Strategic Plan This project was supported by Grant No. 2012-FW-AX-K006 awarded by the Office on Violence Against Women, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, conclusions, and recommendations expressed in this publication/program/exhibition are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women. Table of Contents Table of Contents 2 Introduction & Overview 3 Vision Statement 3 Mission Statement 4 Overview of Our Process 5 Brief Summary of Needs Assessment 5 Who Did We Engage? 6 Focus Group Participants 7 Use of Information from Needs Assessment 8 Key Findings from Needs Assessment 9 Key Finding #1: The Culture of Gentleness is an empowering and profound philosophy that creates positive and healthy environments for clients and staff. 9 Key Finding #2: There are accessibility and safety concerns at all our organizations for individuals with disabilities who have experienced sexual assault/abuse. 9 Key Finding #3: There is a lack of knowledge at all organizations about client rights and guardianship roles in the event of sexual assault/abuse. 10 Key Finding #4: There is an extensive need for ongoing and systematic education and training at all organizations at the point where disability and sexual assault/abuse intersect. 10 Key Finding #5: All organizations need clearer policies and procedures at the point where disability and sexual assault/abuse intersect. 11 Key Finding #6: There is a general lack of awareness about the resources and services provided by the collaboration partner organizations. 12 Key Finding #7: There is a need for WEAVE’s collaboration to both expand to other organizations in the community and be sustained beyond the period of the grant. 12 Strategic Planning Process 12 Overview of Key Short-Term Initiatives 14 In-Depth Overview of Each Short-Term Initiative 14 GOAL 1: Build Organizational Infrastructures that Facilitate Services to Survivors with Disabilities 14 GOAL 2: Build Organizational Infrastructures that Promote a Sense of Safety and a Culture of Gentleness. 17 Overview of Long-Term Plans 21 Conclusion 22 Appendix A: Initiatives and Work Plans 23 Appendix B: WEAVE Values and Assumptions 36 Appendix C: WEAVE Work Group Member Role Descriptions 37 Introduction & Overview WEAVE (Working to End Assault and Violence for Everyone) is a collaboration in Kent County, Michigan between five organizations: The YWCA West Central Michigan, a sexual assault service provider, and MOKA, Thresholds, Inc., Spectrum Community Services, and Hope Network, which serve individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (I/DD) in a variety of residential settings. Our purpose is to implement sustainable and systemic improvements among our organizations at the intersection of sexual assault and disabilities. In 2012, the YWCA was awarded funding through the U.S. Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) Discretionary Grant Program. The three year project, “Education, Training and Enhanced Services to End Violence and Abuse of Women with Disabilities Program,” is designed to facilitate local, systemic, and policy change through an intensive collaboration process. Although this is the first direct collaboration between the five WEAVE partner organizations, we have created community relationships through various activities and committees that have demonstrated our support for each other’s organizations. All organizations recognize the need for services and programs to holistically support survivors with disabilities, and the significant risks people with disabilities face for sexual assault/abuse and violence. We share the belief that individuals with disabilities should have the same opportunities to heal as survivors without disabilities. Building this collaboration, and our ongoing work together, is essential to fully realizing our mission and vision. WEAVE held weekly, three hour meetings and had many enriching and productive conversations during our work together on this project. Our team consisted of directors from each of the five organizations, and a Project Manager. We used a consensus model for agreement, which empowers all members to share their perspective and ensure everyone’s voice is heard. WEAVE developed a vision and mission to help guide and focus our work together. Vision Statement We envision that all individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (I/DD) who have experienced sexual assault/abuse will have access to a compassionate response from our organizations’ highly skilled professionals. We will support these individuals through a Culture of Gentleness1 that shapes our policies and procedures. Mission Statement The mission of WEAVE is to examine and enhance systems for serving individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (I/DD) who have survived sexual assault/abuse.  Through this collaboration we will transform our organizational cultures to be trauma-informed and compassionate by: * Identifying, developing, and enhancing policies and procedures within our organizations to improve our responses to individuals with I/DD who have experienced sexual assault/abuse to receive timely information, compassionate advocacy, and respectful support. * Increasing the awareness, skills, training, and competency of supports coordinators, advocates, nurses, therapists, staff, and volunteers at our organizations who work directly with individuals with I/DD who have survived sexual assault/abuse. * Weaving a Culture of Gentleness through our organizational cultures and our interactions with individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities. * Creating sustainable and systemic changes in our organizations through our collaboration. Based on our vision and mission, we created a Collaboration Charter, which contains our mission, vision, values and assumptions2, contributions and commitments, confidentiality agreements, decision making process, conflict resolution strategy, communication and work plans, key terms and definitions, talking points and contact information. This document, which was the foundation for our collaboration, essentially explained how we as individuals and organizations will continue to work together. Next, we planned and implemented an innovative Needs Assessment to understand the perspectives and needs of stakeholders at all levels of our organizations. It was important to our team to include clients, survivors, staff, supervisors, therapists, nurses, advocates, and various levels of leadership to create a holistic understanding of how we can best serve survivors with disabilities in our community and identify areas for change. The process of conducting the Needs Assessment allowed all members of the team to learn more about each other’s organizations and to develop a deeper understanding of the shared and unique areas for improvement we discovered. From our analysis of the key findings from our Needs Assessment, we developed this Strategic Plan to begin to implement systems change and work toward realizing the vision and mission of WEAVE. Overview of Our Process Brief Summary of Needs Assessment To help us develop a relevant and meaningful strategic plan to implement systemic change, we realized the importance of conducting an extensive and thorough needs assessment. WEAVE carefully discussed and articulated the questions, procedures, and logistics, including consent forms, safety and accommodation issues, recruitment and training, data collection, and confidentiality, to be used in conducting focus groups and interviews. The OVW approved our plan and we began to gather responses. We held 46 focus groups or interviews and talked with 248 people from all levels of our organizations, including clients and survivors. In our needs assessment, we asked questions related to the following five goals: Goal 1: Identify skills, awareness, and comfort levels of staff and volunteers at every level of our organizations to respond to and support individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (I/DD) who have experienced sexual assault/abuse. Goal 2: Identify the barriers to receiving timely, appropriate, and quality services at each of our organizations for individuals with I/DD who have experienced sexual assault/abuse. Goal 3: Identify what creates a safe, accessible, welcoming, and responsive environment for staff and individuals with I/DD living in homes operated by WEAVE organizations. Goal 4: Identify the strengths and weaknesses in the existing policies, procedures, practices, and programs at each of our organizations that interconnect with the mission of WEAVE. Goal 5: Identify and prioritize areas where the partner organizations in WEAVE can collaborate more effectively to serve individuals with I/DD who have experienced sexual assault/abuse. Our Needs Assessment Report explains in detail our methodology and process of gathering the necessary data from our organizations, our analysis of that information, and the seven key findings that emerged. It contains a rich collection of quotes from all levels of our organizations, allowing many voices and perspectives we heard during the focus groups and interviews to be expressed. A brief explanation of our methodology follows: Who Did We Engage? Interview/Focus Group constituents included: Sexual Assault Provider: YWCA West Central Michigan * CEO * Executive Leadership Team * Nurse Examiner Program Staff * Sexual Assault Advocates * Therapy Service Staff * Survivors of sexual assault/abuse Disability Service Providers: MOKA, Thresholds, Spectrum Community Services, and Hope Network * Executive Directors * Executive Leadership Teams * Non-Residential Supports Coordinators and Supervisors * Residential Supports Coordinators and Supervisors * Home Managers and Residential Supervisors * Residential Coordinators and Quality Coordinators * Residential Direct Service Staff * Individuals with I/DD Focus Group Participants WEAVE Partners Proposed Participants Actual Participants YWCA 1. CEO 1 1 2. Executive Leadership Team 6-8 8 3. Nurse Examiner Program 4-6 7 4. Sexual Assault Advocates 6-8 8 5. Therapy Service Staff 4-6 5 6. Survivors (two groups)6-8 4 7 focus groups/interviews at YWCA 27-37 33 MOKA 1. Executive Director 1 1 2. Executive Leadership Team 8-12 8 3. Non-Residential Supports Coordinators/Supervisors 8-10 9 4. Residential Supports Coordinators/Supervisors3-6 4 5. Home Managers/Residential Supervisors 10-12 8 6. Residential Coordinators 3-5 2 7. Residential Direct Service Staff 8-10 16 8. Individuals with I/DD 8-10 10 11 focus groups/interviews at MOKA 49-66 58 Thresholds 1. Executive Director 1 1 2. Executive Leadership Team 8-12 4 3. Non-Residential Supports Coordinators/Supervisors 8-10 7 4. Residential Supports Coordinators/Supervisors 3-6 7 5. Home Managers/Residential Supervisors 10-12 9 6. Residential Coordinators 3-5 5 7. Residential Direct Service Staff 8-10 8 8. Individuals with I/DD 8-10 26 11 focus groups/interviews at Thresholds 49-66 67 Spectrum Community Services 1. Executive Director 1 1 2. Executive Leadership Team 8-12 8 3. Non-Residential Supports Coordinators/Supervisors 8-10 16* 4. Residential Supports Coordinators/Supervisors 3-6 Combined above* 5. Home Managers 8-10 7 6. Residential Quality Coordinators 3-5 5 7. Direct Service Staff 8-10 9 8. Individuals with I/DD 8-10 5 9 focus groups/interviews at Spectrum47-64 51 Hope Network 1. Executive Director 1 1 2. Executive Leadership Team 8-12 8 3. Residential and Non-Residential Supports Coordinators/Supervisors 8-10 6 4. Home Managers/Residential Supervisors 10-12 11 5. Residential Coordinators 3-5 0 6. Residential Direct Service Staff 8-10 9 7. Individuals with I/DD 8-10 4 8 focus groups/interviews at Hope Network 46-60 39 TOTAL: 46 focus groups/interviews TOTAL: Participants 218-293 248 Use of Information from Needs Assessment In accordance with our confidentiality policy, the raw data from our Needs Assessment process was destroyed after our Needs Assessment Report was completed and approved