University of Pittsburgh
Graduate School of Public and International Affairs
Nonprofit Clinic
The Emmaus Community of Pittsburgh, Inc.
Strategic Plan
Prepared by:
Shawn Ahearn
Christine Crawford
Joseph Elliott
Under the supervision of Leon L. Haley, PhD
January, 2005
Emmaus Community of Pittsburgh
STRATEGIC PLAN
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
Executive Summary ................................................................................ 3
Background and Introduction ................................................................. 4
Strategic Planning Rationale ................................................................... 4-5
Mission and Vision Statements ............................................................... 5-6
Environmental Scan and SWOT Analysis .............................................. 6-7
Industry Analysis .................................................................................... 7-9
Strategic Plan
Strategic Issues and Strategies ...................................................... 9-11
Summary and Recommendations ................................................. 12-13
Appendices
Comparative Analysis ................................................................... 14-15
Other Potential Strategic Issues Identified ................................... 16
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The Emmaus Community of Pittsburgh
Executive Summary
This document is the product of a series of meetings and discussions with members of
Board of Directors and several key staff members of the Emmaus Community of Pittsburgh
relative to the organization’s environment and their expressed interest in developing a strategic
plan to guide the organization through its next phase of development. To facilitate the process of
strategic planning, a team of students at the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs,
University of Pittsburgh, under the auspices of the school’s Nonprofit Clinic, conducted a scan
analysis of Emmaus Community’s environment to identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities
and threats. The team also performed an industry analysis.
Based on these findings and through discussions with the Planning Committee, five
primary strategic issues—which are critical to the organization’s future and its ability to
effectively carry out its mission—were identified. These issues, each of which is further defined
in this document, are:
1) Resource Development—The need to pursue funding other than that which is
allocated by the Allegheny County Department of Human Services, Office of Mental
Retardation/Developmental Disabilities.
2) Residential Facility Expansion—The need to expand the number of residential
homes the organization operates to meet the demand for services for persons with
developmental disabilities.
3) Staff Recruitment, Training, and Retention—The need to develop more effective
methods of recruiting direct-care professionals, training these individuals, and
providing incentives to encourage longevity of employment.
4) Executive Management Succession Plan—The need to develop a formal written
succession plan using “best practices.”
5) Evaluation of Resident Care and Staff—The need to evaluate the quality of care
being provided to residents and the competencies of the Emmaus staff.
Strategies or actions that might be undertaken by The Emmaus Community to address
these issues are also identified, including a description of what internal structures should assume
responsibility for implementation, and a suggested timeline for execution.
Further, as noted in this document, The Emmaus Community, like many other nonprofits,
is faced with a number of internal and external challenges (and how they are responded to),
which will affect its ability to implement the plan proposed in this document. These challenges
are addressed throughout this document and are also referenced in the summary section, along
with some recommendations that The Emmaus Community should consider as it moves forward
in implementing this Plan.
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Background and Introduction
The Emmaus Community of Pittsburgh is a private non-profit organization located in
Allegheny County dedicated to serving persons with mental retardation and other developmental
disabilities. Emmaus was founded in 1989 by Lorraine and Ken Wagner, parents of a daughter
with a developmental disability, and their friends, who recognized the great need for services in
this area—especially residential housing.
The organization has experienced expansion and growth in the past decade and currently
operates three homes offering permanent residences for persons with disabilities. Each of the
homes, which opened between 1994 and 2002, provides 24-hour services for three or four
persons with disabilities. Emmaus strives to have at least two live in staff persons in each home.
In addition to the permanent residences, Emmaus responded to numerous requests for a
facility where short-term respite care could be provided for individuals with developmental
disabilities by renovating a building on the South Side and converting it into a Respite Center.
This facility, which opened in May of 2000, has provided approximately 1,000 overnight stays
for nearly 400 people. In April 2003, Emmaus entered into an affiliation with Achieva, the
parent organization of the ARC of Greater Pittsburgh, to operate the Center.
In addition to providing residential and respite services, Emmaus continues to be an
advocate for all persons with developmental disabilities. Informational meetings are held for
parents and other interested persons to educate and support family members caring for a loved
one with developmental disabilities. The Emmaus Community has grown into a viable and
fiscally responsible organization with a full-time and part-time staff, a dedicated Board of
Directors, and many committed volunteers.
Approximately four years ago, Emmaus engaged in a strategic planning process which
identified several key goals for the organization, including 1) having the new respite center filled
to capacity, 2) adding an additional residential home or homes, and 3) continuing the transition
of persons with developmental disabilities to permanent community-based homes.
During the early part of 2004, Emmaus recognized that it was time to reevaluate its
organizational goals and once again engage in a more formal strategic planning process. Several
Board members and the executive leadership of the organization expressed the desire to conduct
a capital campaign for expansion and to proactively address the issue of decreasing revenues
from government and private sources.
Executive Director Lorraine Wagner contacted the Nonprofit Clinic at the University of
Pittsburgh’s Graduate School of Public and International Affairs to request technical assistance
in developing a strategic plan for the organization. The Clinic assembled a team of students
from the school to help identify current strategic issues and offer recommended courses of
action. A series of meetings were conducted between the university team and the Emmaus team,
which was composed of the Executive Director, the Chief Financial Officer, the Director of
Development, two Board members, and other staff members.
Strategic Planning Rationale and Process
Given the realities of an ever-changing economic, social, political and cultural
environment, nonprofit organizations are increasingly developing plans for managing their
future. As a systematic, forward-looking process, planning is based upon the proposition that
there are significant benefits to gain through an explicit process of formulating strategy to insure
that the actions of the organizations are coordinated and directed at some common set of goals.1
1
From M.E. Porter, Competitive Strategy, 1980.
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Those that do not plan face the risks of being unprepared for the inevitable, the undesirable, and
the uncontrollable.2
Strategic issues analysis is a process of identifying the most significant challenges that
affect an organization’s ability to carry out its mission, and to effectively deliver the product or
services that are vital to the mission. Often times, an organization’s ability to maintain adequate
levels of funding with an eye to the future, and simultaneously implement sound management
and employment practices, contribute greatly to its success and development.
Emmaus is an organization that has enjoyed successful expansion in recent years, yet still
is in a developmental phase in the life of the organization. During a series of meetings with the
Nonprofit Clinic technical assistance team, the Emmaus committee engaged in an examination of
the organization’s mission, the development of a vision statement, and a thorough analysis of
potential strategic issues, which were then prioritized. In addition, a SWOT analysis (to identify
Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) and an environmental scan were performed
to determine the context in which the organization operates.
Mission & Vision Statements
During the strategic planning process, the leadership of the Emmaus Community
carefully evaluated its mission statement, which has been used as a guiding tool for the
organization since its inception 15 years ago. A few subtle, yet important revisions were made to
reflect the current environment in which the organization operates. In addition, it was
determined that a Vision Statement should be drafted to further clarify what the organization
hopes to accomplish – over the long term – if it is to be successful in fulfilling its mission.
The Emmaus Mission Statement adopted in December, 2004:
The Emmaus Community of Pittsburgh is dedicated to providing residential homes for
persons with developmental disabilities and promoting public awareness of their needs.
The Community, inspired by Faith and a desire to help others, seeks to improve the
quality of life for persons with developmental disabilities. In living, working, and breaking
bread together, people with and without disabilities enjoy fellowship by sharing who they are
and what they have with one another. Strengthened by its spirituality and prayerful direction,
the Community helps all members grow and become whole.
To accomplish its mission, The Emmaus Community works toward the following goals:
 To maintain the highest quality of care in residential homes that fosters acceptance by
the community;
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
To create an environment where everyone can use their abilities and live to their fullest
potential;

