be measured.We Listen We Focus on Behavior We Offer Choices We Welcome Change

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COMMUNITY RESOURCES FOR JUSTICE, INC.

STRATEGIC PLAN

CORPORATE INITIATIVES PLANS

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Finance and Growth

Overview

To accomplish this strategic plan, CRJ will need to grow by an additional $10-13MM over the next three years. The infrastructure improvements, including technology innovations, capital improvements, enhanced Quality Improvement and additional administrative support will account for $1.8M of that growth. Demands by funding sources to keep our administrative cost near 15-16% also make it imperative that we grow to approximately $30MM. And the need to build up our endowment to match the growth of the organizations will require approximately $10MM over the next six years.

To reach that level a number of strategies must be implemented. First, we must get the current contracts to generate at least a 2% surplus after replacement costs within three years. This will require us to renegotiate current contracts, fundraise to close funding gaps and even close out contracts that cannot be supported by current funding. Second, we need to improve on the mix of revenues generated by CRJ. More revenues must come from fundraising with foundations, corporations, major donors and other sources. Third, we need to diversify our geographical base both within and beyond Massachusetts. Presently, CSMA is highly dependent on Region I/II of DMR. Informal market analysis tells us that there is a strong interest and need for our services in other regions. In adult correctional services, there is a large and important opportunity to provide community-based services in Springfield, Central Massachusetts as well as additional programming in Boston under funding from the MA Parole Board. New Hampshire is moving toward increased privatization of community corrections and increased competition in MR services. We also hear that there are also some youth services contracts that are in trouble and might be potential opportunities for CRJ. This is also possibly the case in Massachusetts as well as DSS and DYS examine their service delivery models. Finally, we have to look closely at Connecticut which is in the forefront of the Evidence-based practices movement and where there are a large number of contracts for Day-reporting programs coming due within the next year. Maine, Vermont and possibly Rhode Island may provide opportunities in MR services and Youth Services, although they are smaller markets. Given the union climate in RI we do not consider it an opportunity in Adult Correctional Services at this time.

As we look at these potential new markets, we will need to be creative in our approach. Mergers and Acquisitions may assist in our effort to expand in places like New Hampshire and Massachusetts. Given zoning issues, it may become an important component in our attempts to grow residential programs as well. Creative program models, including non-residential programming and combinations of non-residential and transitional housing, may be ways to avoid costly and divisive zoning disputes.

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It is very likely that for growth to occur, we will need to terminate some residential contracts that are either not profitable or are not open to using proven practices of the field and replace them with the types of contracts that is at the core of our strategic vision. We had to do this recently at McGrath House and we can use that program as a learning platform to guide us in the future.

For CJI, there appear to be many opportunities evolving out of the current work the Institute is doing in Evidence-based Practices and in large systems change under the NIC grant. First, there is an opportunity to replicate the NIC experience in additional sites after the initial projects are complete. This work could also be used to leverage additional consulting and Technical Assistance work. There has been strong interest in the area of training on evidence-based practices to other criminal justice stakeholders such as judges, prosecutors, and police. Illinois and Maine appear to be the most interested at his time and could serve as pilot sites for this effort.

Strategic Goal 1: Bring all current programs up to a minimum break even financial position with the agency generating 2-5% surpluses a year.

Strategic Objective 1: Renegotiate rates for DSS programs by July, 2005 to ensure that the new contracts generate a minimum 2% surplus.

Key Actions: Seek a retroactive rate adjustment to recoup FY05 losses Negotiate rate increases as part of the new contract negotiations with DSS If not possible to reach objective, close one DSS program to ensure highest

utilization in metro area.

Strategic Objective 2: By May 2005, renegotiate the STS rate to ensure CRJ can recoup building improvement costs and generate a 2% surplus moving forward.

Key Actions: Negotiate amendments to current contract to make up for losses due to staffing

directives and building costs contributing to FY05 deficits. Renegotiate base rate to ensure that the structural problems with the STS budget

is corrected.

Strategic Objective 3: Renegotiate the base rate with FBOP to accommodate the decline in Coolidge House utilization by July, 2005.

Key Actions: Send letter of formal request to FBOP Enter into negotiations with appropriate people.

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Strategic Objective 4: Fully fund BRP contracts to a minimum of break even level or discontinue contacts as they come due.

Key Actions: Continue to seek foundation support for the programs that will supplement the

current contracts. Notify funding agencies and collaterals of our need to fund fully or discontinue

and seek their support.

Strategic Objective 5: Ensure that CSMA is able to generate a 2% surplus after replacement costs by the beginning of FY 07.

Key Actions: Permanently adjust the DMR contracts to eliminate the $200,000 structural

problem in current contract by May 2005. Complete the amendment process to adjust current contract rate with Region I/II

by $178,000. Negotiate a $31,000 amendment of current contracts with Region 6 or return the

residents covered by those contracts and close one program. Expand or replace contracts in such a way that surpluses generated in new

contracts assist recover smaller than target surpluses in others.

Strategic Objective 6: Bring CSNH to a profitable position by start of FY07.

Key Actions: Build revenues to $2MM either by RFP process or by merger with other

provider(s) with existing contracts. Dispose of or reutilize the Northwood office and relocate to smaller, less

expensive location(s). Examine adjustments to the New Hampshire business model for higher

efficiencies and more reasonable overhead allocations. Discontinue unprofitable contracts as CSNH’s reputation grows strong. Identify and approach potential merger or acquisition prospects to build broader,

more profitable base of business. Look for opportunities that arise as a result of service delivery reorganization

Strategic Goal 2: Expand programming funded under new profitable contracts

Strategic Objective 1: Open at least three new adult correctional programs which will generate at least a 3% surplus by July, 2006.

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Key Actions: Continue discussions with the New Hampshire DOC about potential work with

Adult Offenders Apply for funding from the MA Parole Board for a minimum of two community

Corrections programs. Apply for at least 2 day reporting center contracts in CT

Strategic Objective 2: Open at least 3 new CSMA programs that generate a 3% surplus by July, 2006. At least one of these programs should be in a region other than Region I/II.

Key Actions: Open discussions with Region 5 regarding its need for a new program. Continue discussion with Region I/II about their expansion needs. Open discussions with CT DMR regarding their interest in the CSMA model Open discussions with MA DSS about their challenging older DD programming

needs. Open discussions with DD agencies in Rhode Island and Vermont.

Strategic Objective 3: Open at least two new youth services programs by July, 2007.

Key Actions: Submit proposal to DYS regarding girl’s programming in Boston area. Open discussions the NHDOHHS regarding opportunities in NH Open discussions with DYS and DSS regarding needs for more outreach and

community-based services.

Strategic Goal 3: Increase the level of non-governmental contract revenue as a percentage of total revenues.

Strategic Objective 1: Increase revenues brought in through fundraising with foundations and donors to $1M within 3 years. (See Advancement Office strategy for more info)

Key Actions: Bring the Gala event to a level that it is generating $100,000 net income. Get Youth Services programs part of larger fundraising efforts such as the

Rodman Ride for Kids. Apply for technology enhancement grants for IT initiatives. Expand our individual donor efforts Seek general support grants from large and small foundations.

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Strategic Objective 2: Increase the level of reimbursement money from government programs to $125,000 in three years.

Key Actions: Continue to aggressively seek food stamp reimbursements for all CSMA residents Aggressively seek housing subsidies for CSMA residents. Begin seeking Medicaid reimbursements for clinical services in both CSMA and

CSNH

Strategic Objective 3: Develop the Social Venture so that it is generating $100,000 of surplus by the end of FY08.

Key Actions: Stabilize the venture with new leadership and planning Expand the venture to outside clients Create a legal entity that would be able to charge reasonable rates to CRJ

programs.

Strategic Objective 4: Restructure bank relationships, financing strategy and cash flow control mechanisms

Key Actions: Develop tools to provide a close monitoring of cash flow. Explore with bank institutions possibilities of expanding relationships Explore bonding options to reduce cost of borrowing.

Strategic Goal 4: Seek funding opportunities for CJI that are both strategic and profitable.

Strategic Objective 1: Get 1-3 additional sites to take on our NIC-EBP initiative.

Key Actions NIC funding expansion. State or local: Contact states and/or local governments regarding interest with

pursuing this agenda. Develop costs and proposal.

Strategic Objective 2: Expand CJI’s TA/Consulting services.

Key Actions Work with our partners to prepare ourselves to respond to RFP and market our

services.

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Strategic Objective 3: Develop training in EBP/systems reform.

Key Actions Ask NIC to provide minimal funding to develop curriculum. Test curriculum in Illinois and Maine with feedback from stakeholders. Work with National Judges College, Center for State Courts, PERF and others.

Strategic Objective 4: Increase fundraising from foundations and donors.

Key Actions See general support grants from large and small foundations that support policy,

advocacy, and systems reform agenda. Donations from private donors. Seek funding from foundations to support specific work that is either new projects

or supports expansion of current work. Respond to RFP in Massachusetts and the New England region that are

appropriate for CJI

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Treatment Culture

Overview

CRJ embarked on a strategic initiative in 2001 to create a treatment culture within the organization. We envisioned was a set of behaviors and skills which, no matter where within the organization you were, would guide the interactions between client/consumers and staff and among staff themselves. This initiative was undertaken to accomplish two outcomes. First, CRJ would define the core of our treatment practices in such a way that would encompass the evidence-based and best practices in our fields. Second, CRJ would have a unique focus and feel that would set it apart from our various competitors.

We have developed a document that embodies the CRJ Treatment Philosophy, our Core Treatment Elements—addiction, cognitive behavior therapy, employment/education and adaptive life skills—and our Guiding Principles—We Listen, We Focus on Behavior, We Offer Choices and We Welcome Change. Over the next three years, our strategy is to utilize a multi-level approach to inculcate our staff into this new culture. It is critical that we devise at the beginning of this initiative an evaluation process that will help us determine progress and ultimately success of this initiative.

Strategic Goal 1: Implement the Treatment Culture Philosophy throughout the organization.

Strategic Objective 1: Every Direct Care Worker, Program Manager, Departmental Manager and Functional Manager will practice the skill embodied by the 4 Guiding Principles in their interactions with consumers/clients and staff.

Key Actions: All staff trained on the skills of the 4 Guiding Principles by June 30, 2004 After initial roll-out, training of the 4 Guiding Principles will be included in new

employee orientations or early training and in management training offered by the agency.

In-service and other training situations, including multi-media and on-line training, will be used to reinforce the skills through curriculum developed or purchased by the HR Department.

Case Managers, Clinicians, Program Managers, Program Directors and other key staff trained on advancement treatment skills such as Motivational Interviewing, DBT, Cognitive Behavioral Facilitation, etc. by June, 2006. Departments and even individual programs will select which of the various evidence-based treatment practices are appropriate to meeting the goals of the programs.

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Strategic Objective 2: All program models, treatment methodologies being utilized in the programs and agency systems will be aligned with the treatment philosophy, evidence-based practices and Guiding Principles.

Key Actions: Members of the Treatment Culture Committee, Department Directors and

Standards and Quality Assurance will work with Program Managers, Program Coordinators and Program Directors to evaluate each program in light of the Treatment Culture and implement changes as necessary before January 2006.

Program Staff will be included in making needed changes through Good to Great Projects, Training and supportive coaching.

The Monthly Management Report System and other outcomes measurement systems, the Performance Management Systems and other Recognition programs will be adjusted to reflect the new Treatment Philosophy and Guiding Principles by September 2005.