by OVW. We shared the key findings with our executive leadership at all organizations and discussed how these key findings would develop into our strategic plan. We renewed our collaboration commitment, gained support from our executive leadership, and discussed how we would address the gaps in our services through specific initiatives during our strategic planning process. During the implementation phase of the project, the information and knowledge we gained from our Needs Assessment, and the seven key findings that emerged, will continue to guide our work and shape the short and long term initiatives and variety of tasks we undertake. Key Findings from Needs Assessment Key Finding #1: The Culture of Gentleness is an empowering and profound philosophy that creates positive and healthy environments for clients and staff. The Culture of Gentleness is such a positive and profoundly transformative philosophy that it needs to be a lens through which we view all remaining aspects of project activity. At every level within the disability service organizations, from executive leadership to direct service staff, the Culture of Gentleness was mentioned as a strength and resource. Individuals with disabilities indicated that they feel safe, respected, cared about, and heard. The Culture of Gentleness creates a safe, respectful, and nurturing environment that can and does enhance services and staff interactions at all our organizations. We believe it helps improve the harmony and social interactions among staff members, clients, supervisors, and leadership. The Culture of Gentleness is also a shared value of our collaboration, as articulated in our Collaboration Charter, mission, vision, and value statements. WEAVE unconditionally recognizes the inherent worth and dignity of all people as individuals, valuing their unique qualities and characteristics. We value the promotion of a gentle and respectful culture within our organizations and through our interactions with all people. We recognize the importance of the Culture of Gentleness, how it complements trauma-informed care principles, and its connection to our remaining key findings. Key Finding #2: There are accessibility and safety concerns at all our organizations for individuals with disabilities who have experienced sexual assault/abuse. It was clear from the responses, particularly the comments from survivors and individuals with disabilities, that they generally felt welcomed and comfortable when receiving services. But, they also gave examples detailing when they did not feel safe or where our facilities were not accessible or welcoming. If our physical facilities are not accessible, or our staff is perceived as busy or unavailable, this indicates there are barriers in the environment or to services. We want to provide the safest and most comfortable environment for everyone. This was an important finding because we discovered that we need to assess whether our facilities, offices, and homes feel safe and accessible to all individuals. It is important to note that, for WEAVE organizations, accessibility and safety go beyond the guidelines described in the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and/or our accrediting organizations’ criteria. Accessibility can include, but is not limited to, architecture, environment, attitudes, finances, employment, communication, transportation and community integration. Safety includes how clients perceive our organizational environments and feel safe at our organizations, not simply if our buildings meet safety standards. WEAVE recognizes that accessibility and safety may involve being attentive to a variety of unique factors, and we will strive to address and accommodate client needs individually during this process. In addition, we need to assess whether existing programs, support groups, events, and/or community activities are safe and accessible, using the lens of the Culture of Gentleness, trauma-informed care, and from the perspective of individuals with disabilities and survivors. For example, a barrier to accessibility and safety exists if individuals with disabilities who want to learn and talk about healthy relationships do not have opportunities to do so. Our needs assessment indicated that the majority of individuals with disabilities and survivors were happy with their services, but we know that we can create more compassionate environments and programs. Examining and improving safety and accessibility issues creates calm, predictable, and welcoming environments, programs, and services. These are ongoing processes and we are excited to begin improvements during implementation. Key Finding #3: There is a lack of knowledge at all organizations about client rights and guardianship roles in the event of sexual assault/abuse. The voices we heard in our focus groups, particularly from home managers and supervisors, indicated that there is a need for further staff training regarding the scope of authority of guardianship. Increased understanding about the complexities of guardianship will improve staff awareness of how guardianship influences clients at our organizations, and will increase staff comfort. Staff requested resources and training about the varying roles of guardians, and ways to have more productive conversations with them about clients, their vulnerability, and sexual assault. We also realized there are few opportunities for conversations with, or educational and training resources for, guardians themselves. We heard from staff members and leadership that we need to include guardians more intentionally and productively, and learn from their perspectives and experience. Guardians can benefit from educational opportunities and resources about healthy relationships, healthy sexual expression, and the risks of sexual assault/abuse toward individuals with disabilities. Including the voices and perspectives of guardians into our conversations and activities throughout implementation can enhance our agencies’ programs, policies, and procedures. Including guardians in WEAVE’s outreach and discussions can enhance the safety of, and access to, our organizations’ services and programs for individuals with disabilities who have experienced sexual assault/abuse. Increasing staff understanding of the nuances of guardianship can also improve communication and support for clients. This was an important and complex key finding, which has both short term and long term implications for our work during implementation. Key Finding #4: There is an extensive need for ongoing and systematic education and training at all organizations at the point where disability and sexual assault/abuse intersect. In order to provide effective services at our organizations, all WEAVE organizations understand and are committed to ongoing training and education. While this finding was not a surprise, the substantial range and variety of training needed was clearly indicated in the focus group responses. We need to expand existing trainings, develop resources, and create better collaboration opportunities with partner organizations. We also need to raise awareness about the issue and signs of sexual assault/abuse against individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities, increase competency for staff members, and enhance services and resources for clients. We also recognize that a great opportunity exists for cross training among our organizations. Staff and supervisors at disability service providers mentioned they could benefit from updated training on recognizing the signs of sexual assault and about the nuances involved in mandated reporting. Staff at the YWCA recognized they could benefit from additional training about guardianship and serving people with disabilities. Many of these cross trainings can be incorporated into existing training structures for new employees, by utilizing a shared training calendar among WEAVE organizations, and, in general, through better inter-agency communication. Finally, there was a very large consensus recognizing a need for resources, training, and education about individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (I/DD) and healthy relationships. Leadership, staff, and clients all recognized the importance of finding a way to either provide or create resources to help individuals with I/DD learn about and develop safe and supportive relationships. This finding, again, was not a surprise, but we anticipate being able to directly address the many positive suggestions and feedback we heard in our focus groups by developing a healthy relationships curriculum during the implementation phase of this project. Key Finding #5: All organizations need clearer policies and procedures at the point where disability and sexual assault/abuse intersect. At all our organizations, policies and procedures are the cornerstone for providing consistent, safe, and accessible services. While our organizations successfully meet their accreditation standards, we recognize that there are still gaps in our policies and procedures that can be potential barriers to services for clients. Staff mentioned that they could benefit from reviewing policies and/or procedures involving consent, disclosures, and mandatory reporting. Clear and effective policies and procedures will allow our organizations to create more respectful, safer, and more accessible environments for staff members, leadership, and survivors with disabilities. A careful review of policies and procedures, with attention to the Culture of Gentleness and Trauma Informed Principles (CoG/TIP), will be an essential part of addressing this key finding. WEAVE recognizes the importance, positive influence, and power that words can have for survivors with disabilities. We will strive to include plain language using the CoG/TIP perspective as we begin our review and revision of our policies and procedures during implementation. Key Finding #6: There is a general lack of awareness about the resources and services provided by the collaboration partner organizations. Becoming more aware of the resources our partner organizations provide can help improve the information and services to which we can refer and offer our clients. YWCA nurses, therapists, and advocates indicated that they do not have knowledge about resources, or do not understand, what disability service providers do. Therefore, they are less likely to effectively inform and help clients who need those services. Also, many disability service provider direct care staff and individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (I/DD) indicated they were unaware of the sexual assault services at the YWCA. We recognize the importance of having a coordinated and complementary system of support, and a clearly articulated referral process, for individuals with I/DD who have experienced sexual assault/abuse. We will work hard during implementation to raise awareness of, and share, the many resources available among our organizations. Key Finding #7: There is a need for WEAVE’s collaboration to both expand to other organizations in the community and be sustained beyond the period of the grant. If we are not connected to a larger system of support, our work to improve services for individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities who have experienced sexual assault/abuse is not sustainable. Many organizations in our community work at the intersection of disability and sexual assault, but these organizations are often disconnected and unaware of each other’s resources and services. We need to find better ways to work together, share knowledge and information, and extend training and education in order to permanently link the organizations in WEAVE and to provide the best possible services for survivors with disabilities. We must begin thinking about additional partners to invite to our collaboration in order to ensure its continuation in the future. Because funding beyond the current grant