Perry County Job & Family Services

Strategic Plan, January 1, 2025 - December 31, 2027

Perry County Opportunity Center: 5250 State Route 37 East, New Lexington, Ohio 43764
Protective Services: 526 Mill Street, New Lexington, Ohio 43764

740-342-3551 • 740-342-3836 • perryJFS.org • @PerryJFS on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn

A Message from the Director

As you’re likely aware, we have embarked on some major changes at Perry County Job and Family Services (PCJFS) in recent months with a goal of maximizing resources, increasing efficiency, and streamlining processes to better serve our community. As the director of the newly combined PCJFS, which now includes Public Assistance, Workforce, Child Support, and Child & Adult Protective Services all under one umbrella, I’m proud to report that we’ve come a long way in just a few short months! It is my privilege to lead this team of passionate and talented professionals as we work to inspire hope and create opportunities to empower individuals and families every day.

To that end – and acknowledging that times of change are ideal times for reflection – we are pleased to present this strategic plan that offers an honest, reasoned, and thoughtful look at where we are, where we want to go, and what we need to do to get there.

More than just words on a page, this plan represents our intentions as we move forward. We understand the work we do every day is integral to the long-term success and viability of our community. PCJFS is a holistic service provider that can offer individuals and families wrap-around resources to lift them up and enrich their overall lives for the long term. As such, our priority is always to help individuals who engage with our agency to find the assistance, support, and information they need with confidence and ease, and to treat them with the highest levels of respect and professionalism.

Likewise, in our interactions as a newly integrated team, we have an opportunity to grow our culture of teamwork, trust, and empowerment within and across all four units of the agency. As Walter Payton always said, “we are stronger together than we are alone.” Only through the collective power of this combined team will we successfully accomplish our goals as an agency.

As you read through our strategic plan, please know that we intend to work not only for you but with you to strengthen our agency and Perry County as a whole. Whether you are an employee, agency partner, community leader, or customer, we are grateful to partner with you to realize our shared vision of creating endless possibilities for the residents of Perry County.

Amy Frame
Director of Perry County Job & Family Services

Community-Based, Service-Oriented, and Team-Centered

Embarking on a strategic planning process at a community-based agency like Perry County Job and Family Services requires input from a wide range of stakeholders. After all, PCJFS serves as a critical partner with local schools, elected officials, government structures, and community organizations.

We also recognize the service-oriented nature of the work we do. As a result, we looked to the customers we serve – job seekers, employers, families, and more – to gather their insights about our role in ensuring the safety, health, and workforce capabilities of our community members.

Finally, we engaged our team members knowing they hold the key to creating a team-centered environment where joy, trust, professionalism, teamwork and excellence are the bedrocks of our daily work.

We are fortunate to live in a community that values our work, and we are grateful to the individuals who participated in PCJFS’ two-day strategic planning event. Their input ultimately led us to identify our organization’s advantages, challenges, and opportunities and map a course for our future.

This process not only provided us with the necessary data to inform the creation of our strategic plan, but it also led to the development of new mission, vision, and values statements that serve to clarify our purpose and guide our work.

We believe the work we do at PCJFS signifies an investment in the safety and well-being of our community - today and well into the future. Our respect for and pride in the residents of Perry County is evident not only in the strategic planning process we undertook, but also in the final product outlined in this report.

Where We Are

Having recently merged two separate entities, we are beginning to hit our stride as a cohesive team that includes four units: Public Assistance, Workforce, Child Support, and Child & Adult Protective Services. Our agency continues to span two separate locations including the Opportunity Center on State Route 37, and the Protective Services Building on Mill Street. As it stands, our agency is moving into this strategic plan with the wind at our backs and some very important advantages upon which we intend to capitalize.

As we look to the future, our work is and will continue to be guided by our MISSION of inspiring hope and creating opportunities to empower individuals and families.

Infrastructure advantages:

• PCJFS has a modern, state-of-the-art facility offering state-of-the-art technology, improved accommodation for the workforce, and the ability to provide additional resources to the community.
• PCJFS workforce has remote capabilities which increases its ability to serve customers and decreases risks associated with emergency situations.

Programming Advantages:

• PCJFS offers innovative service offerings to meet the needs of the community, partners, and stakeholders.
• PCJFS is connected to local economic development activities.
• PCJFS is the county leader in providing poverty-fighting solutions for the community.
• PCJFS manages a number of programs capable of improving economic security for its residents.

Communication Advantages:

• PCJFS has a strong community presence through outreach (social media and in-person events) to a large population.

Service and Skill Advantages:

• PCJFS has expertise in managing federal, state, and local grants.
• PCJFS promotes positive outcomes by managing funding from multiple organizations.
• PCJFS participates at the state and national level and continues to learn and share best practices.
• PCJFS intentionally collaborates with other partners to build upon their successes and meet the needs of the community.
• PCJFS focuses on identifying unmet needs and delivering innovative solutions through collaboration with partners.
• PCJFS is willing to take risks to meet the needs of the community.

Staff Advantages:

• PCJFS offers a strong benefit package for its workforce.
• PCJFS has a caring and experienced staff.

Where We’re Going

Our VISION is one of endless possibilities not only for our agency, but for all of Perry County.

