Bridges to the Community Building Social Capital

1
Bridges to the Community Building Social Capital

• Cathy Ficker Terrill
• September, 2008

2
All People May Be Created Equal, But...

• Many receive supports ..
• With different amounts of social capital.

3

• The adult going to a sheltered workshop in New
  York vs. The adult getting supports in the
  community for employment.
• The child living in a child care facility vs. A
  child living at home with parents and attending
  public school with peers.
• The adult living in a state operated facility vs.
  The adult living in a home of their own with
  community supports.
• The adult attending church service in an ICF/DD
  vs. The adult going to church in his or her own
  community.

4
Social Capital first appeared in print in 1916

• The World Bank defines social capital as
• The social relationshipsthat enable people to
  coordinate action to achieve desired goals.

5
In order to develop Social Capital, people need

• Space and time to connect
• Time to demonstrate trust
• A means to effectively communicate
• An opportunity for genuine participation - NOT
  MERE PRESENCE

• Cohen Prusak
• In Good Company
• How Social Capital Makes
• Organizations Work

6
Soviet Union - an example of a state unable to
take full advantage of its immense resources
because they lack social institutions

• Focus Group Baltic States Family Support

• Capacity for choice
• Learn to speak for ourselves
• Access to information
• Learn to dream
• Learn to connect Social Capital

7
The Evolution of Community
The bridging organization supports people to be a
part of the community and it is responsive to the
communitys needs, as well as the people it
serves. The organization is both internally and
externally focused.
The focus is on people being a part of the
community, but the organization provides the
support, which limits the person in ways that
other community members do not experience.
The focus is on taking people from the
organization into the community, usually in
groups. The value of the community is
recognized.
The focus is on the organizations impact on
people. Peoples lives exist within the
organization.
The focus is on facilities and their square
footage, safety, and cleanliness.
8
Its not easy, but it is RIGHT!

• Competing demands
• Financial
• Personnel
• Regulatory
• It is not MORE work, it is DIFFERENT work!

9
Closed Sheltered Workshop

• Workshop
• One City
• 40,000 sq ft building
• Facility Cost 403,000/ annual

• CLC
• 6 Villages
• 6 buildings- approximately 4500 sq ft each
• Facility Cost 405,000/ annual

10
Closed Sheltered Workshop

• Workshop
• Individuals supported, 165
• Paid Work One contract for 400,000 lots of
  downtime

• CLC
• 35 per site, 245
• Entrepreneurial model, 8 small businesses and
  micro industries.
• Last year 102 employed

11
Closed Sheltered Workshop

• Workshop
• Volunteers 0
• Community connections0
• Transportation 5 large 36 passenger bus
• Staffing 120

• CLC
• People volunteer weekly at 17 comm. locations
• Avg. 190 community connections per quarter
• 21 smaller 6-15 passenger vans
• Staffing 17

12
Small Business Development

• Diamond Industries
• Hand-crafted Cards and Gift Bags
• Third Year
• Exceeding all projections!
• Easy start up
• Great income!!!

13
Meet Phylis

• Bangles and Beads
• Handcrafted charms.
• Local craft fairs
• Ive sold my work to people in California. I
  love working with my hands. - Phylis Lorenzi
• Volunteer for DuPage Senior Citizens Council
  Downers Grove and Lisle

14
Meet Anne

• Monarch, Ink Small Business Owner
• Cable network commercial
• E-commerce and local E-bay drop location
• I-SAIL Personal Advocate
• Advocate and educator on cultural issues
• It changed my life and gave me self worth. -
  Anne Thurston

15
Social capital, like other forms of capital,
accumulate when used productively Jane
Fountain Social Capital A Key Enabler 1998
16
1 Friend 1 Friend More Friends Community
Connectors Family Connectors
17
As we change services to supporting families to
increase their social capital while accessing
therapeutic interventions...
Stocks of social capital, such as trust and
networks, tend to be self-reinforcing and
cumulative. Robert Putnam The Prosperous
Community 1993
18
The Power of Place

• Social relationships grow in social spaces.
• People meet in cafés, pubs, parks, post offices,
  and malls.
• People connect and exchange gossip and advice.
• They form and strengthen ties that bind them into
  communities.
• They build trust and understanding.
• Cohen Prusak
• In Good Company 2001
• Do we give people with disabilities the support
  they need in order to have space and time to
  connect?

19
Social Capital . Friends

• Should we measure friends and community
  connections?
• Is it a critical outcome?

20
A Story About MoeI get by with a little help
from my friends The Beatles

• Moes journey.
• Condo owner!
• Hawaii or bust!
• 50 Years - employed at Medinah Country Club!
• He has a building named after him!
• A great network of friends.
• ARC Lifetime Achievement Award.
• Enjoying retirement!

21
Outcome Measures

• 2003 2006 or -
• People Choose Services 47 87 40
• People Realize Goals 63 100 37
• Connected to Natural Sup. 52 81 29
• Different Social Roles 21 50 29
• People Have Friends 58 81 23
• Use their Environment 78 100 22

22
Organization

• Is your organization aware of opportunities for
  networking and building social capitol?
• Does your organization ask people what they want
  and need related to making and keeping friends?
• Does your organization determine peoples
  preferences for being active in their community?
• Does the organization have strategies to help
  people be an active member of their community?

23
Individuals

• Do the individuals you support know how to build
  their own social capital?
• How often do they participate in the life of
  their community?
• Are there barriers to community participation?
• How is the person informed about options in for
  building social capital?

24
Meet Cami

• Talented Writer
• Community Writers Group
• Achieving a dream.to be published!
• Newsletter - The Connection
• The networking queen!
• Volunteer
• I feel blessed and proud because I am using my
  talents -Cami Smith

25
Meet Duane.

• Home owner
• Professional Trainer
• Illinois State Police
• Direct Support Staff
• QHSP Staff
• Neighborhood Watch Committee Safety Town
  Volunteer
• New and improved natural support network
• My life is wonderful today. I am happier than I
  have ever been. - Duane Dixon

26

• Change is about people
• and behavior...
• not about bylaws, structure
• and policies

27
Action Plan

• ALL ABOUT ME
• Where do you go for fun?
• Who would you like to take to the movies?
• Have you been on a date with a friend?
• When are your friends birthdays?
• Where do you go for the holidays?

28
Action Plan

• Strategic Plan
• How many community connections were made?
• How many community connections were repeated?
• How many people have new friends?
• Who has a new community role?

29
Action Plan

• Monthly Senior Staff Meetings
• SUCCESS STORIES
• OUTCOMES REALTED TO CONNECTIONS

30
If I had an hour to save the world, Id spend 55
minutes defining the problem. - Albert Einstein
31
Its about people, not programs!