period is not guaranteed, we must also look for additional funding sources both from potential partners and within the larger community, as our needs assessment indicates the scope and need for our continued work is substantial. Strategic Planning Process After the completion of our Needs Assessment Report, and its approval by the Office on Violence Against Women, WEAVE immediately began working on developing our Strategic Plan. We held a meeting with the Executive Directors/CEOs from all organizations and discussed the key findings and how they might translate into initiatives at all of our organizations. We received strong support, enthusiasm, and excitement from our executives at nearing the implementation phase of the project, and had an engaging and supportive conversation. WEAVE met regularly and discussed the transition from planning and development to implementation. The voices we heard in our focus groups clearly indicated the need for a wide range of educational and training initiatives, the need for policy and procedure clarification, and the need to improve safety and accessibility for survivors with disabilities at all our organizations. Our in-depth conversations about our key findings helped us prioritize these needs into specific initiatives and begin thinking about how we could best achieve both short and long term tasks. We also discussed the need to form inter-agency work groups to complete the wide variety of tasks and deliverables, and how we would recruit and prepare individuals for these groups. We began drafting role descriptions for these work groups, and planning out the responsibilities and tasks for the remainder of our current project as well as keeping a list of larger, long-term tasks that needed attention, but were beyond the scope of our current project. Finally, keeping our first key finding firmly in mind, that the Culture of Gentleness is an empowering and profound philosophy that creates positive and healthy environments for clients and staff, we determined that holding a kickoff event for all work group members was essential in creating a philosophical and logistical foundation for implementation. During our strategic planning process, we also scheduled and held our two-day site visit from our technical service provider, the Vera Institute of Justice, and continued our discussions about the key findings. We made sure to integrate the voices of the many people we talked with in our Needs Assessment focus groups and to keep the Culture of Gentleness forefront in our conversations. During the site-visit, we developed a basic outline of our goals and major initiatives, clarified our work groups, and discussed potential activities and tasks that our work groups would need to accomplish. While we did speculate about long term initiatives and the future of our collaboration beyond the scope of this grant, our primary focus was on what WEAVE could specifically and realistically do to improve our agencies over the next year in the implementation phase of our current project. Our strategic planning involved analysis and discussion of our key findings, and allowed us to connect the data and feedback gathered in our Needs Assessment to the implementation phase of our collaboration. WEAVE has developed two main goals with seven key initiatives that will determine our activities and tasks during implementation. We have divided these into short and long term tasks and activities, outlined briefly below, and thoroughly explained in the next section. We have detailed work plans for each of these initiatives, including timelines and specific activities, in Appendix A. Overview of Key Short-Term Initiatives GOAL 1: Build Organizational Infrastructures that Facilitate Services to Survivors with Disabilities Initiative 1.1: Foster Agency Understanding of Best Practices Initiative 1.2: Create environments that are safe, accessible, and welcoming at WEAVE organizations. Initiative 1.3: Cultivate a Plan for Sustainability GOAL 2: Build Organizational Capacities that Promote a Sense of Safety and a Culture of Gentleness. Initiative 2.1: Enrich Resources Available for Clients Initiative 2.2: Enrich Resources Available for Staff Initiative 2.3: Enhance Staff Response to Sexual Violence through Policies, Procedures, and Process Initiative 2.4: Enhance Staff Response to Issues of Guardianship through Policies, Procedures, and Process In-Depth Overview of Each Short-Term Initiative As indicated above and in the description of our strategic planning process, WEAVE has developed two main goals and seven major initiatives that we will address at our five organizations over the next year during the implementation phase of our project. We have carefully discussed these initiatives and created plans to accomplish the many tasks involved in each. Detailed descriptions follow, and specific work plans and timelines are included in Appendix A. GOAL 1: Build Organizational Infrastructures that Facilitate Services to Survivors with Disabilities Initiative 1.1: Foster Agency Understanding of Best Practices Integrate the concept of Culture of Gentleness (CoG) and neurobiological, Trauma-Informed Principles (TIP) into work groups and implementation activities. Our first key finding in our Needs Assessment indicated that, at our disability service provider organizations, the Culture of Gentleness is an empowering and profound philosophy that creates positive and healthy environments for clients and staff. While the term “the Culture of Gentleness” (CoG) is not as familiar at the YWCA, WEAVE immediately recognized the many connections between CoG and the underlying theories involved in serving survivors through Trauma-Informed Principles (TIP). Our first task, then, will be to create a common foundation of mutual understanding about these two highly compatible ideas for the staff in each work group. While many of the staff members throughout our organizations already have a solid understanding of these ideas, WEAVE wanted to ensure that each work group member realized the importance of intentionally keeping the CoG/TIP perspective present in every task and activity involved in our initiatives. Therefore, we decided the best way to make sure everyone involved during implementation understands the importance of CoG/TIP perspective, would be to hold a kickoff event to allow the members from across our agencies to meet, discuss, integrate, and commit to holding this value forefront in their work. In addition, we would provide work group members the history of WEAVE, resources from other collaborations participating across the country, opportunities to get to know each other, and time to schedule meetings. Our goals for the kickoff event are to lay the foundation for our inter-agency infrastructure and to make sure each work group understands exactly what they will need to accomplish, the timeline, and the resources available to them. The kickoff event will be planned and facilitated by the WEAVE Team, and will be specifically structured to help the members of our six work groups be successful. Our six work groups will be: 1. Access and Safety 2. Sustainability 3. Healthy Relationships 4. Staff Education and Training 5. Policy and Procedures 6. Guardianship After attending this event, work group members will understand the importance of the CoG/TIP perspective and be prepared to immediately begin the variety of tasks they will need to accomplish during implementation. This initiative is short term, and while it will be completed upon the conclusion of the kickoff event, it is essential in setting the tone and foundation for implementation activities. Initiative 1.2: Create environments that are safe, accessible, and welcoming at WEAVE organizations. Promote accessibility and enhance safety at collaboration organizations. This initiative will be carried out by the Access and Safety Work Group. Members in this group will be responsible for building organizational infrastructures that facilitate services to survivors with disabilities. The Access and Safety Work Group will become familiar with the history and process of WEAVE, and understand the national context and guidelines of the project by the Office on Violence against Women (OVW). The group will be responsible for creating a WEAVE safety and access review tool, conducting at least two safety and access reviews with this tool, writing reports on their findings, and drafting Barrier Removal/Safety Enhancement Plans for reviewed sites. We anticipate this initiative to be completed by the end of the current project period, and also that this tool will be used in long term and ongoing access and safety site reviews after this project. Some of the tasks that will be accomplished in this initiative will be to review existing access and safety tools from other collaborations participating in OVW disability grant projects. We realize the wisdom in using the tools that other collaborations have created as a starting point for developing a tool specific to the needs of WEAVE organizations. Using the CoG/TIP perspective, this initiative will modify and develop a tool for assessing the access and safety at WEAVE organizations. Once this tool is approved by OVW, we intend to share it with other collaborations and organizations in our community. With our approved CoG/TIP tool, we intend to create a team of trained staff/service users and test it by conducting access and safety reviews at pre-selected agency sites. The Access and Safety Work Group will report findings and make recommendations about ways to improve access and safety at WEAVE organizations to the WEAVE leadership team. Finally, this initiative will also involve creating Barrier Removal/Safety Enhancement Plans for reviewed sites and developing plans and MOUs for each organization to conduct ongoing and annual access and safety reviews. WEAVE recognizes that commitment to continually improving access and safety at our organizations is essential to achieving our mission and vision. We realize that we will be able to use the tool and process we develop in this initiative in our long term plans as well. Initiative 1.3: Cultivate a Plan for Sustainability This initiative is important to achieving our goal of building organizational infrastructures both during the implementation phase of this project and for our long term vision. WEAVE recognizes that ongoing funding from OVW is not guaranteed, and will develop sustainable funding, new partners, and creative ways to sustain the work among our organizations through this initiative. For the next year of implementation, the Sustainability Work Group, which is comprised of the WEAVE Team members from each organization, as well as their Executive Directors/CEOs, will work on monitoring and consulting with all inter-agency work groups’ progress and deliverables. WEAVE values, and has committed to, ongoing organizational awareness, reflection, and critical analysis in order to create lasting and systemic change among our organizations. Raising awareness and transparently communicating among our organizations what is happening in the work groups will be important to the sustainability of the work. This initiative will also identify additional organizations in the community (such as schools, churches, hospitals, and primary care physicians) who play a critical role at the intersection of disability and sexual assault, who need to become aware of WEAVE’s work and resources, and who could become potential partners in our work. The Sustainability Work Group will develop a process for outreach and inclusion of additional partners, which will include creating formal agreements and/or MOUs as necessary. In addition to exploring potential new partners that could help sustain and develop WEAVE’s work, this initiative will need to identify additional and potential funding and develop a strategy to inform these sources of WEAVE’s work and future plans. This will include applying for a continuation grant through