Project Delta

Work with MTG Management Consultants, LLC, has been under way for over 7 months. During this reporting period, the first draft of the current environment description was reviewed by specific program areas, and additional focus groups and follow-up interviews were conducted by the MTG project team to complete the mapping of as-is case manage-ment processes. As a result, the second draft of the current environment description is in the process of being completed and will be available in September as a tool to be used during the next steps in the project and beyond. The Alternative Models and Practices (AMP) work group also completed its survey of agencies with promising case management models and is in the process of compiling and analyzing the data. Going forward, the Process and AMP work groups will meet to discuss the issues that have previously been raised, investigate opportunities for improvement and propose recommended standards and direction with respect to future case management practices.

The remainder of this status report provides an at-a-glance summary of relevant information pertaining to the project, including recently completed activities, the status of key project deliverables, current and planned activities, project issues and risks, and the timeline.

You Are Invited to A Summit Meeting: An Evaluation of Hennepin County Developmental Disability Services

Hennepin County is conducting an evaluation of its DD services. The consultants, HCBS Strategies, held focus groups with consumers, providers and staff, interviewed staff and reviewed internal business process between February and August, 2007. They have identified recommendations to improve the county service system and want your feedback.

RSVP: Space is limited, so please rsvp as soon as possible and no later than Monday, August 20th. E-mail or call Lisa Nahkala at Lisa.Nahkala@co.hennepin.mn.us or 612-348-0074.

Reactor Panel Members: Mike Opat (Commissioner), Dan Engstrom (HC), Todd Monson (HC) , Alex Bartolic (DHS), Charlie Lakin (ICI, U of M), Sandy Henry (Dungarvin), Beth Fondell (ARC), parent/family member - yet to be finalized.

Tuesday, July 17th

Place: Brookdale Service Center, Conference Room A/B, 6125 Shingle Creek Parkway, Brooklyn Center, MN

Project Delta is a special department-wide effort intended to create a cohesive case management system for the Human Services and Public Health Department. Various service areas within HSPHD carry out “case management” activities. Certain types of case management activities may qualify for reimbursement from varying revenue sources, depending upon the specific activities. However, over time, HSPHD has used “case management” as an umbrella term with the individual programs defining what activities they consider to be “case management” functions. HSPHD saw this approach as being fragmented with consequences for service delivery and revenue enhancement; as a solution, the department initiated project Delta in the Fall of 2006.

All of the above will help Project Delta achieve its financial goal of identifying $5 million in savings for the 2008 HSPHD budget. Sarah Maxwell is the Executive Committee sponsor for Project Delta. ________________________________________________

Project sponsor Sarah Maxwell sent us the following article outlining and updating the work of Project Delta.

The work of Project Delta is underway! Many HSPHD front line workers and their supervisors are involved in work that is critical to the project’s success. What is Project Delta? Basically, it is a concentrated cross departmental effort aimed at creating a set of cohesive case management processes, practices and guidelines for HSPHD. What it will mean is:

* A shared definition of what case management is—that is used across HSPHD and by our vendors and community partners

* Clarification of Hennepin County’s role in providing case management activities

* Identification of all revenue sources and implementation of business practices so we are able to get the maximum reimbursement possible for our case management activities.

* Alignment with the work of a number of other HSPHD. Electronic Case File, mobile worker technology, Children’s Agenda and more all have or will have recommendations of help to the goals of Project Delta.

A lot! We have two work groups of staff who, over the next 4 months, are doing intensive and extensive analysis of case management services across the department. One group is focusing on what we are doing now. How is case management done by our different program? By Child Protection? Children’s Mental Health? The waivered services of ADS? Who does what tasks? How are activities organized? What do they cost?

The other group doing research to try to answer the question: what are the best practices for providing effective, efficient case management? What has been tried elsewhere? What can we learn from others? What “best practices” are we doing right here in Hennepin County? The efforts of the two work groups are not exclusive—they are continually checking in with each other and sharing ideas.

These people who are mapping business processes, outlining work flow, conducting surveys within Hennepin and in other jurisdiction, reading the literature and so much more come from across the areas of HSPHD that are involved with case management. Work group members sit on the project’s steering committee. Several members of Local 34 and the Social Worker Unit Supervisors Association sit on the Steering Committee as representatives of their respective unions. Additionally, those directly involved are asking other staff to assist. It is a lot of work, involving a lot of dedicated people.

Later this summer, the two groups will work together to analyze what we are doing and what is identified as best practice to see if we can formulate a common definition of “case management” and a set of business processes, practices and guidelines for our department.

Ultimately, in the fall the Project will make recommendations to the Executive Team about how we might deliver case management in the most effective way, maximize our resources, maintain or improve services to our clients and address the funding cuts as a result of the Deficit Reduction Act.

Although Project Delta primarily impacts those service areas providing social service case management, it is a department-wide initiative and a model how we—as a department—can work together to develop innovative solutions to complex situations. Above all, Project Delta is striving to be:

* Inclusive - all areas doing or supporting case management are represented in the steering committee that meets monthly and in the work groups that meet weekly.

* Transparent - all completed and in-process work is accessible to all employees on the “O” drive on the “Paris” server. (The HELP DESK can help you get mapped to the drive.) Project status reports and the project plan are available on the Redesign Web page.

* Owned by you - although we have hired consultants (MTG Management Consultants) to provide structure and organization through this project, HSPHD staff at all levels will provide input to the operating staff on what is the nature of case management and what are the appropriate standards, processes, practices and guidelines that will be recommended to HSPHD leadership.

* Connected - to related initiatives (Electronic Case Files, Mobile Worker, etc.)

* Dynamic - design solutions that will deliver quality services over rapidly changing political, financial and policy environments.

Project Delta does not address the entire work of the department, including social work and other direct services. It does not mean the same case management model will be mandated for every program area and for every client population. The outcome is not predetermined and the goal is NOT privatization or workforce reduction. It is not about procuring a new technology product. It is about maintaining or improving good client outcomes at a time when resources are shrinking and mandates grow.

Be sure to check the HSPHD intranet website for regular status reports. You also can check the “O” drive for day to day work products and details; for example, you can see who represents your service area. If you have questions, concerns or good ideas, be sure to use the special Project Delta mailbox on the intranet website or you always can contact Sarah Maxwell, Project Sponsor directly by e-mail or phone (348-8442).