H.O.P.E. 
COLLABORATIVE 
Haywood 
County, 
North 
Carolina 


STRATEGIC 
PLAN 


2009 


H.O.P.E. 
COLLABORATIVE 
STRATEGIC 
PLAN 
The 
H.O.P.E. 
Collaborative 
of 
Haywood 
County, 
North 
Carolina 
was 
formed 
in 
2007 
as 
a 
mechanism 
to 
move 
our 
agencies 
toward 
the 
provision 
of 
a 
seamless 
system 
of 
services 
for 
individuals 
with 
disabilities 
and 
Deaf 
persons 
that 
experience 
violence 
and 
abuse. 
The 
following 
is 
a 
report 
outlining 
the 
work 
and 
progress 
of 
the 
Collaborative 
in 
designing 
this 
responsive 
system. 
This 
strategic 
plan 
will 
guide 
us 
as 
we 
move 
forward 
with 
our 
initiatives 
in 
the 
county 
to 
provide 
this 
seamless 
system 
for 
the 
individuals 
we 
serve. 


I. 
INTRODUCTION 
TO 
THE 
H.O.P.E. 
COLLABORATIVE 
The 
H.O.P.E. 
Collaborative 
of 
Haywood 
County, 
a 
three 
year 
project 
funded 
in 
October 
2007 
by 
the 
Department 
of 
Justice, 
Office 
on 
Violence 
against 
Women’s 
Education, 
Training, 
and 
Enhanced 
Services 
to 
End 
Violence 
Against 
and 
Abuse 
of 
Women 
with 
Disabilities 
Grant, 
is 
located 
in 
the 
Appalachian 
Mountains 
of 
Western 
North 
Carolina. 
It 
is 
a 
Collaborative 
group 
of 
six 
agencies 
joining 
together 
to 
improve 
the 
way 
that 
we 
respond, 
both 
as 
individual 
organizations 
and 
as 
an 
inter-connected 
system, 
to 
persons 
with 
disabilities 
and 
Deaf 
persons 
who 
experience 
violence 
and 
abuse 
in 
our 
county. 
The 
acronym 
“H.O.P.E.” 
means 
“Helping 
Our 
People 
Emerge….from 
crisis 
to 
healing,” 
reflecting 
our 
community 
and 
our 
sense 
of 
shared 
responsibility. 


The 
H.O.P.E. 
Collaborative 
brings 
together 
six 
agencies, 
and 
a 
consultant 
with 
statewide 
adult 
protective 
services 
experience. 
Five 
of 
these 
organizations 
directly 
serve 
persons 
with 
disabilities 
and 
survivors 
of 
violence 
and 
abuse. 
They 
have 
pledged 
to 
be 
sites 
of 
change, 
working 
together 
to 
remove 
barriers 
to 
services 
and 
supports 
for 
persons 
with 
disabilities 
and 
Deaf 
persons 
experiencing 
violence 
or 
abuse 
and 
promoting 
universal 
accessibility. 
The 
sixth 
agency 
is 
the 
convening 
agency. 
These 
agencies 
are: 


• 
REACH 
of 
Haywood 
County, 
the 
local 
domestic 
violence-sexual 
assault 
agency, 
which 
assists 
victims 
and 
survivors 
of 
domestic 
violence, 
sexual 
assault, 
stalking 
and 
rape; 

• 
Haywood 
Vocational 
Opportunities, 
a 
non-profit 
organization 
providing 
work 
force 
training 
and 
employment 
for 
persons 
with 
disabilities; 
• 
The 
Arc 
of 
Haywood 
County, 
offering 
group 
homes, 
transitional 
and 
independent 
living 
apartments 
for 
persons 
with 
developmental 
disabilities 
in 
Haywood 
County; 
• 


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• 
Smoky 
Mountain 
Center, 
a 
Local 
Mental 
Health 
Management 
Entity 
of 
the 
North 
Carolina 
Department 
of 
Health 
and 
Human 
Services, 
Division 
of 
Mental 
Health, 
Developmental 
Disability 
and 
Substance 
Abuse 
Services. 
The 
agency 
manages 
a 
provider 
network 
for 
mental 
health, 
developmental 
disability 
and 
substance 
abuse 
services. 



The 
sixth 
agency 
in 
the 
Collaborative 
is 
the 
Thirtieth 
Judicial 
District 
Domestic 
Violence-
Sexual 
Assault 
Alliance, 
a 
nonprofit, 
regional 
coalition 
based 
in 
Haywood 
County 
that 
provides 
education, 
outreach, 
and 
community 
capacity 
building 
to 
improve 
the 
response 
to 
victims 
and 
survivors 
of 
domestic 
violence, 
sexual 
assault, 
stalking 
and 
elder 
abuse. 
The 
Alliance 
acts 
as 
the 
convening 
agency 
of 
the 
H.O.P.E. 
Collaborative. 



The 
Vision 
for 
the 
H.O.P.E. 
Collaborative 


Organizations 
in 
Haywood 
County 
take 
collective 
responsibility 
to 
provide 
a 
seamless 
system 
of 
quality, 
inclusive, 
and 
responsive 
services 
that 
empower 
persons 
with 
disabilities 
and 
Deaf 
persons 
who 
experience 
violence 
and 
abuse 
to 
move 
from 
crisis 
to 
healing. 


The 
Mission 
of 
the 
H.O.P.E. 
Collaborative 


The 
H.O.P.E. 
Collaborative 
will 
remove 
barriers 
to 
services 
and 
supports 
for 
persons 
with 
disabilities 
and 
Deaf 
persons 
who 
experience 
violence 
and 
abuse 
by 
fostering 
agency 
collaboration, 
creating 
a 
collective 
response, 
and 
changing 
organizational 
policies 
and 
procedures, 
which 
will 
be 
fully 
integrated 
into 
the 
culture 
of 
our 
agencies. 


Development 
of 
the 
H.O.P.E. 
Collaborative 
Collaboration 
Charter 


During 
the 
process 
the 
first 
step 
toward 
our 
goal 
was 
to 
strengthen 
our 
Collaborative 
and 
develop 
our 
processes 
for 
working 
together 
and 
ultimately 
creating 
a 
collaboration 
charter. 
Through 
the 




development 
of 
our 
Collaborative 
charter 
we 
established 
the 
functions 
and 
organizational 
structure 
necessary 
to 
move 
our 
organizations 
toward 
becoming 
an 
inter-connected 
system. 
The 
collaboration 
charter 
became 
the 
foundation 
for 
the 
development 
of 
our 
shared 
values 
and 
guiding 
principles. 
The 
process 
of 
the 
charter 
development 
provided 
a 
time 
to 
embrace 
the 
important 
role 
each 
partner 
would 
play 
in 
promoting 
safety 
and 
addressing 
barriers 
and 
challenges 
that 
people 
with 
disabilities 
and 
Deaf 
persons 
may 
encounter 
if 
they 
are 
experiencing 
violence 
and 
abuse. 
The 
time 
spent 
in 
the 
development 
of 
the 
Collaborative 
charter 
was 
a 
time 
for 
learning 
and 
growing 
as 
a 
Collaborative. 
The 
H.O.P.E. 
Collaborative 
Charter 
was 
completed 
in 
May 
of 
2008. 


The 
H.O.P.E. 
Collaborative 
Areas 
of 
Focus 


Following 
the 
development 
of 
the 
Charter, 
the 
H.O.P.E. 
Collaborative 
members 
moved 
forward 
in 
undergoing 
the 
process 
of 
narrowing 
the 
focus 
to 
better 
assist 
the 
Collaborative 
in 
reaching 
their 
vision. 
The 
H.O.P.E. 
Collaborative 
agreed 
to 
focus 
on 
persons 
with 
all 
types 
of 
disabilities 
and 
Deaf 
persons 
residing 
in 
Haywood 
County, 
North 
Carolina 
who 
have 
experienced 
violence 
and 
abuse. 
The 
Collaborative 
members 
are 
concentrating 
on 
sustainable, 
substantial 
systems 
change. 
They 
desire 
to 
create 
agency 
environments 
which 
encourage 
disclosures 
of 
violence 
and 
abuse 
and 
a 
seamless, 
collective 
response 
when 
disclosures 
are 
made. 
They 
will 
work 
to 
change 
not 
only 
their 
agencies’ 
policies 
and 
procedures 
but 
also 
their 
organizational 
cultures. 
The 
agencies 
have 
the 
capacity 
and 
expertise 
to 
create 
this 
change, 
as 
well 
as 
the 
vision 
and 
commitment 
to 
expand 
this 
project 
in 
the 
future 
to 
additional 
counties 
in 
this 
rural, 
mountainous 
region 
of 
Western 
North 
Carolina. 
The 
30th 
Judicial 
District 
Domestic 
Violence-Sexual 
Assault 
Alliance, 
Inc. 
will 
not 
serve 
as 
a 
site 
of 
change 
but 
will 
be 
the 
convener 
for 
the 
H.O.P.E. 
Collaborative 
member 
agencies. 


The 
next 
step 
for 
the 
Collaborative 
was 
to 
develop 
a 
comprehensive 
needs 
assessment 
plan 
to 
assess 
the 
challenges 
and 
needs 
of 
persons 
with 
disabilities 
and 
Deaf 
persons 
experiencing 
violence 
and 
abuse, 
to 
determine 
appropriate 
resources 
and 
services 
available, 
to 
study 
accessibility, 
and 
to 
assess 
current 
policies, 
procedures 
and 
practices. 
Following 
the 
planning 
phase, 
the 
collaboration 
moved 
forward 
into 
implementing 
our 
needs 
assessment 
which 
resulted 
in 
a 
report 
of 
the 
findings. 
The 
following 
is 
an 
overview 
of 
the 
process 
implemented 
to 
gain 
the 
information. 