OVW, as well as involve having open discussions about new funding and resources that could help sustain our work. While the above activities can be accomplished during the implementation period of theproject, WEAVE recognizes that sustainability is an ongoing process, and will need attention and vigilance long into the future. The WEAVE Team has committed to a minimum of quarterly meetings to maintain and update resources and training and to continue developing long term plans for sustainability after the current grant activity. GOAL 2: Build Organizational Infrastructures that Promote a Sense of Safety and a Culture of Gentleness. Initiative 2.1: Enrich Resources Available for Clients Develop resources for collaborating organizations to enhance educational opportunities for, and increase consumer knowledge about, healthy relationships. This initiative developed out of the staff and client voices we heard in our focus groups during our Needs Assessment, asking for more information and resources about how to have direct and sincere conversations about healthy relationships and individualized expressions of sexuality with clients with I/DD. The primary activity of this initiative will be to identify and assess a curriculum using the CoG/TIP perspective that will be incorporated into all WEAVE organizations. The Healthy Relationships Work Group will be responsible for shaping this curriculum. The Healthy Relationships Work Group will begin by reviewing existing curricula from other OVW collaborations. We recognize that many wonderful examples and resources exist. However, it is important to our collaboration and process to ensure we view these curricula using a CoG/TIP perspective and with consideration of the nuances involved in group living settings. We will modify an existing curriculum for individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities at our organizations in order to enhance their knowledge of healthy relationships. Once they have identified and modified a curriculum that aligns with our CoG/TIP perspective, the work group will create a team of trained staff to review the curriculum with self-advocates. It is essential to our process that we meaningfully include the voices, ideas, and perspectives of our clients. The Healthy Relationships Work Group will revise the curriculum and get direct feedback from self-advocates in order to analyze and determine whether the curriculum is effective and appropriate. The work group will then make recommendations to the WEAVE Team and/or revise the curriculum as needed. Once the curriculum has been evaluated and approved by the WEAVE Team, we will submit it to OVW for approval and share it with other collaborations. We will also begin creating long term plans to integrate the curriculum throughout all WEAVE organizations in a sustainable way, including plans for regular assessment and updates. This initiative is central to our mission and vision of creating systemic change in our organizations to better support and compassionately respond to the needs of individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities who are at risk for, or have experienced, sexual assault. Initiative 2.2: Enhance Resources Available for Staff Develop resources for collaborating organizations to enhance staff knowledge, resources, and training at the intersection of disability and sexual assault. This initiative addresses and responds to the many comments we heard from direct service staff expressing the need for more resources and training. Staff consistently requested information on recognizing the signs of sexual assault in individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities, as well as information about the services and resources available from WEAVE partners. The Staff Education and Training Work Group will be responsible for creating these resources and identifying a way to incorporate the information and resources into existing and ongoing training at our organizations. The work group will begin by reviewing existing resources and materials about signs of sexual assault/abuse of individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (I/DD) from other OVW collaborations, and modifying these with the CoG/TIP perspective. They will submit this resource to the WEAVE Team for review and to OVW for approval. This work group will also create a referral guide for staff to improve inter-agency collaboration in the event of disclosure of sexual assault and/or abuse. This will likely include a pictorial introduction to the YWCA’s Nurse Examiner Program (NEP) for individuals with I/DD, so staff can help prepare them ahead of time should a need to visit the NEP arise. The Staff Education and Training Work Group will then examine existing training opportunities that occur at the intersection of sexual assault and disability at WEAVE organizations to determine ways to distribute the resources they create. A likely venue will involve developing cross training opportunities. Disability service provider staff will benefit from attending YWCA new employee orientations on sexual assault, and YWCA staff will benefit from attending disability and Culture of Gentleness trainings. Such trainings already exist, but making staff and supervisors aware of the opportunities and resources is essential to creating systemic change. A crucial component to this initiative is to develop a sustainable cross training plan for WEAVE organizations. The Staff Education and Training Work Group will develop a thorough understanding of existing training, develop a cross training plan, and create a shared calendar and schedule for updating resources and ongoing training. They will submit their recommendations to the WEAVE Team for review. We anticipate this work group will be able to complete their work in approximately seven months, not requiring the full year of implementation. Upon completion of their tasks, the members of the group will distribute the resources they create and communicate the shared calendar and cross training opportunities with their inter-agency colleagues. Initiative 2.3: Enhance Staff Response to Sexual Violence through Policies, Procedures, and Process Build the comfort and capacity of staff at all organizations to effectively respond to survivors with disabilities by cultivating policies consistent with the CoG/TIP perspective. This initiative will help facilitate safe disclosures of violence, promote access to accommodations, and build staff capacity by strengthening written documentation, policies, and procedures. Creating systemic change necessarily involves being able to revise and improve written policies, procedures, and practices, and this initiative will address that need. It was clear from our Needs Assessment data that not all staff felt comfortable with or fully understood all policies, procedures, and practices that occur at the intersection of disability and sexual assault. While some of these gaps in understanding can be addressed through staff training and education, reviewing and clarifying the language in written documentation and policies is also part of the process. This initiative will be carried out by the Policy and Procedures Work Group over the remaining year of implementation. The Policy and Procedures Work Group will draft a best practices guide using the CoG/TIP perspective to review written documentation, policies, and/or procedures. They will review existing tools and plain language practices, and identify a list of best practices that can be used to develop a guide to examine and evaluate policies and written documentation. This guide will be used by those who create and review organizational policies and procedures in order to ensure that they are consistent with the CoG/TIP principles. Once this CoG/TIP best practices guide has been approved by OVW, the work group will test it on selected policies and written documentation at WEAVE organizations. For example, referral, intake, accessibility, or triage written documentation, policies and procedures at YWCA, and consent, disclosure, or mandatory reporting policies and procedures at disability service agencies. The Policy and Procedures Work Group will vet these policies or procedures using the CoG/TIP guide, and create sample revisions. The work group will submit all samples and suggestions to the WEAVE team for review and/or additional revision if necessary. Samples of these revised policies and procedures will be submitted to OVW for review, and sent to the governing bodies and policy and procedure committees at each WEAVE organization for consideration and adoption. Review and revision of written documentation and policies is time intensive; it requires approval from various committees, governance, and boards at local, statewide, and national levels throughout WEAVE organizations. While the Policy and Procedures Work Group will create sample policy revisions for each WEAVE organization, it is unlikely that actual revisions of policies will be able to be formally adopted by any WEAVE organization before the end of the implementation phase of this project. Therefore, we are committed to keeping this policy and procedure revision process active in our long term initiatives and ongoing plans for improvement at our organizations. In our long term plans, WEAVE organizations will use this guide to examine other areas of policies, procedures, and/or practices, and written documentation (forms, outreach materials, websites, etc.) that occur at the intersection of disability and sexual assault. Initiative 2.4: Enhance Staff Response to Issues of Guardianship through Policies, Procedures, and Process Build the comfort and capacity of staff at all organizations to effectively respond to survivors with disabilities by cultivating a better understanding of guardianship. This initiative will increase understanding of the complexities and scope of authority of guardians, and create resources for staff. We heard from staff, supervisors, therapists, nurses, and advocates that the complexities of the scope of authority of guardianship created confusion and uncertainty when serving clients. Many focus group participants asked for clarification about the scope of guardianship and for resources to better understand the legal roles of guardians. Staff also expressed a need for resources to help them more easily talk to guardians about their wards, particularly about having healthy relationships and raising awareness about their vulnerability to sexual assault. We also realized in analyzing the data and responses from our Needs Assessment, that we need resources for guardians. Because understanding the complexities of guardianship and the role of guardians is an enormous and multi-faceted area to improve, and because we need a better understanding from guardians themselves, this will be both a short term and long term part of our strategic plan. Over the next year of implementation, the Guardianship Work Group will create a resource guide for staff regarding the scope of authority of guardianship in decision making about sexual assault/abuse of individuals with I/DD. The work group will begin by examining existing resources, talking with a local expert about guardianship, and creating a guide for WEAVE organizations using the CoG/TIP perspective. They will submit this to the WEAVE Team for review, and to OVW for approval. This group will also work with the Staff Education and Training Work Group to ensure that the guardianship resource guide is included and integrated into cross training opportunities at our organizations. During the next year, the Guardianship Work Group will also begin creating the foundation for long term improvements and the creation of a Resource Guide for Guardians. They will conduct focus groups with guardians to gather data to determine the specific needs and concerns guardians have about the intersection of disability and sexual assault. The work group will analyze the data, report their