To get there, we know we must be realistic about the challenges we not only face now but also the challenges we expect to face in the future. As a team, we are clear-eyed about our need to face these challenges head-on and with a resolve to rise up and meet them so the Perry County community can experience the full benefit of our work.

System and Process Challenges:

• PCJFS lacks a systematic process to gather feedback from the workforce to identify opportunities for improvement to increase retention, engagement, and satisfaction.
• PCJFS lacks a standard and consistent internal process for communication which causes coordination issues and frustrations.
• PCJFS lacks effective systems/supports (IT, internal phone, internal policy document management, work completions) which causes inefficiencies in daily operations.
• PCJFS lacks a strategic process to address customer service which causes negative public perception and hinders staff effectiveness.
• PCJFS lacks a systematic approach to prioritize projects.

Perception Challenges:

• PCJFS is not meeting the challenge of addressing the stigma of poverty which leads to reduced utilization of our services and poor public perception.
• PCJFS needs to better prepare for change to the community.

Support Challenges:

• PCJFS lacks the internal adaptability to ever-changing political and funding shifts.
• PCJFS lacks consistent political support that addresses funding and policy.

How We’ll Get There

Moving forward necessitates taking bold steps that maximize our advantages while meeting our challenges, the whole time guided by our shared VALUES of working together, respecting differences, being accountable, having transparent communication and advocacy, continuous growth, showing integrity and listening to understand.

Improving Processes:

• PCJFS will improve key HR processes including onboarding, employee development, professional development, and organizational culture to increase employee engagement and satisfaction.
• PCJFS will develop a systematic approach to routinely collect staff feedback to identify opportunities for improvement.
• PCJFS will offer continuous training for school staff on identifying abuse and neglect signs, reporting protocols, and trauma-informed teaching practices.

Improving Perceptions:

• PCJFS will focus on developing and improving the customer experience.
• PCJFS will provide families with information about local resources and services that can offer them assistance.
• PCJFS will provide comprehensive training for families and community support systems to clarify its mission, enhancing the County’s understanding of child welfare roles.

Improving Staff Experience:

• PCJFS will re-evaluate current meetings and develop a better dissemination of information from meetings.
• PCJFS will encourage a healthy active lifestyle with outdoor recreation options and promote work life balance.

Strengthening Partnerships:

• PCJFS will continue to develop additional external partners for wraparound services.
• PCJFS will increase efforts to collaborate with partners to offer training and skill development.
• PCJFS will foster partnerships between protective services, schools, mental health agencies, and other local family serving agencies to reduce barriers in accessing support services.
• PCJFS will work with community partners to connect families with needed services.

Strengthening Programs:

• PCJFS will develop new programs to reach the underserved populations.
• PCJFS will leverage new, nearby economic opportunities to measurably reduce poverty and increase economic security in the county.
• PCJFS will work with families to ensure children are safe.
• PCJFS will work to ensure children have stability and permanency.
• PCJFS will work with families to offer comprehensive support for sustaining placements and services.

Next Steps

Having assessed where we are, where we’re going, and how we intend to get there, this strategic plan lays out a series of concrete next steps. PCJFS will embark on these steps in the near term as a good faith demonstration of our commitment to put the entirety of this strategic plan into action. Believing in the importance of our work and the value of our service, we intend to use this plan as a roadmap to build a brighter future for all Perry County residents.

1. Action Plan. Step 1: PCJFS will develop short-term and long-term action plans to address the initiatives identified in this strategic plan.
2. Progress Report. Step 2: PCJFS will create periodic progress reports on the aforementioned action plans.
3. Balanced Scorecard. Step 3: PCJFS will develop both quarterly and annual balanced scorecards to inform members of the workforce, partners, and stakeholders about progress on the strategic plan. Scorecards will address initiatives, key performance measures, and targets.

Objectives

The PDF shows the four goals in a circle, each with its objectives, initiatives and measures.

Goal: Financial: Continued Growth

Objectives: Expand Grant Utilization. Expand Program Opportunities.

Initiatives

• Identify and evaluate grant opportunities
• Apply for grants tied to current or potential programs
• Utilize all grant dollars
• Evaluate underutilized programs
• Identify strategic partnerships
• Increase public engagement/visibility in community

Measures

• Increase the number of grants awarded
• Increase program offerings

Goal: Customer: Exceed Customer Expectations

Objectives: Improve Customers’ Economic Security. Improve the Customer Experience.

Initiatives

• Elicit Customer Feedback through Surveys
• Increase awareness/educate community of PCJFS Services
• Promote PCJFS Brand
• Integrate Customer Service into Regular Professional Development
• Expand Community Outreach Efforts

Measures

• Use customer survey results to develop baseline satisfaction measures
• Increase number of partnerships
• Increase program participation

Goal: Internal Process: Improve Organizational Performance

Objectives: Align Service Delivery. Improve Effectiveness.

Initiatives

• Integrate work units
• Develop communication structure
• Assess Technology Needs
• Integrate HR Systems

Measures

• Improve customer satisfaction as indicated by survey results

Goal: Learning and Growth: Increase Employee Satisfaction

Objectives: Improve Employee Engagement. Improve IT Support.

Initiatives

• Foster a positive and inclusive work culture
• Implement quarterly employee engagement survey
• Create consistent, relevant, and engaging communications to employees
• Recognize and reward performance
• Enhance/Formalize professional development

Measures

• Increase employee retention
• Improve employee engagement