II. 
NEEDS 
ASSESSMENT 
PLANNING, 
IMPLEMENTATION 
AND 
REPORT 
Planning 
and 
Development 


The 
H.O.P.E. 
Collaborative 
felt 
that 
by 
studying 
the 
current 
system 
and 
with 
feedback 
from 
leadership 
and 
management, 
front 
line 
staff, 
persons 
with 
disabilities, 
survivors 
of 
violence 
and 
abuse, 
volunteers, 
and 
boards 
chairs, 
the 
H.O.P.E. 
Collaborative 
would 
be 
able 
use 
the 
information 
obtained 
from 
the 
needs 
assessment 
to 
inform 
the 
work 
of 
the 
Collaborative, 
to 
identify 
unmet 
needs 
and 
ultimately, 
to 
guide 
the 
comprehensive 
strategic 
planning 
process. 
The 
Needs 
Assessment 
Plan 
was 
approved 
in 
November 
2008 
and 
this 
launched 
the 
implementation 
of 
the 
actual 
Needs 
Assessment. 




The 
planning 
and 
development 
included 
the 
following 
elements: 


• 
Global 
Needs 
Assessment 
Questions 
to 
act 
as 
guideposts 
for 
the 
process 
• 
A 
review 
of 
information 
sources, 
both 
existent 
and 
new 
• 
An 
Overview 
of 
Methods 
to 
be 
used 
in 
the 
needs 
assessment 
process 
• 
Identification 
of 
participating 
audiences 
• 
Recruitment 
methodology 
• 
Process 
for 
Facilitation 
• 
Identification 
of 
the 
Facilitation 
Team 
• 
Consent, 
Access 
and 
Safety 
considerations 
• 
Client 
& 
Personnel 
Confidentiality 
• 
Mandatory 
Reporting 
• 
Development 
of 
Assessment 
Tools 
• 
Data 
storage 
and 
the 
Needs 
Assessment 
Report 
Implementation 


Following 
the 
approval 
of 
the 
Needs 
Assessment 
Plan, 
the 
needs 
assessment 
implementation 
began 
in 
December 
of 
2008. 
The 
needs 
assessment 
was 
conducted 
over 
a 
two 
month 
period 
with 
data 
gathered 
by 
the 
end 
of 
January 
2009. 
Key 
members 
of 
the 
H.O.P.E. 
Collaborative 
were 
responsible 
for 
recruitment 
of 
participants 
and 
issued 
invitation 
letters, 
R.S.V.P. 
forms, 
and 
Frequently 
Asked 
Question 
sheets. 
In 
addition, 
the 
key 
members 
were 
responsible 
for 
transportation 
issues, 
scheduling 
and 
room 
reservation, 
and 
meeting 
any 
accommodations 
needed 
with 
the 
assistance 
of 
the 
Project 
Directors. 


The 
needs 
assessment 
process 
was 
based 
on 
four 
global 
questions. 
These 
four 
questions 
were 
decided 
upon 
to 
demonstrate 
the 
highest 
priorities 
for 
the 
work 
of 
the 
Collaborative 
and 
were 
the 
guide 
posts 
for 
the 
focus 
groups 
and 
interviews 
used 
throughout 
the 
needs 
assessment. 
The 
four 
questions 
were: 


1. 
What 
services, 
policies, 
procedures, 
practices, 
knowledge 
and 
relationships 
do 
our 
organizations 
currently 
have 
for 
survivors 
with 
disabilities 
as 
they 
move 
from 
crisis 
to 
healing? 
2. 
What 
do 
our 
organizations 
still 
need 
to 
effectively 
work 
with 
survivors 
with 
disabilities? 
3. 
What 
are 
the 
barriers 
survivors 
with 
disabilities 
face 
in 
accessing 
and 
receiving 
services? 
4. 
What 
opportunities 
exist 
or 
can 
be 
created 
that 
will 
lead 
to 
seamless, 
inclusive, 
and 
responsive 
services 
that 
empower 
persons 
with 
disabilities 
who 
experience 
violence 
and 
abuse 
to 
move 
from 
crisis 
to 
healing? 
Two 
methods 
were 
chosen 
to 
obtain 
information 
during 
the 
needs 
assessment; 
focus 
groups 
and 
interviews. 
These 
methods 
were 
chosen 
based 
on 
what 
would 
work 
best 
for 
each 
audience. 
Audiences 
participating 
in 
the 
needs 
assessment 
process 
included: 
Leadership 
& 
Management, 
Front 
Line 
Staff, 
Survivors 
of 
Violence 
and 
Abuse, 
Persons 
with 
Disabilities, 
Volunteers, 
and 
Board 
Chairs. 
Interview 
and 
Focus 
Group 
Facilitation 
was 
completed 
by 
the 
two 
Co-Project 
Directors 
for 
the 
H.O.P.E. 
Collaborative 
from 
the 
30th 
Judicial 
District 
Domestic 
Violence-



Sexual 
Assault 
Alliance 
and 
an 
independent 
consultant 
who 
is 
currently 
part 
of 
the 
H.O.P.E 
Collaborative. 
The 
facilitation 
team 
members 
were 
not 
affiliated 
with 
any 
of 
the 
partner 
agencies 
who 
participated 
in 
the 
actual 
assessment, 
and 
acted 
as 
outside, 
objective 
observers. 


A 
passive 
consent 
process 
was 
chosen 
for 
all 
participants. 
Since 
this 
was 
not 
a 
formal 
research 
project 
and 
the 
Collaborative 
was 
only 
seeking 
to 
gain 
insights, 
opinions 
and 
ideas, 
no 
consent 
forms 
were 
signed. 
Guidelines 
for 
the 
passive 
consent 
process 
were 
read 
to 
each 
group 
or 
individual 
prior 
to 
beginning 
the 
focus 
group 
or 
interview. 
Each 
individual 
choosing 
to 
stay 
was 
effectively 
giving 
their 
consent 
to 
participate. 


Confidentiality 
was 
reviewed 
with 
all 
participants. 
Although 
confidentiality 
could 
not 
be 
guaranteed 
in 
the 
focus 
group 
setting, 
participants 
were 
assured 
that 
the 
facilitation 
team 
would 
keep 
information 
confidential 
and 
requested 
that 
group 
members 
do 
this 
as 
well. 
Personal 
care 
attendants 
were 
not 
permitted 
to 
attend 
and 
individuals 
that 
had 
personal 
care 
attendants 
were 
offered 
the 
option 
of 
having 
an 
alternate 
attendant. 


The 
mandatory 
reporting 
statute 
of 
North 
Carolina 
was 
reviewed. 
This 
let 
participants 
know 
that 
North 
Carolina 
is 
a 
mandatory 
reporting 
state 
and 
that 
if 
an 
individual 
disclosed 
current 
violence 
or 
abuse 
that 
was 
personally 
happening 
to 
them, 
the 
group 
leaders 
may 
be 
required 
to 
report 
this 
information 
to 
Adult 
Protective 
Services 
(APS). 
They 
were 
also 
told 
that 
if 
they 
needed 
to 
report 
violence 
or 
abuse 
that 
was 
happening 
to 
them 
that 
they 
could 
report 
this 
for 
themselves 
by 
contacting 
Adult 
Protective 
Services. 
That 
number 
as 
well 
as 
a 
list 
of 
resources 
was 
available 
for 
them 
at 
the 
conclusion 
of 
the 
meeting. 


All 
interviews 
and 
focus 
groups 
were 
held 
in 
accessible 
locations 
within 
the 
community. 
For 
survivors 
and 
persons 
with 
disabilities, 
the 
needs 
assessment 
was 
conducted 
at 
the 
location 
where 
they 
were 
receiving 
services. 
Individuals 
were 
recruited 
by 
the 
Collaborative 
staff 
at 
their 
respective 
agencies. 
An 
R.S.V.P. 
form, 
filled 
out 
by 
each 
participant, 
allowed 
them 
to 
request 
needed 
accommodations. 
If 
the 
individual 
needed 
assistance 
in 
completing 
any 
of 
the 
forms, 
assistance 
was 
provided 
by 
the 
agency 
staff 
member 
recruiting 
them. 
The 
facilitation 
team 
was 
responsible 
for 
filling 
the 
accommodation 
requests. 
All 
survivors 
and 
persons 
with 
disabilities 
received 
a 
$20 
gift 
card 
from 
Wal-Mart 
for 
coming 
to 
the 
focus 
group 
or 
interview. 


Safety 
considerations 
for 
participants 
included 
having 
the 
potential 
participant 
return 
all 
written 
information 
to 
the 
recruiter 
after 
it 
had 
been 
read, 
having 
participants 
provide 
contact 
information 
that 
they 
felt 
would 
be 
safe 
for 
them, 
providing 
a 
resource 
list 
for 
individuals 
in 
the 
group 
if 
they 
wanted 
more 
information, 
having 
a 
R.E.A.C.H. 
advocate 
available 
at 
focus 
groups 
for 
persons 
with 
disabilities 
and 
survivors, 
and 
offering 
to 
keep 
the 
gift 
card 
at 
the 
sponsoring 
agency 
if 
the 
participant 
was 
afraid 
to 
take 
it 
home. 


