2. Standardize and promote the PA Link brand across the Commonwealth.
Before Pennsylvania advertises to the general public, it must ensure that PA Link partners are onboard and engaged. This goal includes updating partner agreements in collaboration with stakeholders and performing site visits with current and future PA Link partners to provide training and onboarding. The outputs for this goal include a brand strategy and materials as well as an onboarding and training program for current and potential PA Link partners. This goal is a significant move forward. Current branding is at the county level. The state brand will be the first step in promoting public awareness of NWD. Sustainability is ensured because branding
deliverables will be electronic, state-owned and usable in multiple formats. Once the brand is in place and partners are educated on its use, existing networks can carry the message to all
audiences.
1. Implement an Outreach and Onboarding Program
1.1 Goal
The PA Link will develop and implement an onboarding program to support outreach to potential partners and training and education for new partners. The onboarding process will allow potential partners to better determine the level of partner engagement that is most appropriate for their organization. For example, some partner agencies will participate at the level of helping to manage and direct the priorities and services provided in local PA Link
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service areas. Others will want to provide person-centered counseling and will provide staff for training. Others may wish to be engaged only in the formalized referral and networking
processes. 1.2 Action Items
1.2.1 Project Initiation (Months One through Three)
The initiation phase will include key project kickoff activities including developing the communication plan, hiring an outside support organization to facilitate the needs assessment process and develop training materials and recruiting workgroup teams (comprising agency and partner representation) to provide input. The initiation phase should be completed within three months of the project start date.
1.2.2 Needs Assessments and Business Impact Analysis (Months Three through Twelve)
The PA Link must identify, document and refine its program and partners’ needs in terms of agreements, policies, procedures, training and support. Though the current PA Link has partner agreements, they need to be substantially updated to meet the needs of a NWD system.
Throughout the stakeholder engagement process, the workgroup teams heard an unambiguous message: NWD is a great approach but there are business concerns at stake in terms of whether potential partners can add NWD services to their product portfolios. How the system will work for providers was the key concern.
Partner/potential partner/stakeholder engagement is essential at this point. It sets the stage for later buy-in and provides critical insights into what is happening and what the best possible solutions can be. Success or failure will depend on how effectively stakeholders were engaged in identifying what is and is not needed for new NWD procedures and policies to work. The teams will be guided by the input and outputs of the NWD Planning Grant stakeholder sessions. This step takes those higher level conversations and molds them into practical application. The team will also work with the outside organization to develop materials used in targeted outreach. This workgroup will also use the outputs of the branding initiative in developing materials. Once all of the policies, procedures and responsibilities of PA Link partners are identified and packaged, PA Link representatives will be tasked with taking the package and the message to affinity groups and potential partners.
Although workgroup teams are focused on different objectives, the teams will participate in cross-over meetings and assessments. The IT team will benefit from hearing the conversations surrounding outcome measures, partner requirements and data gathering. The person-centered planning team will need to provide inputs to the IT team and the oversight/quality assurance team. The team focused on partner agreements will need input from all areas to develop policies and procedures that reflect goals, intended outcomes and available support systems.
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1.2.3 Developing Updated Partner Agreements and Training Materials (Months Thirteen through Twenty)
The next phase involves designing and developing updated partner agreements and educational materials for testing and review. At this point, outside support organizations will present their proposed solutions to workgroup teams and project leadership for review and changes. Once the review process is complete, outside organizations will prepare pilot materials for the next phase. Pilot materials will be rigorously tested for acceptance before training begins.
1.2.4 Outreach and Training (Months Twenty-one through Thirty)
This phase of the project focuses on two paths of training: partner education and outreach
education. All partners will need to be updated on any new policies and procedures. This may be handled through routine PA Link partner communications and supplemented by webinars and state-level communications. In addition, the core group of PA Link staff who will be responsible for targeted outreach to potential partners (such as hospitals, VA medical centers, libraries, and nursing homes) will be trained on how to present the packaged materials in a manner relevant to the specific audience.
1.2.5 Follow-up Support and Reporting (Months Thirty-one through Thirty-three)
The last step in this project is analysis and documentation of its success in meeting its objectives, maintaining collaborative relationships, building networks and leveraging existing resources. The analysis and documentation will include briefs and publications that describe the value of the project outcomes in demonstrating significant, measurable, systemic advances toward
achieving capacity in NWD outreach/coordination and access elements of the federal vision. The analysis will also describe the ongoing value of the project in enhancing Pennsylvania’s overall LTSS system.
1.3 Group Responsible
The NWD project team is responsible for project success. PA Link leadership will engage the services of an outside organization to facilitate meetings, develop materials and conduct trainings.
1.4 Target Dates
Target dates are noted in the activities section. 1.5 Potential Barriers
The main barriers are change management and funding. Any change requires attention to stakeholder needs and focused, persistent communication. Funding is required to support both the outreach and input processes as well as developing effective, professional materials and documentation.
Page 35 of 47 1.6 Outcome Measures
Short-term measures of the success of the onboarding package will include reviews of educational sessions and the clarity and usefulness of supporting documentation. Short-term measures will also include how much existing PA Link partners reengage with the network—as measured by attendance at functions, communication among partners and addition of person- centered planning services.
Long-term measure of the success of the onboarding and outreach packages will include a measure of new PA Link partners as well as any formalized linkages with affinity organizations. 1.7 Budget
The budget for this goal relates to meeting facilitation, documentation, policy and process development, materials development and local training for partners across the Commonwealth. 1.8 Priority
This is a high priority item. The PA Link/NWD network must meet the demands of multiple types of consumers. Expansion of the network will be critical to meet the capacity needs of Pennsylvania’s current and future consumers.