WOWEE my laptop has some cool scenarios floating around!!!
Running Head: BILLINGS AREA RESOURCE NETWORK
The Billings Area Resource Network- A Coalition to
Impact Homelessness
Miranda Dye
Transitional Leadership MGT 370
October 6, 2008
Abstract
The Billings Area Resource Network (BARN) is a collaboration
of service providers that work together to impact homelessness in
Billings. The BARN began in 2006 when
the Mayor’s Committee on Homelessness decided they needed a group of service
providers to steer their mission in the right direction. The BARN is a critical component of the
Mayor’s Committee as they help to achieve many of their over-arching
goals. This is a core group of dedicated
people, whom are very passionate about impacting homelessness in Billings. Many of their jobs consist of working with the
homeless population or those in poverty, so it makes sense for them to be
involved.
Billings Area Resource Network:
History of the Organization
The Billings
Area Resource Network (BARN) was established in 2006, along with the Mayor’s
Committee on Homelessness. Mayor Ron
Tussing accepted the charge of ending homelessness in Billings, by becoming the
pilot project city for the state of Montana.
A national initiative to fight homelessness was established in 2001 by
President George W. Bush. Bush
reactivated the Interagency Council on Homelessness and appointed Philip
Mangano as executive director of the HUD based program. Mangano is known as the President’s “Czar on
Homelessness,” and canvases for interested sites throughout the country. Mangano paved the way for Billings to become
the pilot project for the state, by meeting with the Mayor of Billings and over
75 local people in 2006. He is a charismatic
man who encourages innovation in the approach to end homelessness. It was decided in that meeting that Billings
would develop a Ten-Year Plan to End Homelessness, and formed the Mayor’s Committee. Members of the Mayor’s committee include
mostly executive directors from differing sectors of the community. There is also one “consumer” that was chosen
based on the idea, that you have to have the input of the population you are
trying to serve. When formulating this
committee it was evident that there was one major sector of the community that
was not being represented, the service providers. Who better to understand the needs of the
people, than those who serve their needs?
It was decided that a network of service providers would be key to the
development of the Ten-Year Plan, and thus the creation of the BARN. (Beckett, 2007)
The
Organization’s Purpose
The BARN was not the first coalition
of its kind in Billings. It was just the
first to be administered by our city government. In the past two years many different groups
with aligning goals have become members of the BARN. The Yellowstone County Homeless Board has
recently joined the BARN, also donating their financial resources. A lot of the people or agencies in the BARN
have been working on the homelessness issue for years, but usually in separate
arenas. Now there is a consistent
meeting time and place for these service providers to come together, share
ideas and resources. They have common
goals, hope to leave behind personal agendas and also solve the problem of
homelessness. The goals of the BARN are
to reduce barriers, gaps and duplication within the service array in
Billings.
There are subcommittees in the BARN
including: Benefits Acquisition; Treatment; Housing; Continuum of Care; and
Membership/Publicity.
I joined the BARN in October of 2007, so I am
not quite sure how the group functioned in its first year. When I first started going to meetings, I was
in the middle of my service provider interviews (53) and had already gotten to
know some of the other attendees. One of
my VISTA work plan goals was to increase BARN membership, so at every interview
I would offer a brief description and a BARN application. I didn’t know much about the BARN at the
time, but I sure did encourage membership.
Soon, after two meetings my role in
the BARN was upgraded to “city liaison.”
This meant I was to keep track of membership and facilitate meeting
discussions. I also signed up for the
Membership/Publicity and Continuum of Care sub-committees. Since October 2007, membership has at least
doubled, as more agencies are hearing that the BARN is a functional
organization. “Build it and they will
come.” (Field of Dreams, 1989)
For some time I did not understand
what was expected of me or what was being built. I just kept going to all the meetings;
steering, monthly, and sub-committee meetings.