The 
Collaborative 
agencies 
had 
a 
target 
of 
154 
participants 
for 
inclusion 
in 
the 
focus 
groups 
and 
interviews. 
The 
final 
total 
of 
participants 
was 
135 
for 
an 
88% 
participation 
rate. 
Most 
of 
the 
groups 
and 
interviews 
were 
completed 
as 
scheduled 
and 
only 
a 
few 
minor 
changes 
were 
needed 
to 
work 
around 
the 
holiday 
activities 
and 
Collaborative 
agency 
conflicts. 
The 
following 
two 
sections 
reflect 
the 
process 
and 
outcomes 
of 
the 
focus 
group 
method 
and 
the 
interview 
method. 


The 
focus 
group 
method 
was 
chosen 
to 
gather 
information 
specific 
to 
practices, 
attitudes, 
cultures, 
barriers 
and 
systems 
response 
from 
persons 
with 
disabilities 
and 
survivors 
of 
violence 




and 
abuse. 
Persons 
with 
disabilities, 
survivors 
of 
violence 
and 
abuse, 
front 
line 
staff 
and 
management 
who 
did 
not 
wish 
to 
participate 
in 
the 
focus 
group 
method 
were 
offered 
an 
individual 
interview 
as 
an 
alternative 
method. 
Participants 
recruited 
for 
the 
focus 
groups 
were 
not 
screened 
based 
on 
disability 
and/or 
issues 
of 
violence 
and 
abuse. 
Every 
effort 
was 
made 
to 
recruit 
the 
broadest 
range 
of 
participants. 
All 
focus 
groups 
required 
approximately 
one 
to 
one 
and 
one-half 
hours 
to 
complete. 
The 
facilitators 
followed 
a 
script 
in 
each 
setting 
for 
uniformity. 


There 
were 
nineteen 
projected 
groups 
and 
eighteen 
actual 
groups 
that 
were 
held. 
The 
anticipated 
number 
of 
participants 
was 
131 
and 
102 
actually 
participated. 
Group 
types 
participating 
in 
the 
focus 
groups 
were: 
Leadership 
& 
Management, 
Front 
Line 
Staff, 
Survivors, 
and 
Persons 
with 
Disabilities. 


The 
interview 
method 
was 
chosen 
in 
order 
to 
gather 
information 
specific 
to 
agency 
policies, 
practices, 
attitudes, 
strengths, 
weaknesses, 
and 
commitment 
to 
the 
initiative 
from 
the 
partner 
agency 
leadership. 
Interviews 
were 
used 
for 
agency 
executive 
directors, 
Board 
chairs, 
some 
management 
positions 
and 
some 
front 
line 
staff 
and 
volunteers. 
Interviews 
were 
also 
given 
as 
an 
optional 
method 
for 
survivors, 
persons 
with 
disabilities, 
front 
line 
staff 
and 
management. 
All 
interviews 
required 
approximately 
one 
hour 
to 
complete. 
The 
facilitators 
followed 
a 
script 
in 
each 
setting 
for 
uniformity. 
Two 
facilitators 
completed 
each 
interview 
with 
one 
facilitator 
asking 
the 
interview 
questions 
and 
the 
other 
facilitator 
acting 
as 
recorder. 


Seven 
interviews 
were 
completed 
with 
Leadership 
and 
Management 
on-site 
at 
each 
of 
their 
respective 
organizations. 
Eight 
interviews 
were 
projected. 
One 
agency 
executive 
director 
requested 
an 
additional 
briefing 
on 
the 
project 
prior 
to 
participation 
in 
the 
interview 
process. 
This 
briefing 
was 
completed 
by 
the 
facilitators 
and 
the 
interview 
was 
then 
accomplished. 


There 
were 
ten 
projected 
interviews 
for 
front 
line 
staff 
and 
volunteers. 
Ten 
were 
completed. 
Front 
line 
staff 
interviews 
were 
all 
held 
on-site 
at 
respective 
agencies. 
Interviews 
with 
volunteers 
were 
held 
in 
different 
locations 
in 
the 
community 
to 
meet 
the 
needs 
of 
the 
participants. 


We 
were 
not 
able 
to 
project 
numbers 
of 
survivors 
and 
persons 
with 
disabilities 
and/or 
staff 
that 
would 
choose 
an 
interview 
as 
their 
option. 
Ultimately, 
four 
staff 
members 
and 
seven 
survivors 
requested 
interviews 
rather 
than 
focus 
group 
participation. 


The 
next 
section 
will 
present 
the 
key 
findings 
of 
what 
was 
learned 
from 
the 
needs 
assessment 
participants 
and 
how, 
through 
the 
strategic 
planning 
process, 
the 
H.O.P.E. 
Collaborative 
will 
create 
sustainable 
systems 
change 
to 
address 
the 
needs 
of 
the 
individuals 
with 
disabilities 
and 
Deaf 
persons 
in 
our 
county 
that 
experience 
violence 
and 
abuse. 


Report 
of 
Key 
Findings 
and 
Implications 


The 
H.O.P.E. 
Collaborative 
sought 
to 
capture 
information 
about 
the 
beliefs, 
attitudes 
and 
experiences 
of 
survivors, 
persons 
with 
disabilities 
and 
service 
providers. 
All 
data 
from 
the 
focus 
groups 
and 
the 
interviews 
were 
computer 
documented 
and 
reviewed 
for 
themes, 
key 
findings, 
strengths, 
and 
areas 
in 
need 
of 
improvement. 
Seven 
key 
findings 
were 
determined. 
The 
areas 
of 
key 
findings 
were: 




Key 
Finding 
#1: 
We 
found 
that 
in 
order 
for 
survivors 
to 
feel 
comfortable 
in 
disclosing 
domestic 
violence, 
abuse 
and 
the 
presence 
of 
a 
disability, 
they 
needed 
a 
welcoming 
environment. 
We 
found 
that 
agencies 
had 
a 
varying 
degree 
of 
welcoming 
environments. 


Key 
Finding 
#2: 
We 
found 
that 
there 
are 
areas 
for 
improvement 
in 
our 
agencies 
in 
how 
accessible 
services 
are 
for 
survivors 
with 
disabilities. 
We 
found 
accessibility 
issues 
to 
be 
present 
in 
different 
contexts 
including 
physical, 
programmatic, 
and 
transportation. 


Key 
Finding 
#3: 
We 
found 
that 
not 
all 
agencies 
were 
aware 
of 
the 
safety 
mechanisms 
important 
for 
dealing 
with 
issues 
of 
domestic 
violence 
and 
abuse. 


Key 
Finding 
#4: 
We 
found 
a 
lack 
of 
awareness 
regarding 
what 
services 
were 
available 
for 
survivors 
with 
disabilities 
and 
how 
to 
access 
them. 


Key 
Finding 
#5: 
We 
found 
a 
gap 
in 
the 
comprehensive 
knowledge 
base 
for 
working 
specifically 
with 
survivors 
with 
disabilities. 


Key 
Finding 
#6: 
We 
found 
that 
there 
was 
a 
lack 
of 
policies, 
procedures 
and 
protocols 
for 
responding 
to 
the 
specific 
needs 
of 
survivors 
with 
disabilities. 


Key 
Finding 
#7: 
We 
found 
a 
gap 
in 
the 
relationship 
with 
law 
enforcement 
and 
the 
judicial 
system 
in 
Haywood 
County 
for 
assisting 
survivors 
with 
disabilities. 


III. 
THE 
STRATEGIC 
PLAN 
Using 
the 
key 
findings 
from 
the 
needs 
assessment 
and 
the 
common 
themes 
and 
the 
gaps 
in 
the 
services 
that 
have 
been 
identified, 
we 
moved 
forward 
into 
our 
strategic 
planning 
process 
in 
March 
2009. 
By 
assessing 
the 
implications 
and 
exploring 
the 
range 
of 
possible 
initiatives 
that 
address 
each 
finding, 
we 
have 
developed 
the 
following 
list 
of 
short-term 
proposed 
initiatives 
that 
will 
enable 
the 
Collaborative 
members 
to 
create 
the 
sustainable 
changes 
in 
our 
agencies 
necessary 
to 
provide 
a 
seamless 
service 
delivery 
system 
for 
individuals 
we 
serve 
that 
experience 
violence 
and 
abuse. 


