What we accomplished at our statewide retreat

What we accomplished at the 2011 Statewide Retreat:  And Next Steps:

·         Received great training on dealing with difficult clients, forging a better understanding of how our background might differ from our client’s and how that affects communication and how we deal with issues, as well as training on keeping a healthy balance in our lives. 

            Next Steps:  Let Eric know when you have training needs.

 ·         Time out of the office/Away from the daily crush.  Putting names with faces and voices.

            Next Steps: Next retreat: Fall 2012

 ·         Planned CLE/Pro Bono Recruiting events: 

o   May 3^rd – Cross Training – Full Day CLE on Public Benefits and Domestics

o   May 20^th – Housing CLE

o   June 7^th – Consumer Law CLE

       Next Steps:  Keep billing to PAI and these events should carry us through this year.

 ·         Going Paperless:  This conversation took place in several places and led to the submission of a TIG grant that would enable us to purchase additional scanners for each office and take the next step in going paperless.  Also included in the proposal is a method of moving more administrative functions away from paper, as we have with time reports and mileage claims, while at the same time giving better access to information about policies and procedures.

                Next Steps:  We’ll find out in the next couple of months if we are approved to apply for the full TIG grant on moving towards paperless.  Each office and task force should devise systems to do what they can now to keep us moving in this direction. 

 ·         Moved Substantive Task Force Pilot Projects Forward:  each task force is moving ahead with some aspect of a performance tracking effort that will lead to a performance report to be tested with evaluations this September.

                Next Steps:  We have a presentation on “data driven leadership” scheduled later this month and will start work in earnest on this project over the next few months.  We hope to make the data we have work for us in a form that is easily understood – the overall         goal: use time as best we can to provide quality services to more clients.

 ·         Dealing with difficult/dangerous people group:  created a checklist of actions for when staff are engaged with an “escalating” client.  Proposed the purchase of “panic buttons” for reception areas.  Meanwhile, personal alarms have been purchased in the past and are available from SSU.    

                     Next Steps:  the checklist and suggestions will be incorporated into the emergency manual for each office.  Need to research “panic buttons.”

 ·         The supervision and management group:  forwarded suggestions regarding regular case reviews between counsel and “co-counsel” (paralegal) as well as between counsel and task force chair.  Identified and proposed a solution to the issue of cases being closed at the intake advocacy stage and then not seeing another review.  Pilot projects on the solution, involving peer reviews, are underway and will result in new policies to be sure these cases get appropriate attention.  Also proposed steps in new attorney or paralegal training, following an observe/shadow, handle with co-counsel, handle solo progression with time to learn and understand applicable law. 

                Next Steps:  these suggestions will be on the next Management Meeting agenda and   with input from the pilot projects, policies for task forces will be put into place.

 ·         Resource allocation group:  Discussed the thorny issue of client expectations.  Noted that issues change based on substantive area but have proposed that each task force develop a list of bullet points for discussion in initial meetings with clients, resulting in the representation agreement being completed by ULS and signed by both ULS and the client.  Proposed pilot project for each task force for “bills” to be sent to clients at certain stages of a case showing the amount a client would have paid if they were paying private counsel. 

                Next Steps:  Task Force Chairs, please put these items on your next agenda so that we can experiment with this idea and develop a policy in each area.

 ·         Emergency Preparedness group:  Developed a list of 19 issues to explore that will result in an updated emergency manual specific to the layout and issues specific to each office.  Where we will go and how we will communicate in the event of an emergency and what we can do to keep ourselves safe.  Policies and pointers on issues around domestic violence and dealing with difficult clients will be included.

                Next Steps:  This group committed to additional meetings and are planning to start with    those next month in order to finish up this important work.

 ·         Limited English Proficiency group:  Created next steps for identifying significant LEP communities, providing additional training to staff, targeted specific documents we need to have translated and discussed the implementation of a Language Assistance Plan.

                Next Steps:  We’ll ask this group to commit to additional meetings as an initial LEP oversight committee to ensure that these steps become reality.

Thanks all for a great retreat.  If you have additional comments I’d love to hear them.  If you’d like to get more involved in any of the ongoing efforts, let me know that too.

Eric