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STRATEGIC PLAN 2007-2010
GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
Goal 1: Develop a first rate staff by improved training, enhanced compensation and market rate benefits. a. Review salary structure and determine new salary structure based on midrange of salaries paid locally Create salary charts based on current salaries by January 2008 Complete salary survey of local nonprofits and human service agencies by June 2008 Reframe salaries paid by Life Crisis Center based on salary survey by September 2008 Begin salary increases by January 2009
Institute a training program that reflects best practices in each program area
Goal 2: Develop programs that are considered the “gold standard” in crisis intervention and violence prevention a. Determine best practices and evidence based programs and training for Clinical Program in 2007 Research best practices for Clinical Program beginning in July 2007 Institute best practices for Clinical Program beginning in January 2008 Insure that each clinician is ready to institute best practices in her/his area of clinical practice beginning in January 2008
b. Determine best practices and evidence based programs and training for the Safe Home Shelter in 2008 Research best practices for domestic violence shelters beginning in October 2007. Train supervisory staff in shelter to use Results Accountability program to determine performance measures and program accountability beginning in September 2007 Institute Results Accountability* usage to drive decision making Create a plan to institute best practices for shelter by December 2007 Implement plan beginning January 2008
c. Full implementation of the 2-1-1 information and referral service for the Eastern Shore of Maryland Convert computer database to iKarol during fall of 2007 Add Dorchester County to 2-1-1 system in fall of 2007 Add remaining 5 counties of the Eastern Shore by January 2008 Secure long-term funding for 2-1-1 during fiscal 2009 Link with 9-1-1 emergency services in three counties of the Lower Shore during fiscal 2008 Link with Dorchester County 9-1-1 during fiscal 2009 Link with 9-1-1 centers on the mid shore during fiscal 2010
Explore web-based presence in order to reach younger individuals. Create and implement outcome measures for all hotline callers. Seek community agencies to collaborate or partner with in order to improve and/or expand current services (EDs, law-enforcement, other non-profits, churches etc.). Create a training program that will not only promote first rate customer service to all individuals served, but will also monitor (on an ongoing basis) the attitudes of all staff-members (there are some health-care providers who do this to ensure the highest quality of services to all participants). Re-certification from American Association of Suicidology during 2010 Seek funding to pay for training (on-going)
Goal 3: Raise community awareness of the Life Crisis CenterCreate high visibility office space in downtown Salisbury by June 2007. Stage open house for new office space, inviting public figures, attorneys and court officials during January 2008 Identify office space in Worcester and Somerset Counties by June 2007 Identify office space in Berlin/Ocean City and Snow Hill for clinical program Identify office space in Princess Anne and Crisfield for clinical program Increase publicity for programming Celebrate 30th Anniversary/ 10th anniversary of shelter during 2007 Create and implement press list for both public service announcements and news releases during 2007 Advertising campaign Seek local marketing professional to work with staff to create professional, low cost advertising campaign for Life Crisis Center services during fiscal 2008 Work with local television station to establish media partner for LCC, especially 2-1-1 hotline services during fiscal 2008 Create a coordinated outreach to any agency that could benefit from our after-hour services (mental health providers, hospitals, services for elderly and homebound) and enter into a database for easy access. Consider creating a resource center in our downtown location, where materials and access to our database (through a staff-member) are available and community groups/support groups could meet. Create coordinated outreach materials (visually effective) that can be revised as needed, as well as a survey that can be completed by participants during outreach activities.
Goal 4: Solidify long term funding sourcesSeek long term funding for 2-1-1 during fiscal 2009 Develop staff development plan during fiscal 2008 Seek funding for staff development plan during calendar 2008
Goal 5: Create transitional housing program for women and children leaving the Safe Home – a major hurdle for women leaving shelter is the lack of transitional housing on the Lower Shore. Families leaving shelter are competing with college students for affordable housing. Landlords would rather rent to college students with parents guaranteeing the rent and are reluctant to rent to women with little or no credit history. a. Research the availability of funding for transitional housing during fiscal 2008 b. Identify funding sources during fiscal 2008 Begin working with HUD and MD DHCD during fiscal 2009 Apply for funding and identify properties during 2010
*Results Accountability is the program required by the State of Maryland for human services for management of programs, agencies and service systems. It includes the establishment of results and indicators of community well being; usage of results to drive decision making and budgeting and identification of performance measures to improve performance
History of the Life Crisis Center, Inc.
The Life Crisis Center, Inc. has its roots in Ocean City where it began in 1976 as the Rape Crisis Center. In 1978 the Rape Crisis Center moved its headquarters to Peninsula Regional Medical Center in Salisbury and changed its name to the Life Crisis Center. At the same time, the Life Crisis Center incorporated a general hotline to provide an extension of services to better meet the needs of the residents of the Lower Eastern Shore.
In 1982, the agency developed a comprehensive program responding to victims of rape and sexual assault and began contracting with the Maryland Department of Human Resources under its Rape Crisis Program. At the request of the State of Maryland, the Life Crisis Center instituted a program of services for victims of domestic violence in 1984. In 1987, the Life Crisis Center, Inc, through the Victims of Crime Assistance Program, began providing services to child victims of abuse.
The agency’s Safe Home opened in 1998, to provide shelter, intensive case management and access to supportive services to victims of domestic violence and their children on the Lower Shore. In 1998, the Life Crisis Center moved its Administrative and Counseling Center to the same location as the Safe Home. Most recently, the agency began offering supervised visitation to residents of Wicomico, Worcester and Somerset Counties. This service is generally court-ordered when there are serious child abuse or violence issues involved in divorce or custody proceedings.
The Life Crisis Center is the 2-1-1 Maryland Center for the nine counties of the Eastern Shore, providing information and referral services for citizens interested in accessing human services twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. Life Crisis Center’s hotline also provides crisis services for young people through the Maryland Youth Crisis Hotline and suicide prevention services for the entire Eastern Shore of Maryland. The Life Crisis Center is accredited by the American Association for Suicidology.
The Life Crisis Center is the only agency providing a comprehensive range of services to victims of rape, sexual assault and domestic violence, as well as their family members.
The mission of the Life Crisis Center, Inc: To improve the quality of life in our community through crisis intervention and violence prevention
Methodology
The Life Crisis Center hired a consultant approximately eighteen months ago to begin the strategic planning process. Susan Fernandez spent several days at the Life Crisis Center interviewing staff and clients. She took the information which she obtained from approximately 20 individuals, collated and interpreted it and produced a report for the Board and senior staff of the agency. This report formed the basis for the strategic plan.
In the spring of 2007, the Life Crisis Center hired Rob Harris of Coastline Training and Development, Inc. to convene a meeting of stakeholders and begin the next step in the strategic planning process. Mr. Harris helped us to re-state our mission and use the previous work to envision where the Life Crisis Center needed to go in the future. This document is the culmination of the work done by the Board and staff of the Life Crisis Center over a period of approximately two years. It represents our best thinking for the future of the Life Crisis Center.
What clearly came out of this process was the staff’s pride in their work and in the agency for which they work. They are a committed group of people who see their jobs as having a positive effect on the larger community. They believe in the mission of the Life Crisis Center and understand that they make a difference in the lives of individuals and in the quality of life in the communities we serve.
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