Strategic Objective 3: Evaluate the implementation of the Treatment Culture initiative in order to determine whether outcomes of the program have been met.

Key Actions: Identify scope of work and cost by January, 2005. Hire CJI or consultant to design and conduct evaluation effort by January 2005. Determine specific outcomes to be evaluated by January 2005. Conduct evaluation and report periodically on progress. On-going to be ultimately

completed in July 2007.

Strategic Goal 2: Increase the amount and quality of treatment services throughout the organization.

Strategic Objective 1: All programs are operating high-quality services in the 4 Core Treatment Elements, based on proven practices in our fields.

Key Actions: Programs implement objective and validated needs and strengths assessment

practices by July 2005. Training to support the staff in the use of these tools will be provided prior to implementation.

Each individual consumer/client will have an Individual Plan of Services and activities based on the assessments’ findings.

Proven and validated cog-skills curriculum, addictions treatment, education/employment services and adaptive life skills curriculum will offered based on the current plans of the individuals in each program by December 2005 and on-going after that.

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Key staff will receive training in facilitating cog-skills and adaptive life skills training if necessary and community groups specializing in aspects of these programs will be recruited to conduct groups and training.

Reinforcement of skills will be on-going, utilizing various media including refresher training, CD Rom, Video and Computer-based training.

Strategic Objective 2: Increase the amount and quality of the Clinical Treatment Services offered by the organization.

Key Actions: Every Department has a Clinical Director/Coordinator who is responsible for

ensuring that treatment activities and program designs meet the test of evidence-based or best practices for the field and that the Guiding Principles are being practiced by staff by July 2006.

Each program maintains and evaluates a community service provider list for clients/consumers who moving to independent living within the community by July 2005.

Every program has developed a collaborative relationship with at least one substance abuse service provider who is both providing psych-ed programs and treatment services by September 2005.

Every program has developed a strategy for employment development and/or community inclusion opportunities for their client population by December 2006.

CRJ has determined need, role, responsibility and funding source for hiring an agency-wide Clinical Director who will supervise individual clinicians and support treatment programs by July 2006. This person must be of a certification level that CRJ could recruit clinical interns in our programs and qualify for certain reimbursements from government sources.

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COMMUNITY RESOURCES FOR JUSTICE, INC.

STRATEGIC PLAN

DIVISION PLANS

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Advancement Division

Overview

The Advancement Office was created to take a strategic and significant approach to the fund raising efforts at CRJ. We want to build on the fund raising and communication efforts that have gone on over the past 126 years, and expand and coordinate efforts to help be more efficient and effective in raising funds for programs, general operating expenses, capital and the endowment.

The step of investing in an Advancement Department at the senior executive level demonstrates CRJ’s commitment to this effort. This in turn helps our efforts to be taken more seriously by current and potential funders, the board, and other constituencies.

The reality is that these efforts take time. That time has much to do with the capacity/infrastructure of the department, the history of our donor base, the age of our donor base, our ability to attract new donors, our ability to maintain and reconnect with current/former donors, and our structure of funding streams. This includes advancing our funding efforts from sources such as individuals, foundations, corporations, and other revenue generation. It also includes advancing our funding efforts through the use of specific tools such as annual fund, major gifts (cash or stock), events, grants, sponsorships, endowment campaign, capital campaign, planned giving (estates/bequests/annuities), on-line giving, etc.

It is important to note that these efforts here need to be done both locally, regionally, nationally and indeed within any region where CRJ is engaged in work or interested in engaging in work.

Overarching objective is to increase philanthropic support to reflect 5-15% of the agencies overall revenue generation within 6 years.

Strategic Goal 1: Steadily increase the Annual Fund to generate $150,000 annually in three years.

Strategic Objective 1: Maintain our current pool of donors and increase their overall and individual giving on an annual basis.

Key Actions: Analyze AF donors and recommend in the direct mail pieces an amount of

increase based on individual giving histories, Meet will all current donors to the AF who have given $100 or more, Add on-line giving as an option and develop on-line program with available tools

to track donor activity, Design AF campaign material compelling and relevant to the donor – segment

campaign to include correspondence from/about specific programs of interest.

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Strategic Objective 2: Review lapsed donors (pre and post merger) and bring them back into the AF.

Key Actions: Analyze AF lapsed donors and reach out to find out why they have lapsed, Meet with lapsed donors (pre-merger) to determine interest and/or reasons for

leaving, Design AF campaign material compelling and relevant to the donor – segment

campaign to include correspondence from/about specific programs of interest

Strategic Objective 3: Increase AF donor base.

Key Actions: List acquisition, (include relationships from programs, purchase, other related

lists), List testing, (using direct mail), Design AF campaign material compelling and relevant to the donor – segment

campaign to include correspondence from/about specific programs of interest

Strategic Goal 2: Develop Major Gift donors (donors of $1,000 or more) as a special group with focused annual solicitation, analysis, and strategies for each with a goal of $200,000 annually within 3 years.

Strategic Objective 1: Identify and move donors into Major Gift category

Key Actions: Work with board and other key constituencies to help identify and meet with

donors, Arrange for tours or appropriate programs or meetings with program directors to

get to know us better, Increase board giving to be able to solicit peer to peer.

Strategic Objective 2: Learn more about donors and their capacity and interest for giving

Key Actions: Invest in research of donor base (per donor) on limited level, Design annual strategy based on the “moves management” system of cultivation, Maintain a portfolio of donors for CAO and an assistant in the Advancement

Office as volume requires, Meet with current/prospective Major Gift donors at least 5 times per year for

every one time we solicit funds.

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Strategic Objective 3: Increase donor base in volume and giving levels to support an endowment or capital campaign to start in 2008

Key Actions: Author Case for Support, Improve donor analysis and strategic donor cultivation and stewardship, Identify Capital and Endowment needs, Identify matching donors, Work towards Kresge (and similar) Foundation eligibility.

Strategic Goal 3: Apply to unsolicited granting organizations and generate program or operating revenue of $1,000,000 annually within 3 years.

Strategic Objective 1: Volume applications to unsolicited granting organizations

Key Actions: Submit at least 100 applications annually in five key areas (boiler plates), Maintain a list and schedule of potential funders, Develop a regular cycle of applications, Assess and adjust the list to determine relationship purpose (funding, information,

etc), Expand funders to include corporations, foundations, associations, and other Non-

government sources.

Strategic Objective 2: Write targeted grant applications for projects/programs as interests and needs develop both short term and primarily long term.

Key Actions: Maintain a list and schedule of potential funders, Keep abreast of needs and interests in programs, Stimulate and encourage long term conversations for future work, Encourage innovation and work to learn about funder’s interest and priorities and

engage them in developing/funding new efforts.

Strategic Goal 4: Increase revenue and visibility through events

Strategic Objective 1: Justice Award Dinner should net $100,000 annually in 3 years

Key Actions: Maintain current sponsors/donor list, Increase sponsor/donor numbers and amounts, Enhance the silent/live/on-line auction, Review format of event so that it continues to increase interest, Focus on key anniversary years to enhance giving, Expand sponsorship opportunities and tribute book.

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Strategic Objective 2: Hold additional events

Key Actions: Hold at least 2 “friend raising”/visibility receptions per year, Add at least one event (such as a golf tournament), Become involved in other’s activities (such as the Rodman Ride for Kids)

Strategic Goal 5: Develop Planned Giving methods of contribution to accept long term donation vehicles and committed donations of $1 million within 6 years

Strategic Objective 1: Capture donations from an aging donor base that have long term interest in CRJ through wills bequests, annuities, etc.

Key Actions: Develop a Planned Giving advisory group of related professionals, Identify potential and current donors, Spend time with donors (See Major gifts) to determine where their giving interest

might be, Develop Giving Societies and an annual small event for donors to these types of

vehicles.

Strategic Objective 2: Provide additional tools for donors

Key Actions: Insurance policies Charitable remainder trusts Gifts of stock or property Other similar vehicles

Strategic Objective 3: Bring board members (past and present and future) into the process of making planned gifts and being part of Giving Societies

Key Actions: Identify and reach out to all past board members to see if they maintain interest

and if they are interested in making planned gifts, Make it easy for current board members to learn about and become involved in

planed giving, Recognize the number of people who have been on the board or in leadership

roles who have celebrated CRJ with a memorial gift or endowment (Hooper, Fay, Hawkes, Mascarello, Dwyer) and encourage others past, present, and future to do the same.

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Strategic Goal 6: To strategically use communications to reach out and support our programs, funding, awareness of our work, and recognition of our work.

Strategic Objective 1: Develop an annual schedule of publications/communications

Key Actions: Identify publications to be developed and the purpose/goal of each on an annual

basis:o 2 newsletterso 1 Annual Reporto e-newsletter/bulletin (s)o Program newsletter (s)o Employee newslettero Website

Include in that schedule the schedule of CRJ activities such as the JAD, receptions, annual fund raising appeals, and the like

Strategic Objective 2: Improve internal communication and information/knowledge sharing

Key Actions Place internal “boilerplate’ documents for grants and other narratives on the

employee area of the website so it can be accessed by all, Help to establish information sharing so that files, data, and other information is

known across departments to help in our PR and fund raising efforts, Keep senior leadership informed of individual and programmatic successes and

recognize those successes quickly.

Strategic Objective 3; Work with the media to promote/publicize our work in an effort to help drive our fund raising

Key Actions Develop media list (all media – print, tv, radio, internet), Ongoing relationship development with reporters, writers, authors, and editorial

boards, Strategically coordinate media contact/content with CRJ activities and have

contact list for various segments of our constituency such as:o Lawyers,o AGso Prosecutors,o Legislators,o Sheriffs,o Police Chiefso Police Departmentso MR/DD advocates/organizations

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o Boards/trustees of foundations

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Crime and Justice Institute (CJI)

Overview

The Crime and Justice Institute operates as a division of Community Resources for Justice, Inc. CJI envisions criminal/juvenile justice and social welfare systems that are effective, fair, humane and cost-effective. Through our work we seek to contribute to the revitalization and empowerment of urban communities, and to assist vulnerable populations in realizing their potential to lead civil, productive and satisfying lives. Guided by a belief in the fundamental dignity of each individual, we strive to narrow the gap between the world as we know it and the world as we envision it.

The Crime and Justice Institute possesses extensive experience in convening stakeholders and experts to deliberate on criminal justice policy issues and in consulting on implementation of evidence-based practices. We also bring both research and practitioner perspectives to the issues. Under a cooperative agreement with the National Institute of Correction (NIC), CJI and a team of national experts developed a model for implementing evidence-based practices in community corrections and are now working with several states to implement this model. We are also working with NIC, Abt Associates, and the Center for Effective Public Policy on the implementation of the national Transition from Prison to Community Initiative. In Massachusetts, our recent reentry report outlines core evidence-based practices for reentry for state and county offenders. For the Serious and Violent Offender Reentry Initiative (SVORI), we provide technical assistance to the Department of Correction and five jurisdictions to collaborate in improving the reentry system. With funding from the Boston Foundation, we hosted series of public safety forums last year. Nationally, CJI staff have participated in both the Urban Institute Reentry Roundtables and the Council of State Government’s Re-entry Policy Council and Mental Health Consensus Project.

What We’re Passionate AboutIt is important for the Crime and Justice Institute (CJI) to engage in work that can make a significant contribution to the criminal and juvenile justice systems in Massachusetts and nationally. Most of this work can be embraced in the concept of recidivism reduction.