Finalizing, 
Prioritization 
and 
Sequencing 
of 
Initiatives 


Through 
a 
process 
of 
reviewing 
our 
guidelines 
and 
guiding 
principles 
for 
the 
grant 
and 
the 
vision 
and 
mission 
of 
our 
Collaborative, 
we 
assessed 
each 
finding 
for 
the 
range 
of 
possible 
initiatives. 
The 
range 
of 
initiatives 
explored 
by 
the 
Collaborative 
was: 


o 
Policies 
and 
protocols 
to 
promote 
disclosure 
of 
violence 
o 
Policies 
and 
protocols 
to 
promote 
requests 
for 
accommodations 
o 
Policies 
and 
protocols 
if 
the 
guardian 
is 
the 
abuser 
o 
Policies 
and 
protocols 
if 
serving 
the 
survivor 
and 
the 
perpetrator 
o 
Create 
workplace 
policies 
on 
Domestic 
Violence 
(staff 
is 
survivor) 
o 
Explore 
issues 
of 
mandatory 
reporting 
and 
confidentiality 
o 
Conduct 
Accessibility 
Reviews 
o 
Conduct 
Responsiveness 
Reviews 
o 
Build/enhance 
relationships 
amongst 
all 
levels 
of 
organizations 
o 
Enhance 
outreach 
of 
partner 
organizations 

o 
Training 
activities 
through 
Collaborative 
organizations 
o 
Enhance 
current 
training 
to 
incorporate 
abuse 
and 
disability 
o 
Create 
peer 
to 
peer 
trainings 
for 
people 
with 
disabilities 
From 
this 
list 
of 
initiatives, 
we 
began 
to 
narrow 
down 
the 
possible 
initiatives 
to 
those 
that 
can 
be 
done 
well 
within 
the 
time 
frame 
of 
the 
grant. 
Several 
guiding 
principles 
and 
strategies 
underlie 
our 
proposed 
initiatives 
and 
activities 
that 
will 
be 
used 
to 
accomplish 
the 
initiatives. 
The 
guiding 
principles 
include: 
All 
activities 
should 
promote 
systems 
change; 
suggested 
activities 
focus 
on 
changing 
organizational 
culture 
and 
fostering 
change 
in 
both 
domestic 
violence 
services 
and 
disability 
services; 
and 
all 
activities 
should 
result 
in 
sustainable, 
long-lasting 
change. 
The 
Collaborative 
is 
also 
cognizant 
of 
working 
towards 
integrating 
and 
enhancing 
existing 
services, 
as 
opposed 
to 
creating 
any 
new, 
perhaps 
non-sustainable, 
services. 
The 
Collaborative 
is 
committed 
to 
involving 
individuals 
with 
disabilities 
and 
survivors. 
The 
Collaborative 
is 
also 
aware 
and 
respectful 
of 
differences 
and 
challenges, 
and 
hopes 
to 
be 
responsive 
to 
provider 
fears 
and 
the 
general 
stigma 
associated 
with 
the 
topic 
of 
violence 
against 
women 
with 
disabilities. 
The 
Collaborative 
strongly 
believes 
that 
we 
must 
first 
focus 
on 
change 
within 
our 
own 
agencies 
in 
order 
to 
provide 
agencies 
outside 
our 
Collaborative 
with 
an 
example 
to 
follow. 


Through 
our 
consensus 
process 
and 
being 
mindful 
of 
the 
guiding 
principles, 
we 
were 
able 
to 
develop 
six 
comprehensive 
short-term 
initiatives 
we 
feel 
will 
move 
the 
Collaborative 
through 
sustainable 
change 
that 
will 
lead 
to 
a 
seamless 
service 
delivery 
system 
for 
persons 
with 
disabilities 
and 
Deaf 
survivors. 


Initiative 
1: 
Create 
accessible, 
responsive 
and 
welcoming 
environments 
in 
our 
domestic 
violence 
agencies. 


Initiative 
2: 
Create 
a 
responsive 
and 
welcoming 
environment 
in 
our 
disability 
agencies. 


Initiative 
3: 
Create 
policies 
and 
procedures 
that 
promote 
disclosures 
of 
violence 
and 
abuse 
and 
linkages 
to 
services. 


Initiative 
4: 
Create 
policies 
and 
protocols 
that 
promote 
requests 
for 
accommodations. 


Initiative 
5: 
Build/Enhance 
relationships 
and 
resources 
among 
staff 
of 
all 
Collaborative 
organizations. 


Initiative 
6: 
Explore 
issues 
of 
mandatory 
reporting 
and 
confidentiality. 


It 
is 
clear 
that 
there 
is 
an 
enormous 
amount 
of 
work 
to 
be 
done 
in 
Haywood 
County 
in 
order 
for 
the 
H.O.P.E. 
Collaborative 
to 
achieve 
our 
vision 
of 
changing 
the 
mindset 
in 
the 
county 
resulting 
in 
a 
sustained, 
collaborative 
response 
that 
provides 
competent, 
respectful, 
accessible, 
empowerment 
based 
services 
to 
survivors 
with 
disabilities. 
However, 
the 
above 
initiatives 
were 
chosen 
because 
they 
strive 
to 
do 
just 
this. 
These 
initiatives 
will 
help 
build 
the 
foundation 
for 
improving 
services 
for 
the 
individuals 
with 
disabilities 
that 
we 
serve 
and 
increasing 
accountability 
for 
both 
our 
domestic 
violence 
and 
disability 
service 
providers. 




The 
following 
section 
provides 
an 
overview 
of 
why 
each 
initiative 
was 
chosen, 
the 
activities 
which 
will 
lead 
to 
the 
systemic 
change, 
a 
review 
of 
how 
each 
initiative 
will 
be 
sustained, 
and 
the 
evaluation 
and 
monitoring 
of 
activities 
we 
will 
utilize 
to 
move 
each 
initiative 
forward. 


Short-term 
Initiatives 
and 
Action 
Plans 
(Appendix 
A) 


In 
order 
to 
provide 
a 
more 
comprehensive 
overview 
of 
the 
work 
plans 
and 
time 
lines 
associated 
with 
the 
initiatives, 
a 
“Strategic 
Plan 
At-A-Glance” 
document 
has 
been 
developed 
(Appendix 
A). 
This 
document 
shows 
what 
is 
happening 
each 
month 
during 
the 
implementation 
phase. 
In 
Appendices 
B 
through 
G, 
the 
initiatives 
will 
be 
shown 
in 
greater 
detail 
to 
better 
inform 
the 
work 
of 
the 
Collaborative 
and 
each 
sub-group 
leading 
each 
initiative. 


INITIATIVE1:Createaccessible,responsiveandwelcomingenvironmentsinourdomesticviolenceagencies.
Activity: 
Create 
and 
implement 
a 
review 
process 
for 
accessibility: 
physical, 
attitudinal, 
programmatic, 
and 
communication 
(Appendix 
B). 


Of 
primary 
importance 
to 
the 
work 
of 
this 
Collaborative 
is 
to 
ensure 
that 
the 
domestic 
violence 
agencies 
are 
accessible 
to 
individuals 
with 
disabilities 
that 
experience 
violence 
and 
abuse. 
In 
order 
to 
address 
the 
need 
for 
increased 
accessibility 
of 
services 
for 
survivors 
with 
disabilities, 
the 
Collaborative 
agencies 
have 
developed 
the 
strategic 
plan 
objectives 
that 
follow. 


The 
primary 
activities 
around 
this 
initiative 
will 
be 
based 
on 
the 
development 
of 
a 
work 
group 
comprised 
of 
Collaborative 
members, 
disability 
agency 
staff, 
individuals 
with 
disabilities, 
and 
disability 
advocates. 
This 
group 
will 
be 
led 
by 
the 
executive 
director 
of 
the 
Arc 
of 
Haywood 
County. 
The 
group 
will 
explore 
existing 
models 
and 
tools 
for 
reviewing 
agency 
accessibility 
and 
will 
seek 
additional 
guidance 
through 
our 
technical 
assistance 
providers 
and 
associates. 
Ultimately 
the 
work 
group 
will 
produce 
a 
tool 
which 
can 
be 
used 
to 
review 
accessibility 
(physical, 
attitudinal, 
programmatic, 
and 
communication) 
for 
R.E.A.C.H. 
and 
the 
30th 
Judicial 
District 
Domestic 
Violence-Sexual 
Assault 
Alliance. 


Once 
the 
work 
group 
has 
developed 
the 
tools 
and 
they 
are 
approved 
by 
OVW, 
we 
will 
bring 
in 
associates 
and 
Vera 
Institute 
of 
Justice 
to 
train 
this 
team 
on 
how 
to 
conduct 
an 
accessibility 
audit 
and 
review. 
Our 
goal 
is 
to 
create 
a 
“Trained 
Accessibility 
Team” 
in 
Haywood 
County. 
Once 
the 
team 
is 
developed 
and 
trained, 
we 
will 
be 
able 
to 
use 
the 
team 
to 
conduct 
reviews 
of 
agencies 
throughout 
our 
region. 
This 
will 
enable 
us 
to 
look 
beyond 
our 
Collaborative 
members 
and 
assist 
other 
programs 
in 
the 
region 
that 
are 
looking 
to 
become 
more 
responsive 
to 
individuals 
with 
disabilities 
or 
Deaf 
individuals 
that 
experience 
violence 
and 
abuse. 


When 
we 
have 
completed 
the 
review 
of 
R.E.A.C.H. 
and 
the 
30th 
Judicial 
District 
Alliance, 
recommendations 
will 
be 
made 
that 
will 
provide 
greater 
access 
to 
domestic 
violence 
services 
for 
survivors 
with 
disabilities 
and 
Deaf 
survivors. 
R.E.A.C.H. 
and 
the 
Alliance 
will 
determine 
short 
and 
long-term 
priorities 
based 
upon 
the 
reported 
findings 
of 
the 
review. 
Once 
the 
Collaborative 
has 
reviewed 
the 
priorities, 
funding 
will 
be 
allocated 
and 
R.E.A.C.H. 
and 
the 
Alliance 
will 
make 
the 
changes. 
Any 
changes 
that 
do 
not 
fall 
within 
the 
scope 
of 
this 
grant 
will 
be 
placed 
in 
the 




long-term 
priority 
category. 
The 
work 
group 
will 
also 
assist 
with 
the 
identification 
of 
possible 
funding 
sources 
that 
may 
support 
these 
other 
long-term 
priorities. 


