Effective Leadership: Becoming a Change Agent

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Effective Leadership Becoming a Change Agent

• PROJECT FOR ROCKAWAY YOUTH IN SAFETY AND
  EDUCATION
• Fern Aaron Zagor, ACSW, PRYSE Project Manager
• Chief Administrator
• Community Mental Health Services
• Joseph P. Addabbo Family Health Center

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Project for Rockaway Youth in Safety and
Education

• Rockaway, Queens, NY

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ISOLATION

• An 11 mile long peninsula at the southeast corner
  of NYC bounded by the Atlantic Ocean and Jamaica
  Bay
• One train to the mainland
• One bus traverses the peninsula
• Two bridges cross to the mainland
• Empty wetlands near high density housing
• FEW EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

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POVERTY

• More than 24 of Rockaways population of 107,000
  people falls below the poverty level (20
  citywide)
• 41 of Rockaways children live in poverty (36
  citywide, 29 in Queens)
• Nearly 25 of households have incomes below
  10,000 (NYC-20, Queens 14)

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Rockaway has a high rate of hospital admissions
for toxic effects of alcohol
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What residents say are the most important safety
or health issues facing Rockaway children and
teens

• The issue of drugs is by far the most important
  in the view of Rockaway residents.
• Violence, weapons and gangs are important issues
  as well
• The lack of youth programs was mentioned by
  nearly 1 out of 10 residents.
• Interestingly, pollution-sanitation and traffic
  problems were mentioned fairly frequently as
  well.

Source PRYSE Community Survey
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Project for Rockaway Youth in Safety and Education

• Rockaway was the first site chosen in New York
  City and received the largest grant in the nation
  at that time.
• P R Y S E
• The Addabbo Health Center PRYSE Manager
• Community School District 27 Fiscal Agent

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PRYSE Coalition

• Weve Come Together In Rockaway
• 10 Funded agencies
• Community residents
• Parents, students, teachers
• Schools
• Faith-based groups
• Government agencies
• Legislators
• Civic organizations

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Components of Effective Leadership

• Providing Guidance
• Facilitating the Process
• Creating a Shared Vision and Mission
• Developing a Structure
• Determining the Decision-Making Process
• Nurturing Relationships
• Providing Resources

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PRYSE Coalition

• Our Vision
• A safe, inclusive, beautiful, and unified
  community where children and families are
  socially, emotionally, physically, academically
  and economically healthy and strong.

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PRYSE Coalition

• Our Mission
• To mobilize our community and all its
  stakeholders to integrate, coordinate,
  strengthen, and develop resources and to create
  the trust necessary to support our children,
  youth and families as caring, capable,
  responsible, and resilient individuals.

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Key Issues as a Change Agent

• Developing Trust
• In the committee
• In the community
• Keeping the Process Transparent
• Be open about issues and decisions
• Inclusion vs. Representation
• Not everyone can or should be on the committee
• Interests and needs should be represented
• Ownership of the Process
  Ownership of the Outcomes
• Authority vs. Responsibility Roles and Functions
• Foster Community Attachment and Bonding

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Identifying Roles and Responsibility

• Steering Committee Role
• The Right To Do
• -Shapes Culture-
• Vision Focused
• Value Centered
• Mission Led
• Issues Driven

• Management Role
• The Right Way To Do
• Provides the How to do
• Identifies appropriate methods
• Measures Outcomes
• Analyzes/evaluates/ assesses

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Steering Committee Structure

• Revolving Co-Chairs.
• Co-chairs from both funded and non-funded
  entities.
• Shift from standing committees to workgroups.
• All Call process for new grant opportunities.

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Nurturing Relationships

• Collaboration is the way to go.
• Partners all have partners.
• Build on existing partnerships.
• Share a vision.
• Create a mission.

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Partnerships for Community Attachment and Bonding

• Multicultural Festival
• PRYSE Coalition Members
• Administration for Childrens Services
• Protective and Preventive Services
• Day Care Providers
• NYPD/Weed and Seed
• Rockaway Chamber of Commerce
• Government officials and agencies
• Resident Councils and Tenant Associations

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Partnerships

• Kwanzaa Celebration
• Four New York City housing developments came
  together.
• PRYSE provided technical support and direction.

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Partnerships

• PRYSE has become a resource for community
  empowerment and development.

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Collaboration for Unity in the Rockaway
CommunityC U R C

• Mission
• To coordinate Rockaway stakeholders to plan and
  organize community events that celebrate our
  diversity and strengthen families.
• Ex Annual Fun Walk/Run for Health
• Community Pride

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Community Access Program

• Mission
• To reduce barriers and increase access to primary
  health and related care for undocumented,
  uninsured and underinsured Rockaway residents.
• We leveraged the PRYSE Coalition and brought 2.4
  million into the community over 3 years

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Lessons LearnedOpportunities Created

• Value of a shared vision.
• Weve moved from
• fund driven to vision driven.
• Community Empowerment changing attitudes.
• Importance of community attachment and bonding

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Lessons LearnedOpportunities Created

• Inspire hope and trust.
• Believe change is possible
• Participate in change effort
• Importance of inclusion/representation.
• Collaboration Building.
• Leveraging relationships for sustainability.