We believe that in order for systems to make significant reforms and change the way they do their business, it requires solid information, knowledge, and skills of how to reduce recidivism. We also believe that the primary organizations need to go through an organizational development/change process and be involved in meaningful collaboration at many levels. The complex social issues confronted in the criminal justice system require collaboration to provide a more coherent continuum of care using evidence-based practices. When the primary stakeholders come together and can work toward a common vision and mission, much greater results can be achieved than any one organization working alone. We also believe that the system should be held accountable for measurable results.

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Core Strategic Initiatives: The FutureThere are abundant topics that fit within the sphere of CJI’s mission and vision that are likely ripe for funding at both the government and private level. Our strategic focus for the next three years is outlined below. Some examples of the work we would like to pursue include: research, policy, and advocacy work for system change based in evidence; and direct work with criminal justice organizations, legislatures and other elected and appointed officials, and state and local partnerships. We want to do this not just from a philosophical base, but also based in the knowledge of what quality research says makes a difference in reducing crime among people in the criminal justice system.

Both current funding and anticipated future funding opportunities suggest these models of organizational development and corresponding system change will continue. We strive to create a national reputation for CJI as a leader in these arenas. Funding from both government and foundations offers CJI rich opportunities to continue our current work while expanding on the scope and geographic area of our reach.

Strategic Goal 1: Stakeholder TrainingWe feel that it is important to build a broader knowledge base of evidence-based practices among stakeholders in the criminal and juvenile justice systems such as the judiciary, prosecutors, defense lawyers, providers, corrections staff (including institutional and field parole and probation officers), human service agencies, and victims.

Strategic Objective 1: Increase CJI’s involvement in national judicial training of evidence-based practices in corrections.

Key Actions Contact National Center for State Courts (NCSC) and the Judicial College

regarding interest and need for this type of project. Hold a meeting with National Institute of Corrections (NIC) to discuss

involvement and potential for support. Hold roundtables with key players to inform curriculum development. Develop stakeholder-specific curricula with guidance from NIC. Hire trainers (both content trainers and other judges). Pilot curricula in Illinois and Maine. Seek opportunities to work with Massachusetts courts. Develop a structural plan for the trainings – e-learning or face-to-face

Timeframe Work with Illinois - Winter 2005 Work with Maine - Spring 2005 Nationally - Begin conversations with NIC and NCSC – Spring 2005 Work with Massachusetts – Begin conversations Summer 2005

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Strategic Goal 2: Technical Assistance / ConsultingWe provide technical assistance to help state and local organizations reform their systems and implement new strategies to improve outcomes with both adult and juvenile offenders. We constantly seek new opportunities to disseminate knowledge and gain fresh experience.

Strategic Objective 1: Increase CJI’s technical assistance and consulting work in the areas of evidence-based practice in corrections, organizational development and collaboration.

Key Actions Explore technical assistance opportunities in 2-3 states. Contact states CJI

currently works in to survey their interest in expanding the technical assistance they receive.

o Pursue funding for organizational development work in Connecticut’s Probation and Parole offices.

Hold trainings to increase CRJ’s knowledge and expertise in these content areas, upon request.

Increase consulting pool and maintain central database of consultants. Create marketing materials for CJI.

Timeframe ongoing

Strategic Objective 2: Seek funding opportunities to support ongoing and future Massachusetts System Reform work.

Key Actions Follow-up to Lt. Governor’s Commission Recommendations and CJI’s recent

report “From Incarceration to Community: A Roadmap to Improving Prisoner Reentry and System Accountability in Massachusetts”

Seek potential for system consulting and facilitation of interagency communication between Department of Correction (DOC), Parole and Courts

Work with Chief Advancement Officer to research Jeht Foundation’s potential for support of Massachusetts work.

Cultivate current relationships with Massachusetts governmental entities to encourage system work.

Timeframe ongoing

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Strategic Goal 3: Public Policy Research, Advocacy, and Dissemination of Information CJI will maintain a well respected reputation for translating the findings of evidence-based research into an accessible format that can be used by line workers, policy makers, and heads of agencies.

Strategic Objective 1: Publish 2 papers in professional journals in 2005.

Key Actions

Review current research on a variety of topics relative to criminal justice (listed below):

o Employment Barriers for Ex-Offenderso Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) Barrierso Mental Health and Substance Abuse Issueso System Reform (the NIC/CJI Integrated Model)o Program Evaluations and Study Findingso Evidence-Based Practices and Intermediate Sanctions: What Role

Does the Judiciary Play? o Public Opinion Survey Results o Case studies of states and local systems that are engaging in promising

system reform work Develop and disseminate papers and publications for practitioners and

legislators.Timeframe

ongoing

Strategic Objective 2: Increase CJI’s advocacy work.

Key Actions

Follow up on the recommendations born out of CJI’s recent analysis of the Massachusetts system in “From Incarceration to Community: A Roadmap to Improving Prisoner Reentry and System Accountability in Massachusetts”

Build relationships with Massachusetts legislators. Take every opportunity to actively support system reform founded in

evidence-based practice; collaboration between criminal, juvenile justice systems and social service agencies; sharing information across agencies; developing models for public private partnerships; and reform of community corrections agencies to implement best practices.

Timeframe ongoing

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Strategic Objective 3: Develop a comprehensive mailing list of all criminal and juvenile justice stakeholder agencies for dissemination of work.

Key Actions Gather consensus on stakeholder groups to include. Create central database where current mailing information is maintained.

Timeframe Summer 2005 and ongoing

Strategic Objective 4: Present during 4-6 different occasions on our work each year.

Key Actions Present on our work, results and implications of evaluations and lessons

learned nationally to the following groups:o Policy Makers and Legislatorso Judiciary o Community Corrections and Department of Corrections Staffo Professional associations and conferenceso Educational trainings within states

Timeframe ongoing

Strategic Goal 4: Forums and RoundtablesOne of the activities we think is critical to improving our ability to successfully implement system reform founded on evidence-based practice is to listen to the stakeholders. We need to better understand their needs, the barriers they face, and what could be helpful to them. We propose to do a series of focus groups and roundtables to accomplish this, most likely beginning with the states where we are currently working.

Strategic Objective 1: Seek funding to coordinate and conduct at least 2 forums, roundtables or focus groups convening cohorts of the following individuals:

o Policy Makers, Governors and Legislatorso Department of Correction (DOC) Directorso Chiefs – Urban Chiefs Association, Police Chiefs, Sheriffso Community Corrections Directors o County Commissionerso Probation and Parole Officerso Correctional Officerso Judgeso Direct Care Staffo Victims and Victim Rights Advocateso Prosecutorso Defense Attorneyso Ex-Offenders

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Key Actions Revise proposal to Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety (EOPS)

and renegotiate potential for this work. Pursue additional funding opportunities to convene forums and roundtables of

stakeholders, both in Massachusetts and nationally.Timeframe

ongoing

Strategic Goal 5: Collaborative Work within CRJCJI is well poised to support the design, implementation, and evaluation of demonstration projects operationalized at CRJ sites. We can draw from best practices to tailor models to best serve our clients and program goals, which we can then test. CJI appreciates the wealth of talent, field expertise and knowledge throughout all of CRJ’s departments and recognizes the potential for mutually beneficial work. There are several ways in which a collaborative relationship could be strengthened amongst our departments.

Key Actions Develop a process for collaborative work within CRJ with the PSI Forum. Promote and maintain regular internal communication with other CRJ

departments. Maintain active participation in CRJ committees and meetings. Work with Advancement Office and CRJ departments to explore external

funding opportunities for collaborative projects. Encourage information-sharing opportunities among all CRJ employees.

Timeframe ongoing

Plan for Growth Develop an identity as an agency committed to reducing recidivism of people

in the criminal and juvenile justice systems. Brand that identity and develop marketing tools. Develop a business plan. Do an assessment of our competition in Massachusetts and nationally. Develop packages and descriptions of work that we can offer to State and

Local organizations. Develop ranges of costs and rates for specific types of services (recognizing the specific service and cost will need to be developed to meet the needs of the client).

Work with Chief Advancement Officer to research foundations and other funding opportunities (i.e. Federal, state, local) that may be good prospects to provide general support and project-specific funding.

Continue outreach efforts to agency heads and elected officials in Massachusetts and elsewhere.

Continue to build a consulting and staff team with the appropriate expertise and experience.

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Projected staffing and business development investments to increase our capacity and market our services:

1. Hire a consultant to assist us in the development of a business plan. Consultant and staff time for development of materials. Timeframe: begin in February 2005. Complete business plan and initial

marketing materials and write-ups of specific packages of work by July 2005. Approximate cost: $50,000.

2. Hire a full time staff member with skills in qualitative research skills, including ability to facilitate focus groups and write policy documents. Timeframe: Disseminate job posting in August; Interview in November, Hire

in December 2004. Approximate cost: $70,000.

3. Hire a part or full-time staff member with substantive knowledge in corrections and organizational development who can provide technical assistance to Massachusetts and other state and local projects. Timeframe: when funding becomes available

Approximate cost: $70,000.

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COMMUNITY RESOURCES FOR JUSTICE, INC.

STRATEGIC PLAN

PROGRAM DEPARTMENT PLANS

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Adult Correctional Services

Overview

The current climate for Adult Correctional Services is quite good, with encouraging rhetoric on a local, regional and national level, particularly in the area of “re-entry” initiatives. While this is reassuring and full of opportunities, the reality is that competition will (and should) be fierce, and only the best will prevail. The Adult Services Department understands this and reaffirms our commitment to providing quality programming and services.

Observations which Adult Department staff has made over the past year include: an increase in treatment needs, particularly in the area of mental health; shrinking social service resources resulting in more gaps in the service network; and more clients who are not ready or are not able to maintain employment. As a department, indeed as an agency, our response to these observations must be to improve and increase our skills and programming options. This will mean a broader scope of services provided in-house, better and more specific training for our staff, and more creative options to present to our clients and our contracting agencies.

We are also aware that there is a great potential for CRJ to grow and expand in the area of adult corrections – there are upcoming opportunities in several New England states with departments of correction, the Federal Bureau of Prisons, and parole to name a few. As a Department, we want to ensure that we enter into these growth opportunities not just for the sake of growth, but because they further the CRJ mission, complement or enhance existing services, and are in keeping with our values and guiding principles.

While CRJ is well positioned to be a contender for these growth opportunities, we must be poised to outshine the competition. And while we have a decent base from which to “shine”, more work needs to be done to solidify and upgrade current services, programming, and staff expertise. We obviously have many years of operations experience, we know the unique barriers faced by our clients, we know the “what works” literature, we know the appropriate social service resources, and we have developed a certain degree of expertise in assessment and comprehensive case management. Based on the EBP literature and curriculum models, an analysis of where we currently stand reveals:

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On assessment, we are in good shape. We have a good intake form in use at most of the programs (developed by staff). We are doing well at training staff and conducting LSI-R assessments, but need to ratchet up real use of the results and the analysis aspect.On motivation, we are planning training on motivation enhancement -- Motivational Interviewing, primer on active listening, stages of change, etc.On targeted interventions, we have awareness, but need solid implementation and practice (which criminogenic needs can/should be addressed in the time we have clients, what is the right treatment dosage, matching clients to services (responsivity), what community programs are effective and how do we assess them).On skill training, we need to (re) implement cognitive skills development.On support, we need to pay more attention to identifying what supports our clients have (family, church, etc) and identifying what we can do to create support.

