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| Board networks with employees;
adopts plan November '04 |
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| Strategic plan charts course for agency |
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In the
spring of 2004, an Ad Hoc committee was appointed by the Board Chair to work
on a strategic plan for the agency. The committee consisted of several
Board members and several employees. After charging, or challenging the
committee with its mission, the CEO excused himself from this planning
process, so as to ensure maximum input from all committee members. During
the spring and summer, numerous committee meetings were held. Information
was gathered and analyzed. Ideas and concepts were discussed. Creative
thinking was shared among the committee members. Drafts of ideas were shared
with all employees, with input returning to the committee.
As a result of this effort which took place over several months’ time,
the Board of Directors adopted a
Strategic Plan in November of 2004. This plan was then shared with all
employees at the annual fall training retreat. The new mission statement is
the guide for all that lies within the Strategic Plan: “Opportunities is a
Community Action Agency dedicated to the fulfillment of unmet human needs in
our community. To meet these needs, we provide supportive programs for
families and our community. The result of our efforts will be a higher
quality of life.” The Strategic Plan encompasses six “Mission Strategies”
including areas of Agency Focus, Community Services, Consumer Services,
Housing Services, Community Awareness, and Human Resources. “Action Plans”
for the six strategies are also included in the plan.
Perhaps the most interesting product of this planning process is not even
the plan itself. It is the all inclusive nature of the planning process
which involved Board members including low income representation, employees,
research, discussion, and consensus building. It is a fine example of
Community Action’s forty year old foundation of “maximum feasible
participation.”
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| Our Mission |
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| As a community action agency, Opportunities
is dedicated to the fulfillment of unmet human needs in our community. To
meet these needs, we provide supportive programs for families and our
community. The result of our efforts will be a higher quality of life for
the residents within our community. |
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| Our Vision |
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| Opportunities should never lose sight of what
community action represents—to serve the needs of the community. This is
accomplished through positive employee interaction with consumers, good
overall coordination between the Agency with other organizations, and a
commitment by Board members and employees alike to address community needs. |
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Family Development Process |
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| The Family Development Process serves as an
important philosophical strategy in the implementation of our mission.
All employees are highly encouraged to participate in training to implement
this philosophy, which requires
several hours of study to complete. What is the Family Development Process?
It's a strength-based philosophy that starts with a partnership between the family seeking
services and a family development worker. The following components are
important to the process:
- The family develops a partnership with a family
development worker.
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The family development worker helps the family assess its needs and
strengths, which is an ongoing process.
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The family sets its own major
goal (such as getting off welfare, or providing healthy care of a disabled
family member) and smaller goals working toward the major goal, and
identifies ideas for reaching them.
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The family development worker
helps the family make a written plan for pursuing goals with some tasks
being the responsibility of the family members and some the worker's.
Accomplishments are celebrated, and the plan is continually updated.
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The family learns and practices
skills needed to become self-reliant.
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The family uses services as
stepping stones to reach their goals.
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The family's sense of responsible
self-control is restored. The family (and each individual within the
family) is strengthened by the family development process, and results in
a feeling of empowerment to handle future challenges.
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Copyright © 2003-2008 Lewis County Opportunities,
Inc.
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