It really started to make more sense to me in December 2007 and January
2008, when we had our strategic planning session. The facilitator for the planning sessions was
great, and it seemed that the group left the two sessions with focus and
determination. When the 30 people there
were asked who would create the strategic plan based on all of our notes, guess
who raised her hand? Yes, here I was
undertaking yet another confusing and daunting task. When I was putting the notes together I
noticed there was a lot of room for interpretation. Who was I to make any changes? I guess I was “allowed” that freedom, because
the final strategic plan is much more elaborate, and only the steering
committee has seen it. My supervisor
asked me to format it to resemble the other Ten-Year Plan documents, so that is
what I did. Now the BARN has a strategic
plan for fiscal year 2008-2009.
Strengths and
Weaknesses
The strength in this group is found
in the diversity of its members. The
members come from different backgrounds and bring different perspectives to the
table. From prevention of homelessness
to the homeless shelter, the group meets almost every area of need. The BARN on itself does not provide direct
services, but the group as a whole strives to meet the needs of the homeless
population. They are very dedicated to making a difference in the community and
work together to accomplish this. They
all have access to resources and agree that each individual is valuable. In strategic planning we decided on the
concept that “everyone has a right to have their basic needs met with respect
and dignity.” This overall concept is what drives the group to be advocates for
changes within the homeless services system. With a strong need for reform in
the service arena and there is also federal/state money to back up that
reform. The members are willing to take
risks in order to make the necessary changes.
They strive to make the public aware of the misconceptions of
homelessness, and attempt to look beyond the stereotypical “logic” of what
causes someone to be homeless. Public opinions
could be devastating to some, but they move on with the initiative, regardless
of the personal consequences. There is
strength in numbers, and the BARN believes that as a collective, we will have
the strong voice necessary for change in the community. Also keeping people off the streets is humane
and just makes sense…to us!
There are a few weaknesses in this
organization that I will relay in my own opinion. Membership is constantly revolving, which has
proven to be hardship. Some people show
up at every meeting, and others I have never seen…but they have a partnership
agreement signed. There are always a few
new people at every meeting, which is good for membership, but difficult for
organization. Keeping track of the membership
and email distribution list for the BARN has been a nightmare. Also
there is a realm of the unknown for new members, and meetings can be derailed
easily. Another huge problem is lack of
direction, often considered a lack of a specific project. Many of the members agree whole heartedly
with the mission and vision, but really want something more tangible. A specific project or subcommittee
accomplishment would be appropriate at this time. As all the people in this group have other
jobs, they are simply “volunteers” for the BARN. Since they volunteer their time, there is a
need for more direction, or they lose interest.
It has been stated that without a project the BARN is just another
monthly meeting they have to sit through.
They would like to see some fruit for their efforts, not just meetings
that end with no resolution. There have
also been some suggestions about how to make the meetings more efficient. One is to have more of a social session get
to know one another. Another suggestion
is to present a homeless person’s scenario to the group and have each explain
what they would have to offer that person.
Overall this is a group of dedicated people that are in need of some
good leadership.
Opportunities
and Threats
The opportunities for the group are
abundant. With the right leadership in
place this group could accomplish amazing feats for our community. There will always be needs in the community,
as long as the timeless process of poverty continues. More than likely we won’t see the end of it
in our lifetime. The public has become
more aware of this need, and there have been some philanthropic donors to the
inititave. The opportunity to have more
publicity for the homeless is out there.
In modern day America it is a disgrace that people have no choice to
live on the streets. “Shame on us.”
(Mangano, 2008) The more the public
becomes aware that there are institutions in this country that are not working,
the more opportunity there will be to uproot the stereotypes that plague the homeless.
The threats are that the public
opinion is that all the homeless are lazy or they have chosen the
lifestyle. The truth of the matter is
that a majority of homeless are working, and those that don’t more than likely
have a disability that prevents them from doing so. Even though I know these things the general
public is a great threat to this initiative.
Most classify the homeless in to one big category and do not see the
individual person.