findings to the WEAVE Team, and create a Plan for developing a Resource Guide for Guardians. We are very excited about this work and for the opportunity to create such a valuable and much-needed resource. Meaningfully including guardians and creating a stronger foundation for understanding the important capacities in which they serve can only strengthen the safety and well-being of individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities, especially when considering issues of sexual assault and violence. Overview of Long-Term Plans The long-term plans for WEAVE will emerge more fully during the implementation phase of this project over the next year. For now, we have identified several tasks that will build on our short term initiatives. We will continue to expand, revise, and refine our long-term plans to ensure our work continues into the future. We recognize that commitment to education for clients and training for staff are ongoing processes that will always need attention in our plans and activities. While the curriculum we intend to develop in Initiative 2.1 will be a valuable addition toward achieving our mission and vision, because of the size and number of WEAVE organizations, it will take time to fully incorporate it. Ensuring that all the clients we serve at our disability service agencies have knowledge about, and access to, this curriculum will necessarily be a long term endeavor. Likewise, training for staff will be a part of our long term plans. Staff turnover, and new research, information and technology influence our organizations daily. The resources and cross training opportunities we will create through Initiative 2.2 will provide a good foundation, but training for staff is a long term and ongoing commitment as well. In particular, we have discussed the possibility for creating online training modules for staff to increase accessibility to, and awareness and dissemination of, the information about the intersection of disability and sexual assault. This could have a long term impact as well, as we could easily make such training available to other organizations in our community. As indicated in Initiative 2.3 above, revising policies and procedures is a time-intensive process and will be a part of our long term plans for continual improvement. We will continue to use the best practices guide we create in this Initiative to revise policies and procedures at all WEAVE organizations. We will work through the various processes and committees at each of our organization to continue to strengthen and improve policies, procedures, and written documentation to better support individuals with disabilities who have experienced sexual assault/abuse. We understand that this is a long term process and commitment. One of the most significant long term plans we envision involves creating a better understanding for staff regarding the complexities of guardianship and finding a way to include the voices of guardians into our training systems and processes. Initiative 2.4 has made us aware that we have substantial work to do over the next several years to address these issues. We also know that we need more data from, and direct conversations with, guardians to be better able to assess and address their needs. Therefore, we recognize that this is indeed an area that will need long term planning and ongoing work. Throughout all our work and long term plans, we will intentionally include individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (I/DD) and survivors, as we value their expertise and perspectives. As part of our long term sustainability plan in Initiative 1.3, we also intend to identify additional agencies, organizations, and potential partners to expand our collaborative work and share the information we have gained and resources we have created. Some of these were mentioned in focus groups in our Needs Assessment, such as hospitals, law enforcement, and the criminal justice system. These are areas, organizations, and systems that are complex, and do not always include an understanding of individuals with I/DD or survivors, but WEAVE is confident that the work we have begun has far reaching implications and applications. Given the scope of our current project and the remaining time for implementation, pursuing these opportunities will need to occur in our long term endeavors. Finally, part of our long term plans and Initiative 1.3 also includes creating financial sustainability for the work we have begun through WEAVE. While we intend to apply for a continuation grant through OVW, we understand that ongoing funding is not guaranteed, and will explore additional local, regional, statewide, and national sources. We are confident that the work we have begun through this collaboration has great value to our community and will earn support from others who are committed to working with people with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities who have experienced sexual assault. Conclusion WEAVE is confident that these initiatives detailed in our Strategic Plan will enable us to improve services at all our organizations and to better support survivors with disabilities. We are excited to have reached the point of implementation in our ongoing collaboration through this project. We are confident that our commitment to our vision, mission, and shared values continues to provide a solid foundation for our work and that we will be able to sustain our efforts throughout our organizations and in Kent County. Our Strategic Plan embraces the idea and scope of systems change and enhances the service delivery systems in all our organizations to better serve survivors with disabilities. WEAVE finds it appropriate that our Strategic Plan begins and ends with our vision firmly in mind, and we are enthusiastic and ready to begin the ongoing work that will enable us to ensure “that all individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (I/DD) who have experienced sexual assault/abuse will have access to a compassionate response from our organizations’ highly skilled professionals. We will support these individuals through a Culture of Gentleness that shapes our policies and procedures.” We are confident that all of our hard work through the planning and development stage of this project has prepared and laid a solid and sustainable foundation for our future work together during implementation. Appendix A: Initiatives and Work Plans Following our discussion and analysis of the key findings from our Needs Assessment Report, and our two-day Strategic Planning site visit from our technical service provider, the Vera Institute of Justice, WEAVE developed our short and long term initiatives and activities for the implementation phase of this grant project. This appendix details the specific tasks, estimated timelines, and work groups that will be responsible for the wide variety of systemic enhancements we intend to carry out within our organizations. GOAL # 1: Build Organizational Infrastructures that Facilitate Services to Survivors with Disabilities Initiative 1.1: Foster Agency Understanding of Best Practices Integrate the concept of Culture of Gentleness (CoG) and neurobiological, Trauma-Informed Principles (TIP) into work groups and implementation activities. Who is Responsible: WEAVE Team Required Deliverables: 1. Kickoff Event for work groups. Timeline and Tasks Activity 1: Engage in agency-wide, critical conversations on CoG and TIP to form work groups. Task 1 Create work group role descriptions Task 2 Develop CoG/TIP perspective guide and resources for work group members Task 3 Recruit work group members Task 4 Select work group members from collaboration organizations Activity 2: Enculturation of work group members to CoG/TIP perspective and WEAVE process. Task 1 Plan kickoff event for work groups Task 2 Host kickoff event for work groups Task 3 Communicate kickoff event, and work group plans, and CoG/TIP perspective throughout organizations Initiative 1.2: Create environments that are safe, accessible, and welcoming at WEAVE organizations. Promote accessibility and enhance safety at collaboration organizations. Who is Responsible: Access and Safety Work Group Required Deliverables: 1. WEAVE safety and access review tool. 2. Safety and access reviews and report. 3. Barrier Removal/Safety Enhancement Plans for reviewed sites. Timeline and Tasks Activity 1: Develop/identify a tool for reviewing WEAVE organizations that emphasizes universal access and safety. Task 1 Collaboration gives work group list of example tools Task 2 Work group reviews these through CoG/TIP perspective Task 3 Work group revises tool Task 4 WEAVE Team reviews tool Task 5 Returns to work group or on to OVW Activity 2: Create a team of trained staff/service users to conduct the agency reviews. Task 1 Work group conducts reviews at pre-selected agency sites Task 2 Work group analyzes findings from reviews Activity 3: Create Barrier Removal/Safety Enhancement Plans for reviewed sites Task 1 Work group reviews samples of existing BR/SE Plans. Task 2 Work group creates BR/SE Plans for WEAVE Team review Task 3 Submit BR/SE Plans to OVW Task 4 Create MOUs among WEAVE partners for annual access and safety reviews. LONG TERM Tasks: Conduct ongoing site reviews and create Barrier Removal/Safety Enhancement Plans at sites throughout all WEAVE organizations. Conduct annual access and safety reviews per MOUs. Initiative 1.3: Cultivate a Plan for Sustainability Who is Responsible: Sustainability Work Group (WEAVE Team in consultation with Executive Directors/CEOs at all organizations) Required Deliverables: 1. Short Term WEAVE Sustainability Plan. 2. Long Term WEAVE Sustainability Plan. Timeline and Tasks Activity 1: Monitor and consult with all inter-organizational work groups’ progress. Task 1 Maintain communication among groups and leadership at all agencies Activity 2: Identify additional organizations in the community who play a critical role at the intersection of disability and sexual assault, who need to become aware of WEAVE’s work and resources, and who could become potential partners in our work. Task 1 Identify and create list of key organizations to reach out t Task 2 Create outreach plans for each Activity 3: Identify additional potential funding sources and develop a strategy to inform them of WEAVE’s work and sustainability needs. Task 1 Identify potential funding sources Task 2 Create strategies to inform each source about WEAVE and secure funding Activity 4: Create Short Term and Long Term Sustainability Plans Task 1 Plan inclusion process for adding partners to collaboration Task 2 Invite additional collaboration partners Task 3 Sign MOU(s) if applicable Task 4 Apply for continuation grant and/or additional funding Task 5 Develop and submit WEAVE plans to OVW GOAL # 2: Build Organizational Infrastructures that Promote a Sense of Safety and a Culture of Gentleness. Initiative 2.1: Enrich Resources Available for Clients Develop resources for collaborating organizations to enhance educational opportunities for, and increase consumer knowledge about, healthy relationships. Who is Responsible: Healthy Relationships Work Group Required Deliverables: 1. Curriculum about healthy relationships for individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities. Timeline and Tasks Activity 1: Develop/identify a curriculum for individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities to enhance their knowledge of healthy relationships. Task 1 Review of existing curricula Task 2 Work group reviews these through CoG/TIP perspective Task 3 Work group revises/creates WEAVE curriculum Task 4 WEAVE Team reviews curriculum Task 5 Returns to work group or on to OVW Activity 2: Create a team of trained staff to review the curriculum with self-advocates. Task 1 Work group introduces curriculum with self-advocates for review Task 2 Work group gets feedback, analyzes, and evaluates curriculum Task 3 Work group makes revisions and submits to WEAVE Team for review Task 4 Additional revision or submit curriculum to OVW LONG TERM Task: Integrate curriculum with self-advocates into sites at each agency Initiative 2.2: Enrich Resources Available for Staff Develop resources for collaborating organizations to enhance staff knowledge, resources, and training at the intersection of disability and sexual assault. Who is Responsible: Staff Education and Training Work Group Required Deliverables: 1. Resource on awareness and/or signs of sexual assault for individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities. 