A multi-disciplinary model for non-profit orgs

1. The A.S.S.U.M.E.
Model
{ An integrated trans-disciplinary model for the delivery of human
social services. New pedagogies in the knowledge society.

2. Vaughn E. Taylor-
Akutagawa
Deputy Executive Director
Gay Men of African
Descent, Inc.
Presenter

3. In 1986, Gay Men of African
Descent (GMAD) was
conceptualized in New York
City by The Reverend Charles
Angel, who embarked on a
mission to empower the black
gay man.

4. As the nation’s oldest organization dedicated to serving the needs
of Black gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with
men, GMAD is committed to fighting HIV/AIDS in communities
of color in New York City.

5. • GMAD’s mission is to empower gay men of
African-descent through
education, advocacy, health and wellness
promotion and social support.
Our Mission

6.  This done by being a F.R.I.E.N.D., which stands for:
 Flexibility in daily interactions;
 Respect for every individual;
 Integrity through communication;
 Empathy and compassion;
 Networking and cooperation;
 Dependability in professional performance.
 This is the cornerstone of GMAD’s relationship with the city,
its communities, neighborhoods and constituents.
Operations

7.  Recent notions of 'new pedagogy' and 'the knowledge society' reflect a
contextual and conceptual shift that places fresh demands and new
dilemmas upon teaching, curriculum development and program
design. In particular, the question of how we conceptualize
knowledge within the growing number of interdisciplinary and
transdisciplinary fields continues to challenge our epistemological
and pedagogical understandings.
 Stakeholders, participants and colleagues expect members of staff to
demonstrate transdisciplinary understandings, diversity of
experience and problem-solving dispositions. Members of staff can
expect to find themselves in areas that require immediate application
of a range of profession-oriented attributes, and an independent
approach to complex professional demands.
Praxis

8. Ecological Model
Individual Relationship Community Societal
Influences: attitudes and Influences: Influences: general Influences:
belief s that support association with tolerance of v iolence; lack inequalities based on
v iolence; impulsiv e and aggressiv e peers; f amily of institutional support f rom gender, race, and
anti-social behav ior; env ironment that is police or judicial sy stem; sexual orientation,
childhood history of abuse emotionally pov erty ; lack of religious or cultural
or witnessing v iolence; unsupportiv e, phy sically employ ment opportunities; belief s, economic
alcohol and drug use v iolent or strongly weak community sanctions and social policies
patriarchal against perpetrators

9. Socio-ecological model
 The socio-ecological model recognizes the interwoven relationship
that exists between the individual and their environment.
 While individuals are responsible for instituting and maintaining the
lifestyle changes necessary to reduce risk and improve
health, individual behavior is determined to a large extent by social
environment, e.g. community norms and values, regulations, and
policies.
 Barriers to healthy behaviors are shared among the community as a
whole. As these barriers are lowered or removed, behavior change
becomes more achievable and sustainable. It becomes easier to "push
the ball up the hill."
 The most effective approach leading to healthy behaviors is a
combination of the efforts at all levels--individual, interpersonal,
organizational, community, and public policy.
 Taken from Jane Moore, Ph.D., RD Manager of Oregon Department of Human Services-Health
Services, http://www.dhs.state.or.us/publichealth/hpcdp/about.cfm#why Used with permission.

10. • (n.) a cluster of epidemics that act
additively to predict other epidemics
• (adj.) of or pertaining to such a
cluster*
• www.cdc.gov/syndemics
Syndemic:
*from Singer, 1994

11. Syndemics – synergy of plagues
MISAVAH
 Mental Illness
 Substance Abuse
 Violence
 AIDS
 Homelessness
MISAVAH Syndemic

12. GMAD’s programs targeting Black Gay
Men/MSM or Gay Men of Color
• ILI
▫ Recruitment/program • CLI
promotion ▫ Community Mobilization
▫ HIV/STI CTR, PCRS ▫ Youth Development
▫ Ind. Psychotherapy • SLI
▫ CLEAR-CRCS ▫ Advocacy
▫ EIS/case-finding ▫ Rallies
▫ Linkage to Care • Staff Development
▫ Self-management ▫ Syndemics
• IDG ▫ Syndromic Case Mgmt.
▫ Group Psychotherapy ▫ Strength-based Case Mgmt.
▫ Manual guided interventions ▫ Ecological Models
▫ Treatment Education ▫ MISAVAH Syndemic
• Supplemental Food Pantry orientation
• Drop-In Ctr. ▫ ACT Model

