Is Transformation Over?
Raymond R. Ratke | August 5, 2010
I’ve gotten that question a lot over the last number of months. At first it was in response to the apparent lack of clarity on the part of the new administration in Richmond with regard to the initiative – would they make it a priority or would they not? But since I announced my retirement from state service I have repeatedly been asked; does this mean that the Transformation of children’s services is over?
Children’s Services System Transformation began with the idea that we needed to fundamentally change how services are provided to at-risk youth and families to achieve some basic goals – to keep kids and families together wherever possible, to help kids live and be successful in their home community and school, and to assure better life long outcomes for kids and families who come in contact with one of the child serving systems of social services, behavioral health, juvenile justice, and special education.
Achieving these goals appeared to require change in some essential ideas and ingredients in the basic practice of working with kids and families. Or did it? In fact, I believe that the Transformation of human services – for adults, children and families – more accurately involves returning to the roots of our respective professions. To a basic belief in and respect for the inherent goodness of people-even when they are at their most challenged and challenging. Starting where the person or family is. Actually listening to and developing service plans based on what people say they need – being truly person and family centered. Finding and building on strengths. Working in true partnership across systems. Living the ideal that people are best off when services and supports are provided as close as possible to an individual’s home, family, and community. Raising, rather than diminishing, hope.
These ideas are at the heart of the Practice Model that was developed as part of the Children’s Services Transformation. They are also at the heart of the “recovery” model in behavioral health, and the principles of services for persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities – self-determination, empowerment, and full participation in the life of the community. In fact, I believe they are the principles underlying of all areas of human services. We have made great progress – truly transformative progress – towards fulfilling the promise of the practice model. However, while there are certainly wonderful examples of transformed services in many localities across Virginia, it is also clear that we have a very long way to go. On a variety of fronts, the struggle to improve outcomes and help the people we work with lead better lives continues.
Recently, with the best intentions, many people have been congratulating me on my “retirement”. I have appreciated these good wishes but also admit to a sense of discomfort at the same time. You see, especially at this point in time in the struggle to improve outcomes for Virginia’s most vulnerable citizens, it is not the time to retire – it is not the time to be on the sidelines. In fact, it is time for increased action, for renewed dedication to implementing the values and ideals of the practice model, and for each of us to return to the same questions we asked since the beginning – do I care enough?, do I know enough?, am I doing enough?, and am I being persistent enough? It is time for a renewed sense of urgency and for renewed inspiration.
In this regard there is much reason for hope – for the power to provide services in a “transformed” way, the power to provide services that truly engage people, that expand hope and improves outcomes - lives in each of us. Instead of being over, “Transformation” is alive in every locality, every provider and in each person who commits to doing this work in a different way; to be truly person centered, to see the people we have the good fortune to work with as partners rather than adversaries, to stop finding only pathology and to start looking for strengths, to reach across human services agencies to work in true partnership, and to encourage hope and a bold vision of community inclusion and choice for all persons with disabilities. “Transformation” won’t be over until this is the rule rather than the exception and the power to achieve this vision rests in each of us.
Clear policy and direction from leadership at the top is important. But at its core Transformation has always been about culture and practice change in the actual work with people. While my role in influencing state policy is now limited, I am looking for opportunities to remain in the game and to continue to have a positive influence on the efforts of localities and providers to improve the lives of the people with whom they work. Toward this end, I have recently joined with a loose affiliation of consultants working in Virginia called, “Partners for Transformed Human Services (PaTHS). The mission of PaTHS is to improve life outcomes for people served in human services organizations through partnering with public and private providers, localities, state authorities, families, and advocacy organizations and by providing a comprehensive array of high quality professional consulting services that are based on core values and principles of Transformation. I invite you to check out Humanservicestransformation.com on the web and I look forward to the chance to join you once again in this very important work.
