A Note from Allison: Goals

28 Jan A Note from Allison: Goals

I hope 2020 is off to a good start for you and your family!

As we begin a new year and a new decade, I find myself reflecting on my goals from recent years. Which ones have I accomplished and which ones were forgotten? Which ones will take just a little more work? I’m glad to say that at New Hope, we’ve reached many of the goals that we set out to achieve when we separated from St. Vincent six years ago. We are entering into the second year of our strategic plan, and we are well on our way to accomplishing the following goals:

1. Strengthen the New Hope of Indiana organizational structure to solidify its capacity to ensure long-term sustainability.
2. Offer innovative, responsive programs that address the needs of populations we serve and will serve.
3. Be recognized by the Central Indiana community as a leading social service provider.
4. Build long-term financial sustainability.

In addition to our goals as an organization, I’m happy to announce that the challenges most important to those we serve have recently received attention. In Governor Holcomb’s State of the State Address earlier this month, he recognized Lt. Governor Suzanne Crouch’s efforts on the 1102 Taskforce. He also commented on the great contribution that individuals with disabilities have on Central Indiana’s workforce: Holcomb said, “…we won’t overlook anyone who is aspiring to be successful. That includes Hoosiers with disabilities, who seek to live and work in a safe, affordable and accessible environment.” These comments were long awaited by the disability community and were received with a standing ovation. See my response in my recent letter to the editor which first appeared in the IndyStar and has been picked up by several other Indiana publications.

Also, you may remember that in April 2019, Division of Disability and Rehabilitative Services (DDRS) kicked off the Bureau of Developmental Disabilities and Rehabilitative Services’ (BDDS) waiver redesign project in coordination and collaboration with stakeholders and other partners. The waiver redesign project is a multi-year process to modernize and improve the services and supports array for Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. This month, BDDS released their initial concept paper for stakeholder feedback. There is likely still a long way to go before this redesign is ready for implementation. You can learn more in the Building Bridges information sessions (now through March 23rd) or participate in the stakeholder feedback process (through April 17, 2020) by visiting the DDRS Waiver Redesign webpage.

Thank you for all you do for New Hope and the people we serve! Let’s make 2020 a great year!

Peace,
Allison