To educate the community about the needs of persons with developmental disabilities
and advocate for a productive response to those needs; and

To provide short-term respite opportunities for families and individuals.
From M.K. Starr, Management: A Modern Approach
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The Emmaus Vision Statement adopted in December, 2004:
The Emmaus Community of Pittsburgh is an organization dedicated to serving
individuals with developmental disabilities in community homes. Emmaus serves as care giver
and support family for the individuals we serve. Our vision is to continue to provide the
highest quality of care for our residents as well as to increase awareness and acceptance of
persons with developmental disabilities.
As the Emmaus Community achieves its mission over the next 10 years, we envision
having a positive impact on society by:
 Increasing the freedom and quality of life of the individuals served by helping them
fulfill their greatest potential;

Creating a community of acceptance and inclusion for all persons who have
developmental disabilities by making the general public aware of their needs through
education and advocacy;

Being known and recognized as an effective and successful organization that offers
services above and beyond the ordinary;

Having high quality facilities that are recognized and valued by the community;

Becoming a model for other organizations attempting to serve persons with
developmental disabilities;

Being dedicated to recruiting and retaining the best staff possible;

Developing new leadership within the organization;

Increasing the organization’s stability and external support by having diversified its
revenue streams to enable the Community to respond to the growth in demand for its
services; and

