Managing Social Services

PUAF 698V

MANAGING SOCIAL SERVICES

FALL 2011

WEDNESDAYS 4:15 - 6:45 PM

Instructor: Charles L. Short

INTRODUCTION

This is a graduate level course in applied management of human services and the practical application of human services policy. It is intended for students planning careers in public service ashuman services program managers or in policy positions at the federal, state or local level or in the private non-profit sector. This is a “backpack” course with several classes taking place off campus, in local community programs, the laboratories of social policy.

Upon completion of the course, students should be able to apply increased knowledgeand understanding of human services management and policy to diverse circumstances employing practical and proven methods as well as innovative approaches consistent with best professional practices. Students will understand the core elements of human services programs at the local, state and federal levels. With detailed exposure to an array of approaches developed throughout the nation, students will gain in understandingcommon dilemmas as well as unique differences based on service type, region, jurisdictional size and demographics and governmental organization. While the course will inform students about the formal structures and policies of human services, there will be significant discussion regarding successful organizational practices which lead to effective and enduring program and policy implementation. Students will learn of the complex and interrelated nature of social problems and the importance of collaboration among community resources for successful outcomes. The course will provide students with practical understanding of the increasing role of partnerships in human services delivery along with the essential roles of media, technology, advocacy, assessment, ethics and other essential components. Since the course emphasizes practicalinterventions, several of the class sessions will be held “on the ground and off the campus” at relevant human service sites. Case studies, lectures, practitioner presentations and site visits in the key human services areas of affordable housing, deinstitutionalization, welfare reform, child welfare services, immigration, and health-care for the uninsured and public private partnerships will be used to explore policy issues and best practices in human services management.

The instructor has a lengthy background of leadership in human services delivery, management, and innovation in government and private sectors particularly at the local, regional and state levels. He currently serves as Special Assistant to the Montgomery County Executive. He served in a senior leadership role in local government for 30 years managing large and complex direct service agencies. He served as Secretary for Justice and Service for the Archdiocese of Washington where he was the senior advisor to the Archbishop on social policy and oversaw several private, non- profit service agencies. He is a graduate of GeorgetownUniversity and the Catholic University of America, Leadership Montgomery and a Fellow at the University of MD, Academy for Excellence in Local Governance. He serves on the Board of Directors of several non-profit agencies. His diverse, practical experience along with site visits, practitioner presentations and case studies will provide for a vibrant, challenging and informative course of study.

Successful Student Outcomes

• Understand the functions and roles of the various human services and the qualities of successful service delivery;

• Understand the critical roles that effective collaboration and constant innovation play in addressing complex human services issues in an increasingly networked society and the ability to analyze issues which arise in the human services environment and apply creative and collaborative solutions;

• Understand how human service delivery is financed; the competition which exists among programs for funding, and how government dollars can be leveraged;

• Recognize the importance of cultural, ethnic and racial diversity in human service programming; be able to identify constituencies and understand their roles in decision making;

• Achieve results as a change agent at the personal, organizational and systemic levels; understand the impact of change on people and organizations;and methods which promote enduring organizational change.

• Align individual, organizational, and community goals with desired outcomes, including assessment techniques.

• Acquire practical information regarding the roles of the media, lobbying, and information technology as tools in human services policy and program development.

• Recognize the role of personal, professional and organizational ethics in developing social policy and managing human services.

OFFICE HOURS

Students are welcomed and encouraged to engage in consultations with Chuck Short by phone, email, or by appointment. He can be reached directly at his office at 240 777 2513 or cell phone 301 651 4750 and email at

READINGS, ASSIGNMENTS AND GRADING

The background text for this class is The Working Poor by DavidShipler. Other readings will be assigned from current and relevant sources including recent case studies, professional publications, news media items, on-line newsletters and journals, and relevant blogs. Background text and other sources will be integrated into various elements of each class. Four written activities, including one team project, will be assigned. No examinations will be given.

Each student will be expected to select a state and a local government from within that state as the student’s research anchor. Students should convey their choices to the professor during the second class session (9/7). Periodically, students will be asked to investigate the status of human services management/delivery in those jurisdictions to enhance classroom discussion.Class sessions will include time to discuss human services issues currently prominent in the media or of special interest to the class.