2. Referral Guide for inter-agency collaboration. 3. Cross-training schedule at the intersection of disability and sexual assault for WEAVE organizations. Timeline and Tasks Activity 1: Create a resource for staff to recognize the signs of sexual assault against persons with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities Task 1 Review of existing resources Task 2 Work group reviews these through CoG/TIP perspective Task 3 WEAVE Team reviews resource Task 4 Returns to work group or on to OVW Activity 2: Create Referral Guide for staff for inter-agency collaboration, including introduction to the Nurse Examiner Program for individuals with I/DD Task 1 Review of existing resources Task 2 Work group reviews these through CoG/TIP perspective Task 3 WEAVE Team reviews resource Task 4 Returns to work group or on to OVW Activity 3: Create cross training plan for staff at WEAVE organizations at the intersection of disability and sexual assault. Task 1 Integrate CoG/TIP perspective Task 2 Draft plan and submit to WEAVE Team for review Task 3 Shared calendar for ongoing trainings posted LONG TERM Tasks: Integrate ongoing education and training into new employee orientations and ongoing training opportunities at each agency Initiative 2.3: Enhance Staff Response Through Policies, Procedures, and Process Build the comfort and capacity of staff at all organizations to effectively respond to survivors with disabilities by cultivating policies consistent with the CoG/TIP perspective. This initiative will help facilitate safe disclosures of violence, promote access to accommodations, and build staff capacity by strengthening written documentation, policies, and procedures. Who is Responsible: Policy and Procedures Work Group Required Deliverables: 1. Best Practices Guide/Tool to review written documentation, policies, and/or procedures. 2. Create revision samples for YWCA policies and/or procedures. 3. Create revision samples for disability service provider policies and/or procedures. Activity 1: Create a best practices guide/tool using CoG/TIP perspective to review written documentation, policies, and/or procedures. Task 1 Review of existing tools and/or templates Task 2 Work group revises tool using CoG/TIP lens Task 3 WEAVE Team reviews tool Task 4 Return tool to work group or on to OVW Activity 2: Enhance referral, intake, accessibility, and triage written documentation, policies and procedures at YWCA to better serve the needs of survivors with disabilities. Task 1 Apply tool to existing documentation, forms, and/or policies Task 2 Submit revisions and recommendations to WEAVE Team Task 3 Submit revision samples to OVW Task 4 Submit samples to YWCA policy and procedure committee for adoption Activity 3: Enhance consent, disclosure, and mandatory reporting policies and procedures at all disability service agencies. Task 1 Apply tool to existing forms and policies Task 2 Submit revisions and recommendations to WEAVE Team. Task 3 Submit revision samples to OVW Task 4 Submit samples to appropriate policy and/or procedure committees and governing processes for adoption LONG TERM Tasks: Apply tool to all other existing written documentation, policies, and/or procedures at the intersection of disability and sexual assault at all WEAVE agencies. Continue adoption of revised policies and procedures through committees and/or governing processes at each WEAVE agency. Initiative 2.4: Enhance Staff Response Through Policies, Procedures, and Process Build the comfort and capacity of staff at all organizations to effectively respond to survivors with disabilities by cultivating a better understanding of guardianship. This initiative will increase understanding of the complexities and scope of authority of guardians, and create resources for staff. Who is Responsible: Guardianship Work Group Required Deliverables: 1. Resource Guide for Staff on Guardianship. 2. Plan for Resource Guide for Guardians Timeline and Tasks Activity 1: Create resource guide for staff regarding scope of authority of guardianship in decision making regarding sexual abuse and/or sexuality/healthy relationships and individuals with I/DD. Task 1 Review of existing resources Task 2 Meet with representative from Kent County probate court for training, education, resources Task 3 Revise guide incorporating CoG/TIP perspective Task 4 WEAVE Team reviews guide Task 5 Return guide to work group or submit to OVW Activity 2: Create Plan for developing Resource Guide for Guardians Task 1 Determine resources and needs Task 2 Conduct focus groups with guardians Task 3 Analyze data Task 4 Draft plan for guide Task 5 Submit plan to WEAVE Team for review Task 6 Submit plan to OVW LONG TERM Tasks: 1. Examine all related policies and procedures, especially in the intake, admission, referral, record keeping, and triage processes, to more clearly address and communicate an understanding of the scope of guardianship. 2. Integrate training regarding guardianship for new staff. 3. Create educational resource guide for guardians regarding the intersection between sexual assault/abuse and individuals with disabilities. Appendix B: WEAVE Values and Assumptions WEAVE unconditionally recognizes the inherent worth and dignity of all people as people and values their unique qualities and characteristics. WEAVE believes that safety is a basic human right and that everyone has the right to live free of sexual violence and/or abuse. WEAVE maintains that freedom is a basic human right, and that all people, regardless of ability, should have the power to act, speak or think without externally imposed restraints. WEAVE values the promotion of a culture of gentleness and respect within our organizations and through our interactions with all people. WEAVE commits to ongoing organizational awareness, reflection, and critical analysis in order to create lasting and systemic change among our organizations. WEAVE adopts a person-centered approach, making the individual the focal point. An individual with an intellectual and/or developmental disability who has experienced sexual assault/abuse will not need to “change” to fit into the existing service delivery system but rather the service delivery system will adapt to each person’s preferences, strengths, capacities, needs and desired outcomes/goals. WEAVE incorporates people first language when referring to individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities who have survived sexual assault/abuse. WEAVE ensures that the information shared within the collaboration is confidential and will restrict access to, and dissemination of, any details that personally identify the individuals served. WEAVE utilizes respectful and nonjudgmental communication within our collaboration and in all communication with individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities who have survived sexual assault/abuse. Recognizing that all people have the right to say what they want, we ask that it not be said in an abusive or harsh manner. We will refrain from making judgments based solely on our personal opinions or standards. WEAVE asserts that individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities who have experienced sexual assault/abuse will have access to community-based services, regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, age, physical abilities and/or religion. WEAVE remains committed to social justice and to sustainable organizational changes that will endure beyond the scope of this collaboration and grant project. Appendix C: WEAVE Work Group Member Role Descriptions In our strategic planning process, WEAVE decided to create inter-agency work groups to accomplish the many activities and tasks during the implementation phase of our project. We have shared these descriptions here, with the hope that other collaborations will find them helpful to their own processes as well. Group Member Role Description: Access and Safety Work Group Members in this group will be responsible for building organizational infrastructures that facilitate services to survivors with disabilities. The group will be responsible for implementing Initiative 1.2: Create environments that are safe, accessible, and welcoming at the WEAVE partner agencies. This work group will become familiar with the history and process of WEAVE, understand the national context and guidelines of the project by the Office on Violence against Women (OVW), and create the following deliverables: 1. WEAVE safety and access review tool. 2. Conduct at least two safety and access reviews and write reports on findings. 3. Barrier Removal/Safety Enhancement Plans for reviewed sites. Structure of Work Group: This work group will be composed of one representative from each collaborating agency, one member from the WEAVE Team, and the Project Manager. Additional group members may be invited to participate as appropriate and necessary. At the kickoff event, members will elect a chair for their group. The chair will be responsible for facilitating meetings (including agenda and minutes), distributing resources, and coordinating communication between group members, the Project Manager, and other work groups as necessary. Primary Activities of Work Group: 1. Review existing access and safety tools from other collaborations participating in OVW disability grant projects. 2. Develop/create a tool for reviewing WEAVE organizations that assesses access and safety using the Culture of Gentleness and trauma-informed principles. 3. Create a team of trained staff/service users to conduct the agency reviews. 4. Test the tool by conducting access and safety reviews at pre-selected sites. 5. Report findings and make recommendations to WEAVE leadership team. 6. Create Barrier Removal/Safety Enhancement Plans for reviewed sites. 7. Develop a plan for ongoing site reviews at all WEAVE organizations. 