This analysis tells us that we need to more consistently “practice what we preach” -- to focus on each and every one of our assets to ensure that we are doing the absolute best that we can. Two efforts will put us ahead of the pack – implementing our Treatment Culture guidelines and core elements, and adhering to evidence-based practices across the board.

Strategic Goal 1: Develop a training strategy specific to the set of skills necessary to meet unique and ever-changing client needs.

Strategic Objective 1: Coordinate with the Juvenile Services Department to share existing training resources and to collaborate on new trainings relevant to both by June 30, 2005

Key Actions: Adult staff participate in all or part of the week-long Juvenile

Department trainings for new staff. New training offerings developed.

Strategic Objective 2: Complete training on Motivational Interviewing, implement practice, and train trainers for continuation of the effort by December, 2005.Key Actions:

Initial training held for Directors and Case Managers (adult and juvenile) New staff and refresher training to be held on an annual basis. Initial training to be held. Train the trainers completed. New staff/refresher training.

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Strategic Objective 3: Develop comprehensive Case Manager training for adult services Case Managers by July, 2005. Key Actions:

Identify resources and issues, including:The issue and the barriers Gaps in services/policies Current resources within the department, the agency and/or the communityBest practice/evidence-based solutions How to implement improvements within our department.

Identify curriculum content, including: Housing, employment, addictions, mental health, and LSI-R, service planning, and discharge planning.

New case manager “primers” completed. Resource directories/resources shared and available at all programs

Strategic Goal 2: Operate all of its programs in keeping with the CRJ Treatment Culture guiding principles and core elements.

Strategic Objective 1: Complete training on CRJ’s Treatment Culture Philosophy and implement practice of the guiding principles by June, 2005.

Key Actions Treatment Culture Committee-facilitated training held at all adult programs. Practice of guiding principles is observable at all adult programs.

Strategic Objective 2: Provide additional in-house services in order to address the core treatment elements of the Treatment Philosophy -- cognitive skills, employment/education, life skills, and addictions by July, 2005.

Key Actions: Offer cognitive skills development groups facilitated by CRJ staff. Offer job readiness and job retention groups facilitated by CRJ staff. Offer life skills groups facilitated by CRJ staff and/or outside providers. Offer addictions education groups facilitated by community-based providers of

substance abuse services.

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Strategic Objective 3: Increase our capacity to address the mental health needs of our clients by May 2005.

Key Actions: Develop partnerships (internal or external) established to address this need. Begin mental health clinical service hours provided to clients

Strategic Goal 3: All programs and initiatives of the Adult Correctional Services Department are based on practices proven to be the most effective with our client population, in other words, on evidence-based practices.

Strategic Objective 1: Provide basic training on Evidence-Based Principles (EBP) to senior adult department staff, in collaboration with CJI by September, 2005.

Key Actions:Adult department senior staff trained on EBP.

Strategic Objective 2: Analyze existing and proposed internal program services to gauge fit with EBP, in collaboration with CJI by October, 2005.

Key Actions: Services analyzed. Documentation of EBP status.

Strategic Objective 3: Analyze external referral agencies (and their programs) to gauge fit with EBP, in collaboration with CJI by January, 2006.

Key Actions: Programs analyzed. Documentation of EBP status.

Strategic Goal 4: Grow the Department either geographically or programmatically.

Strategic Objective 1: Analyze current and future opportunities for growth in adult services, focusing on their harmony with CRJ’s mission and on our capacity to manage additional initiatives.

Key Actions: Consider potential opportunities. Review options with Growth Committee and executive committee.

Strategic Objective 2: Develop at least two new programs by July, 2006.

Key Actions: Attend Bidders Conferences. Submit RFP’s

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Strategic Objective 3: Secure future funding for the BRP outreach programs by September, 2005 that will support the program at a break-even financial basis.

Key Actions: Coordinate with CAO Develop proposals Negotiate higher level contracts with funding sources.

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Community Strategies

Overview

Community Strategies of Massachusetts (CSMA) and Community Strategies of New Hampshire (CSNH) both have a reputation of successfully serving people with intellectual disabilities and behavioral challenges. Our understanding of people with intellectual disabilities, together with our competence in treatment of psychiatric and behavioral disorders, provides many individuals with the opportunity to live safe successful lives in the community. For most of the individuals we support we provide the only alternative to an institutional or other more restrictive setting. Each state department is committed to providing quality supports in an efficient and cost effective way. We also realize that service provision must be done in a flexible and realistic manner, considering the different needs of the consumers and the community at large.

CSMA and CSNH have developed different models of residential and clinical services as a result of our efforts to meet the various requirements of the funding sources in the respective states. While each department has strengths and skills that could be used to benefit the other, past attempts to coordinate the efforts of the two departments have not been entirely successful. Moreover, the size and history of the two departments leave them in different places in terms of its organizational strengths. CSMA currently 7 times the revenues of CSNH. CSNH is just coming out of three difficult years both programmatically and financially. The implementation timeframes to get to the highest levels of performance will, therefore, be different.

Community Strategies sees an increasing need for our model of support of individuals with intellectual disabilities and psychiatric challenges. The need itself comes as a result of current state funding source policies to provide community based placements for all individuals – even those challenged by complex behavioral and psychiatric issues. Most mental health centers and community counselors are not prepared for the challenges a person with a disability may offer. Community Strategies sees a future in filling this void and becoming the state of the art provider of clinical services for individuals with intellectual disabilities who live with challenging issues.

Support of these individuals presents specific challenges that are best met by a model of integrated and comprehensive services. Community Strategies recognizes the need to become a more comprehensive service provider, offering a variety of services, including residential, clinical, vocational, day programming and case management.

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CS is currently very successful at providing clinical services. We recognize that we need to assist people in integrating these services with all aspects of their lives. We feel the way to do this most effectively is to offer a spectrum of services. In our model, Community Strategies will integrate psychiatric support into a variety of service options giving the consumer the opportunity to find a balance of supports that is most appropriate for their needs. In order to prepare for this model CS needs to develop more opportunities to provide a better well rounded approach to filling out a continuum of services.

Because the challenges these consumers face cross all domains of their lives, it is imperative that the service structure do the same. In order for this model to be most effective a variety of options must be available to the consumers, including:

Variety of residential settings. We presently predominately offer group home model in Massachusetts and home-provider model in New Hampshire. For us to be successful, we will need to develop high levels of competencies in a variety of living situations to address the level of functioning and independence a consumer might desire.

Various Structured Day Program Options: We have learned that supporting challenging individuals only in their living situation is often futile when they do not have proper day structures in place to both give them meaningful experiences as well as opportunities to apply newly acquired skills in a safe setting.

Outreach: Ideally a portion of the people we would serve would either transition away from our services or be in need of only some of our services due to clinical/behavioral progression. The goal will be for individuals to develop the skills necessary so that they will be living more independently in the community by themselves, with their families or with family care providers. We believe that with many service models people can often keep their independence longer if outreach services are available.

Team Approach/Collaboration: There are so few programs focusing on this population and even fewer mental health clinicians who have a demonstrated expertise, it is imperative that resources be shared well and utilized in such as way as to optimize our resources and enhance recruitment and retention of clinical professionals.

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Core Principle

Our primary goal is to attain the highest quality of services while increasing both the number of individuals we support and the number of services we provide to each individual. To achieve this, we must improve the effectiveness of our departmental structures, improve the quality and cost effectiveness of existing services, contract for additional services in New Hampshire and Massachusetts and expand our services into other states. Because the challenges consumers face cross all domains of their lives, it is imperative that the service structure does the same. In order for this model to be most effective a variety of options must be available to the consumers.

Strategic Goal 1: Enhance the quality of existing services

Strategic Objective 1: Document the current treatment and program model used in CSMA by September 30, 2005 and in CSNH by July 2006.

Strategic Objective 2: Conduct and analyze existing models and services and identify and implement best practice procedures by June 2006.

Key Actions: Identify and enhance our relationships with other potential service providers

who can help us identify an ever-increasing consumer base. Create a subcommittee to address the qualitative level of treatment

interventions. This committee will recommend best practices in gathering qualitative data and documenting program outcomes.

Develop an on-going system to monitor items surveyed by the certification and/or QUEST process.

Develop procedures for clinicians to become members of the panel of Medicaid reimbursable providers.

Revise clinician’s job descriptions and salary structure to require that all clinician’s services are Medicaid reimbursable.

Re-evaluate current placement configurations to maximize clinical and programmatic services.

Strategic Objective 3: Implement a comprehensive community inclusion approach to our programming utilizing best and proven practices by September, 2006

Strategic Objective 4: Ensure all CS employees are trained in and are implementing the Guiding Principles of our Treatment Philosophy by September 2005.

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Strategic Goal 2: Provide a full spectrum of services that are proven to work with the individuals we support

Strategic Objective 1: CS will develop additional residential, vocational, day program and clinical services by June, 2007.

Key Actions CSMA and CSNH will explore the development of structured day program/drop-

in programs to support people living in our residences as well as graduates or people who might need some clinical support with out the need for full comprehensive services. This program will be a resource to both consumers and their families.

CSMA and CSNH will further develop our job coaching and job support efforts to enhance competitive employment opportunities for individuals participating in this type of service.

Study the feasibility of offering outreach services. Study the feasibility of becoming more active in outreach to families and

family support to those who have family members with these particular issues.

CSMA and CSNH will develop together a plan to offer the same range of residential opportunities in both states. This may include the development of additional options such as transitional and independent apartment living.

Strategic Objective 2: Community Strategies in both states will work to develop processes, systems and structures that increase the quality of existing services, encourage the transfer and development of expertise between the two departments and position the organizations for expansion.

Key Actions: Develop an information-sharing process which promotes face-to-face interactions

among Community Strategies staff on best practices and other key issues which might include peer sharing, shared training, document exchanges and other methods.

As appropriate, Community Strategies Departments will examine organization structure, staff responsibilities, and compensation structures to ensure that they are organized in ways that will increase the effectiveness and quality of the programs and services and will effectively position us for growth.

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Strategic Goal 3: Increase financial resources

Strategic Objective 1: Develop diversified funding sources while maximizing the cost effectiveness of existing services.

Key Actions Work actively with the Chief Operating Officer to develop opportunities

for grants and foundation donations for non-funded service demands and provide a status report annually.

Perform a cost effectiveness analysis of current services and contracts for the purpose of establishing an ideal formula that results in a maximum return for the provision of quality services.

Work actively with the Chief Financial Officer to re-visit existing contracts according to the established formula and will negotiate all future contracts accordingly.

Develop procedures to more effectively access a wider range of supplemental government support for individuals.

Work with the Youth Services and Adult Correctional Services Departments to investigate the possibility of marketing our model and services to the mainstream criminal and juvenile justice systems.

Strategic Goal 4: Expand services

Strategic Objective 1: Increase the number of profitable contracts in our existing geographical states so that CSMA is generating a consistent surplus of no less than $200,000 a year and CSNH is breaking even by June, 2007.

Key Actions: Identify areas and/or regions where the current service models are needed

and market to them. Work with the CFO and Controller to develop a business model for CSNH

that will enable it to show profits. Examine and implement ways to speed up the RFP and amendment

processes. Work with the CFO and controller to identify and implement budgeting

and contract management systems that improve our management of existing contracts.

Work with HR to ensure recruitment and retention innovations reduce the reliance of overtime in CSMA.

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Strategic Objective 2: Develop a comprehensive and marketable array of innovative services in response to the identified programming needs of out of state markets by June 2006.