Evaluation 
and 
Monitoring: 


The 
evaluation 
and 
monitoring 
will 
be 
completed 
by 
the 
Project 
Directors. 
Outcome 
measures 
have 
been 
developed 
and 
are 
listed 
as 
components 
of 
Appendix 
B 
of 
the 
strategic 
plan. 
Monthly 
meetings 
will 
be 
held 
with 
the 
work 
group 
leader 
to 
provide 
support 
and 
to 
assess 
the 
progress 
toward 
completion 
of 
the 
outcome 
measures 
as 
indicated 
in 
the 
plan. 
Through 
monthly 
Collaborative 
meetings 
any 
adjustments 
to 
the 
time 
line 
can 
be 
made. 


Systems 
Change 
and 
Sustainability: 


Through 
the 
creation 
of 
the 
Accessibility 
Team, 
we 
will 
begin 
the 
systemic 
changes 
in 
our 
Collaborative 
agencies 
that 
will 
lead 
to 
the 
organizational 
changes 
that 
will 
make 
agencies 
more 
accessible 
to 
survivors 
with 
disabilities. 
Our 
teams 
will 
be 
made 
up 
of 
a 
cross 
section 
of 
members 
of 
our 
Collaborative 
and 
individuals 
with 
disabilities. 
The 
team 
will 
function 
independently 
of 
any 
agency 
and 
will 
be 
large 
enough 
to 
have 
no 
dependence 
on 
any 
one 
program 
or 
agency. 
Sustainability 
of 
the 
Accessibility 
Team 
will 
not 
be 
dependent 
on 
funding 
or 
specific 
staff 
positions 
but 
a 
collective 
responsibility 
of 
our 
Collaborative. 
By 
creating 
a 
local 
Accessibility 
Team, 
audits 
can 
be 
conducted 
locally, 
organizations 
can 
learn 
what 
needs 
to 
be 
done, 
and 
changes 
will 
be 
created 
within 
the 
organizations. 
These 
changes 
in 
turn 
will 
withstand 
leadership 
change 
and 
will 
become 
embedded 
into 
the 
everyday 
practices 
and 
culture 
of 
the 
organizations. 


Experiences 
for 
survivors 
will 
improve 
as 
this 
initiative 
will 
create 
and 
initiate 
changes 
that 
are 
necessary 
to 
enable 
survivors 
to 
easily 
access 
programs 
and 
receive 
services 
within 
our 
Collaborative 
agencies. 
We 
will 
remove 
the 
barriers 
by 
creating 
accessible 
and 
responsive 
programs. 


Following 
our 
initial 
training 
of 
Collaborative 
agencies, 
the 
team 
will 
also 
be 
able 
to 
assist 
other 
programs 
in 
the 
region 
with 
a 
goal 
of 
becoming 
more 
responsive 
to 
individuals 
with 
disabilities 
or 
Deaf 
individuals 
that 
experience 
violence 
and 
abuse. 
The 
Accessibility 
Team 
will 
be 
available 
to 
provide 
an 
accessibility 
audit 
of 
these 
other 
agencies 
which 
will 
provide 
even 
greater 
opportunities 
to 
ensure 
that 
survivors 
with 
disabilities 
in 
our 
region 
receive 
the 
services 
that 
need. 


Through 
the 
comprehensive 
evaluation 
of 
accessibility 
needs 
and 
the 
subsequent 
development 
of 
both 
short 
and 
long-term 
objectives, 
we 
will 
create 
changes 
that 
will 
meet 
the 
immediate 
needs 
for 
accommodations 
for 
survivors 
with 
disabilities 
and 
Deaf 
survivors. 
The 
long-term 
objectives 
will 
also 
be 
prioritized 
and 
through 
the 
assistance 
of 
the 
work 
group, 
additional 
funding 
will 
be 
explored 
to 
complete 
all 
of 
the 
objectives 
identified. 




INITIATIVE2:Createaresponsiveandwelcomingenvironmentinourdisabilityagencies.
Activity: 
Create 
and 
implement 
a 
review 
process 
for 
responsiveness 
to 
meeting 
the 
needs 
of 
survivors 
with 
disabilities 
(Appendix 
C). 


Parallel 
to 
ensuring 
that 
our 
domestic 
violence 
agencies 
are 
accessible 
to 
survivors 
with 
disabilities, 
the 
Collaborative 
also 
wants 
to 
ensure 
that 
our 
disability 
agencies 
are 
responsive 
to 
individuals 
that 
experience 
violence 
and 
abuse. 
In 
order 
to 
address 
the 
need 
for 
increased 
responsiveness 
of 
services 
for 
survivors 
with 
disabilities, 
the 
Collaborative 
agencies 
have 
developed 
the 
strategic 
plan 
objectives 
that 
follow. 


The 
activities 
around 
which 
this 
initiative 
will 
be 
based 
involve 
the 
development 
of 
a 
work 
group 
comprised 
of 
Collaborative 
members, 
domestic 
violence 
agency 
staff, 
and 
survivors. 
This 
work 
group 
will 
be 
led 
by 
the 
executive 
director 
of 
the 
domestic 
violence 
direct 
service 
agency 
in 
Haywood 
County 
(REACH). 
The 
group 
will 
explore 
existing 
models 
and 
tools 
for 
reviewing 
agency 
responsiveness 
and 
will 
seek 
additional 
guidance 
through 
our 
technical 
assistance 
providers 
and 
associates. 
Ultimately 
the 
work 
group 
will 
produce 
a 
tool 
which 
can 
be 
used 
to 
review 
the 
responsiveness 
(attitudinal, 
programmatic, 
and 
communication) 
for 
disability 
service 
agencies 
to 
better 
serve 
survivors 
with 
disabilities. 


The 
review 
will 
be 
conducted 
by 
a 
trained 
team 
and 
technical 
assistance 
associates. 
Recommendations 
will 
be 
made 
that 
will 
provide 
greater 
responsiveness 
of 
disability 
service 
providers 
for 
survivors 
with 
disabilities 
and 
Deaf 
survivors. 
The 
disability 
service 
agencies 
will 
determine 
short 
and 
long-term 
priorities 
based 
upon 
the 
reported 
findings 
of 
the 
review. 
Once 
the 
Collaborative 
has 
reviewed 
the 
priorities, 
funding 
will 
be 
allocated 
and 
the 
agencies 
will 
make 
the 
changes. 
Any 
changes 
that 
do 
not 
fall 
within 
the 
scope 
of 
this 
grant 
will 
be 
placed 
in 
the 
long-term 
priority 
category. 
The 
work 
group 
will 
also 
assist 
with 
the 
identification 
of 
possible 
funding 
and 
other 
sources 
that 
may 
support 
these 
other 
long-term 
priorities. 


Evaluation 
and 
Monitoring: 


The 
evaluation 
and 
monitoring 
will 
be 
completed 
by 
the 
Project 
Directors. 
Outcome 
measures 
have 
been 
developed 
and 
are 
listed 
as 
components 
of 
Appendix 
C 
of 
the 
strategic 
plan. 
Monthly 
meetings 
will 
be 
held 
with 
the 
work 
group 
leader 
to 
provide 
support 
and 
to 
assess 
the 
progress 
toward 
completion 
of 
the 
outcome 
measures 
as 
indicated 
in 
the 
plan. 
Through 
monthly 
Collaborative 
meetings 
any 
adjustments 
to 
the 
time 
line 
can 
be 
made. 


Systems 
Change 
and 
Sustainability: 


By 
ensuring 
that 
our 
disability 
agencies 
improve 
their 
responsiveness 
to 
survivors 
with 
disabilities, 
we 
will 
be 
removing 
barriers 
and 
improving 
access 
to 
these 
necessary 
services 
for 
this 
population. 
Additionally, 
by 
making 
the 
changes 
outlined 
in 
this 
initiative, 
issues 
of 
violence 
and 
abuse 
will 
be 
paramount 
in 
our 
disability 
organizations 
and 
shift 
the 
culture 
and 
practice 
of 
these 
organizations. 
Ultimately, 
this 
will 
lead 
to 
sustainable 
change 
within 
these 
organizations 
not 
conditional 
on 
funding 
from 
this 
grant 
program 
or 
specialized 
staff. 




Our 
goal 
is 
to 
create 
a 
trained 
Responsiveness 
Team 
in 
Haywood 
County. 
This 
Responsiveness 
Team 
will 
parallel 
the 
Accessibility 
Team. 
Once 
the 
team 
is 
developed 
and 
trained, 
we 
will 
be 
able 
to 
use 
the 
team 
to 
conduct 
reviews 
of 
agencies 
throughout 
our 
region. 
This 
will 
enable 
us 
to 
look 
beyond 
our 
Collaborative 
members 
and 
assist 
other 
programs 
in 
the 
region 
that 
are 
looking 
to 
become 
more 
responsive 
to 
disclosures 
by 
survivors 
with 
disabilities 
or 
Deaf 
individuals. 
By 
sharing 
responsibilities 
on 
this 
team, 
the 
audit 
function 
will 
not 
be 
dependent 
on 
funding, 
on 
one 
individual, 
nor 
on 
one 
agency. 


INITIATIVE3:Createpoliciesandproceduresthatpromotedisclosuresofviolenceandabuseandlinkagestoservices.
Activities: 
Revise 
intake 
information 
to 
include 
questions 
on 
violence 
and 
abuse; 
create 
protocols 
to 
guide 
staff 
in 
screening 
for 
violence 
and 
abuse; 
and 
protocols 
guiding 
staff 
response 
to 
disclosures 
(Appendix 
D). 


