Collective Impact has been working with the Northern West Virginia Center for Independent Living to help the organization develop a strategic plan for the future as well as engage in succession planning for the planned departure of its founding Executive Director who has lead the organization for nearly 30 years.
During this engaging and productive process, Collective Impact is becoming more educated about the variety of needs of people with disabilities as well as the numerous services, resources, and supports available to the disabilities community. Did you know that in the United Stated, 12.6% of adults have some type of disability? Did you know that in West Virginia, the number is even higher, with 19.4% of adults having some type of disability? And in West Virginia, adults with disabilities are more likely to smoke (21.9%) and be obese (43.3%).
The challenges facing people with disabilities is overwhelming, but many of these challenges are being met daily by organizations like NWVCIL. A BIG shout out to the good folks at NWVCIL for your passion, tenacity, and strong work on improving the lives and communities of people with disabilities in the mountain state!
Collective Impact used our signature Community Design Innovations model to work with the Lincoln County Early Childhood Collaborative to develop a comprehensive community-based strategic plan. The strategies identified in the plan aim to build the collaborative's capacity and strengthen the community infrastructure that supports the various early childhood resources and services available to families. Early Childhood Collaborative teams are a group of people at the local level who work together to insure smooth transitions for young children, their families and the agencies serving them. While the membership varies from one community to another, typical Early Childhood Collaborative team members include representatives of families, WV Birth to Three, Early Head Start/Head Start, Public School System, Child Care and other community partners such as Family Resource Networks (FRNs), Starting Points, Health Department, Right From the Start, Educare, etc. Every county in West Virginia has an Early Childhood Collaborative.
"Doing work that changes the circumstances in a community is not only difficult to do, it is also hard to talk about. What is needed to make the change happen? What partners and what activities? What will the change look like? How will we know if we are making progress? These are the questions that our group (professionals working with Community Action Agencies across the country) had at our last annual in-service. Collective Impact was able to clarify the relationships and the dynamics of this community approach so that we left with greater knowledge, increased understanding, and a much better perspective on all the issues. Thanks so much, Bruce!" ~ Barbara Mooney, Director, Association of Nationally Certified ROMA Trainers, Harrisburg, PA
