Village Model - National Association of States United for Aging and ...

Village Model:
Innovative Solution
to Support
Community Based
Referral Systems
2010 National Aging and Disability
AIRS Symposium
May 24, 2010
Presented by:
Candace Baldwin & Susan Poor
NCB Capital Impact

Agenda
• Discussion Points
– Overview of NCB Capital Impact
– Discussion of the nuts and bolts of Village model and
replicable models
– Village “movement” is nationwide and growing,
prompting Village to Village Network
– Identify key intersections and alignments of mission
and programming to build partnerships with Villages
locally
• Open Discussion

It Takes More Than Money to Spark Lasting
Economic Progress
• Empowering communities through
– Innovative community lending
– Expert technical assistance
– Effective policy development
• Key areas of work include
– Affordable cooperative housing
– Cooperative service purchasing arrangements
– Community-based and facility-based LTSS enhancement
– Community-based health and behavioral care
– Educational Facilities

As a Mission-Driven Non-Profit, We Measure
Our Social Impact
• Our impacts include
– 32,000 units of multifamily homeownership or
other affordable housing
– 15,000 jobs for low-income individuals
– 94,000 school seats
– 8,700 affordable assisted living units for seniors
and persons with disabilities
– 2.4 million square feet of community health center
space serving 350,000 patients annually

Connecting Long Term Supports Policy
with Real World Practices
• CLTSI team provides innovative, expert technical
assistance to community-based organizations
working in underserved and moderate- and lowincome
communities
• Mission to help older Americans and people with
disabilities to conduct their lives with maximum
independence, dignity and connection to their
communities
• Develop models to foster community ownership and
meet consumer preference to maintain
independence

Community Approaches to
Aging

Nationally, Consumer Housing Preference
is to Remain in the Community
• Programs must fit needs and preferences to
the individual
• Create multiple housing and services choices
in a community
• Models should be the least restrictive and
non-institutional
• Affordable community based housing with
access to personal services and supports

Aging in Community Strategies Link Community
Features with Services
Element
Features
Basic Needs -- Safe,
Accessible, and Affordable
Community Engagement
Health and Well Being
Independence and
Autonomy
• Accessible and affordable housing and community areas
• Provides information about services
• Fosters safety
• Fosters meaningful connections
• Promotes active community engagement
• Opportunities for paid or volunteer work
• Facilitates access to medical and social services
• Promotes health behaviors
• Supports community activities that enhance well being
• Mobilizes in-home supports and services
• Coordinates or offers transportation
• Supports family and other caregivers

Village Model

Village Model has a Set of Guiding
Principles
• Grassroots membership based organization
• Self-governing
• Self-supporting
• Consolidator of services
• Strategic partners
• Focus on the whole person
• Volunteers and civic engagement
• Supports intergenerational connections

Villages are a Movement for Elder Independence,
Dignity and Connection to Community
Village Is
• Consumer developed and
operated
• A one-stop shop for
coordinating a variety of
services and supports
• A network of community
members working
together
• Focused on the whole
person
• Integrates a variety of
resources and assistance
Village Is NOT
• A provider model
• Licensed
• A physical place such as
a senior center or a
NORC
• A care-giving model
• A new silo
• Replicating anything

Villages Foster a Stronger Sense of Community
• Governance/Civic Engagement
– Non Profit, 501(c) 3 organizations
– Membership governs through Board of Directors
• Funding
– Funded through membership fees and fundraising
• Supports and Services
– Provide one stop, one call for community members
– Facilitate connection to existing community services
• Currently targeted to moderate income but includes
low-income
– Membership Plus model allows for Medicaid eligible
individuals to participate

Because They are Consumer-Driven
Organizations, Services Are Flexible
• Core Services
– Transportation
– Grocery shopping
– Professional staff services including supports
coordination
• Concierge Services
– Coordinated by Village staff
– Vetted, background-checked vendors
– Discount on service included in membership or
negotiated on a request-by-request basis

Villages Response to Member
Requests
Core or concierge
service met with a
volunteer
Some
Examples
Member calls
or emails
Village office
with request
Trained
Village Staff
or Office
Volunteer
Triages
Request
Concierge service
met with a vendor at
a discounted rate
Member signed up for
event or ongoing
service/support
• Home Health
• Lawn/garden
• Electrician
• Plumber
• Painting
Member contacted for
feedback on quality of
service
Professional Village
staff help navigate
challenge

Village Governance is at the Member
Level
Board of
Directors
Board Subcommittee
for Executive
Oversight
Fundraising
Committee
Membership
Committee
Services
Committee
Marketing
Committee
Village Executive
Director & Staff

Villages are Unique to the Communities
They Serve
• Built to address community needs and gaps in
services
• Models of implementation vary
– Newly created non-profit serving specific neighborhood
– Parent organization – social service agency still maintain
grassroots
– Virtual Villages – online, no specified location for
organization
– Hub and Spoke model – central organization supporting
separate “spokes” in larger service area

Villages Are Taking Unique and Creative
Approaches to Meeting Community Preferences
• Beacon Hill Village -- Boston, MA
– Longest operating and national model
– 500 members
• Capitol Hill Village – Washington, DC
– Relying on a volunteer-first service approach
– Close to 200 members after one year of operation
– $170,000 2007-2008 Operating Budget
– 1 FTE remaining services coordinated by volunteers
• Wise & Healthy Aging – Los Angeles, CA
– Established non-profit social service agency
– Hub & Spoke – more neighborhoods, cooperative sharing of
administrative/back office
– Serves low income and frail elders

