APHSA 2015 Annual Report

INNOVATION IN ACTION

The following examples highlight the forward thinking of a few of our members on the ways to help communities through innovative approaches. Texas’s population has grown and continues to grow rapidly, and the increasing numbers of individuals and families has translated to greater demand for service. Less predictable factors, such as unforeseen natural disasters and changes in policy, have also placed a strain on resources. In order to meet current demands and prepare for the future, the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) leadership team focused its transformation strategies on the principle of creating more capacity within existing resources, and redesigned its benefits eligibility process for greater efficiency and effectiveness for both its staff and clients. HHSC developed proactive strategies in five major areas: workforce retention, process improvement, technology, communications, and private–public partnerships. HHSC leadership credits all of these strategies working together holistically as the basis for the positive results the agency has been experiencing. The improvements born of these strategies have allowed the state to serve more people without an increase in staff resources. At the same time, there has been reduced staff turnover and decreasing over time— all while the time to process an application is decreasing and the accuracy of dispositions is improving.

Since 2012, the Fairfax County Department of Family Services (DFS) in Virginia has been working to become a model social service agency, with a guiding objective of improving its understanding and ways of effectively responding to the needs of the community. The agency began a concerted effort to meet this objective by developing a four-year strategic plan that today serves as the foundation to guide the agency’s ongoing transformation. In order to employ its strategy as a “living document,” the agency has involved employees from all departments and levels to participate in planning, provide input and feedback throughout the process, and to join workgroups to develop and implement action plans. Some examples of the initiatives that have grown out of this effort include: launching a DFS Leadership Academy; organizing employee recognition events; provide training to all staff on how to use data in their jobs and as a decision-making tool; implementing a new employee evaluation system; and creating learning maps to better on-board and train staff. By taking a comprehensive approach and connecting it to operations, budget, initiatives, practice, and policy, DFS continues to move ahead.

6

American Public Human Services Association