Key Actions Establish a formal structure to explore future programming or consulting

opportunities to other state vendors or agencies. CRJ COO and Directors of CSMA and CSNH will periodically review the

success and develop a plan to implement the successful model to other states.

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Youth Services

Overview

It is apparent that the present and future focus in service delivery in the Youth Services Department is in provision of creative and diversified programming within the community. Our primary concentration has historically centered upon residential services and we have been able to maintain excellent service delivery and the quality of care to the residents in our programs have been of a very high standard. We have also established ourselves as a strength in the community and are currently very well positioned and qualified to meet the needs and challenges that the funding agencies have identified. We are extremely optimistic and excited about the opportunities that lie ahead in youth services and we are confident in our ability to perform at the highest level.

The need for girls’ services has increased dramatically over the past couple of years and has become a very high priority. We have clearly demonstrated our ability to effectively work with urban, male youth and the unique situations they face which has eminently prepared us to work with the girls’ population. We have done extensive programming with an older, high risk population and have gained a reputation for preparing youths for community transition and independent living which should be advantageous to us as we pursue new contracts. Our experience and expertise will hopefully provide for potential growth in other states as well. We will be cautious and deliberate in our approach to out of state business but viable and opportunistic programs will be explored and pursued.

Staff training and development have been a very strong component of the Youth Services Department but we will not remain content with our strategy. We have been consistent and vigilant in our efforts to provide training to our staff, particularly new staff, but we simply need to better develop and groom entry level staff and heavily promote advancement opportunity and upward mobility. Mid management development will be a focal point as well as more creative recruitment initiatives. The major obstacle in this task continues to be funding. We are constantly confronted with unfunded mandates and various other training requirements that restrict our ability to carry out the objectives in a cost effective manner. We desperately need additional funding and support from the funders and CRJ to accomplish our goals. The department will work in conjunction with the HR department and the Advancement office to make a very good training function into a great one.

Strategic Goal 1: Enhance service delivery and provide more diversified programming throughout the Youth Services Department.

Strategic Objective 1: Provide more home/family based and community based services in all of our programs by June 2006.

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Key Actions: Ensure all current contracts are on sound financial basis during contract

renegotiation process. Respond to the DSS RFR as a Lead Agency and aggressively pursue clinical,

community based family based and educational opportunities within the model. Develop partnerships with community resources that deliver quality clinical

service delivery in support of this initiative. All case management staff will be trained and individually supervised by Shannon

Mountain-Ray. Clinical staff will identify additional resources within the community that will be

available to all the youth services programs. Case management job descriptions will be redefined to include specific

responsibilities, i.e. job placement, education, clinical treatment, housing, etc. Further develop collaboration with Crittenden Hastings on a GED program. Secure funding for GED support through existing funding or grants. Communicate directly with other departments within CRJ re: best practices and

resources.

Strategic Objective 2: Develop a girls’ services model with emphasis on independent living by June 2005.

Key Actions: Continue to meet with proposal team and plan for submission of Independent

Living RFR in 2005. Identify a program site for girls’ program. Research best practices and most effective treatment models in girls’ services

programming. Develop a training curriculum that is more gender specific to females. Expand partnerships with providers specializing in clinical and treatment services

for girls. Increase psycho-educational groups and services for girls placed in the DRC.

Strategic Objective 3: All youth services programs will employ evidenced-based, proven practices by January 2007.

Strategic Goal 2: Enhance skills of all staff within the Department.

Strategic Objective 1: Provide comprehensive and professional training department within youth services by June 2006. Key Actions:

Identify a more appropriate and conducive training site for all trainings. Develop 2-3 additional trained trainers within the department or within CRJ. Utilize consultant trainers to supplement specialized training. Develop training curriculum for job specific training at all levels, i.e. case

management, supervisors, clinicians, teachers, APD’s and PD’s.

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Organize and schedule a year long training schedule that will be available to all CRJ departments.

Secure funding for a Training Coordinator position exclusively for the youth services department.

Generate a training evaluation process that will better assess training performance and identify outcome measurements.

Strategic Objective 2: Ensure all staff will be fully trained in accordance with their specific job responsibilities by July 2005.

Key Actions: Assure all new staff will be fully trained in basic skills curriculum, including

newly designed suicide prevention training and treatment culture, once rollout has been completed.

All management staff will be trained on the skills of the 4 Guiding Principles of Treatment Culture.

All staff will be trained on the skills of the 4 Guiding Principles of Treatment Culture in basic skills training.

Develop job specific training curriculum for all staff. Complete job specific training.

Strategic Objective 3: Reorganize recruitment strategy within the department by May, 2005.

Key Actions: Centralize recruiting through the Department Director. Research more cost effective recruitment alternatives via internet or publications. Follow up with NU re: collaborations. Schedule career / job fairs with local colleges. Meet regularly with HR staff re: recruitment, training, benefits, retention and

overall HR function.

Strategic Goal 3: Grow the Youth Services Department so that it reaches across state lines or becomes a bigger services provider within Massachusetts by July 2006.

Key Actions: Explore opportunities in New Hampshire for both group homes and day reporting

centers for youth. Explore opportunities in CT and RI for group homes and day reporting centers for

youth. Explore opportunities for day reporting centers in other regions of Massachusetts.

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COMMUNITY RESOURCES FOR JUSTICE, INC.

STRATEGIC PLAN

ADMINISTRATIVE DEPARTMENT PLANS

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Standards and Quality Assurance

Overview

The Strategic Planning process has brought together the Departments and Committees of CRJ and their plans for the future. In creating its own strategic plan, the Quality Council (QC) discussed all of the proposed questions and reviewed all the department summaries. All of the Departments -- Community Strategies, Adult Correctional Services and Youth Services, while not all directly stating it, reflected the need for QC (and the Standards and Quality Assurance Department – SQA) support and would benefit from it by achieving their strategic goals. In reviewing the areas in which continuous quality improvement are needed, the QC identified six separate areas of assistance needed from SQA. In order to provide these areas of assistance, the QC and the SQA reviewed the current structure itself and its capacity to provide quality assurance. It was determined that the current structure and resources for the SQA are inadequate to do much more than what it has been doing. Based on the Phase I results and discussions from the QC strategic planning meetings, two strategic goals were formed and are discussed below.

Specific Needs for CQI by DepartmentListed below are specific areas where QC/SQA can provide continuous quality improvement to each department. These areas are taken directly from each Department’s strategic plan.

With the continuous quality improvement from the QC/SQA, the Community Strategies Departments can achieve their goals of:

becoming the best at what they do (through implementing best practices, monitoring program activities and evaluation [satisfaction surveys for client, guardian and staff])

measuring outcomes to see what is working (getting results)

With continuous quality improvement from QC/SQA, the Adult Correctional Services Department can achieve their goals of:

implementing best practices and upgrading current services and programming developing performance outcomes through improved usage of the MMR data measure client impact of services through client exit surveys

With continuous quality improvement from QC/SQA, the Youth Service Department can achieve their goals of:

comprehensive training curriculum training evaluation system self-monitoring outcomes and program contract specific outcomes once CJI has researched best practices for YS, assistance can be provided to

programs in these pursuits improved collaborations among all YS programs

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With continuous quality improvement from QC/SQA, CJI can achieve their goals of: reducing recidivism of clients (through collaboration on in-house program

evaluations and client exit surveys with CRJ program clients)

With continuous quality improvement from QC/SQA, the Treatment Culture can achieve their goals of:

developing outcomes of the Treatment Culture evaluating programs and their relationship to Treatment Culture philosophy,

practices and guiding principles developing Good to Great projects that support the Treatment Culture ideals revising data information systems to reflect the treatment culture ideals

Strategic Goal 1: Provide continuous support and quality improvement to CRJ Departments (and Committees) in achieving their strategic plans and goals.

Strategic Objective 1: To fully develop the areas of assistance listed below in order for the SQA to provide continuous quality improvement to all Departments. (See attached diagram).

Best practices Assistance to programs to reach those practices with

development or revision of policy and procedure manuals, handbooks, etc. (once programs have obtained information on best practices from CJI).

Working with programs to establish benchmarks --programs can use applicable certifications and accreditation models for benchmarking but need to develop internal benchmarks for non-residential programs and administrative areas (fiscal, administration [Standards of Excellence], and HR). Good to Great project review and assistance

Provide multi-program assistance in specific topics at one time, instead of going program to program. (On-going)

Certification/accreditations/licensing (regulation compliance) Assisting programs to achieve DMR Quest, ACA

Accreditation, NH DDS Certification (bi-annual and annual)

Monitorings Conducting in-house reviews for FBOP for Coolidge House, Self-

Monitoring for DYS programs (monthly, and quarterly)

Evaluations Developing, revising, conducting and analysis of client exit surveys for all

departments (annual and as needed)

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Outcome measurements Continue to monitor MMR data and annual analysis, and development and

periodic revisions of measures (on-going)

Feedback and Reporting One of the most important aspect of QC/SQA is to provide information

regarding all of the above back to all CRJ programs and link the findings (for example, GTG projects, Youth Services trainings, task force groups) to other departments (HR, training, fiscal, etc.) in order for progress to be seen, results shared and revisions made when necessary. (on-going)

These six separate areas (sub-divisions) would replace the current system (of providing piece meal quality assurance) with a systems approach for Continuous Quality Improvement (and name change for the Department).

The continuous quality improvement needs listed above clearly reflects the need for QC/SQA to provide continuous quality improvement to all Departments. In order to complete these tasks however, the QC and the SQA reviewed the current structure itself and its capacity to provide quality assurance.

Currently, the QC has 10 members, meets monthly and serves as a “Board of Advisors” to the Standards and Quality Assurance Department. There is one Department Director for SQA and there is a .5 FTE (Support Services Coordinator) that works under the direction of the Department Director. The Department provides quality assurance (assistance) to all CRJ programs on a priority basis first and on a “first come, first serve” basis second. In addition, past history reflects limited funding for the SQA. Bottom line, the current structure and resources for the SQA are inadequate to do much more than what it has been doing.

Therefore, the QC decided that in terms of the strategic plan, the QC/SQA must first build its capacity/structure in order to provide a systems approach for continuous quality improvement. (Strategic Goal #2)

Strategic Goal 2: To build the capacity/structure of SQA in order to provide a systems approach for continuous quality improvement.

Strategic Objective 1: Obtain additional revenues to pay for expansion of department by December 2005

Key Actions: Work with CAO to increase revenues for SQA Department

Identify funding opportunities Develop proposals Consider donation campaign from vendors Review direct funding from programs for new revenues

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THE FUTURE STANDARDS AND QUALITY ASSURANCE DEPARTMENT

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Strategic Objective 2: Identify capacity of department with personnel, space and CQI structure/system by December 2005.

Key Actions: Develop CQI Plan

Define role of Quality Council Flush out sub-division activities and roles with focus on:

o centralizing efforts among programs when possibleo ensure that activities, events and results are communicated

throughout CRJ (staff, BOD, vendors, public) Determine additional staffing and office space

Strategic Objective 3: Implement CQI Plan by April 2006.

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Fiscal/Administration

Overview

The Fiscal Administration function is currently divided into Four main parts - Contracts Management, Fiscal, Administration, Facilities, and Human Resources. This section of the strategic will focus primarily on the first three functions the Facilities and Human Resources plan will then follow.

The best way for the Fiscal/Admin function to enhance its support CRJ is through customer service. There needs to be a general flow of information to programs to efficiently access information by both parties. Feedback that is timely from programs and management would be helpful to design future communication. Duties and Responsibilities for each fiscal/admin function need to be developed, distributed and communicated. The middle level of management needs to be strengthened to efficiently interact between depts. to establish quality services for staff and clients.