Approximately 106 Communities Are
Actively Engaged in Village

Village to Village Network (VtV) Development
to Support Village Movement
• NCB Capital Impact in partnership with Beacon
Hill Village
• Commonality of information requests:
– Getting Started
– Fundraising/Marketing/Outreach
– Sustaining operation
• Creation of online technical assistance
center and learning community to support
Village development

VtV Network Fully Launched January
2010
• Partnership formalized between Beacon Hill
Village and NCB Capital Impact
• VtV Network website
www.vtvnetwork.org
• To date, 60 Villages and communities from
across the country have signed up as
members

Network Website Provides Access to
Tools and Resources

VtV Network is Critical to Village
Replication
• VtV Network Partnership will:
– Promote Village model as a community approach to aging
for replication
– Assist new, emerging and established Villages to create
sustainable organizations
– Provide platform for group purchasing opportunities
– Gather feedback how the benefits and programs can be
revised to meet needs of individual Villages
– Research and evaluate impact of Villages on a number of
social and health factors

Membership Benefits will Assist Village
Operations
• Website with interactive features
– Member only discussion forums on variety of
topics
– Member-generated documents and templates
– Access to information on funding resources
– News on the Village movement nationwide
– VtV Network Member directory and searchable
US map to find Villages

Network will Enhance Peer to Peer
Learning
• Live interaction with peers
– Webinars on hot topics with expert
speakers
– VtV Peer to Peer program - Villages can
request an experienced Buddy for support
and advice

Membership Benefits will Create
Learning Community
• Development of TA Tools
– Village Financial Feasibility Tool
– Village Strategic Planning Guide
– Guide to Social Marketing
– Issue Brief on Assessing Village Operations and Developing
Operating Procedures
– Village Collaborate Group Developed Tools
• Discounted, customized website to manage
membership and service requests to
efficiently operate a Village

Network will Conduct National Research
on Impact
• Research
– Electronic surveys of Network members to
assess needs and gather data on Village
movement
– Strategies to support low-income populations
– Strategies for partnering with local and state
government
– Measure impact of Village model on public
policy

Village I&R

What I&R Is
Information and Referral (I&R) is the art of and
science of bringing people and services
together.
AIRS brochure

Why I&R is Valuable
• Without I&R, looking for help means
scanning dozens of phone numbers and
contacting a maze of agencies and services
in the hope of making the right connection.
• With I&R, looking for help means a single
phone call.
AIRS Brochure

What I&R Does
• One call accesses resources across the
community
• No more wrong numbers, no more wasted
time trying to find the right resources
• Strengthens communities by uniting the
people who want to give help with those
who need help
AIRS Brochure

Villages Foster a Stronger Sense of Community
• Governance/Civic Engagement
– Non Profit, 501(c) 3 organizations
– Membership governs through Board of Directors
• Funding
– Funded through membership fees and fundraising
• Supports and Services
– Provide one stop, one call for community members
– Facilitate connection to existing community services
– Build relationships among members, between members and
staff, and between Village and larger community
• Currently targeted to moderate income but includes
low-income
– Membership Plus model allows for Medicaid eligible
individuals to participate

Village Model has a Set of Guiding
Principles
• Grassroots membership based organization
• Self-governing
• Self-supporting
• Consolidator of services
• Strategic partners
• Focus on the whole person
• Volunteers and civic engagement
• Supports intergenerational connections

Foundation of Village I&R
• Consolidator of services
– Doesn’t duplicate anything
– Broker/focal point/connector between individuals and
information/services
• Strategic partnerships
– Extend impact/reach of both Village and partners
– Win-win situations
• Focus on the whole person and preventive support
and services
• Volunteers and civic engagement

How I&R Works in Villages
• Member calls or emails Village
• Staff or trained volunteer receives call
• Listen/explore request (what is member not
saying), match with best provider (village
staff or volunteer, village member, village
provider, other community resource)
• Village or member arranges service
• Village follows-up with member and provider

Hallmarks of Village I&R
• Members are encouraged to call for anything and
everything; no limits; each contact is an opportunity
to get to know the member better
• All providers are vetted; many are recommended by
members; many discount services
• Members know that providers are excellent, safe to
have in home, and that Village is there to mediate if
needed
• Village is often filling in gaps in community systems
and services
• Approach is personal – goes “above and beyond”

Types of requests
• Information about anything
• Transportation, computer help, water plants, walk
dogs, home maintenance, travel arrangements
• Home care and geriatric care management
• Advocacy with MDs, insurance companies, Medicaid
and other public programs
• Support at time of death with funeral/memorial
arrangements, helping family members arriving from
out of town
• Problem-solving
• More …

What Villages Say
• They are trusted by members
• Have to encourage people to ask for things;
they don’t want to be a burden
• Work hard to make the right match; fit
people together
• Concept of concierge-style services can be
hard for people to grasp
• Helping members – and members helping
each other – builds community

Questions

For More Information
Candace Baldwin
Senior Policy Advisor
NCB Capital Impact
Center for Excellence in Long-Term
Supports Innovations
cbaldwin@ncbcapitalimpact.org
(703) 647-2352
www.ncbcapitalimpact.org
Susan Poor
Senior Policy Advisor
NCB Capital Impact
Center for Excellence in Long-Term
Supports Innovations
spoor@ncbcapitalimpact.org
(510) 496-2225
www.ncbcapitalimpact.org