13. The HIV Prevention Effective Behavioral or
Home Grown Intervention(s) Implemented
By the Organization
Effective Behavioral Home Grown Interventions
Interventions  Healthy Minds
 Healthy Relationships
 Brothas Gonna Work It Out
 D’Up
 Strengths-based case
 Mpowerment
management
 RESPECT
 Building Healthy
 Safety Counts
Relationships
 3MV
 CTR/RT
 Seeking Safety (NREPP)
 HHRP (Holistic Health Recovery Project)
 Matrix Model

14.  Nonprofits must meet different standards and outcomes than
business — but that does not mean they are less efficient or
effective.
 Nonprofits are different from business. Their bottom-
line, decision-making, operations and structure often do not
lend themselves to business standards. But nonprofits are
very effective for the kinds of outcomes they must achieve.
 Nonprofits often include multiple players in decision-
making. In addition to a primary drive to fulfill a
mission, nonprofits usually involve multiple players in
various decision-making processes — board
members, clients, staff, volunteers, government agencies, other
non- profits and local businesses
NFP business management

15.  Nonprofits must meet complex reporting standards set by
funding sources and government.
 Nonprofits receiving government grants are constantly
monitored and audited and lose contracts if they do not
achieve the outcomes identified by the government funding
agency. Foundations, too, require regular program and
financial reporting, and funding can be withdrawn if
nonprofits do not meet the criteria of funders.
 These financial and accountability measures dictated by
government and by funders help to ensure that nonprofit
organizations are not wasteful.
NFP Bus. Mgmt.

16. 1. In the most basic sense, a business model is the
method of doing business by which a company
can sustain itself -- that is, generate revenue or
in the NFP case deliver services.
2. The business model spells-out how a company
delivers a service(s) by specifying where it is
positioned in the value chain.
What is a business model?

17. Revenue Mix Cost Effective Programs
Mission
Business Model
Infrastructure & Expenses Capital Structure
Standard Business Model

18. 1. The viability of the community model is based on
user loyalty.
2. Users have a high investment in both time and
emotion.
3. The Internet is inherently suited to community
business models and today this is one of the more
fertile areas of development, as seen in rise of social
networking.
Community Model

19. 1. Public Broadcasting -- user-supported model used by not-for-profit
radio and television broadcasting extended to the web. A
community of users support the site through voluntary donations.
[The Classical Station (WCPE.org)]
2. Social Networking Services -- sites that provide individuals with
the ability to connect to other individuals along a defined common
interest (professional, hobby, romance). Social networking services
can provide opportunities for contextual advertising and
subscriptions for premium services. [Flickr,Friendster, Orkut]

20. 3. Open Source -- software developed collaboratively by a
global community of programmers who share code openly.
Instead of licensing code for a fee, open source relies on
revenue generated from related services like systems
integration, product support, tutorials and user
documentation. [Red Hat]
4. Open Content -- openly accessible content developed
collaboratively by a global community of contributors who
work voluntarily. [Wikipedia]
Community models

21.  A praxis that connects multiple disciplines.
ASSUME

22.  A = assess
 S = set
 S = setting
 U = understand
 M = meaning/motivation
 E = empower/educate
The definition of ASSUME

23.  Although little distinction is sometimes made between multi-
, inter- and trans-disciplinary inquiry many would argue that
there is a significant difference - particularly for older
members of staff.
 Transdisciplinary approaches involve multiple
disciplines and the space between the disciplines with the
possibility of new perspectives 'beyond' those disciplines.
Where multidisciplinary or interdisciplinary inquiry may
focus on the contribution of disciplines to an inquiry
transdisciplinary inquiry tends to focus on the inquiry or
issue itself. (The Transdisciplinary Evolution of Learning -
PDF))
A transdisciplinary model

24.  Disciplinary: Epistemologies, assumptions, knowledge, skills, met
hods within the boundary of a discipline.
eg. Physics; History; Psychology
 Multidisciplinary: Using the knowledge/understanding of more
than one discipline.
eg Physics and History; Biology and Architecture
 Interdisciplinary: Using the epistemologies/methods of one
discipline within another.
eg. Biochemistry; Ecophilosophy; Astrophysics
 Transdisciplinary: Focus on an issue such as pollution or hunger
both within and beyond discipline boundaries with the possibility
of new perspectives.
Transdisciplinary (2)