There are four assignments requiring students to produce three formal memoranda and one program analysis/evaluation project to be undertaken in teams:

1) An internet assignment, which requires students to research the organization and delivery structures of human services in their chosen jurisdictions and describe them in a succinct informational memorandum to the professor, due 9/14 (10% of grade);

2) An analytic review of the Harlem Children’s Zone identifying innovative and successful principles, practices and outcomes, 10/12. (20%);

3) The preparation of a policy paper regarding human services, political, and financial impacts, positive and negative, of immigration, documented and undocumented, on a selected local government with suggested policies and practices to address negative impacts. Due 11/16 (20%);

4) The “Managing Better, TheBackpack Project” in which each team will conduct a program review of an actual human service program and present findings and recommendations to the Director of the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services. Presentations on 12/7 (30%).

The grading standard expects all work to be done in a professional and practical manner including attention to detail and with clear written and oral presentation of ideas and content. Assignments turned in more than one week late are subject to reduction in grade. There will be several presentations by accomplished practitioners. Field visits during class time are required which may extend normal class time on that day. While some adjustments in scheduling may have to occur to accommodate guest speakers, every effort will be made to adhere to the sequencing of topics presented below.

Class attendance and participation in discussions are valued and will constitute 20% of the final grade for the course. Students will be expected to complete assigned readings and come to class prepared to discuss them. Since the class does not follow a text consistently, students must keep up through class attendance. Class participation will be judged on quality of insight displayed, the clarity of presentation and effective interactivity with other students.

A Note on Ethics from the Student Honor Council: The University of Maryland, College Park has a nationally recognized Code of Academic Integrity, administered by the Student Honor Council. This Code sets standards for academic integrity at Maryland for all undergraduate and graduate students. As a student you are responsible for upholding these standards for this course. For more information on the Code of Academic Integrity or the Student Honor Council, please visit

COURSE CONTENT

1. Welcome, Orientation and Expectations; Syllabus Review; Materials Distribution; Overview (8/31).

The first forty-five minutes of class will be devoted to organizational matters including mutual expectations and syllabus clarification. During the remainder of class, we will define the human services, identify broad issues; and discuss principles of human services leadership and management.

Students will select a state and local jurisdiction to be used as reference points periodically throughout the course. In preparation for class, students should read the Introduction and Chapter One of The Working Poor.

2. An Overview of Human Services at the Federal, State, and Local Levels (9/7).

Students will explore major categories of human services among the various levels of government and the private sector and discuss their evolution in history and policy. These categories include child welfare, poverty, aging, disabilities, health, mental health, and others.

To prepare for class, students are expected to visit the web sites of the state and local governments they have selected and become familiar with the form of government administration and organization adopted by the selected state and local government. In addition, students should link to human service agencies of the federal government and private non-profit human services agencies operating in their selected jurisdictions and come to class prepared to discuss these.

The federal government provides few human services directly, but is a significant funder and determines public policies and practices for key services provided at the state and local levels. Students will examine major federal programs and consider the roles of federal managers responsible for policy development and the allocation and accountability for federal resources. States deliver moreservices directly using federal and state funds. Students will consider how state and local governments leverage resources as well as barriers which may inhibit effective management of services.

3. Human Services Delivery, Fitting the Pieces of the Puzzle Together (9/14).

From the perspective of the consumer, most human services are local. Students should visit the web sites for their selected jurisdictions to get a sense of the breadth and depth of services provided by local governments, including counties and cities, and local private non-profit agencies and study broad organizational structures.

Local governments and non-profit agencies have the most responsibility for the direct delivery of services. Even in areas where federal and state governments have responsibilities, citizens often expect local officials to assure responsive, accountable and innovative services. Students will consider the array of challenges facing elected officials, public administrators, program managers and line workers who work with local government or for non-profit service providers collaborating with state or local government.

Key issues facing local human services will also be identified and addressed. Please read the Brookings Institution study of the Suburbanization of Poverty in the US. Students will discuss the challenges of the working poor as described in Chapter Two of The Working Poor and devise solutions to the problems which are fiscally responsible, politically sensitive, professionally competent, functionally collaborative, and ethically grounded.

ASSIGNMENT ONE IS DUE

4. The Intersection of Policy and Politics (9/21).

One of the most challenging aspects of managing human services is balancing the roles of best professional practices with the democratic principles of representative government in developing human services policies and programs. The class will identify and discuss the challenges associated with serving diverse constituencies, often with conflicting needs and expectations, and competing demands for resources. Student perspectives should include information from their local reference jurisdictions regarding how officials respond to these issues.

In managing most public services, but especially human services, there are multiple “customers or consumers” to satisfy. Identifying the customers, their interests and needs, and establishing constructive relationships with the stakeholders are critical steps in creating successful and sustained human services policies and programs.