8. Collaborate and communicate with Project Manager and other work groups. Accessibility: All meetings will be held in accessible locations. Accommodations will be provided to allow for full participation of all work group members. Time Commitment: From November 1, 2014 to approximately September 1, 2015, depending on group’s ability to accomplish required tasks and deliverables. An estimated 10 hours per month, variable, which may include: * Two 2 hour meetings per month. Meeting times and logistics will be determined by work group members. * Work outside of meetings which can include e-mail, collecting information from the agency, developing materials, etc. Criteria: Organizational knowledge: * Familiarity with or ability to obtain information about internal agency access and safety procedures * Ability to gather information about the process for implementing and/or submitting recommendations for access and safety reviews at collaboration agencies Content knowledge: * Knowledge about sexual violence and/or disability issues * Preferred but not required: Knowledge about AFC licensing rules, universal design and trauma-informed principles, and ADA standards. Willingness to engage in collaborative work: * Ability to talk about sexual violence against people with disabilities * Ability to work together with agencies/people who have different perspectives to complete a goal * Ability to follow through and complete projects Roles and Responsibilities: * Attend mandatory kickoff event. * Attend and actively participate in all work group meetings * Share areas of expertise (content and organizational knowledge) with work group * Obtain organizational training information needed for the development and implementation of enhanced or new trainings * Listen to work group members’ perspectives and make decisions by consensus * Participate in the development of all products as outlined in the Strategic Plan as related to the Access and Safety work group * Complete assignments within the time frames set by the work plan * Engage in communication with the Project Manager, and work group members as needed outside of meetings Benefits of Participation: Participation in the work group provides the opportunity for members to learn more about the issue of sexual violence against people with disabilities. Members will learn about WEAVE agencies and have the opportunity to provide their input to improving accessibility and safety at all agencies. They will play an active role in enhancing responses and services to survivors with disabilities. Work Group Member Role Description: Sustainability Work Group Members in this group will be responsible for building organizational infrastructures that facilitate services to survivors with disabilities. The group will be responsible for implementing Initiative 1.3: Cultivate a Plan for Sustainability. This work group will become familiar with the history and process of WEAVE, understand the national context and guidelines of the project by the Office on Violence against Women (OVW), and create the following deliverables: 1. MOU(s) with additional partners. 2. Short Term WEAVE Sustainability Plan. 3. Long Term WEAVE Sustainability Plan. Structure of Work Group: This work group will be composed of WEAVE Team members in consultation with Executive Directors/CEOs, and the Project Manager. Additional group members may be invited to participate as appropriate and necessary. At the kickoff event, members will elect a chair for their group. The chair will be responsible for facilitating meetings (including agenda and minutes), distributing resources, and coordinating communication between group members, the Project Manager, and other work groups as necessary. Primary Activities of Work Group: 1. Monitor and consult with all inter-organizational work groups’ progress and deliverables. 2. Identify long term, sustainable strategies to incorporate deliverables created by other work groups into all organizations. 3. Identify additional organizations in the community (such as such as schools, churches, hospitals, and primary care physicians) who play a critical role at the intersection of disability and sexual assault, who need to become aware of WEAVE’s work and resources, and who could become potential partners in our work. 4. Identify additional potential funding sources and develop a strategy to inform them of WEAVE’s work and sustainability needs. 5. Create MOU(s) with organizations and/or funders identified in Activities 2 and 3. 6. Ongoing identification of funding sources, community partners, and collaboration. 7. Quarterly meetings to maintain and update resources and training. This group will continue after the current grant activity. Accessibility: All meetings will be held in accessible locations. Accommodations will be provided to allow for full participation of all work group members. Time Commitment: From November 1, 2014 to September 30 and beyond the current grant project, depending on group’s ability to accomplish required tasks and deliverables. An estimated 10 hours per month, variable, which may include work outside of meetings, e-mail, collecting information from the agency and/or potential community partners and funders, etc. Criteria: Organizational knowledge: * Familiarity with or ability to obtain information about internal and external agency policies and procedures regarding sustainability of the WEAVE collaboration * Ability to gather information about the process for implementing and/or submitting recommendations for funding and resource allocations at collaboration agencies Content knowledge: * Knowledge about sexual violence and/or disability issues * Preferred but not required: Knowledge about funding and resource allocations and potential community partners Willingness to engage in collaborative work: * Ability to talk about sexual violence against people with disabilities * Ability to work together with agencies/people who have different perspectives to complete a goal * Ability to follow through and complete projects. Roles and Responsibilities: * Attend mandatory kickoff event. * Attend and actively participate in all work group meetings * Share areas of expertise (content and organizational knowledge) with work group * Obtain organizational training information needed for the development and implementation of enhanced or new trainings * Listen to work group members’ perspectives and make decisions by consensus * Participate in the development of all deliverables as outlined in the Strategic Plan as related to the Sustainability work group * Complete assignments within the time frames set by the work plan * Engage in communication with the Project Manager, and work group members as needed outside of meetings. Benefits of Participation: Participation in the work group provides the opportunity for members to learn more about the issue of sexual violence against people with disabilities. Members will learn more about the partner agencies and have the opportunity to ensure WEAVE’s work is sustainable beyond the current project activity. Work Group Member Role Description: Healthy Relationships Work Group Members in this group will build organizational infrastructures that promote a sense of safety and a Culture of Gentleness. This group will be responsible for implementing Initiative 2.1: Enrich Resources Available for Clients. This work group will become familiar with the history and process of WEAVE, understand the national context and guidelines of the project by the Office on Violence against Women (OVW), and create the following deliverable: 1. Curriculum about healthy relationships for individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities. Structure of Work Group: This work group will be composed of one representative from each collaborating agency, one member from the WEAVE Team, and the Project Manager. Additional group members may be invited to participate as appropriate and necessary. At the kickoff event, members will elect a chair for their group. The chair will be responsible for facilitating meetings (including agenda and minutes), distributing resources, and coordinating communication between group members, the Project Manager, and other work groups as necessary. Primary Activities of Work Group: 1. Review existing curricula from other OVW collaborations. 2. Modify that curriculum using the Culture of Gentleness and trauma-informed principles for individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities to enhance their knowledge of healthy relationships. 3. Create a team of trained staff/service users to test the curriculum with self-advocates. 4. Review curriculum with self-advocates. 5. Get feedback, analyze, and evaluate curriculum. 6. Make recommendations to WEAVE Team and/or revise curriculum. 7. Collaborate and communicate with Project Manager and other work groups as needed. Accessibility: All meetings will be held in accessible locations. Accommodations will be provided to allow for full participation of all work group members. Time Commitment: From November 1, 2014 to approximately September 1, 2015, depending on group’s ability to accomplish required tasks and deliverables. An estimated 10 hours per month, variable, which may include: * Two 2 hour meetings per month. Meeting times and logistics will be determined by work group members. * Work outside of meetings, which can include e-mail, collecting existing information from agencies, developing training material, etc. Criteria: Organizational knowledge: * Familiarity with or ability to obtain information about internal and external agency communication and procedures * Ability to gather information about the process for implementing and/or submitting curriculum recommendations at collaboration agencies Content knowledge: * Knowledge about sexual violence and/or disability issues * Preferred but not required: Knowledge about curriculum development Willingness to engage in collaborative work: * Ability to talk about sexual violence against people with disabilities * Ability to facilitate, and comfort with having, candid conversations about topics connected to healthy relationships, such as, masturbation, sexuality, anatomy, etc. * Ability to work together with agencies/people who have different perspectives to complete a goal * Ability to follow-through and complete projects Roles and Responsibilities: * Attend mandatory kickoff event * Attend and actively participate in all work group meetings * Share areas of expertise (content and organizational knowledge) with work group * Obtain organizational training information needed for the development and implementation of enhanced or new trainings * Listen to work group members’ perspectives and make decisions by consensus * Participate in the development of all deliverables as outlined in the Strategic Plan as related to the Healthy Relationships work group * Complete assignments within the time frames set by the work plan * Engage in communication with the Project Manager, and work group members as needed outside of meetings Benefits of Participation: Participation in the work group provides the opportunity for members to learn more about the issue of sexual violence against people with disabilities. Members will learn more about the partner agencies and have the opportunity to provide their input to improving communication and curricula at partner agencies. They will play an active role in improving response and services to survivors with disabilities. Work Group Member Role Description: Staff Education and Training Work Group Members in this group will build organizational infrastructures that promote a sense of safety and a Culture of Gentleness. This group will be responsible for implementing Initiative 2.2: Enrich Resources Available for Staff. This work group will become familiar with the history and process of WEAVE, understand the national context and guidelines of the project by the Office on Violence against Women (OVW), and create the following deliverables: 1. Resource on awareness and/or signs of sexual assault for individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities. 2. Create Referral Guide for staff for inter-agency collaboration, including introduction to the Nurse Examiner Program for individuals with I/DD. 3. Cross-training schedule at the intersection of disability and sexual assault for WEAVE organizations. Structure of Work Group: This work group will be composed of one representative from each collaborating agency, one member from the WEAVE Team, and the Project Manager. Additional group members may be invited to participate as appropriate and necessary. At the kickoff event, members will elect a chair for their group. The chair will be responsible for facilitating meetings (including agenda and minutes), distributing resources, and coordinating communication between group members, the Project Manager, and other work groups as necessary. Primary Activities of Work Group: 1. Review existing resources on signs of sexual assault for individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities from other OVW collaborations. 2. Modify resource with the Culture of Gentleness and trauma-informed principles for WEAVE organizations. 3. Submit resource to WEAVE Team for review and submission to OVW. 4. Examine existing training opportunities that occur at the intersection of sexual assault and disability at WEAVE organizations to determine cross training possibilities. 5. Create cross training plan. 6. Make recommendations to WEAVE Team for sustainable cross training plan and schedule for updating resources. 