Establishing an Interagency Action Committee to Sustain Systems Collaboration DPN National TA and Training Provider

Collaboration is…. n A mutually beneficial relationship which involves people from different sectors of the community joining together to achieve a common goal. n Involves joint planning and shared resources, funding & accountability. n Occurs through shared understanding of issues, open communication, mutual trust & tolerance of differing points of view. n The most intensive level of partnership.

Collaboration is not … n Co-location of two or more service providers in the same office n One person’s design or strategy n Compromise or consensus n Simply a one-way or two-way information exchange (nor does it imply supervision)

Fostering Systems Collaboration n Communication: Meet with leaders of local organizations & listen for shared goals n Building Trust: Invite persons with disabilities & providers to One-Stop workshops, tours, orientations & assistive technology demonstrations n Participation: Represent One-Stop’s commitment to collaboration by participating in other events, networking groups & consumer advisory councils

Strengthening & Sustaining Systems Collaboration Build an Interagency Committee n Representatives from the disability & workforce communities, business sector & other community agencies who come together to explore the most effective employment services for people with disabilities. n Serves as a means to communicate, problem-solve & ultimately work together to improve employment outcomes for people with disabilities.

Establishing Partner Groups – State Level n Office of Workforce Investment/ Workforce Commission n Vocational Rehabilitation n Department of Labor n Social Security Administration n Department of Education n Department of Transportation n Housing and Urban Development n State Medicaid Office n Department of Health and Human Services n Governor’s Commission on People with Disabilities n Advocacy Organizations n Faith Based and Community Based Organizations n Disability Program Navigators n Individuals with Disabilities

Establishing Partner Groups – Local Level n Local Workforce Investment Board (LWIB) Executive Staff n Representative from the Business Sector n One-Stop Career Center Director, Manager, WIA Counselor & Business Service Staff n Vocational Rehabilitation n Commission for the Blind & Visually-Impaired n Commission for the Deaf & Hard-of-Hearing n Department of Mental Health n Department of Mental Retardation n Independent Living Center(s) n Community Work Incentives Coordinator (CWIC) n Adult Literacy Programs n Community Colleges - Offices for Students with Disabilities n Veterans Counselors n Older Workers Programs n Employment Networks n Community-Based Providers (Job Developers, Job Coaches, Service Coordinators, etc) n TANF Counselors

n Work with leaders & allies from the Office of Workforce Investment, state/local WIBs, One-Stops, mandated partners and the disability community to align missions n Provide evidence that there is a need to strengthen, improve, and/or change systems collaboration n Invite a small, yet diverse group of stakeholders with varying perspectives, expertise & levels of experience to an initial brainstorming session n Develop a brief proposal including a general mission & purpose of the group, member responsibilities & potential topics of discussion Building an Interagency Committee

Potential Objectives for Interagency Committees n Accessibility of One-Stop Career Centers n Interagency education & maximizing resources n Streamlining interagency referral processes n Coordinating job development approach to employers n Educating employers on hiring people with disabilities & educating disability community on engaging with business n Engaging youth with disabilities in employment n Organizing events for National Disability Employment Awareness Month & National Disability Mentoring Day

Benefits of an Interagency Committee n Allows open forum for direct communication n Builds trust among partners n Provides opportunity for education & training n Encourages agencies to be a part of the solutions n Provides forum to share successes & improved outcomes n Increases accountability of agencies n Provides assistance & feedback to better meet the needs of job seekers with disabilities

Possible Roadblocks to Collaboration n Lack of relationship building & trust n Lack of common interest & values n Lack of purpose, mission & goals n Lack of leadership n Lack of communication; unclear about each other’s roles n Lack of resources & time n The fear of loss of position, power & resources n Lack of an investment culture-we don't always think about the future (we are here & now focused, crisis oriented)

DOL Indicators of Effective Collaboration n Identification of existing local system assets, barriers, gaps, and duplication that impact efforts to serve people with disabilities. n Intake criteria and procedures coordinated so that people with disabilities can access appropriate services, regardless of point of entry into the system. n Confidentiality restrictions and barriers adjusted to facilitate cross-agency sharing of customer-level data. n Assessment and individual service goals/plans developed jointly and/or shared with appropriate agencies. n Cross-agency participation in development of individual plans for employment that also identify objective for a better economic future. n Cross-agency system developed to share information on an ongoing basis on individual customer needs and progress. DOLETA June 2007

DOL Indicators of Effective Collaboration n Service providers and agency staff are cross-trained to become familiar with the scope of available services for people with disabilities. n Strategies developed and implemented to increases cross-agency referrals and/co-enrollments. n Enrollment of people with disabilities increases in the One- Stops. n Co-location and benefits planning occur in the One-Stop. n Increase use of work incentives and Ticket. n Customer satisfaction measured for job seekers with disabilities and results impact continuous improvement in the One-Stop, interagency collaboration enhanced, and improve employment and economic results. DOLETA 2007

Questions to Consider n Is creating an interagency committee something you feel your state/local area can benefit from? n Do you think your state/local area would be receptive to building an interagency committee? Why or why not? n Do you think an interagency committee is something that you can pursue in your role as State Lead or Navigator? n What are some of the potential problems that you can foresee? n What steps can you take, in leading up to building an interagency committee, to avoid those pitfalls?

References Virginia Commonwealth University - Worksupport.com (2005) Developing Collaborative Community Partnerships, Interagency Collaboration Butterworth, J., Foley, S., & Metzel, D. (2001). Developing interagency agreements: Four questions to consider. The Institute Brief, 11 (1). Boston: Institute for Community Inclusion, University of Massachusetts Boston. Rick Dove, (1998) Collaboration: Are More Heads Better? Paradigm Shift International