Technical Assistance

Since the 1980's, Great Kids, Inc. has provided direct technical assistance to Healthy Start, Healthy Families and other home visiting programs across the U.S., in Canada, New Zealand, and the Philippines. In addition to supporting the development of individual sites, Great Kids, Inc. has also worked with states and provinces to develop effective training, technical assistance, funding and other state/province-level infrastructures. See how our technical assistance can help your state/provincial leadership.

If you are interested in receiving technical assistance from Great Kids, Inc., please contact Betsy Dew.

Menu of GKI Technical Assistance Available to Sites

Planning for site program design and staffing
Available technical assistance activities:
Discussion, Experience of sites nationwide, Review of site planning menu items, Feedback
  1. Enrollment and staffing projections
  2. Start-up plan of action with timetable
  3. Memoranda of agreement
  4. Staff selection criteria
  5. Program organizational structure, e.g. supervisory ratios
  6. Program budget/fiscal planning
  7. Proposals for funding
  8. Advisory Planning Groups
  9. Understanding HFA, including Critical Elements
Parent Survey/Family Assessment Process Implementation
Available technical assistance activities:
Discussion, Experience of sites nationwide, Review of assessment menu items, Feedback, Meeting with PV/FAW team and supervisor(s)

  1. Focus population projections vs. actual screens/assessments
  2. PRC/PV/FAW staffing capacity to reach focus population
  3. Documentation and gathering information, questions or concerns
  4. Referral follow-up calls policy development
  5. Operationalizing quality management for Parent Survey/FA Process
Family Support Implementation
Available technical assistance activities:
Discussion, Shared experience from hundreds of sites, Planning, Program Design, Feedback, Meeting with FSV/FSW/HV team and supervisor(s)
  1. Caseloads for FSVs/FSWs and capacity needed to meet focus population
  2. Selecting a parenting curriculum appropriate for your program
  3. Documentation and home visit questions or concerns
  4. Time constraints and issues of task completion
  5. Operationalizing quality management for Family Support
Supervision and Program Management
Available technical assistance activities:
Discussion, Shared experience from hundreds of sites, Planning, Program Design, Feedback, Meeting with Supervisor(s) and/or Management Team
  1. Supervision specific to intensive and other home visitation approach
  2. Quarterly report(s) review opportunities to identify quality management triggers
  3. Quarterly and/or monthly report development
  4. Team meetings, content and frequency
  5. Contents of program files
  6. Timing benchmarks, initial screen/survey contact through FSV/FSW contact
  7. Case consultation
  8. Interagency partnering
  9. Consumer satisfaction surveys (families or other community partners)
  10. MIS/Data Collection
  11. Management system for quality assurance: developing, maintaining
Training
Available technical assistance activities:
Discussion, Planning, Training Program Design, Feedback
  1. Initial and ongoing training completion for staff and supervisors/managers
  2. Training plan for year including advanced and supervisory training needs
  3. Practical systems for tracking staff training
Ongoing Site Management
Available technical assistance activities:
Discussion, Shared experience from hundreds of sites, Planning, Program Design, Feedback, Meetings with supervisors/managers/staff as requested, Participation as resource person in meetings with hospitals, other partners
  1. Supervisory / management questions clarification
  2. Agreements with hospitals, other partners
  3. Training staff of other partners, hospitals
  4. Planning for and managing expansion and growth
Evaluation
Available technical assistance activities:
Discussion, Shared experience from hundreds of sites, Planning, Program Design, Feedback, Arrange for consultation with specialists
  1. Review evaluation plans /meet with evaluator
  2. Program staff interface with evaluator and evaluation requirements
  3. Effective use of evaluation data for program improvement
Credentialing (compliance with HFA credentialing process)
Available technical assistance activities:
Discussion, Shared experience from hundreds of sites, Feedback, Arrange for consultation with specialists
  1. Current compliance with and understanding of credentialing requirements
  2. Written interagency agreements
  3. Policies and procedures development
Steering Committee
Available technical assistance activities:
Discussion, Feedback, Attend meetings when invited
  1. Design, purpose, composition, and recruitment of committee
  2. Consultation to steering committee
Funding Sources
Available technical assistance activities:
Discussion, Shared experience from other sites, Feedback
  1. Strategies for engaging public officials
  2. Private sources of in kind/cash support
  3. Long term funding strategies, including relationships with HMOs
Public Awareness/Advocacy
Available technical assistance activities:
Discussion, Experience of other sites and states, Feedback, Participation as resource person in meetings with public officials
  1. Strategies for planning and preparation for meetings with public officials
  2. Strategies for marketing your program
Program Enhancements
Available technical assistance activities:
Discussion, Shared experience from hundreds of sites, Planning, Program Design, Feedback
  1. Parent Groups
  2. Father Involvement
  3. Respite Care
  4. Partnership with other services, e.g. literacy, Head Start, Resource Mothers
Quality Assurance From the Start - 3 days

Designed specifically for individual sites or states without quality assurance systems, this on-site technical assistance is intended to provide a strength-based, objective review of an individual program's strengths and areas for growth. The process includes a preview of program data, a 2-day site visit to talk with staff and review quality within program implementation, a strength-based overview of the visit with the program manager and others as desired, and a final written summary of the program's strengths in providing quality services to families, with specific practical suggestions for further development towards best practice.

 

If you are interested in receiving technical assistance from Great Kids, Inc., please contact Betsy Dew.

Our Technical Assistance to State/Provincial Leadership



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