Having honored an organizational commitment to maintaining the public trust
through accountability and program evaluation
Environmental Scan
As part of a strategic issues analysis, the technical assistance team conducted a scan of
the internal and external environment in which The Emmaus Community operates. From an
internal perspective, the assessment seeks to identify the organization’s strengths and weaknesses
that may bear on the organization’s effectiveness in achieving its mission. Externally, the
assessment seeks to identify the opportunities and threats the organization faces; these are factors
that the organization does not control, but may impact the organization’s ability to achieve its
mission. The key assessment characteristics of both the internal and external environments are
summarized below.
Strengths
1. The Emmaus Community is financially stable and possesses adequate funds to operate
their existing homes.
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2. Emmaus has a strong community-based model for residential care in their existing homes
that is easily transferable to additional homes.
3. The Executive and administrative staff as well as the Board of Directors are dedicated to
Emmaus and passionate about fulfilling the organization’s mission.
4. Emmaus has strong executive leadership.
5. Emmaus has a positive image in the mental retardation provider community.
Weaknesses
1. There is a lack of adequate attention to, and limited resource investment in the area of
marketing and making Emmaus more publicly visible.
2. While advocacy is viewed as a top priority, efforts in these areas need to be strengthened
for the long-term betterment of the organization and industry.
3. Government funding is not sufficient to cover costs; hence there is a corresponding need
on the part of The Emmaus Community to devote considerable time to pursuing external
funding.
Opportunities
1. There are a significant number of potential clients unfunded by the County who are on
waiting lists for support; these individuals could be funded through other means (private,
corporate, foundation support).
2. The possibility exists for sharing the responsibility for educating the public on the need
for supportive care for individuals needing residential care with other agencies in the
marketplace by building on existing relationships and sharing expertise on such concerns
as advocacy.
3. Currently, there are several property owners who wish to donate their buildings for use as
residential facilities.
4. There is the potential for capitalizing on public support, which can be harnessed to create
new revenue streams through a capital campaign, special events, and other forms of
financial solicitation.
Threats
1. The direct-care workforce is vulnerable to high turnover, due to low wages, stressful
work environments and need for training.
2. Financial vulnerability exists because of Emmaus’ heavy dependence on government
funding.
3. Competition exists for limited funding from foundations and other sources from other
organizations that are larger and provide various support services.
4. Potential shifts in government policy away from residential homes to more emphasis on
personal care in foster home settings exist.
Industry Analysis
In addition to the general environmental assessment, the technical assistance team also
performed an industry analysis as part of the strategic planning process for The Emmaus
Community. Associated with this analysis, the team identified the most visible “service
competitors” of The Emmaus Community (see Appendix I). In this context, “industry” is
defined as the particular field or service area in which The Emmaus Community operates;
therefore, this industry analysis is concerned with providers of residential services for people
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with mental retardation/developmental disabilities. More specifically, in this industry scan, the
term mental retardation/developmental disabilities refers primarily to those individuals who,
because of limitations in both intelligence and adaptive skills, require accommodations and
personalized supports in order to function with some degree of independence.
During this analysis, it became increasingly evident that there are many complex factors
associated with providing residential services for the people which Emmaus serves, particularly
in a group home setting; the most significant being acquiring government and private funding.
Simply stated, the entire community-based mental retardation service industry has been
chronically under funded by the government for many years. The Commonwealth of
Pennsylvania, for example, allocates a specific amount of funding for developmental disability
services for each county in the state on an annual basis. The Allegheny County Department of
Human Services, Office of Mental Retardation then allocates a “budget” to individuals with
developmental disabilities who are registered in the system for various services, including
residential services, employment, transportation and health care. These individuals, once funded,
can then choose to utilize different service agencies to meet their various needs.
The number of individuals with developmental disabilities requiring care each year in