Our 
Collaborative 
disability 
agencies 
all 
expressed 
a 
desire 
to 
be 
more 
responsive 
to 
individuals 
with 
disabilities 
that 
experience 
violence 
and 
abuse. 
In 
order 
to 
be 
more 
responsive, 
the 
agencies 
will 
first 
need 
to 
have 
a 
mechanism 
to 
learn 
about 
the 
violence 
and 
abuse 
that 
is 
occurring 
in 
the 
lives 
of 
the 
individuals 
they 
serve 
and 
also 
be 
able 
to 
teach/train/direct 
staff 
on 
how 
to 
respond 
to 
these 
disclosures. 


The 
activities 
around 
which 
this 
initiative 
will 
be 
based 
involve 
the 
development 
of 
a 
work 
group 
comprised 
of 
Collaborative 
members, 
domestic 
violence 
agency 
staff, 
and 
survivors. 
This 
work 
group 
will 
be 
convened 
and 
led 
by 
the 
Collaborative 
Adult 
Protective 
Services 
consultant. 
The 
group 
will 
review 
what 
others 
have 
done 
and 
will 
review 
best 
practices 
in 
the 
area 
of 
intakes 
that 
screen 
for 
violence 
and 
abuse. 
The 
team 
will 
also 
review 
any 
existing 
intake 
forms, 
policies 
and 
protocols 
that 
are 
in 
place 
at 
each 
disability 
service 
agency 
in 
the 
Collaborative 
relating 
to 
response 
to 
violence 
and 
abuse. 
The 
team 
will 
review 
intake 
forms, 
policies 
and 
protocols 
that 
exist 
in 
disability 
organizations 
in 
other 
programs 
across 
the 
country. 
They 
will 
seek 
additional 
guidance 
through 
our 
technical 
assistance 
providers 
and 
associates. 
Once 
reviews 
are 
complete, 
the 
team 
will 
draft 
intake 
forms 
and 
policies 
and 
protocols 
that 
will 
guide 
the 
disability 
service 
staff 
in 
responding 
to 
any 
disclosures 
of 
violence 
and 
abuse 
made 
to 
staff 
at 
their 
agencies. 
The 
draft 
policies 
and 
protocols 
will 
be 
submitted 
to 
OVW 
for 
approval. 
After 
approval 
by 
OVW, 
the 
policies 
and 
protocols 
will 
be 
presented 
to 
the 
agency 
directors 
and 
boards 
of 
directors 
of 
each 
agency 
for 
their 
approval. 


Once 
the 
responsiveness 
and 
accessibility 
reviews 
have 
been 
completed 
at 
each 
agency 
(initiatives 
1 
and 
2) 
and 
accommodations 
are 
in 
place, 
the 
Collaborative 
will 
choose 
one 
agency 
to 
pilot 
the 
training 
on 
the 
new 
intakes 
and 
response 
systems. 
This 
pilot 
will 
assess 
the 
readiness 
of 
R.E.A.C.H. 
in 
providing 
for 
needs 
of 
survivors 
with 
disabilities 
and 
will 
also 
assess 
the 
protocols 
that 
the 
disability 
staff 
will 
follow 
in 
providing 
services. 
By 
using 
a 
piloting 
approach 
with 
one 
disability 
agency, 
we 
will 
be 
able 
to 
make 
the 
necessary 
adjustments 
to 
policies 
and 
protocols 
if 
there 
are 
any 
unintended 
consequences 
that 
are 
learned 
from 
the 
pilot. 




After 
the 
pilot 
is 
completed 
and 
we 
are 
sure 
that 
all 
systems 
and 
supports 
are 
place 
for 
basic 
responsiveness 
and 
accessibility, 
training 
for 
the 
additional 
agencies 
will 
take 
place 
on 
policies 
and 
procedures 
and 
we 
will 
roll 
out 
the 
entire 
package. 


Evaluation 
and 
Monitoring: 


The 
evaluation 
and 
monitoring 
will 
be 
completed 
by 
the 
Project 
Directors. 
Outcome 
measures 
have 
been 
developed 
and 
are 
listed 
as 
components 
of 
Appendix 
D 
of 
the 
strategic 
plan. 
Monthly 
meetings 
will 
be 
held 
with 
the 
work 
group 
leader 
to 
provide 
support 
and 
to 
assess 
the 
progress 
toward 
completion 
of 
the 
outcome 
measures 
as 
indicated 
in 
the 
plan. 
Through 
monthly 
Collaborative 
meetings 
any 
adjustments 
to 
the 
time 
line 
can 
be 
made. 


Systems 
Change 
and 
Sustainability: 


By 
creating 
and 
adopting 
policies 
and 
protocols 
in 
each 
agency, 
the 
service 
changes 
will 
be 
put 
in 
place 
regardless 
of 
any 
changes 
in 
current 
or 
future 
leadership 
or 
staff. 
The 
policies 
and 
protocols 
will 
create 
the 
foundation 
of 
service 
provision 
for 
survivors 
with 
disabilities 
in 
each 
agency 
and 
that 
will 
ultimately 
change 
and 
improve 
the 
experiences 
of 
survivors 
as 
well 
as 
the 
organizational 
culture 
and 
capacity. 
Policies 
and 
procedures 
will 
become 
embedded 
in 
the 
design 
of 
the 
organization. 


In 
addition, 
there 
will 
be 
trainings 
offered 
as 
a 
vehicle 
for 
the 
application 
of 
the 
policies 
and 
protocols 
so 
that 
current 
staff 
and 
those 
that 
are 
hired 
in 
the 
future 
will 
be 
aware 
and 
comfortable 
with 
the 
procedures 
and 
processes 
in 
working 
with 
survivors 
with 
disabilities. 
This 
will 
lead 
to 
the 
more 
consistent 
use 
of 
the 
policies 
and 
protocols 
so 
that 
they 
will 
be 
sustainable 
and 
provide 
a 
consistent 
response 
to 
survivors 
with 
disabilities. 
As 
the 
policies 
become 
an 
integral 
part 
of 
the 
organization, 
those 
policies 
will 
create 
the 
sustainability. 


.INITIATIVE4:Createpoliciesandprotocolsthatpromoterequestsforaccommodations.
Activities: 
Revise 
intake 
information 
to 
include 
requests 
for 
accommodations 
by 
survivors 
with 
disabilities 
and 
Deaf 
individuals 
and 
create 
protocols 
to 
guide 
staff 
in 
responding 
to 
any 
need 
for 
accommodations 
(Appendix 
E). 


Parallel 
to 
the 
initiative 
for 
disability 
agencies, 
the 
Collaborative 
also 
wanted 
to 
ensure 
that 
our 
domestic 
violence 
agency 
is 
able 
to 
respond 
to 
requests 
for 
accommodations 
and 
understand 
the 
need 
for 
accommodations. 
In 
order 
to 
be 
more 
responsive, 
the 
agencies 
will 
first 
need 
to 
have 
a 
mechanism 
to 
learn 
about 
what 
accommodations 
may 
be 
needed 
by 
survivors 
with 
disabilities 
in 
Haywood 
County. 
The 
agency 
will 
also 
need 
to 
teach/train/direct 
staff 
on 
how 
to 
respond 
to 
requests 
for 
accommodations. 


The 
activities 
around 
which 
this 
initiative 
will 
be 
based 
involve 
the 
development 
of 
a 
work 
group 
comprised 
of 
Collaborative 
members, 
disability 
agency 
staff, 
consumers, 
and 
disability 
advocates. 
This 
group 
will 
be 
led 
by 
a 
representative 
from 
Smoky 
Mountain 
Mental 
Health 
who 
is 
a 
member 
of 
our 
Collaborative. 
The 
group 
will 
review 
what 
others 
have 
done 
or 
best 
practices 
in 
the 
area 
of 
intakes 
and 
will 
also 
research 
statutes 
that 
may 
impact 
changes 
that 
are 
proposed. 




They 
will 
seek 
additional 
guidance 
through 
our 
technical 
assistance 
providers 
and 
associates. 
Ultimately 
the 
work 
group 
will 
draft 
a 
new 
intake 
form 
for 
R.E.A.C.H. 
The 
intake 
form 
will 
be 
submitted 
for 
approval 
to 
OVW. 
After 
approval 
we 
will 
wait 
until 
all 
systems 
are 
in 
place 
(accommodations, 
protocols 
and 
training) 
to 
begin 
using 
the 
new 
form. 


Concurrently, 
the 
team 
will 
review 
any 
existing 
policies 
and 
protocols 
that 
are 
in 
place 
at 


R.E.A.C.H. 
relating 
to 
the 
provision 
of 
accommodations 
at 
both 
the 
main 
office 
and 
the 
shelter. 
The 
team 
will 
review 
policies 
and 
protocols 
that 
exist 
in 
other 
domestic 
violence-sexual 
assault 
organizations. 
They 
will 
seek 
additional 
guidance 
through 
our 
technical 
assistance 
providers 
and 
associates. 
Once 
reviews 
are 
complete 
the 
team 
will 
draft 
policies 
and 
protocols 
that 
will 
guide 
the 
R.E.A.C.H. 
staff 
in 
responding 
to 
any 
accommodation 
needs. 
The 
draft 
policies 
and 
protocols 
will 
be 
submitted 
for 
approval. 
After 
approval 
by 
OVW, 
the 
policies 
and 
protocols 
will 
be 
presented 
to 
the 
R.E.A.C.H. 
Board 
for 
their 
approval. 
The 
Collaborative 
will 
budget 
to 
put 
accommodations 
in 
place 
at 
R.E.A.C.H., 
as 
appropriate 
to 
the 
scope 
of 
the 
grant. 
Accommodations 
will 
not 
include 
building 
or 
facility 
renovations 
but 
will 
be 
used 
for 
adaptive 
equipment 
such 
as 
screen 
readers, 
TTY, 
assistive 
hearing 
devices, 
accessible 
materials, 
etc. 
Training 
will 
be 
held 
to 
familiarize 
staff 
on 
the 
new 
intake 
form 
and 
the 
policies 
and 
protocols. 
After 
accommodations 
have 
been 
purchased 
and 
the 
training 
has 
been 
completed, 
the 
new 
form 
as 
well 
as 
policies 
and 
protocols 
will 
be 
operational. 
Following 
this 
training, 
there 
should 
be 
an 
increase 
in 
the 
numbers 
of 
survivors 
requesting 
or 
discussing 
accommodations. 