A set of “listening” skills needs to be developed by both programs and fiscal/admin staff. We need to be able to “perceive” each others roles and not act on prior knowledge. We need to be respectful and flexible in getting the job done and we need to expect the same respectfulness and flexibility in return. We need to be timely, reliable and accurate and sometimes take the responsibility of doing another individual’s job. Limit setting is an important area that needs to be developed to exercise the efficient use of time. Learning how “address the needs” being communicated will take practice to establish a good end product.

Additional training needs to be developed in the fiscal area, insurance and vehicle management for Department and Program Directors. Understand the meaning of the numbers in FMR’s and budgets, beyond the bottom line, is essential for the financials to be a management tool for the organization. There needs to be more communication below the middle management level of Fiscal/Admin functions for staff to better deliver service to clients. To help this along there needs to be the establishment of a committee to have further understanding of what are the responsibilities of program and the fiscal/admin function. There is a need to build bridges between program and fiscal/admin functions so that each side understands the capabilities and limitations of each other and build the necessary steps it takes to get the jobs done.

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Strategic Goal 1: Strengthen the partnership between the programs and the Fiscal Departments.

Strategic Objective 1: Fiscal policies and procedures need to be updated every two years. First Update by September 2005.Second update: September 2007

Key Actions: Each update will be reviewed with CRJ Managers at an Operations Meeting

before release and utilize the executive management level, when necessary, to re-establish policies and procedures emphasize the importance of communication.

Strategic Objective 2: Study how fiscal/admin functions could more effectively use the agency website and other IT media.

Key Actions: Study how the website might be better utilized by December 2005. Examine if a video could be developed for fiscal functions to train staff on policy

and procedures that would be required for every day functions and processes by December 2005

Based on the findings launch the various recommendations September 2006. For most of the above functions there does not need to be additional resources

except internal communication.

Strategic Objective 3: Training for the fiscal/admin staff to be exposed to programs and their functions and the bridge for training of fiscal/admin functions for new managers in orientation process.

Key Actions Curriculum Designed by October 2005. Training completed by December 2005.

Strategic Objective 4: Create a least semi-annually meeting between fiscal/admin staff and program managers to discuss issues, planning projects, discuss necessary lead time, and discuss the reason for suggested policies and procedures and problems that may occur and to problem solve those issues. Program staff meetings need to support fiscal/admin staff by attendance to those meetings.

Key Actions First meetings by end of August 2005 Continued meetings on a January and August timeframe

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Contract Management

OverviewCurrently the contract management position is split between the management of agency contracts and documents and the research and proposal development for new grants and contracts.

Each of these two areas has a set of best practices.

Contracts Management and Documents:

1. A procedure for renewal and amendment of existing contracts2. A contract management database 3. Electronic contracting documents and program descriptions4. Fiscal , legal, and administrative records for contract compliance5. Organized filing system of legal documents of CRJ 6. A reminder system for filing annual renewals and abatements7. Electronic availability of documents when possible.8. Disaster recovery plan in event of a fire or other disaster.

New Grant Development1. A system of continuous research for new sources of funding2. A standardized procedure for applying for new proposals3. Electronic availability of standard boiler plate language and program descriptions,

resumes, etc.4. Support Advancement Officer and Department Directors with contract proposals.

Currently we utilize some of these best practices but more need to be implemented:

Contracts Management and Documents: 1. We have a contract management database but no link to documents2. We have some contracting documents and program descriptions electronically3. We have all documents for contract compliance4. We have an organized filing system of documents with a reminder for renewals.

New Grant Development:

1. Currently we have procedures for research, bids, proposals, renewals and amendments.

2. Contract Manager supports Advancement Officer and Department Directors and uses their guidelines for search criteria for new services and geographic expansion.

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To be successful, we will need to fully implement the best practices outlined. The Contract Manager needs to be more involved in budgeting and narrative part of proposal writings. Currently these are done by the Fiscal Office and Department Directors. There also needs to be an improvement in communications regarding contracting procedures throughout the organization.

Finally, as CRJ grows and as the Advancement Office ramps up, it will be impossible for one person to do the two parts of this function. There will be too many contracts and too many proposals being researched and developed.

Strategic Goal 1: Reorganize the Contracts Management function into two separate positions, with the Contracts and Documents responsibilities in the Fiscal Department and the New Grant Development in the Advancement Department.

Strategic Objective 1: Implement the reorganization by July 1, 2005

Key Actions: Develop new responsibilities and accountability statements for the two new

positions Determine reporting relationships, space allocations, etc. Develop or clarify any policies and procedures that are affected by the change Clearly inform management of CRJ of changes.

Strategic Objective 2: Continue developing communication with Department Directors

Key Actions: Implement procedures that will involve Contract Manager in the budgeting and

writing narratives in addition to administering contract documents by December 2005.

Strategic Goal 2: Ensure that all contracts and documents are available electronically.

Strategic Objective 1: Upgrade the Contract Management database to add links to the relevant documents by September 2005

Strategic Objective 2: Make all key agency documents available electronically by June 2006.

Key Actions: Identify which documents should be available electronically. Determine best platform for storage. Determine who has access.

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Strategic Goal 3: Secure all key documents so that they will be available in the event of a disaster.

Strategic Objective 1: Develop a disaster recovery plan for all key agency documents by July 2006.

Key Actions: Develop plan for all corporate documents by October 2005. In collaboration with the Director of IT review back-up and storage procedures

for electronic data to ensure it is sufficient in case of a disaster by January 2006. In collaboration with Department Directors, develop disaster recovery plan(s) for

program related documents such as case files, etc. by July 2006.

Fiscal Department

Fiscal Management

As CRJ grows the fiscal department will need to become more robust, employing the best practices for an organization of its size and complexity. These best practices include:

1. “Real-time” financial reporting 2. Integrated and automated payroll, purchasing & invoicing systems3. Financial & ratio/trend analysis and short-term/long-term forecasting/planning4. Integrated budget development/forecasting

Currently we do not perform any of the practices listed above.

Strategic Goal 1: Upgrade the Fiscal Department so that it is fully employing the best practices in the field.

Strategic Objective 1: Implement “Real-time” financial reporting by July 2007

Key Actions: Purchase Software - $3,000 plus user license fees Train Administrative staff in programs – undefined Develop Fiscal staff support – 10 hrs per week, annualized ($7,700)

Strategic Objective 2: Implement Integrated and automated payroll, purchasing & invoicing systems by July 2007

Key Actions: Research/planning/implementation – 3 months @ 20 hrs per week/$30 per hr

($7,200) Possible software purchases – unknown; plan $15,000 Program administrative staff training – 80 hrs @ $65 per hr ($5,200)

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Strategic Objective 3: Financial & ratio/trend analysis and short-term/long-term forecasting/planning by February 2006

Key Actions: Research/planning – 40 hrs at $30 per hr ($1,200) No additional costs incurred; existing staff would collect data and perform

analysis

Strategic Objective 4: Implement integrated budget development/forecasting by February 2006

Key Actions: Research and planning – 10 hrs at $30 per hr ($300) No additional costs incurred; existing staff would perform functions.

Accounts Receivable

Some guidelines/standards to the best accounts receivable practices can be derived from the following sources: Generally Accepted Accounting Principles Standard Operating Procedures Contract requirements HIPAA Standards Annual Audit recommendations Industry Performance (Comparison to practices and performance by similar entities)

All the above standards guide CRJ Accounts Receivable practices to an extent. Although some of them carry significantly more weight (like GAAP, SOP, contract requirements, HIPAA) others appear to be secondary (audit recommendations, industry performance).

Several relatively recent technological and staff changes have impacted AR in very positive ways:1) Up to date accounting software package (Epicor) 2) Contract manager position to coordinate all contracting efforts & communicate any

changes to A/R3) New channels of communications between fiscal dept and other departments (staff e-

mail)

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While those changes have allowed fiscal department and accounts receivable to accommodate current needs of programs, future goals will require further improvements. In order to meet these goals, we need to:1) Educate programs as to what information is needed from them, when and how to

submit it by June 30, 20062) Develop most efficient ways of processing data by June 30, 20063) Strengthen communication between fiscal department, programs, and other staff

members to assure all relevant information is shared by June 2007

Strategic Goal 2: Increase Communication between AR and Program StaffCommunication can be improved with vigilance, repeated efforts on the part of the staff, and holding parties failing to share information accountable. We might be able to develop more efficiency by comparing our practices to those utilized by similar business entities.

Key Actions: On-going training of program staff as it relates to fiscal needs will be provided by

fiscal staff assuring that programs are able to present information in accurate and consistent matter might provide them computer training through CRJ classes by June 2006

Accounts Payable

Best Practices in this area include:1. Electronic Accounting System2. HIPPA Standards3. Accounting Training4. Annual Audit Recommendation

Currently we employ: 1. HIPPA Standard2. Accounting Training3. Annual Audit Recommendation

Strategic Goal 3: Adopt an Electronic Accounting System (Invoices will be receivedelectronically, approved electronically, paid electronically, and stored electronically)

Strategic Objective 1: Implement an Electronic Accounting System by December 2006Purchase Software – File Manager ($300)Purchase Hardware – Scanner needed to convert current paper invoices into an electronic format ($500)Training – 80 hrs

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Community Strategies presents some unique issues that are not present in other Departments. For instance, all contract rates are based on the individuals in the program rather than a unit price per bed which is the standard in the Youth Services and Adult Services Programs. In addition, these programs are at remote locations and therefore require a more intense effort to keep policy, procedures and communication clear. This is compounded by the challenge of different organization structures off the DMR state agency and different rules and regulations governing the services we provide in different states. To be successful we must continually be focusing on the special issues that these parts of the organization present.

Strategic Goal 4: Increase the capacity of the Fiscal Department and the two Community Strategies Departments to accommodate the unique aspects of their financial affairs.

Strategic Objective 1: Financial Management Reports are utilized as a management tool by program managers by July 1, 2006

Key Actions: Increase Fiscal staff support ~ 8 hours per month annualized (+/-) $3,000 Increase CSMA Admin staff support ~ 8 hours per month annualized (+/-) $1,440

Strategic Objective 2: Increase CSMA Program Managers’ level of responsibility for managing expenses under their control within budgetary allocations by July 1, 2007

Strategic Objective 3: Financial Management Reports are utilized as a management tool by Program Managers by July 1, 2006

Strategic Objective 4: Implement a series of policies and procedures that are important to include in the administrative/fiscal function which best supports CSNH programs and needs by July 2007.

Key Actions: An employee/program friendly fiscal office – Procedures that take into account

that staff do not work in the offices or work business hours, and do not have access to technology such as fax machines and computers by July 1, 2006

CSNH Needs -The needs of CSNH should be understood by all employees of the fiscal department, not just the controller by December 31, 2005

Written systems/procedures – Written systems/procedures should be created in cooperation with programs for standing tasks such as check runs, special checks, cost center allocations, petty cash, purchase orders, etc. These procedures need to include the actual process, expectations, follow-up, deadlines, and the contact person for the specified task by July 1, 2006

Quality reviews - Quality reviews should take place which incorporates feedback from our programs, funding sources, and other related constituencies by July 2007

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Communication - A Model of open communication with admin/fiscal staff and programs directly creating a relationship between the program and fiscal department, especially for a challenging situation, such as changes in procedures and practices. There should also be active communication between the fiscal/admin department and the program when resolving an issue by July 2007

Position at CSNH - A position that is incorporated into CSNH as the key contact person for the admin/fiscal department by July 2006

Strategic Goal 5: Integrate the Contract Management function into the Fiscal Department. (See Contract Management)

Administrative Unit

We consider the following as the best practices in our area:1. Understanding of and adherence to the mission and the set-goals of the agency;2. Professionalism in every possible way and effective multi-level communication;3. Unlimited customer service and support;4. Vehicle Fleet management tracking including more cost-saving measures;5. Working knowledge of insurance standards, categories, process and reporting6. Maintenance of office equipment and inventory management;7. Implementation and monitoring of wireless communication usage policy;8. Continuous vendor relations and interactions;9. Maintenance of archival system, meeting set guidelines and criteria.