Allegheny County has stabilized between 8,000 and 8,500 from 2001-04, which represents less
than one percent of the general population. However, these statistics do not cover the unknown
number of those in need but not registered in the system, which is estimated to be as high or
higher than the number noted above. While costs for care continue to increase, state funding has
not kept pace with rising expenses. In the Allegheny County Department of Human Services,
Office of Mental Retardation Fiscal Year 2005-06 Budget, the County identified 217 individuals
who were on a waiting list for residential services that offered 24-hour support and supervision
and considered “Priority I: Emergency Need” (in need of immediate care). However, the County
projected that they will be able to serve only 27 of those individuals, or approximately 12
percent. Furthermore, the county classified another 1,064 individuals on waiting lists in Critical
Need (requiring services within one year). The County projects they will only be able to serve
224 of these individuals based on the funding that they expect to receive from the State.
Though The Emmaus Community is heavily dependent on government funding for each
resident, shortfalls in funding are made up through foundation grants, donations, and fundraising
activities carried out by Emmaus staff and volunteers. In 2003-04, there was a shortfall of
$90,000 for operating expenses of the residences. However, successful fundraisers and grants
were sufficient to cover the deficit.
The second issue that has serious implications for the industry and Emmaus is staff
recruitment and retention. The Department of Labor recorded that in 2002 the average pay for all
workers in this field ranged between $8.15 and $9.01 an hour, or $16,952 to $18,741 annually,
which is below federal poverty guidelines for a family of four.
Furthermore, as noted in the Allegheny County DHS/OMR 2005-06 Budget, direct-care
providers who work with persons with developmental disabilities in state facilities are paid
between 70-80% more than workers who do the same type of work in community settings. The
disparity in pay between state institutions and community homes actually punishes the workers
who choose to work at organizations such as Emmaus. Low wages, coupled with the high level
of stress associated with being a direct care provider, cause shortages of qualified workers in the
industry overall and has a serious impact on the quality of care provided.
In Pennsylvania, the daily cost of keeping someone in an institution in 1996 was $260.83
per day. In 2000, that per diem jumped to $389.72 per day. In contrast, the average per diem for
an Emmaus resident in 2003 was $187.00 per day. The per diems paid to Emmaus for each
resident have not been enough to cover actual costs, and the county used to make up the
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difference in the early years of the organization. However, six years ago that reimbursement
mechanism ended and there has been no provision to cover deficits throughout the system.
Additionally, Kevin Casey, Deputy Secretary for the Office of Mental Retardation,
proposed that the Commonwealth look at the potential under utilization of less staff intensive
residential options. In other words, the Deputy Secretary wants the Commonwealth to consider
reducing the amount of funding that would be available for individuals who utilize residential
“family” home care providers such as Emmaus and create a foster care system which could result
in less supportive care to these individuals.
Strategic Issues and Strategies
In carrying out this strategic planning initiative, the project team focused considerable
time in identifying key strategic issues. These issues are defined as those fundamental policy
questions affecting the organization’s mandates, mission, values, services, financing, and
management – among others. This process is considered vital and essential to the organization’s
ability to respond to present and future challenges.
During the initial discussions in this stage of the process, the Emmaus planning team
identified eleven (11) potential strategic issues. Subsequent discussions resulted in paring the
original list of strategic issues to five (5) that are considered priority, that is, those issues deemed
most critical at this juncture of the organization’s development. Through a consensus building
process, the following five (5) priority strategic issues - were determined as those requiring some
immediate response.3 Each priority strategic issue discussion is followed by a series of
strategies that Emmaus intends to implement.4
1. Resource Development—Like all nonprofits, Emmaus is faced with the need to expand its
funding base to help meet the “real costs” of providing residential care. More specifically,
Emmaus needs to pursue funding sources to meet long-term needs, other than that which is
allocated by the Commonwealth through the Allegheny County Department of Human Services,
Office of Mental Retardation/Developmental Disabilities. Failure to pursue other funding
sources and achieve favorable results is likely to impair Emmaus’ ability to continue to operate
at the current level of effectiveness.
Strategies:


Engage an outside consultant to develop a “Case for Funding” document for a capital
campaign, long-term operating needs, and an endowment. Emmaus has internal staff
and Board members who can and must play a very active role in any fundraising
endeavors, but the organization should contract the services of a professional to
ensure maximum success.
Identify a highly visible person to chair the Annual Golf Outing and Auction to
generate greater net financial return for the event. Visibility and an active committee
are keys to ensuring a successful event that is known as one of the best in the region,
3
Originally, these issues were framed as questions. After agreement on them was obtained, the issues were then
denoted by their subject matter.
4
The other seven (7) potentially strategic issues were either combined in content with the priority issues or were
determined to be those which might be acted upon later. (See Appendix II for listing)
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and a high profile figure can play a major role in generating greater exposure and
revenue.


Develop a plan for improving the level of “individual giving” to Emmaus, including a
plan for developing a method for enabling donors to make a monthly financial
commitment of support.
Develop an internal committee to study the feasibility of Emmaus initiating a forprofit business enterprise that might include assessing the feasibility of marketing
products or services.
2. Residential Facility Expansion—There exists a waiting list for individuals and families
seeking quality residential care. To meet this need, Emmaus considers it a priority to expand the
number of residential homes the organization operates to meet the demand for services for
persons with developmental disabilities. The failure to increase the number of facilities is likely
to result in a missed opportunity to provide quality care by one of the more visible and highly
regarded providers, and thus delay the availability of residential care to those in need.
Strategies:



Engage legal services to assist with development of policies and procedures in
accepting the transfer of private homes from donors as future residential facilities.
Explore the possibility of engaging in other “family trust” type arrangements and be
prepared to act upon opportunities.
Continue a working collaboration with other similar care-providing agencies to act as
a lobbying influence with legislators statewide and key decision makers to obtain
increased governmental funding for services, and actively and aggressively educate
the public on the crisis situation that many people with developmental disabilities and
their families are confronted.
Increase private funding to support the residential costs of serving potential future
clients through a capital campaign, initiating an endowment program, and a more
active pursuit of grants.
3. Staff Recruitment, Training, and Retention—Quality care by competent and trained direct
caregivers to the vulnerable population served by the Emmaus Community is vital. Moreover,
retaining qualified and committed direct care staff is also vital to ensure continuity in the quality
of care. Therefore, strategically, there is a need to develop more effective methods of recruiting
direct-care professionals, training these individuals, and providing incentives to encourage
longevity of employment. The failure to act on this strategic issue could result in lower quality
service and expose the Community’s residents to greater risks.
Strategies:

Develop a formal professional education program for direct care professionals,
working in collaboration with area colleges and universities (could be a certificate
program) and other service providers such as Goodwill.
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


Explore possibilities of developing partnerships with government programs such as
Welfare to Work, and various recruiting agencies that specialize in assisting people
seeking new careers.
Continue managing the present high quality internship program for local college
students, and expand it to provide needed resources for augmenting staff.
Build upon the organization’s retention program by offering additional incentives and
benefits. The goal should be to establish a compensation package with a pay scale
that is at or near the top of the industry.
4. Executive Management Succession Plan—As with most nonprofits, during their formation
and early development, the organization’s founder(s) provide the core administrative/
management leadership. The Emmaus Community is typical of this arrangement. However, it is
inevitable that executive leadership will undergo transformation, and therefore there is the need
to develop a formal written succession plan. The failure to do so could result in creating a
management void which could impair the organization’s ability to continue providing effective
care and leadership.
Strategies:


Using “best practices,” develop a formal written succession plan and ensure its
availability to the Board’s Executive Committee and the Member group, which is
composed of five permanent Board members.
To continue mentoring staff for future leadership roles
5. Evaluation of Resident Care and Staff—Increasingly, nonprofit organizations such as the
Emmaus Community are faced with the need to demonstrate “successful” outcomes and to
identify the appropriate measures for doing so. Moreover, there is an expectation of
accountability to demonstrate that philanthropic and government funding is being used to
achieve the intended results; a reality which suggests the need to evaluate the quality of care
being provided to residents and the competencies of Emmaus staff. The failure to engage in
periodic evaluation could impair the Community’s ability to continue to attract funding and its
ability to improve its services based upon what it learns from an evaluation.
Strategies:



Develop and execute a formal evaluation of The Emmaus Community programs and
services including the quality of resident care and staff competencies.
Use of evaluation tools and data already in place for federal, state, and county
assessment of programs can be used to build case statements for funding endeavors.
Explore “best practices” evaluation methods used by similar organizations.
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SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS
As a nonprofit organization operating in today’s crowded marketplace environment, The
Emmaus Community is faced with many challenges. Perhaps the greatest challenge, among
several, is how to meet the increasing demand for services with diminished public and private
resources. The preparation of this document is the result of a strategic planning process that
focused on identifying the most significant strategic issues facing The Emmaus Community of
Pittsburgh. As the organization charts its course for the future, this plan identifies strategic issues
and provides broad strategies that Emmaus should pursue in the next few years as the
organization strives to expand its reach, broaden its impact in the community, and sustain itself
as a viable and important resource in Allegheny County.
This strategic plan should be viewed as a working document that is designed to provide a
foundation for moving forward and, if necessary, for more intensive planning by Emmaus
administrative staff, the Board of Directors, and where appropriate, outside consultants. Clearly,
some suggested strategies in this document require further development, and Emmaus’ ability to
implement some of the proposed strategies will be dependent on the organization’s ability to
generate additional resources.
It is the Project Team’s assessment that The Emmaus Community is a healthy, vibrant
organization with leaders who are both qualified and passionate about continuing to achieve its
mission. Nevertheless, based upon our observations, we offer the following recommendations.
 While our observations indicate that Emmaus has the internal administrative and governance
capacity in place now to achieve its mission, the Project Team would recommend that at
some time in the future The Emmaus Community also review its governance and
administrative systems to determine if these need to be redesigned to ensure continued
effectiveness. In particular, we suggest that the size and composition of the Board be a part of
this review.
 Historically, nonprofits encounter some of their most severe problems by over expansion.
Therefore, while the need for additional residential homes for persons with developmental
disabilities is evident, we recommend that the Community proceed with expansion plans
cautiously and do so when there is solid evidence of funding to ensure long-term stability.
 For organizations moving toward the mature life cycle, it is important to consider a “division
of labor” among the administrative staff. Among the important labor tasks are program
management and fund development. The team recommends, therefore that the Emmaus
Community consider the possibility of creating the position of Deputy Director to help in
program management and hiring either a part-time or full time person in development to
maximize the organization’s ability to pursue foundation and general funding support, and
increase marketing efforts.
 One of the “attractive” strategies identified for revenue development is exploration of the
possibility of The Emmaus Community engaging in some form of social enterprise. While
the trend on the part of nonprofit organizations is clearly moving in this direction, we
recommend that – in addition to having an internal committee consider this prospect – the
Emmaus Community also engage an outside social enterprise consultant to assist them in this
process to assure that before any decision is made, it has the benefit of expert advice on both
the appropriate enterprise and the risks associated with any initiative of this kind.
 The Emmaus Community residential care facilities are in excellent condition and residents
are well cared for. Only by on-site visit would one be able to observe these characteristics.
We recommend, therefore, that The Emmaus Community engage in an external marketing
campaign to better publicize the quality of its facilities and services, as well as draw the
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
attention of potential donors who might welcome the opportunity to be associated with the
quality of the services provided by the Community. In this regard, we suggest consideration
be given to hosting an “Open House” to which the general public would be invited.
Finally, the Project Team recommends that after two or three years of implementing the
strategies identified in this document, the Emmaus Community engage in an internal
evaluation to determine its success in achieving the results anticipated from this plan and
whether it is appropriate to revise their strategies in light of changes in their internal and
external environment. The team is of the opinion that such a continuous review of this
planning process will enable Emmaus to not only remain strong, but also enable the
organization to grow to full maturity as a leading nonprofit organization providing services
for persons with developmental disabilities.
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APPENDIX I
Competitor Analysis
PA Mentor
The PA Mentor program is located in the Penn Hills area of Pittsburgh and was
established in Allegheny County in 1994. In 2001, PA Mentor employed three individuals and
served a total of 10 people in its Group Living programs. Group Living programs can be utilized
as a transitional step for individuals moving to more independent living arrangements or as