Evaluation 
and 
Monitoring: 


The 
evaluation 
and 
monitoring 
will 
be 
completed 
by 
the 
Project 
Directors. 
Outcome 
measures 
have 
been 
developed 
and 
are 
listed 
components 
of 
Appendix 
E 
of 
the 
strategic 
plan. 
Monthly 
meetings 
will 
be 
held 
with 
the 
work 
group 
leader 
to 
provide 
support 
and 
to 
assess 
the 
progress 
toward 
completion 
of 
the 
outcome 
measures 
as 
indicated 
in 
the 
plan. 
Through 
monthly 
Collaborative 
meetings 
any 
adjustments 
to 
the 
time 
line 
can 
be 
made. 


Systems 
Change 
and 
Sustainability: 


By 
creating 
and 
adopting 
policies 
and 
protocols 
in 
each 
agency, 
the 
service 
changes 
will 
be 
put 
in 
place 
regardless 
of 
any 
changes 
in 
leadership 
or 
staff. 
The 
policies 
and 
protocols 
will 
create 
the 
foundation 
of 
service 
provision 
for 
survivors 
with 
disabilities 
in 
each 
agency 
and 
that 
will 
ultimately 
change 
and 
improve 
the 
experiences 
of 
survivors 
with 
disabilities 
as 
well 
as 
organizational 
culture 
and 
capacity. 


In 
addition, 
there 
will 
be 
trainings 
created 
to 
support 
the 
policies 
and 
protocols 
so 
that 
current 
staff 
and 
those 
that 
are 
hired 
in 
the 
future 
will 
be 
aware 
and 
comfortable 
with 
the 
policies 
and 
protocols. 
This 
will 
lead 
to 
the 
more 
consistent 
use 
of 
the 
policies 
and 
protocols 
so 
that 
they 
will 
be 
sustainable 
and 
provide 
a 
consistent 
response 
to 
survivors 
with 
disabilities. 
Through 
the 
implementation 
of 
new 
ways 
of 
doing 
business, 
there 
should 
be 
a 
reduction 
in 
barriers 
for 
survivors 
who 
need 
to 
ask 
for 
accommodations 
and 
a 
more 
uniform 
response 
in 
working 
with 
survivors 
with 
disabilities. 




INITIATIVE5:Build/EnhancerelationshipsandresourcesamongstaffofallCollaborativeorganizations.
Activities: 
Develop 
methods 
for 
sharing 
resource 
information, 
such 
as 
a 
resource 
guide, 
with 
support 
staff 
and 
a 
mechanism 
for 
organizations 
to 
share 
information 
about 
their 
specialty 
areas 
with 
other 
agencies 
(Appendix 
F). 


Evident 
throughout 
the 
needs 
assessment 
was 
the 
need 
to 
develop 
relationships 
and 
linkages 
between 
our 
domestic 
violence 
service 
provider 
and 
disability 
service 
providers. 
For 
relationships 
to 
be 
built, 
it 
will 
be 
necessary 
for 
our 
Collaborative 
to 
develop 
a 
mechanism 
for 
Collaborative 
partners 
to 
share 
their 
expertise 
with 
others 
in 
the 
Collaborative 
through 
informal 
informational 
opportunities. 
These 
opportunities 
can 
be 
created 
in 
our 
community 
to 
provide 
this 
information. 
Also, 
in 
order 
to 
build 
relationships, 
the 
Collaborative 
feels 
that 
it 
is 
imperative 
for 
the 
staff 
of 
all 
of 
our 
agencies 
to 
have 
a 
working 
knowledge 
of 
our 
Collaborative 
agencies 
and 
other 
community 
agencies 
which 
can 
be 
easily 
and 
readily 
shared 
with 
individuals 
we 
serve. 
These 
elements 
of 
relationships 
and 
resources 
will 
be 
a 
necessary 
piece 
as 
we 
move 
toward 
a 
seamless 
service 
delivery 
system 
for 
survivors 
with 
disabilities. 


The 
activities 
around 
which 
this 
initiative 
will 
be 
based 
involve 
the 
development 
of 
a 
work 
group 
comprised 
of 
Collaborative 
members 
as 
well 
as 
members 
of 
both 
disability 
agencies 
and 
domestic 
violence 
advocates. 
This 
work 
group 
will 
be 
led 
by 
the 
Project 
Directors 
of 
the 


H.O.P.E. 
Collaborative. 
The 
group 
will 
review 
and 
collect 
material 
on 
each 
of 
the 
Collaborative 
agencies 
as 
well 
as 
information 
on 
other 
disability 
and 
support 
services 
within 
the 
county 
to 
be 
shared 
in 
a 
variety 
of 
formats, 
including 
a 
resource 
guide, 
agency 
web 
access 
and 
online 
resource 
information. 
The 
Collaborative 
will 
choose 
the 
medium(s) 
for 
presentation 
of 
information 
and 
resources. 
The 
information 
and 
resources 
will 
be 
used 
to 
support 
the 
training 
of 
staff 
in 
the 
Collaborative 
agencies 
according 
to 
initiatives 
three 
and 
four. 
The 
Collaborative 
will 
explore 
the 
best 
ways 
for 
agencies 
to 
share 
information 
on 
a 
regular 
basis 
at 
the 
first 
of 
the 
quarterly 
Collaborative 
meetings 
during 
the 
strategic 
planning 
phase. 
The 
group 
will 
set 
up 
the 
initial 
programs 
and 
develop 
a 
format 
and 
schedule. 
The 
agency 
shared 
training 
will 
begin 
during 
the 
summer 
of 
2009. 


Evaluation 
and 
Monitoring: 


The 
evaluation 
and 
monitoring 
will 
be 
completed 
by 
the 
Project 
Directors. 
Outcome 
measures 
have 
been 
developed 
and 
are 
listed 
as 
components 
of 
Appendix 
F 
of 
the 
strategic 
plan. 
These 
outcome 
measures 
will 
guide 
the 
Project 
Directors 
in 
completing 
the 
tasks 
in 
a 
timely 
manner. 
Reporting 
will 
occur 
at 
the 
monthly 
Collaborative 
meetings 
and 
any 
adjustments 
to 
the 
time 
line 
can 
be 
made. 


Systems 
Change 
and 
Sustainability: 


The 
resource 
guide 
can 
be 
updated 
on 
an 
annual 
basis 
by 
the 
Alliance. 
The 
Alliance 
will 
be 
responsible 
through 
future 
initiatives/grants 
to 
keep 
the 
information 
updated. 




Once 
the 
Collaborative 
has 
developed 
a 
mechanism 
for 
sharing 
information 
(lunch 
and 
learn, 
printed 
information, 
website, 
presentations, 
or 
other 
venues) 
the 
Collaborative 
will 
develop 
a 
way 
to 
perpetuate 
the 
program 
such 
as 
an 
ongoing 
rotation 
schedule, 
etc. 


.INITIATIVE6:Exploreissuesofmandatoryreportingandconfidentiality
Activities: 
The 
Collaborative 
will 
develop 
a 
better 
understanding 
of 
mandatory 
reporting 
and 
confidentiality 
so 
that 
we 
can 
be 
better 
equipped 
to 
develop 
new 
intakes, 
procedures, 
and 
plans 
needed 
to 
move 
our 
initiatives 
forward 
(Appendix 
G). 


Initiative 
6 
will 
be 
an 
information 
awareness 
and 
exploration 
piece. 
It 
will 
assist 
with 
understanding 
the 
process 
and 
implications 
of 
mandatory 
reporting. 
Throughout 
the 
needs 
assessment 
process 
there 
were 
questions 
about 
the 
North 
Carolina 
state 
wide 
Mandatory 
Reporting 
statute 
and 
the 
impact 
of 
the 
statute 
on 
serving 
survivors 
with 
disabilities. 
Staff 
of 
the 
Collaborative 
agencies 
reported 
awareness 
of 
the 
requirements 
but 
were 
not 
sure 
what 
the 
criteria 
were 
for 
cases 
to 
be 
accepted 
by 
Adult 
Protective 
Services. 
There 
were 
also 
questions 
on 
how 
confidentiality 
laws 
and 
statutes 
may 
impact 
our 
work 
as 
we 
move 
forward 
with 
the 
initiatives. 


The 
Collaborative 
will 
be 
the 
work 
group 
for 
the 
activities 
related 
to 
this 
initiative. 
The 
Project 
Directors 
will 
collect 
each 
agency’s 
mandatory 
reporting 
and 
confidentiality 
policies. 
These 
will 
be 
made 
available 
to 
the 
group 
of 
“experts” 
that 
will 
be 
convened 
by 
the 
Project 
Directors 
to 
review 
the 
materials 
and 
to 
discuss/explain 
the 
statutes 
to 
the 
group. 
When 
all 
of 
the 
information 
has 
been 
reviewed 
and 
the 
group 
has 
met 
with 
the 
“experts” 
the 
Collaborative 
members 
will 
have 
a 
better 
understanding 
of 
mandatory 
reporting 
and 
confidentiality 
as 
it 
pertains 
to 
the 
work 
of 
our 
Collaborative. 


