Text: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, "Policy Academy for State and Local Policymakers Improving Access to Mainstream Services for Persons Who are Homeless: Focus on Homeless Families with Children." La Posada de Santa Fe, Santa Fe, New Mexico, November 26-28, 2001


Slide 1:

Improving Access to Mainstream Services for Persons Who Are Homeless: Focus on Homeless Families with Children

THE ACTION PLAN

Jointly Sponsored by
The Department of Health and Human Services
and
The Department of Housing and Urban Development

Slide 2:

Policy Initiative Framework (The Action Plan)

  • The Vision (Your State Tomorrow)
  • The Reality Assessment (Your State Today)
  • Priorities/Goals (Gaps)
  • Strategies with Potential (Tactical Plan)
  • Action Steps (Work Assignments)

Slide 3:

The Vision for Improving Access to Mainstream Services for Persons Who Are Homeless Focus on Homeless Families with Children (Your State Tomorrow)

  • Provides a statement of purpose
  • Presents a picture of your ideal future (independent of the current reality)
  • Serves as a reference point for all future decisions

Slide 4:

Sample Vision Statement (using oral health as an example)

We envision a State where every child enjoys optimal oral health; where prevention is emphasized and treatment is available, accessible, affordable, and timely; where parents are involved, providers are engaged, and insurers are responsible; where government is a guarantor of resources, quality, and patient protection; and where total well-being of the child is promoted.

Slide 5:

The Reality Assessment of Access to Mainstream Services for Homeless Families with Children (Your State Today)

  • Requires a review/inventory of:
    • Key problems issues in your State
    • Previous policy actions taken to address these issues
    • Current political environment
  • Assesses your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats
  • Helps to identify resources at your disposal
  • Provides context for your efforts

Slide 6:

Team Priorities/Goals (Gaps)

  • Areas where you will focus your energy and resources
  • Likely to be the “gaps” between your vision and the current reality
  • Form the basis for planning, policy-making and setting performance standards
  • May be short-term and/or long-term

Slide 7:

Strategies with Potential (Tactical Plans)

  • Broad range tactics to affect change
  • Often require statewide or cross-agency efforts
  • Usually involve the combination of several courses of action
  • Should be directly related to your priorities/goals

Slide 8:

Action Steps (Work Assignments)

  • Specific activities undertaken based on your strategy(-ies)
  • Require action from specific individuals or entities (differentiate between what is within your control and what is not)
  • Considerations
    • Who is responsible for coordinating each action?
    • Who is responsible for completing action?
    • What resources are required?
    • What is the timeline?
    • Who will be affected?
    • How will success be measured?

Slide 9:

This slide titled "Visualizing the Action Plan," shows a hierarchical representation of the Action Plan. The five levels shown are:

  • Level One:
    • Reality Assesment (Your State Today)
  • Level Two:
    • Vision (Your State Tomorrow)
  • Level Three:
    • Priority/Goal # 1
    • Priority/Goal # 2
    • Priority/Goal # 3
  • Level Four:
    • Strategy 2.1
    • Strategy 2.2
  • Level Five:
    • Under Strategy 2.1
      • Action 2.1.1
      • Action 2.1.2
      • Action 2.1.3
      • Action 2.1.4
    • Under Strategy 2.2
      • Action 2.2.1
      • Action 2.2.2
      • Action 2.2.3