25.  Transdisciplinarity complements disciplinary approaches.
 The transdisciplinary vision goes beyond the exact sciences and
demands dialogue with the humanities and the social sciences, as well
as with art, literature, poetry and spiritual experience.
 The recognition of the existence of different levels of reality governed
by different types of logic is inherent in the transdisciplinary attitude.
 The transdisciplinary attitude involves an acceptance of the
unknown, the unexpected and the unforeseeable.
 http://www.hent.org/transdisciplinary.htm (10/5/11)
Trans D integration

26.  Science – Ecological model commonly known
as a Syndemic orientation
 We implement the MISAVAH Syndemic.
 MISAVAH = Mental Illness, Substance
Abuse, Violence and AIDS.
 The ASSUME model provides as good a
service as possible within available
resources.
Community Services

27. Policy and Procedures

28.  Because victims have diverse and multiple needs, it's
unlikely that any single agency can provide everything
that's needed.
 Some clients need services from several agencies. If services
are not well coordinated, clients may have difficulty
negotiating the complex service network, "fall between the
cracks," fail to receive the help they need, and/or be
subjected to unnecessary delays, frustration, trauma, and
intrusion into their lives.
 On the other hand, when services are well coordinated, it
reduces the need for multiple interviews, which, in
turn, cuts down on trauma and inconvenience for clients
and reduces wasteful overlap and duplication.
P and P

29. The following tools and techniques can help agencies work together:
 Protocols define the roles and relationships among agencies. They
typically include guidelines for referring cases to one another, clarify
each team member's responsibilities for assessing and investigating
reports; define the circumstances in which joint investigations should
be initiated; establish timelines; and provide for the sharing of
information and client confidentiality.
 Internal and External referral processes that clearly define role(s) and
responsibilities.
 Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) are informal contracts that
commit agencies to following established protocols or agreements.
They ensure that the agreed upon protocols are fully
understood, endorsed by the agencies' leadership, and that they will
be passed on to new staff.
 Collaborative investigations. When it is likely that a client may need
to be assessed or receive services from more than one agency or
program, joint investigations may reduce delays and reduce the need
for multiple interviews.
P and P (2)

30.  Multidisciplinary teams are groups of professionals from diverse
disciplines who come together to provide comprehensive
assessment and consultation in cases.
 While their primary purpose is typically to help team members
resolve difficult cases, teams may fulfill a variety of additional
functions.
 They can promote coordination between agencies;
 provide a "checks and balances" mechanism to ensure that the
interests and rights of all concerned parties are addressed; and
 identify service gaps and breakdowns in coordination or
communication between agencies or individuals.
 They also enhance the professional skills and knowledge of
individual team members by providing a forum for learning more
about the strategies, resources, and approaches used by various
disciplines.
Practical application

31. Multidisciplinary…
Interdisciplinary…
Transdisciplinary…
Adapted from Patricia L. Rosenfield: Potential of Transdisciplinary Research, Social Science
Medicine. 35:11,1992
Cross-Disciplinary Team Approaches

32. Interdisciplinary
Multidisciplinary • Team works jointly but still
• Team members work parallel from discipline-specific
to each other to address perspectives
common problems • New insights to address
• Results usually brought problems result from shared
together at the end staff conferencing
• Doesn’t ensure disciplines • Improvement over the
actually work together multidisciplinary approach
Multidisciplinary versus
Interdisciplinary Approaches

33. • Teams work jointly to address common problems by using a
shared conceptual framework drawing from discipline-
specific theories, concepts and approaches
• Transcends separate disciplinary approaches
• “Outside the box” thinking
• Whole person orientation
• (W) holistic assessments and responses – particularly
inclusive/cognizant of cultural and race implications.
• Teaming allows specialists, practitioners, and families to
work together to teach skills in natural contexts where there
is more opportunity for frequent practice
Transdisciplinary Approach

34. Questions?

35.  Vaughn E. Taylor-Akutagawa
 718-222-6300 x 112
 vtaylor@gmad.org
Contact me