Strategic Plan Overview

STRATEGIC PLAN OVERVIEW

Executive Summary

For the last 6 weeks, this author has been developing a plan to address the many concerns within the department. The lack of employee involvement, growing need for more money, not enough placements and having to travel too far to see children.

The department has a great many dissatisfied employees that are delivering service to state custody children. This report will touch on low moral in the department and how the department will boost employee moral. The report discuss decreasing employee turnovers will increase employee loyalty to his or her job.

With the growing amount of children coming into custody the report will address the growing need for more placements in Nashville for children in custody. The paper will show what goals the department will do to obtaining a large enough building this help to slow down the amount of children having to be placed outside of Davidson County.

In the department there is a growing concern of excessive traveling. The report will show how the department should approach this less desirable part of the job. The report will discuss what strategic goals the department will do to decrease traveling time.

Background

The Department of Children Services (DCS) provides very valuable services to many children within the State of Tennessee. The Department of Children's Services was created in Tennessee legislature on May 21, 1996. For years in Tennessee, the Department of Children's Services (DCS) routinely housed children in emergency shelters and other temporary holding facilities for as long as six months because the state had nowhere else to put them. Children in the system were also bounced through many inappropriate foster placements and, though the children stayed in state custody for extended periods, DCS made little effort to provide them with an education, return to their parents, or adoption. (Adoption 2007). The Department of Children's Services is located in downtown Nashville next to the Department of Human Services. The Department of Children's Services has a staff of over 800 professionals. The Department of Children's Services offer many different services such as adoption, foster care, child protective services, treatment centers and juvenile justice probation.

Mission

The mission statement for the Department of Children's Services states; Department of Children's Services, in cooperation with families, local communities, juvenile courts, and schools will provide timely, appropriate, and cost-effective services for children in state custody and at risk of custody, so these children can strive to reach their full potential as productive, competent, and healthy adults. ( DCS, 2005).

Vision

The vision of the Department of Children's Services states that Tennessee will be a place where all children and families can grow in nurturing communities, in safety, in good health and with hope for the future. (DCS, 2005).

Value

In the Department of Children's Services there are eight values that the department has used as a guide in serving the child and family:

* The first value is respect towards all clients.

* Second value is humility the department recognizes limitations on others, and do not sit judgment on others or their situation.

* Third value is integrity in that the department consistently demonstrates a high standard of ethical and professional values.

* Fourth value is transparency this organization shares information that is clear, straightforward, logical, sensible and obtainable.

* Fifth value is resilience the department has a strong belief in the human capacity for change and growth. As an organization this is displayed as workers meet the needs of clients.

* Value six is excellence the organization places there staff to the highest quality standards to implement the best practice in serving the child and family.

* The seventh value is collaboration the department is a publicly held corporation.

* The eighth value is diversity.

The Department of Children's Services value the differences in culture, perspective and experience, and included these into the organizations structure.

Environmental analysis:

Remote Environment:

Economy

Within the Department of Children's Service there is an extremely high turn over rate for employees due to low pay, high case loads and long hours. The average employee puts in 60 hours plus weekly to keep up with the demand of neglected, abused and juvenile children that enter custody. An Ideal that the department could do to decrease the overwhelming long hours is to let employees work longer days and shorter weeks. Employees will see this as a reward for the long hours to work shorter weeks. With the constant employee turn-over more work is put on those that remain, doubling caseloads and adding more paperwork on him or her. Employees will start to feel that there is no end to the amount of paperwork from extra cases. The department should make the work place fun and stress free.

Social:

DCS is committed to serving families, making a contribution to our communities, and team members. The department cares for a lot of children that have committed crimes in the community, and are providing services in the homes to help families learn to care for problem children. Children that commit crimes should be given a chance to pay for their crimes. An ideal is to make the child go through counseling in the metro jails where they are with criminals. This will enable them to see what the life of a real criminal is like. Many children in states custody should be held accountable for what they do to others.

Technological:

Within the department, there is one primary system that is critical. The department uses computer software called TNKidds. This software has eliminated paper data. The system is great when it is working well and a person can enter