Theclass will include a discussion of bestpractices in effective communicationwith elected and appointed leaders. The class discussion is intended to assist students to better understand the dynamic role advocacy plays in transforming policy into practice. Practitioners joining this class are: George Leventhal, chairman of the Health and Human Services Committee of the MontgomeryCounty Council and member of the UMD SPP family (

Also,Will Campos, a member of the Prince Georges County Council, from the district which includes the UMD campus.

5. Collaboration: the Key to Strategic Partnerships in Human Services (9/28).

Today’s human services challenges are so complex that it is simply impossible for individual organizations to successfully address them. Community and faith based programs have been successful for years in assisting people in need. Because of these successes and the perceived higher levels of compassion, effectiveness, and lower costs, governments are turning more to these groups to deliver basic human services once delivered by government alone. While these partnerships have many advantages, they are difficult to establish and maintain. To some entrenched bureaucracies, collaboration is an “unnatural act among two or more agencies”! The class will consider several examples of community and faith based partnerships, discuss merits and liabilities as well as the mechanics of constructing and managing partnerships in service delivery. Bruce Adams, Director of the Montgomery County Office of Community Partnerships, former President of the Montgomery County Council and professor at the UMD Leadership Institute will join this class. In preparation for this class please read the article from the Stanford Social Innovation Review on Collective Impact:

6. Housing, the Often Neglected Essential Partner of Human Services (10/5)

The objective of this class is to underscore the critical relationship between public and affordable housing policies and human services programs. In developing and managing human services programs, the principle of “Housing First”, is often cited. Without stable housing, people and families are far less likely to be economically secure, safe, and healthy regardless of other human services they may be receiving. Students will discuss federal and local housing policies; learn of effective and innovative housing models; and discuss the challenges of locating and financing affordable housing programs. The guest practitioners for this class will be Jim Brown, President and CEO of Victory Housing, Inc, a highly respected non profit housing developer in the Maryland /DC and Rick Nelson, Director of the Montgomery County Department of Housing and Community Affairs (and adjunct professor at UMD SPP). In preparation for this class, review the findings and recommendations of the Montgomery County Affordable Housing Task Force:

7. Defining Outcomes in the Context of Human Services Management (10/12).

This class will take place at the Silver Spring “one stop” Health and Human Services Center at 8818 Georgia Ave. The first part of the class will be an orientation to assist students in their team projects. Abigail Hoffman Coordinator for the Montgomery County Community Review Program will be present to explain the objectives of a community review of programs and the process each student team will follow in completing assignment four. Students should assign themselves to teams by this class.

The second part of this class will focus on the difficult and controversial work of measuring program and policy effectiveness in human services. Students will learn of various approaches to measurement of human services and discuss challenges and controversies inherent in this work. As an in-class activity, students will be challenged to develop useful and measurable outcomes relating to family self-sufficiency.

In preparation for this class, students should:

• Read the Children’s Agenda, Boldly Fitting the PiecesTogether at:

• Read the Latin American Youth Center’s FY 09 Evaluation and Outcome Highlights.

ASSIGNMENT TWO IS DUE

8. The Back Office of Service Delivery (10/19)

This class will focus on the key support services of budgeting, human resources, and procurement. No effective human services system can function without aligned administrative services. Traditionally, human services in both public and private sectors are perceived as administratively weak. This perception will be discussed along with some best practices in each area. This session will call upon students to consider innovated approaches to address the natural tension which exists between direct services and administrative services.

9. New Faces, New Places, New Responses: The Impact of Ethnic and Cultural Diversity on Human Services Delivery (10/26)

During this session, the class will examine complex policy and program issues associated with the rapid rise in the number of immigrants in the U.S. Immigrants bring rich diversity to a community; however, they also bring unique experiences, cultural traditions and beliefs which must be considered when providing them assistance. Cultures view medicine, social and family services and mental health services uniquely. Policies and programs must be sensitive if they are to be effective. Jenny Freedman (UMDSPP ’11) of CASA de MD, ( and Karla Silvestre, Montgomery County Executive’s Latino Outreach Manager ( be this class’s expert practitioners. They will be joined by recent immigrants to the US who will share and discuss their perspectives with the class.

Students should read Chapters Three and Four in The Working Poor in preparation for this class and the Final Report of the Latino Youth Collaborative Steering Committee.

10. Strategies to Assist Children in Learning and Living.(11/2)