Case Study: Metropolitan Health And Human Services History ✓ Solved

Case Study Metropolitan Health and Human Services History

Metropolitan Health and Human Services (MHHS) is a mid-sized community-based health and human services organization operating in two suburbs of a large city. MHHS has been in business as a non-profit 501 (C) 3 for the past 25 years. The organization was founded by a group of three retired physicians who wanted to address some of the issues in their community. In the early years of the organization, they focused on providing financial assistance to clients unable to pay for medical bills. At that time, the organization was managed and staffed by the three retired physicians who quickly realized that they were unable to fulfill their dreams for the organization without help.

Within five years of its inception, the organization was incorporated with its own board of Directors and the first CEO was hired. This CEO ran the organization for the next 10 years, and grew the organization from one program to a multi-service organization. The Mission of MHHS is to provide services needed to strengthen families and communities. The vision is to be known as a major catalyst and resource for promoting family and community strengths. Current Programs of MHHS include:

• Financial Assistance: Provides financial assistance to individuals and families that have suffered a financial crisis and need assistance with paying bills. This program employs one director and one case manager and represents 5% of the budget expenses. The program is funded through federal and state grants and has been operating at a loss for the past five years.
• Medical/Dental Clinic: Provides free preventative medical/dental services to individuals and families that are either at poverty level or experiencing a financial crisis. The clinic is staffed by volunteer physicians and dentists. This program employs one director and one case manager and represents 10% of the budget expenses. The program has been breaking even for the past five years.
• Transitional Housing: Provides transitional housing to formerly homeless individuals and families in community-based apartments and homes. This program employs one director and five case managers, and represents 10% of the budget expenses. The program has been operating at a loss for the past five years.
• Counseling: Provides counseling services to any individual or family needing assistance. This program employs one director and five counselors, and represents 5% of the budget expenses. It has been operating at a surplus for the past five years.
• Educational Services: Provides alternative education to adolescents unable to attend their own school due to behavioral or emotional issues. This program employs one principal, two teachers, and two teacher aides and represents 5% of the budget expenses. It has been operating at a significant loss.
• Foster Care: Contracts with the state to license and provide foster care services to wards of the state. This program employs one director, 10 supervisors, 80 case managers, and 10 case aides, and represents 55% of the budget expenses. It is operating at a surplus.
• Violence Prevention Programs: Provides prevention education services that target the prevention of child abuse, domestic violence, and sexual assault. This program represents 10% of the budget expenses and is operating at a surplus.

The organization has an operating budget of eight million dollars. The main office is located in an upper to middle-class suburban community and houses all of the administrative staff. A new CEO has recently been hired and has identified some of the major issues the organization is facing including high leadership turnover, unclear board roles, and funding declines among other challenges.

You will be selecting a project to do during the duration of this class. You can propose your own project or use one of the suggested ideas below:

• Reorganize/restructure the organization with a clear designation of roles and responsibilities from the top down. Include an organizational chart.
• Develop a comprehensive fund development plan/program.
• Develop a comprehensive training program.
• Choose a program and develop a program-specific record keeping plan.
• Analyze the challenges faced in one of the programs and develop a plan to address these challenges.
• Develop a plan to implement culturally sensitive practices within the organization.
• Suggest a project of your own based on the case study.

Paper For Above Instructions

The case of Metropolitan Health and Human Services (MHHS) highlights numerous challenges that require strategic restructuring and development of comprehensive programs to ensure organizational sustainability and efficacy. First, this paper focuses on reorganizing the organization to clarify roles and responsibilities, aiding in better governance and management.

MHHS's historical trajectory reflects the necessity of a well-defined organizational structure. The frequent turnover in leadership (four CEOs in ten years) indicates a diminished capacity to maintain continuity and effectively guide the organization toward its mission. This persistent instability can be detrimental, as it may lead to confusion, diluted mission focus, and low staff morale. To counteract this, I propose a comprehensive restructuring plan that aligns job roles with the organization's mission, primarily through an updated organizational chart.

Organizational Restructure Proposal

The restructuring will involve developing clear job descriptions for each role, beginning with the CEO, who should serve as a visionary leader responsible for the overall direction of the organization. The CEO will oversee specialized directors for each program, including Financial Assistance, the Medical/Dental Clinic, Transitional Housing, Counseling, Educational Services, Foster Care, and Violence Prevention Programs.

Each program director will be responsible for the operational management of their respective programs, including budget monitoring, staffing, evaluation of service effectiveness, and program performance reporting to the board of directors. Additionally, directors will need to implement prospective growth strategies to secure more diverse funding sources, ultimately to enhance program stability and effectiveness.

Reengineering the interaction between programs, particularly addressing the silos that currently impede collaborative service delivery, is imperative. For example, the Counseling services can be integrated with all other program services, providing clients with holistic support for their specific needs. This connection facilitates a better continuity of care and encourages resource sharing, lowering operational costs through collaboration.

Training and Development Program

A comprehensive training program will be developed to ensure that all staff are effectively trained in their roles and duties, contributing to improved service delivery consistency. Training modules will include organizational orientation, cultural competence, financial management, data management practices, client relations enhancement, and ethical practices in human services. This will directly address the inconsistency in record keeping and the lack of cultural sensitivity highlighted by the anonymous complaints and issues presented to the organization.

Special attention must be afforded to recruiting bilingual staff or providing language support services to assist Spanish-speaking clients. The current reliance on family members for translation services lacks professionalism and could lead to misunderstandings in service delivery, ultimately obstructing access to care. Additionally, training staff on cultural competencies and diversity will broaden their understanding and capacity to address the needs of a diverse client base effectively.

Fund Development Plan

A more diversified funding strategy must also be articulated to combat the declining financial assistance resources and enable the sustainability of services. This requires identifying various funding opportunities, including grants, corporate sponsorships, local fundraising events, and cultivating partnerships with community organizations that share similar missions. An annual fundraising calendar could be implemented to ensure consistent donor engagement and community presence, which in turn enhances visibility and relationship building within the community.

Implementation Strategy

Should these proposals be accepted, a detailed timeline for the restructuring will be created along with benchmarks for measuring progress. A qualitative and quantitative assessment will help guide adjustments based on outcomes achieved. Regularly scheduled meetings will cultivate an environment for open communication and collaboration amongst staff, board members, and community stakeholders.

The recent donation of $300,000 presents a timely opportunity to jumpstart some of these initiatives and demonstrate responsiveness to community needs, therefore increasing public trust and engagement. Allocating these funds for the initial training sessions, marketing for fundraising events, and incremental system transformations will allow the organization to leverage this gift toward securing a brighter and sustainable future.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Metropolitan Health and Human Services stand at a pivotal moment where strategic restructuring can propel the organization toward achieving their mission and enhancing the impact on the communities they serve. Enhancing operational clarity, developing comprehensive training resources, and implementing a robust fundraising plan ensures that MHHS can provide high-quality services effectively and sustainably moving forward.

References

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• National Association of Social Workers. (2018). Social Work Perspectives on Cultural Competence. NASW.
• World Health Organization. (2019). Social Determinants of Health: The Solid Facts. WHO.