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Strategic Plan 2008

Images of individuals, children and families
Mission   Vision
The Michigan Department of Human Services assists children, families and vulnerable adults to be safe, stable and self-supporting.   We will:
  • Reduce poverty.
  • Help all children have a great start in life.
  • Help our clients achieve their full potential.
Values

How we do our work

In our day-to-day work we will live the values of integrity, inclusion, teamwork and excellence in the way we treat our clients, our employees, our partners and each other.

All of our efforts will keep in the forefront:

  • Treating our clients with dignity and respect.
  • Honoring the diversity of our workforce and clients.
  • Developing our workforce at all levels.
  • Ensuring accuracy and integrity in our work and programs.
  • Assuring an outcomes focus and investment strategies based on proven results.
  • Maximizing the use of available federal and private revenues.
  • Collaborating with all government entities, community partners and the private sector.
Goals, Initiatives & Outcomes

GOAL 1: Support staff and improve internal efficiency.
Initiatives
a. Implement Bridges and SWSS information technology systems.
b. Re-engineer business processes:
  • Investigate online manual software.
  • Streamline policy process.
  • Reduce repetitive reporting.
  • Identify regular reports needed in child welfare.
  • Consolidate contract initiation.
  • Improve medical transportation.
  • Continue to improve application and redetermination process for clients.
  • Streamline policy, procedure, protocols and requirements in adult services.
c. Strengthen and improve human resource policies and practices.
  • Implement an effective and efficient hiring process.
  • Strengthen effective leadership to improve the work environment.
  • Implement an effective, efficient and consistent labor relations process.
  • Develop and implement an innovative workforce plan.
  • Evaluate the FIS/ES structure to determine how best to create equity between the classifications. 
Measurable Outcomes
Systems
2008 Reduce data entry, provide more timely information, and increase the efficiency of staff through implementation of Bridges, SWSS-CPS and SWSS-FAJ.
Human Resource
Hiring
2008 80 percent of the FIS, ES and services specialists positions will be filled within 55 days.
Leadership
2008 Increase DHS employee engagement score from 2006 score of 63 percent to 66 percent.
2008 Increase average results on MI 360 for each of the five core leadership competencies from 5 to 5.2.
Labor Relations
2008 In 95 percent of the cases that reach third step, managers will have consulted labor relations at the outset and establish a plan of action.

GOAL 2: Assure all children have access to a community-based, comprehensive, quality system of early care and education.
Initiatives
a. Institute a child care provider quality rating improvement system.
b. Provide access to adequate child development opportunities for day care staff, relative providers and aides.
c. Implement child care quality recommendations of the Early Childhood Investment Corporation.
d. County directors in Great Start Collaborative communities will have a plan in place to support ECIC efforts.
e. Monitor, evaluate and communicate with Child Development and Care Field Council and others about CDC Integrity Plan.
Measurable Outcomes
2008 20 percent of regulated family home providers, group home providers, and child care center staff will have a CDA credential or higher.
2009 30 percent of regulated family homes, group homes, and child care centers will be participating voluntarily in a quality rating system.
2010 20 percent of regulated family homes, group homes, and child care centers will be rated three stars.

GOAL 3: Increase the percentage of financial assistance clients who become self-sufficient.
Initiatives
a. Implement the Jobs, Education and Training Program.
b. Increase family income through programs such as Earned Income Tax Credit, child support collections, tax credits, Home Heating Credit and Homestead Tax Credit relief.
c. Implement anti-poverty pilots and replicate other successful service models in communities.
d. Increase timely access to Food Assistance Program benefits to eligible Michigan households.
Measurable Outcomes
2008 Reduce average monthly FIP caseload to 76,000.
  • Increase to 50 percent the number FIP clients engaged in work or planned activities that lead to work.
2008 Attain a rate of accurate payments to eligible Food Assistance Program households of at least 94 percent.
  • Decrease percentage of improper denial, suspension, and closure of FAP benefits by at least 5 percent.
  • Increase timely access to FAP benefits for eligible households by at least 5 percent.
2008 2 percent increase in participation in the Earned Income Tax Credit, Home Heating Credit, and Homestead Tax Credit.
2010 33 percent reduction in the number of children living in or near poverty.

GOAL 4: Strengthen the child welfare system to achieve better outcomes for children and youths.
Initiatives
a. Realign service continuum to provide child welfare services needed to improve safety and permanency outcomes by:
  • Implementing the Family-to-Family model statewide.
  • Implementing treatment foster care.
  • Reconfiguring home and community based services to improve the array of services for children and families.
b. Provide services to older youth in the system by providing and expanding support services to ensure permanent connections to caring adults.
c. Reduce the over-representation of children and youth of color in the child welfare system.
d. Intensify and accelerate efforts to safeguard children through enhanced training and improved intake processes and assessments.
  • Provide advanced training to all CPS staff and supervisors.
  • Provide post-implementation SWSS-CPS support to the field.
  • Improve consistency of CPS intake responses and decision-making.
e. Implement an effective quality assurance evaluation for juvenile justice youth in both public and private facilities.
f. Strengthen the comprehensive reintegration program for all youth exiting juvenile justice residential placements.
Measurable Outcomes
Abuse and Neglect
2007 - 2009 Decrease by 5 percent per year the median length of stay of children in out-of-home placement.
Juvenile Justice
2009 85 percent of the youths released from the jurisdiction of the juvenile justice system will remain free from another juvenile or adult felony conviction for at least 12 months post-release; 75 percent for at least 24 months post-release.

GOAL 5: Increase the percentage of adults receiving needed care in safe, community-based settings.
Initiatives
a. Implement best practices for building community partnerships, identifying community resources, and delivering appropriate services for Adult Protective Services clients.
b. Strengthen licensure and other regulatory approaches to improve the quality of care for adult living options and expand licensing staff roles to provide consultation.
c. Expand care options, assure timely access to resources, improve the quality of care, and assure a continuum of care for adults by implementing the Long Term Care Task Force recommendation for single points of entry.
Measurable Outcomes
Adult Licensing
2008 Increase by 10 percent the number of adult facilities regulated by DHS that are in substantial compliance with licensing rules.
Single Point of Entry
2008 The percentage of DHS Adult Services clients living in nursing home settings in areas served by the four single points of entry will be lower than those residing in other areas of the state. The relative percentage in both SPE and non-SPE areas will be measured in 2008 to establish a baseline for setting reduction targets for subsequent years.

GOAL 6: Strengthen prevention and early intervention programs.
Initiatives
a. Implement the 10-year plan to end homelessness in Michigan.
b. Enhance the intake assessment process to provide preventive services through early identification of client-specific needs and offer provisions for appropriate services.
c. Continue and expand the Family Resource Centers.
d. Catalog county prevention programs and evaluate and share outcome data.
Measurable Outcomes
Homelessness
2008 10 percent increase in the number of home ownership individual development accounts.
2008 Reduce homelessness 10 percent from 2007 levels.
Prevention
2008 Expand prevention dollars available by 5 percent.
2008 In 85 percent of the families receiving prevention services, children will remain safely in their own homes for at least one year.
2009 Expand prevention dollars available by 15 percent.


Related Documents
DHS PUB 0057 Department of Human Services Strategic Plan 2008 - 1430765 bytes PDF icon

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