Currently, the Administrative unit is visibly active in supporting the objectives of the agency by providing quality assistance and support to other work areas within the agency at all possible times. The unit is always willing to step in to lend a hand as well as take the lead in areas where immediate attention is needed. It continuously tries to be dependable in getting the task completed with satisfactory results and/or even exceed expectations in a timely fashion.

On the other hand, Vehicle Fleet Management needs improving as current system records a number of instances wherein items are not reported accurately and movement occurs despite parties being fully of aware of procedures. On the other hand, we have Cellular Usage policies and procedures for reconciliation of issues. Also, we comply with insurance guidelines. We conduct on-going research of available cost-effective options that would redound to benefit the departments and the agency as a whole. Vendor-relations have always been very positive.

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Strategic Goal 1: Strengthen Administrative Department support and customer service with other divisions within the agency.

Strategic Objective 1: Investigating additional services and/or needs for support by our Administrative department to programs and other Administration units within the agency.

Key Actions: Contacting programs to see if the need is there and schedule meetings to discuss

possible areas of support by January - February 2005… Ongoing. Discuss finding(s) individually with programs and to see if they are truly needed

or other factors need to be considered by May 31 2005… Ongoing. Implement new tasks and schedule projects that were requested by program by

June 30, 2005… Ongoing as needed.

Strategic Goal 2: Improve our capacity to manage our fleet of vehicles in the most cost- effective manner.

Strategic Objective 1: Implement stronger management tools and ethics of ownership of our cars in several phases

Key Actions: Implement Fleet management tracking system or module. Assistance from IT unit in developing a user-friendly system that would better

track services alerts for preventative care schedules, etc. by end of March 2005 Introduce system and its main function to division directors and program directors

by April 2005 Revisions from directors meeting feedback by June 2005 System running and producing monthly report by mid July 2005…Ongoing Improve Driver’s accountability by incorporating “attitude” to "Drive & Maintain

It like It’s Their Own!" Requiring newly hired drivers to take Defensive Driving training course and

quarterly performance review of drivers over year of service with involvement from HR and Program Managers by July 2005…Ongoing

Including vehicle protocol review (policy awareness, conditions, incidents, etc.) to the authorized driver’s performance evaluation by July 2005… Ongoing

Resubmission of drivers’ background checks in six month intervals by July 2005…Ongoing

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Monthly review of vehicle logs and quality checklist followed by discussions of findings with Program Managers by September 2005…Ongoing

Additional training and review of the insurance standards, updates and policies by January 2006…Ongoing

Strategic Objective 2: Fleet Management function will serve as a central communication and control point for all fleet management responsibilities.

Key Actions: Redefine Office Managers responsibilities to include fleet management Completely functioning in this aspect by running of above mentioned Fleet

Management system by mid July 2005

Strategic Goal 3: Cellular usage protocol and policies training.

Strategic Objective 1: Mandatory review of company cellular usage policy and protocol throughout programs to decrease personal usage overages by March 2005

Key Actions: Reviewing on a regular basis with assigned users cellular policies beginning end

of February 2005…Ongoing. Reviewing monthly invoices and set discussion for questionable charges and

overage issues by February 2005… Ongoing. Reviewing current plan, usage and if better providers’ options are available to use

for possible switch by October 2005.

Facilities Management

Overview

The overarching role within CRJ is to provide quality living environments for the people we serve and quality working environments for our employees that enable the delivery of high quality services to our consumers. The work of facilities management is to optimize the company’s ability to do its work.

As CRJ’s Facilities Department is further established and developed, discussions and decisions on the subject need to be framed within 4 basic underlying concepts:

Both the organization and the department should have a specific philosophy about facilities

Facilities management is an essential business function Different types of organizations require different approaches to facilities

management Facilities management needs basic tools and resources to document, track, and

analyze its functions in order to continuously improve its performance

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These concepts are particularly pertinent in light of recent surveys by IFMA (International Facility Management Association) of senior business and government executives which reflect a rapidly growing shift in their views towards Facilities from ‘a necessary cost of doing business that enables our organization to function’ to one which views Facilities as ‘a resource that can provide a competitive edge’ for their business.

FY 2004 saw the first attempt to create a comprehensive compilation of data regarding the condition of CRJ’s Properties. This resulted in an initial identification of major needs, prioritized ranking of them, and generalized estimates and timeframes for addressing them. This information was summarized through the creation of a Facilities Assessment/Capital Improvement Plan for the Agency for FY 2005 and beyond.

More still needs to be done on this plan:

1. Property Condition Assessments needed for all properties to set out master plan2. Determination of scope of renovations and costs needed for planned or recent

facility acquisitions3. Further determination of scope of work and costs for both planned and formerly

unforeseen renovations to current properties scheduled this year and next.4. Mid-year update and revision

There are many ‘best practices’ emerging within the facilities management field including, Annual Report, Benchmarking, Customer Service Response Surveys, Life cycle costing, Computer-assisted facility management (CAFM), Property Condition Assessments or Facilities Audit, Strategic Space Forecasting, Supplier Consolidation, Work Reception Center, Adequate Maintenance and Repair funding – (2-4% of building’s replacement value annually – does not include custodial services, or renovations other than small tasks).

We do not formally do any specific ‘best practice’ fully. We have implemented pieces or concepts of some, and have others in progress. We need to further identify which can be fully defined and implemented short-term, which longer-term. Also some need to be modified based upon our own practical limitations and some due to uniqueness of our business nature---e.g. Some options such as disposing of an inadequate or sub-par facility and buying, building, or leasing a replacement facility are not (practically speaking) available to us due to zoning restrictions.

It is very important to mention here that our ‘uniqueness’ facilities-wise is not a reason to not pursue the implementation of best practices. Minor adaptations to some will still yield excellent results. Others may not be applicable due to fundamental organizational structure, while, still others may be able to be implemented in the future. The bottom line is that adoption of the ‘concept’ of best practices will, in itself, result in marked continuing improvement of the department.

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Property Maintenance Resources will be utilized to provide services to CRJ whenever possible, given PMR’s ability to perform the scope of work needed, and its price competitiveness. As PMR is developed, it should focus on being able to be a ‘one-stop’ provider of as many services routinely needed by CRJ as possible, which will provide benefits to CRJ through efficiencies in vendor consolidation. PMR will also be able to provide added value to CRJ through its ever-increasing knowledge of CRJ’s properties and familiarity with its systems, which will enable PMR to deliver its services with less billable ‘down-time’ due to diagnostic time needed to investigate underlying conditions of problems

Strategic Goal 1: Manage facilities in a planned, proactive approach

Strategic Objective 1: Establish of Facility Manager ‘point person’ for each property by April 1, 2005. Responsibilities will include management of routine custodial service requirements for property, regularly scheduled property inspections, compliance of required fire drills, scheduling compliance of required inspections, licensing application/renewals, and interval-based life/safety services, acting as a liaison with facilities department for work orders, and oversight of maintenance work done at site.

Strategic Objective 2: Implement ongoing program of technical assistance and training for Facility Managers by May 1, 2005

Strategic Objective 3: Ensure that budgets reflect ‘true’ costs of facility operations, and that these costs are incorporated into contracts with funding agencies by FY 07

Strategic Goal 2: Acquire only new facilities that are – or can be reasonably made – appropriate for our needed use(s), present and future.

Strategic Objective 1: Become better educated on zoning matters, and strategies for affecting zoning restrictions and investigate ‘best practices’ for Community Corrections and Human Service residential providers in area of property acquisitions by April 1 and ongoing

Strategic Objective 2: Ensure that buildings for future growth (or replacement of current buildings) are planned for well in advance, suitable for adaptation, and must contribute to the strategy of continuous improvement in our property portfolio. Ongoing

Strategic Goal 3: Capital Planning must be ongoing process, positioning CRJ to be able to respond in a timely manner to emerging priorities.

Strategic Objective 1: Adopt a Life Cycle Costing approach, with resultant creation of capital reserve needs projections for long-term planning of improvements and renovations by September, 2005???

Strategic Objective 2: Institute a semi-annual review and update of Capital Plan for short-term funding requirements by Feb 28, 2005

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Strategic Goal 4: Conduct a financial analysis of the ability of the program(s) occupying each building to absorb those costs within their current contract(s) must be done in order to determine the feasible scope and timeline for the Capital Improvement projects, and their incorporation into the budgets. A Summary Study of the costs associated with these items will further differentiate between Capital costs and Maintenance and Repair costs.

Strategic Objective 1: Identify total property needs (immediate, short term, long-term) of each property and develop both a specific short-term plan and a general long term plan to address these needs by November 2005

Strategic Objective 2: All major deficiencies are brought up to minimal standards by end of FY2008

Strategic Goal 5: Implement a set of facilities management best practices that suit the unique nature of our business and properties.

Strategic Objective 1: Develop a 3-5 year plan prioritizing the recognized best practices to be implemented beginning May 1, 2005, and fully implemented by FY08???

Strategic Objective 2: Create a Work Reception Center, staffed by an Administrative Assistant to both develop and maintain systems for facilities management department by July 1, 2005

Human Resources

Overview

CRJ has undertaken a number of strategic initiatives in the last few years that will require a significant change in the culture and practices employed by our employees at all levels of the organization if the initiatives are to be implemented successfully. The leadership, training, development, and support of our staff throughout this change process will require close coordination and cooperation between senior and middle managers and HR staff.

The primary strategic initiative requires using the framework of Jim Collins’ book Good to Great and his concept of the Hedgehog Principle to provide guidance for our organizational renewal process. Our current iteration of this principle declares that we are passionate about helping those people whose negative behavior has created forensic involvement with the criminal justice system to create positive change in their lives. We can be the best in the world at identifying the evidence-based practices for working with these challenging populations and successfully implementing them in our programs, resulting in measurably more positive outcomes for both the individuals we serve and for the communities they live in. This will enhance CRJ’s competitiveness and financial viability, and create a positive learning environment for our staff as well as for our clients.

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The initial focus for implementing these best practices centers on the efforts of the Treatment Culture group and their identification of the four Guiding Principles we will use to support implementation of evidence-based practices in all our programs. The principles are consistent across all the populations we serve, although the implementation will be customized based on the specific population’s needs.

Effecting positive change in our client’s lives requires that we all are willing to change ourselves in the process. The goals and objectives detailed below are some of the steps we believe are necessary from a Human resources perspective to make these changes successfully. It will be a multi-year effort.

Strategic Goal 1: Support Implementation of all Required Trainings and Treatment Culture Philosophy throughout the organization.

Strategic Objective 1: Every Direct Care Worker, Program Manager, Departmental Manager and Functional Manager will practice the skills embodied by the four Guiding Principles in his or her interactions with consumers/clients and staff.