Evaluation 
and 
Monitoring: 


The 
evaluation 
and 
monitoring 
will 
be 
done 
by 
the 
Project 
Directors. 
Outcome 
measures 
have 
been 
developed 
and 
are 
listed 
as 
components 
of 
Appendix 
G 
of 
the 
strategic 
plan. 
These 
outcome 
measures 
will 
guide 
the 
Project 
Directors 
in 
completing 
the 
tasks 
in 
a 
timely 
manner. 
Reporting 
and 
management 
of 
the 
initiative 
activities 
will 
occur 
at 
the 
monthly 
Collaborative 
meetings. 
Any 
adjustments 
to 
the 
time 
line 
can 
be 
made 
by 
the 
group 
at 
those 
meetings. 


Systems 
Change 
and 
Sustainability: 


Collaborative 
members 
will 
have 
a 
greater 
knowledge 
of 
the 
process 
and 
what 
it 
means 
to 
be 
a 
mandatory 
reporter 
in 
North 
Carolina 
as 
well 
as 
a 
greater 
knowledge 
and 
understanding 
of 
confidentiality 
as 
it 
pertains 
to 
our 
initiatives. 
This 
knowledge 
will 
inform 
the 
Collaborative 
members 
as 
they 
lead 
their 
work 
groups 
in 
successfully 
completing 
their 
initiatives 
during 
our 
strategic 
planning 
process. 
Understanding 
the 
issue 
of 
mandatory 
reporting 
will 
lead 
to 
enhanced 
organizational 
capacity 
which 
in 
turn 
will 
help 
survivors 
with 
disabilities 
that 
need 
help. 




This 
above 
information 
is 
a 
review 
of 
the 
primary 
short-term 
initiatives 
selected 
by 
the 
H.O.P.E. 
Collaborative 
of 
Haywood 
County, 
North 
Carolina. 
At 
this 
time 
it 
is 
anticipated 
that 
due 
to 
time 
and 
funding 
restraints, 
not 
all 
accessibility 
and 
responsiveness 
recommendations 
will 
be 
implemented 
at 
each 
Collaborative 
agency. 
Recommendations 
will 
be 
prioritized 
and 
only 
those 
feasible 
to 
achieve 
with 
the 
time 
and 
resources 
allotted 
will 
be 
completed. 
Thus, 
there 
may 
also 
be 
specific 
accessibility 
and 
responsiveness 
recommendations 
that 
may 
be 
carried 
out 
in 
the 
long-term. 
The 
Collaborative 
has 
made 
plans 
through 
our 
work 
groups 
to 
identify 
other 
funding 
streams 
that 
will 
assist 
us 
with 
meeting 
any 
accessibility 
needs 
that 
could 
not 
be 
achieved 
though 
the 
current 
grant. 
These 
six 
short-term 
initiatives 
will 
be 
accomplished 
within 
the 
grant 
time 
frame 
with 
a 
task 
completion 
date 
of 
Sept 
2010. 
Each 
of 
the 
initiatives 
will 
seek 
to 
bring 
a 
permanent 
change 
within 
each 
organization 
for 
an 
improved 
service 
delivery 
system 
for 
persons 
with 
disabilities 
who 
are 
survivors 
of 
violence 
and 
abuse. 


IV. 
COLLABORATIVE 
STRUCTURE 
AND 
WORK 
PROCESS. 
The 
Collaborative 
will 
implement 
the 
above 
listed 
short 
term 
initiatives 
through 
the 
following 
Collaborative 
structure 
and 
work 
process. 


Each 
initiative 
in 
the 
strategic 
plan 
will 
have 
a 
corresponding 
work 
group 
which 
is 
chaired 
by 
one 
or 
more 
of 
the 
Collaborative 
members 
(Appendix 
A). 
These 
work 
groups 
were 
determined 
at 
the 
Strategic 
Planning 
Retreat 
facilitated 
by 
the 
Vera 
Institute 
of 
Justice 
in 
March 
2009. 
Each 
work 
group 
will 
develop 
their 
own 
meeting 
schedule, 
corresponding 
to 
the 
objectives 
to 
be 
accomplished. 
The 
groups 
will 
meet 
at 
least 
twice 
monthly 
and 
more 
frequently 
when 
necessary. 
The 
Project 
Directors 
will 
join 
the 
group 
during 
at 
least 
one 
of 
their 
meetings 
each 
month. 
Each 
work 
group 
will 
receive 
a 
copy 
of 
the 
time 
line 
established 
by 
the 
Collaborative 
and 
will 
be 
responsible 
for 
task 
completion 
according 
to 
this 
time 
line. 


The 
chairs 
of 
each 
work 
group 
will 
be 
responsible 
for 
recruiting 
group 
members 
and 
setting 
up 
the 
group 
meeting 
schedule. 
This 
roster 
and 
meeting 
schedule 
will 
be 
the 
first 
deliverable 
of 
each 
work 
group. 


The 
Collaborative 
as 
a 
whole 
will 
meet 
once 
a 
month 
to 
review 
the 
progress 
on 
each 
initiative, 
offer 
assistance 
and 
input, 
and 
adjust 
the 
timelines 
if 
necessary. 
The 
work 
groups 
will 
be 
held 
accountable 
by 
it 
the 
Collaborative 
for 
maintaining 
the 
work 
schedule 
for 
timely 
completion 
of 
the 
initiatives. 




V. 
LONG-TERM 
INITIATIVES 
AND 
FUTURE 
PLANS 
By 
starting 
with 
change 
within 
the 
Collaborative 
agencies, 
our 
long-term 
goal 
is 
to 
eventually 
share 
our 
lessons 
learned 
and 
experiences 
with 
agencies 
outside 
the 
Collaborative. 
In 
addition 
to 
these 
short-term 
initiatives, 
the 
Collaborative 
has 
identified 
three 
specific 
long-term 
initiatives: 


• 
Expansion 
of 
collaborative 
efforts 
and 
accessibility 
and 
responsiveness 
audits 
within 
Haywood 
county 
• 
Expansion 
of 
collaborative 
efforts 
and 
accessibility 
and 
responsiveness 
audits 
within 
the 
Western 
North 
Carolina 
region 
in 
a 
multi-county 
effort 
• 
Inclusion 
of 
law 
enforcement 
in 
our 
existing 
Collaborative 
and 
future 
expansion 
into 
other 
counties 
within 
Western 
North 
Carolina 
The 
H.O.P.E. 
Collaborative 
would 
like 
to 
expand 
its 
collaboration 
to 
include 
agencies 
within 
Haywood 
County 
that 
were 
not 
part 
of 
the 
original 
Collaborative 
but 
who 
are 
agencies 
with 
the 
potential 
for 
valuable 
contributions. 
The 
development 
of 
highly 
qualified 
accessibility 
and 
responsiveness 
audit 
teams 
will 
be 
of 
great 
value 
in 
expanding 
our 
focus 
from 
the 
current 
Collaborative 
agencies 
to 
others 
in 
our 
community 
in 
our 
efforts 
to 
provide 
more 
accessible 
and 
responsive 
services 
for 
survivors 
with 
disabilities. 


The 
teams 
would 
be 
available 
to 
conduct 
audits 
of 
accessibility 
and 
responsiveness 
using 
the 
review 
tools 
developed 
and 
provide 
information 
or 
training 
to 
outside 
agencies 
on 
developing 
policies 
and 
procedures 
that 
promote 
accessibility 
and 
responsiveness 
in 
their 
programs. 
By 
building 
this 
foundation 
and 
our 
own 
capacity, 
the 
Collaborative 
will 
be 
able 
to 
step 
into 
the 
role 
of 
becoming 
a 
technical 
assistance 
provider 
in 
Haywood 
County 
and 
eventually 
we 
will 
be 
able 
to 
expand 
our 
activities 
to 
assist 
others 
in 
Western 
North 
Carolina 
and 
beyond. 


The 
inclusion 
of 
law 
enforcement 
and 
the 
criminal 
justice 
system 
evolved 
as 
a 
high 
priority, 
long-term 
initiative 
for 
the 
H.O.P.E. 
Collaborative. 
Our 
needs 
assessment 
clearly 
showed 
that 
the 
inclusion 
of 
law 
enforcement 
was 
an 
integral 
piece 
that 
will 
enable 
us 
to 
provide 
the 
most 
responsive 
services 
possible 
to 
survivors 
with 
disabilities. 
Throughout 
our 
discussions 
with 
survivors, 
front 
line 
staff 
and 
managers, 
there 
were 
concerns 
voiced 
regarding 
how 
law 
enforcement 
interacts 
or 
fails 
to 
interact 
in 
ways 
that 
meet 
the 
unique 
needs 
of 
survivors 
with 
disabilities. 
Only 
by 
including 
this 
group 
as 
part 
of 
our 
existing 
Collaborative, 
will 
we 
be 
able 
to 
truly 
provide 
the 
most 
comprehensive 
and 
responsive 
services 
to 
survivors 
with 
disabilities 
and 
Deaf 
individuals 
in 
Haywood 
County. 


The 
Alliance 
and 
other 
Collaborative 
partners 
will 
seek 
the 
additional 
funding 
necessary 
to 
pursue 
these 
long-term 
initiatives 
to 
create 
even 
greater 
systems 
changes 
throughout 
western 
North 
Carolina.