ongoing long-term support for persons who desire it. The organization does this by “providing a
home-like setting where residents can live in the community, be empowered to make personal
decisions regarding their daily pursuits, choose their support network, and actively participate in
managing a shared household. At the same time, the programs offer a safe and stable
environment where 24-hour supervision and flexible support services are provided to address
individualized needs and preferences.”
The organization not only serves people with developmental disabilities, but also serves
children with emotional and behavioral challenges and individuals with acquired brain injury by
offering community-based residential, in-home and out-of-home services. Being part of a
national network of providers allows this organization and its partners to utilize services of other
organizations to provide services to their residents that the organization may not provide.
Sharp Visions, Inc.
Sharp Visions, Inc. has its main office in Downtown Pittsburgh and serves individuals in
10 Western Pennsylvania counties. In 2001, Sharp Visions employed 108 individuals to serve its
33 clients in Allegheny County. The organization provides services to both children and adults
who experience various combinations of disabilities including developmental, cognitive,
psychiatric, behavioral, environmental, and others. The organization’s homes are usually rented,
in order to provide flexibility related to the range of geographic and environmental needs of each
person served. This approach enables the person to move to more appropriate settings as their
needs and desires evolve.
Homes are occasionally purchased when the need for adaptation is quite extreme, or
when there are specific reasons for doing so. When shared living space is appropriate,
housemates are chosen through collaboration between the two people receiving services. Many
people live alone, at least during the first year, due to the extreme nature of their support needs.
However, it is always the goal to find acceptable house companions whenever possible and
desired. In most cases, the number of people living in one home is limited to two.
Individual budgets and expenditure reports are generated for each person, regardless of
their living accommodations. The continuous process of developing budgets and evaluating
expenditures, developed by Sharp Visions, is called Resource Management Planning. This
process is designed to evaluate all potential or available resources, to utilize all resources
efficiently, and to return excess funds to the funding sources whenever possible. The individuals
served are involved in the hiring and supervision of staff, in budgeting funds related to their
supports and services, and in all other decision-making.
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Passavant Memorial Homes
Passavant serves people in several Western Pennsylvania counties. In 2001, the
organization employed over 600 staff to serve its 380 clients in Allegheny County. Along with
its community homes, the organization provides family living services, in-home services, respite
services, personal care boarding homes, independent support services, long-term structured
residences, and training and vocational services.
Residential supports are focused around the needs of the individuals. A team of people
from Consumer Supports, Nursing, Human Resources and Maintenance Departments help ensure
the welfare of the individuals, as well as the safety of the homes. Staff provides 24-hour support
to individuals depending on their needs. Twenty-four hour support is offered through block
shifts and part-time staffing.
Additional supports offered in the home focus on increasing the independence of the
individual. Each person is assigned a Program Specialist from the Consumer Supports
Department. The Program Specialist will assess the ability of the individual and develop goals
for the individual to achieve. The Program Specialist is also responsible for ensuring that each
person has any necessary adaptations needed to support them in a residential setting and they
coordinate a team that includes the individual, family, case managers, and personal support staff.
The nursing department provides 24-hour on-call support for individuals. Scheduling for routine
appointments, review of records and follow-up care of individuals are common supports for
people living in residential homes.
The organization has also formed a for-profit, social venture called Passavant
Development Corporation (PDC). PDC was created as a subsidiary of Passavant Memorial
Homes in 1998. As a subsidiary of Passavant Memorial Homes, PDC uses the experience and
knowledge of Passavant Memorial Homes' administrative staff to offer services specifically
designed for human service providers. Since the formation of PDC, it has steadily grown into a
company that offers strong support to Passavant Memorial Homes as well as many other clients
in western Pennsylvania. It is the mission of PDC to provide innovative solutions for service
organizations through consultative, administrative and pharmaceutical services that promote
efficiency.
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Appendix II – Other Potential Strategic Issues Identified
1.
Should the Community pursue working collaborations with other similar
providers in order to better enhance its service?
2.
Should the Community enhance (improve) its services to maximize independence
and self-actualization of its residents?
3.
Should the Community engage in a more active advocacy role on behalf of
persons with developmental disabilities?
4.
Should the Community pursue membership in the L’Arche Community?
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