Key Actions: All staff trained on the skills of the four Guiding Principles by June 30, 2004. After initial roll-out, training of the four Guiding Principles will be included in

new employee orientations or early training and in management training offered by the agency.

In-service and other training situations, including multi-media and on-line training, will be used to reinforce the skills through curriculum developed or purchased by the HR Department. .

Strategic Objective 2: All staff training, including training on the Four Guiding Principles, will be tracked through our on-line training vendor Continued Learning by July 1st, 2005.

Key Actions: Contract through Mass Council finalized by 12/15/04. Current data imported from ADP by 2/15/05. Presentation of new system and capabilities to management by 3/1/05. Implementation with training of managers and announcement/rollout to all

employees by 4/1/05.

Strategic Objective 3: All positions will have identified competencies and required trainings needed to achieve those competencies.

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Key Actions: HR staff will work with program management to identify competencies and

mandated training/certifications for each position by 9/30/05. Monthly reports will be developed showing gaps between current and desired

states for employee competence by 1/1/06. Quarterly CMR’s will include review of progress toward goals in this area for

each program beginning 7/1/06.

Strategic Goal 2: Best Practices will be implemented in CRJ’s staffing efforts to ensure we get the right people on the bus.

Strategic Objective 1: Hire and train a full-time recruiter by 4/1/05

Key Actions: Define job requirements, create job description, recruit and conduct interviews,

resulting in an accepted job offer by 3/15/05. HR Director will work with Recruiter and Department Directors to identify

sourcing strategies and program staffing resources needed to support generation of a robust, qualified applicant pool by 5/1/05.

A 12-month schedule of recruiting activities will be prepared for colleges, career fairs, and media placements to be led by Recruiter, by 5/1/05.

Strategic Objective 2: Implement Pre-employment testing to identify qualified candidates and reduce turnover due to inappropriate hires.

Key Actions: HR Director will work with Recruiter and Training Manager to identify

appropriate testing instruments and methods by 6/30/05. Recruiter will identify at least one beta-site in Adult, Youth, CSMA, and CSNH

to begin pre-employment testing by 12/30/05. HR Director will work with Recruiter and QA to develop evaluation measures for

testing program by 6/30/06. Effectiveness of program will be evaluated quarterly beginning 9/30/06.

Strategic Objective 3: Hiring Managers will be trained, coached, and supported in the hiring selection process, resulting in a 60% retention rate for new hires in FY 2006.

Key Actions: Department Directors, then Program Directors/Managers and others involved in

the hiring process will be trained to use the pre-employment testing tools by the Training Manager and Recruiter by 4/1/06.

HR Director will work with Recruiter and Training Manager to identify hiring managers who need to upgrade their selection and interviewing skills.

Identified hiring managers will attend classes and receive one-on-one coaching to upgrade skills from 7/1/06 through 12/31/06.

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Strategic Goal 3: HR and Payroll will implement best practices in HR technology, employee education, payroll, and benefits.

Strategic Objective 1: HR Staff will visit program locations regularly to provide on-site education on HR programs and employee benefits.

Key Actions: Develop overview presentation for HR staff to use at employee meeting by

12/17/04 Assign HR staff to specific programs, and have them initiate contact with

managers to schedule visits by 1/14/05. Each HR staff member will visit at least two program locations quarterly,

beginning Q3, FY 2005. All locations will be visited at least annually.

Strategic Objective 2: HR will continue to upgrade HRIS technology through implementation of web-based employee and manager self-service programs

Key Actions: All HR forms, benefits descriptions, and HR policies and employee

communications will be posted on the staff website within 48 hours of being distributed to employees.

HR will integrate payroll data transfer to Accounting in electronic format by 4/1/05.

An evaluation of payroll systems will be conducted, leading to implementation of a web-based system for payroll and benefits administration by 10/1/05.

Strategic Objective 3: Synchronize rewards, recognition, and Performance Appraisal systems with the treatment Culture’s four Guiding Principles and CRJ’s Good to Great initiative

Key Actions: The HR Director will work with QA and CJI staff to define and implement an

evaluation system for measuring the degree of adherence to the Guiding Principles in each program location by 6/30/05

Periodic rewards and recognition programs will be developed for individual employees and programs exhibiting faithful adherence and execution of the GP’s with clients and staff by 6/30/05

Work with the PSI Forum to have manager’s performance appraisals accurately reflect CRJ’s strategic objectives in setting goals and objectives, defining accountability, and setting developmental and training objectives throughout FY 2006

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Strategic Goal 4: CRJ’s employee benefits programs will contribute to creating a work environment that is family friendly and provides needed support to our employees and their loved ones.

Strategic Objective 1: Evaluate current employee benefits programs and propose changes or upgrades as necessary to meet our employees needs, and as is fiscally sound and sustainable for CRJ.

Key Actions: Re-evaluation of 401(k) plan providers and implementation of new vendor by

4/1/05 Implement change to 401k Plan to convert to a “safe harbor plan” effective 7/1/05 Transition to new EAP vendor with enhanced Work/Life balance program by

2/1/05 Continue research and bring to finalization:

Credit Union and direct deposit campaign by 5/1/05 Upgrade of STD benefits, reducing employee wait period from 30 to 21 days

by 7/1/05 Explore lower cost options for medical benefits by 4/1/05 Part time benefits research proposal completed for consideration in FY ’06

budget

Strategic Objective 2: Educate all CRJ employees on the benefits we offer, showing the cost of benefits and demonstrating the value added to total compensation

Key Actions: Create benefit statements and distribute by 1/1/06, and annually thereafter Continue new employee orientations, supplemented with online presentation to be

available by 4/1/05 HR staff will visit each program location at least annually, educating employees

on their benefits and other services available from HR. Program began 1/1/05 Additional onsite employee meetings will be held in conjunction with open

enrollment periods, and benefits upgrades or changes. Educational materials will also be mailed to employee’s homes as is appropriate

Strategic Objective 3: Increase manager and employee information and administrative change capabilities by implementing a web accessible HRIS system

Key Actions: Identify and Interview vendors who offer self service options by 4/30/05 Evaluate vendors online systems 6/30/05 Check references 7/31/05 Decide on vendor and negotiate prices 8/15/05 Implement initial online self service options by 1/1/06 Rollout self service to managers and staff 4/1/06 Evaluate use of system, and re-educate managers and employees as needed

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TECHNOLOGICAL SERVICES

Overview

The Role of Technology at CRJ

1. Technology should support program activities through provision and maintenance of hardware (computers, printers), software (office productivity, data analysis, data bases) and communications (telephone systems) tools.

2. Technology should continually promote new technological ideas to allow us to develop cutting edge systems to improve the efficiency of our operations.

3. Technology should provide for systems that facilitate research in order to facilitate analysis of our operations.

4. Technology should play an important role in training and educating our staff.5. In administration, technology should help streamline and improve

communications integrating separate systems such as accounting, payroll and other systems in existence.

6. Technology should be a tool to educate and train our clients.7. Technology should be incorporated as a tool in providing services and treatment

to our clients.

Our current technological resources

Currently we have a basic infrastructure of about 200 computer systems in place. We have IBM compatible equipment and Microsoft software throughout the agency. Spread throughout remote 15 locations in Western Mass we have individual units. In larger programs (Brooke, Coolidge, Shirley, NH, Headquarters, Watson, STS, SDRC, Sargent, McGrath, Ambrose) we have local area networks. We also have outside contracts for virtual servers that house our website, and increasingly web based databases. Our systems are under utilized and for the most part they are used for word-processing, spreadsheets and email.

Our technological work is supported by the equivalent of two full-time staff. There is consensus that we don't have enough staff.

Technological gaps

We need to improve on security so that staff members don't get themselves (and us) in trouble by wandering about in the Internet. In Western Mass we need to increase speed of communications since they are currently on dial-up connections. For our clients we need to implement computer labs and do likewise so that people with disabilities could still have access to computers and communications.

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Strategic Goal 1: Implement computer labs that will effectively contribute to our clients' education and preparation for life outside of our programs.

Strategic Objective 1: Deploying relatively modern computer labs either in each individual Youth Services site or in one accessible location to all programs within 3 years.

Key Actions: These computer labs should be equipped with educational software, such as GED

training software. Also, all labs should have tracking and control of user software. Make use of existing computer lab at the Brooke House for clients.

Strategic Goal 2: Equip our Youth Services and Adult Services programs with client management databases for intake assessments, scheduling and tracking of activities, reports and forms generation, and gathering of data for statistical purposes.

Strategic Objective 1: Develop client management databases within two years.

Strategic Objective 2: Provide all adult houses with functional client management databases within 3 years.

Key Actions: Start systems analysis at the Coolidge House and set a timetable for programming

or purchase of database system.

Strategic Goal 3: Develop a CRJ workforce that is proficient in the technology areas required for efficient performance of their tasks.

Strategic Objective 1: Provide training and resources to staff members in the use of technology for service delivery within 2 years.

Key Actions: Implement the delivery of in-house group facilitation using Power Point

presentations for adult services staff. Implement computerized version of LSI-R assessment tool for adult services staff. Implement resources sharing among programs. Assess, together with program directors and managers, the requirements of their

staff technological knowledge and design with them training alternatives. Implement training programs to increase technological literacy and depth of

knowledge. Time: within 2 years after assessment above. Cost: not defined.

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Strategic Goal 4: Implement technological tools to facilitate communications among remote locations

Strategic Objective 1: Improve inter-office communications using scanning, faxing, teleconferencing, scheduling software, palms, etc. and expand the provision of computer and equipment for more staff and programs such as PC's, laptops, PDAs within 3 years.

Key Actions Create documentation capacity that is not site specific. Enhance our web site capacity with more links, including creating functional web

sites for CSMA and CSNH with fundraising capabilities. Provide computer access for day program consumers in our Community

Strategies programs.

Strategic Goal 5: Invest in the development of a combination of research and technological tools to provide services to our clients that we currently outsource. These tools could eventually be income generators for CJI.

Strategic Objective 1: Research potential of providing on-line survey services within one year.

Strategic Objective 2: Research potential of developing on-line training modules/curriculum that could be used by clients to transfer knowledge of EBP, OD, and Collaboration principles within 2 years.

Strategic Goal 6: Provide adequate technological support for operations and promotion of the Social Ventures program.

Strategic Objective 1: Provide computer and Internet access at the Everett location, possibly a desktop and a laptop computer, or a desktop/laptop and PDA, printer by June, 2005.

Strategic Objective 2: Implement Construction Planning Software that would produce job estimates, cost allocation, invoices, etc. that would be capable of interacting directly or in batch mode with the Epicore accounting software, if possible, by January, 2006.

Strategic Objective 3: Develop a Social Ventures website for advertising, customer communications, customer service, and maintenance schedules within a year.

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Strategic Goal 7: Change CRJ's dependency on Microsoft software and commercial licensing and introduce Open Source software in the daily operations of the corporation.

Strategic Objective 1: Implement an on-line Linux or Free BSD Unix test server within 1 year.

Key Actions: Train current IT staff on Linux/Unix server administration.

Strategic Objective 2: Incorporate the use of Linux workstations to start replacing Microsoft Windows units within 3 years.

Key Actions Provide mandatory staff training to use Linux workstations.

Strategic Goal 8: Develop funding to support these technology improvement efforts.

Strategic Objective 1: Work with Chief Advancement officer to plan and implement a strategy to fund the estimated $240,000 needed to implement these strategic initiatives over the next 3 years.

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