Organizational Readiness

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Organizational Readiness

• Jan M. Markiewicz, M.Ed.
• National Center
• August 13, 2007

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Learning Objectives

• Participants will be able to identify the
  rationale for evaluating readiness
• Participants will be able to describe key
  questions to assess readiness

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Is Your Organization Ready to Change?

• Conduct an honest assessment of
  organizational readiness.
• An objective, concrete organizational
  assessment should be conducted and should involve
  staff at all levels, to get multiple
  perspectives. Such an assessment can help
  identify barriers to the implementation of EBPs
  or new practices early on and provide a better
  understanding of the roles and responsibilities
  of different personnel in the implementation
  process.

Keep in mind that organizations tend to
overestimate their readiness in self-assessments!
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Key Questions in Assessing Your
OrganizationThese questions represent key issues
to consider when changing practice within an
organization. The targeted areas are ones that
might be considered deal breakers if not
considered in the planning stage.

• Clients
• Are clients screened for trauma-related symptoms
  that could qualify them for the new practice?
• Leadership/Clinicians/Staff
• Does the agency and clinical leadership actively
  support the adoption of the new practice for
  reasons clinicians can understand and share?
• Supervision
• Are supervisors prepared to learn about the new
  practice through training, careful study of the
  literature, and consultation with experts?

• Internal and External Stakeholders
• Has information been collected from key
  stakeholders within the agency (e.g. intake,
  records, and billing personnel) that might be
  affected by the new practice?
• Program/Culture/Services
• Have measurement systems been developed to
  provide feedback on the progress in adoption of
  the new practice?
• Finance and Administration
• Will current reimbursement practices cover the
  new practice?
• Education
• Do therapists have adequate time to formally
  learn about the new practice?

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Additional Information, Help, or Resources

• Jan Markiewicz, Training Director
• jan.markiewicz_at_duke.edu
• Allred, C., Markiewicz, J., Amaya-Jackson, L.,
  Putnam, F., Saunders, B., Wilson, C., Kelly, A.,
  Kolko, D., Berliner, L., Rosch, J. (2005). The
  Organizational Readiness and Capacity Assessment.
  Durham NC UCLA-Duke National Center for Child
  Traumatic Stress.
• Fixsen, D., Naoom, S., Blase, K., Friedman, R.,
  Wallace, F. (2005). Implementation Research A
  Synthesis of Literature. Tampa, FL Louis de la
  Parte Florida Mental Health Institute.
• Kauffman Best Practices Final Report. (2004).
  Closing the Quality Chasm in Child Abuse
  Treatment Identifying and Disseminating Best
  Practices. Kauffman Foundation PA.