7. Collaborate and communicate with Project Manager and other work groups as needed. Accessibility: All meetings will be held in accessible locations. Accommodations will be provided to allow for full participation of all work group members. Time Commitment: From November 1, 2014 to approximately March 1, 2015, depending on group’s ability to accomplish required tasks and deliverables. An estimated 10 hours per month, variable, which may include: * Two 2 hour meetings per month. Meeting times and logistics will be determined by work group members. * Work outside of meetings, which can include e-mail, collecting existing information from agencies, developing training material, etc. Criteria: Organizational knowledge: * Familiarity with or ability to obtain information about internal and external agency communication and procedures Content knowledge: * Knowledge about sexual violence and/or disability issues * Preferred but not required: Knowledge about training opportunities and WEAVE organizations Willingness to engage in collaborative work: * Ability to talk about sexual violence against people with disabilities * Ability to work together with agencies/people who have different perspectives to complete a goal * Ability to follow-through and complete projects Roles and Responsibilities: * Attend mandatory kickoff event * Attend and actively participate in all work group meetings * Share areas of expertise (content and organizational knowledge) with work group * Obtain organizational training information needed for the development and implementation of enhanced or new trainings * Listen to work group members’ perspectives and make decisions by consensus * Participate in the development of all deliverables as outlined in the Strategic Plan as related to the Staff Education and Training work group. * Complete assignments within the time frames set by the work plan * Engage in communication with the Project Manager, and work group members as needed outside of meetings Benefits of Participation: Participation in the work group provides the opportunity for members to learn more about the issue of sexual violence against people with disabilities. Members will learn more about the partner agencies and have the opportunity to provide their input to improving communication and curricula at partner agencies. They will play an active role in improving response and services to survivors with disabilities. Work Group Member Role Description: Policy and Procedures Work Group Members in this group will build organizational infrastructures that promote a sense of safety and a Culture of Gentleness. This group will be responsible for implementing Initiative 2.3: Enhance Staff Response to Sexual Violence through Policies, Procedures, and Process. This work group will become familiar with the history and process of WEAVE, understand the national context and guidelines of the project by the Office on Violence against Women (OVW), and create the following deliverable: 1. Best Practices Guide to review written documentation, policies, and/or procedures at the intersection of disability and sexual assault. Structure of Work Group: This work group will be composed of one representative from each collaborating agency, one member from the WEAVE Team, and the Project Manager. Additional group members may be invited to participate as appropriate and necessary. At the kickoff event, members will elect a chair for their group. The chair will be responsible for facilitating meetings (including agenda and minutes), distributing resources, and coordinating communication between group members, the Project Manager, and other work groups as necessary. Primary Activities of Work Group: 1. Review existing resources available from other OVW collaborations. 2. Create a best practices guide, consistent with the principles of the Culture of Gentleness and trauma-informed principles, to review written documentation, policies, and/or procedures at the intersection of disability and sexual assault. 3. Enhance written documentation, policies, and procedures relevant to referral, intake, accessibility, and triage at YWCA to better serve the needs of survivors with disabilities. 4. Enhance consent, disclosure, and mandatory reporting policies and procedures at all disability service agencies. Accessibility: All meetings will be held in accessible locations. Accommodations will be provided to allow for full participation of all work group members. Time Commitment: From November 1, 2014 to approximately September 1, 2015, depending on group’s ability to accomplish required tasks and deliverables. An estimated 10 hours per month, variable, which may include: * Two 2 hour meetings per month. Meeting times and logistics will be determined by work group members. * Work outside of meetings which can include e-mail, collecting information from the agency, reviewing existing policies and procedures, etc. Criteria: Organizational knowledge: * Familiarity with or ability to obtain information about internal agency policies and procedures * Ability to gather information about the process for implementing and/or submitting recommendations for policy revisions at collaboration agencies Content knowledge: * Knowledge about sexual violence and/or disability issues * Preferred but not required: Knowledge about policy development, Culture of Gentleness, and trauma-informed principles Willingness to engage in collaborative work: * Ability to talk about sexual violence against people with disabilities * Ability to work together with agencies/people who have different perspectives to complete a goal * Ability to follow-through and complete projects Roles and Responsibilities: * Attend mandatory kickoff event * Attend and actively participate in all work group meetings * Share areas of expertise (content and organizational knowledge) with work group * Listen to work group members’ perspectives and make decisions by consensus * Participate in the development of all deliverables as outlined in the Strategic Plan as related to the Policy and Procedures work group * Complete assignments within the time frames set by the work plan * Engage in communication with the Project Manager, and work group members as needed outside of meetings Benefits of Participation: Participation in the work group provides the opportunity for members to learn more about the issue of sexual violence against people with disabilities. Members will learn more about the partner agencies and have the opportunity to provide their input to improving policies and protocols at partner agencies. They will play an active role in improving response and services to survivors with disabilities. Work Group Member Role Description: Guardianship Work Group Members in this group will build organizational infrastructures that promote a sense of safety and a Culture of Gentleness. This group will increase the comfort and capacity of staff at all organizations to effectively respond to survivors with disabilities by cultivating a better understanding of the complexities and scope of authority regarding guardianship and create resources for staff. This group will be responsible for implementing Initiative 2.4: Enhance Staff Response to Issues of Guardianship through Policies, Procedures, and Process. This work group will become familiar with the history and process of WEAVE, understand the national context and guidelines of the project by the Office on Violence against Women (OVW), and create the following deliverables: 1. Resource Guide for Staff on Guardianship. 2. Long Term Plan for Increasing Staff Knowledge About Guardianship and Communication with Guardians Structure of Work Group: This work group will be composed of one representative from each collaborating agency, one member from the WEAVE Team, and the Project Manager. Additional group members may be invited to participate as appropriate and necessary. At the kickoff event, members will elect a chair for their group. The chair will be responsible for facilitating meetings (including agenda and minutes), distributing resources, and coordinating communication between group members, the Project Manager, and other work groups as necessary. Primary Activities of Work Group: 1. Review existing resources on guardianship. 2. Modify using Culture of Gentleness and trauma-informed principles 3. Create resource guide for staff regarding scope of authority of guardianship in decision making regarding sexual abuse and/or sexuality/healthy relationships and individuals with I/DD. Accessibility: All meetings will be held in accessible locations. Accommodations will be provided to allow for full participation of all work group members. Time Commitment: From November 1, 2014 to approximately September 1, 2015, depending on group’s ability to accomplish required tasks and deliverables. An estimated 10 hours per month, variable, which may include: * Two 2 hour meetings per month. Meeting times and logistics will be determined by work group members. * Work outside of meetings which can include e-mail, collecting information from the agency, developing materials, etc. Criteria: Organizational knowledge: * Familiarity with or ability to obtain information about internal agency policies and procedures regarding guardianship and/or scope of authority Content knowledge: * Knowledge about sexual violence and/or disability issues * Preferred but not required: Knowledge about policy development and/or guardianship Willingness to engage in collaborative work: * Ability to talk about sexual violence against people with disabilities * Ability to work together with agencies/people who have different perspectives to complete a goal * Ability to follow-through and complete projects. Roles and Responsibilities: * Attend mandatory kickoff event. * Attend and actively participate in all work group meetings * Share areas of expertise (content and organizational knowledge) with work group * Obtain organizational training information needed for the development and implementation of enhanced or new trainings * Listen to work group members’ perspectives and make decisions by consensus * Participate in the development of all deliverables as outlined in the Strategic Plan as related to the Guardianship Group * Collaborate with Policy and Procedures and Staff Education work groups as needed * Complete assignments within the time frames set by the work plan * Engage in communication with the Project Manager, and work group members as needed outside of meetings. Benefits of Participation: Participation in the work group provides the opportunity for members to learn more about the issue of sexual violence against people with disabilities. Members will learn more about the partner agencies and have the opportunity to provide their input to improving policies and protocols regarding guardianship at partner agencies. They will play an active role in improving response and services to survivors with disabilities. 1The Culture of Gentleness philosophy is attributed to the Center for Positive Living Supports, (http://www.positivelivingsupport.org/about-us/about-the-center), who first championed and began practicing it in Michigan in 2008. It is based on the Gentle Teaching tenets and work of Dr. John McGee. The core principles are grounded in a psychology of human interdependence. It asks care givers and care providers to look at themselves and their spirit of gentleness in order to find ways to express warmth and unconditional valuing towards those who are the most disenfranchised from family and community life. It views the care giver role as critical and requires a deep commitment to personal, organizational, and social change. WEAVE believes that establishing a deep sense of community and companionship with those we serve is the foundation for meaningful living. 2 Because these are so essential to our process, we have included them again in this Strategic Plan in Appendix B.