Schedule A8 part 1 - MDOC STRATEGIC PLAN-FINAL.pdf

STRATEGIC PLAN

MICHIGAN DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS

January 1, 2019 - December 31, 2022

Committed to Protect, Dedicated to Success

Mission

We create a safer Michigan by holding offenders accountable while promoting their success.

Vision

Values

INTEGRITY:

TEAMWORK:

LEADERSHIP:

EXCELLENCE:

RESPECT:

LOYALTY:

Doing the right thing for the right reasons.

Working together to get the job done.

Inspiring others to accomplish the mission.

Maintaining the highest standards in your professional and personal life.

Treating others as you would like to be treated.

Demonstrating commitment and dedication to the organization and to each other.

We will continue to be the leader in corrections by transforming lives through innovation and dedication.

Letter from the director

It is no secret that Michigan is a national leader in corrections.

In the past five years we've made great strides in our efforts to transform the lives of offenders, uphold our commitment to public safety and create a work environment that supports you and your professional growth.

We have accomplished so much that we can be proud of, but our work does not end here.

We will continue to challenge ourselves to do better and find new ways to improve the lives of those we serve.

The goals and objectives you will find on the following pages of this strategic plan lay out our road map for the future.

It details where we are going and how we will get there.

It is an ambitious plan, and I am confident that by keeping our mission and goals in mind, we will continue to accomplish great things in the years ahead.

Heidi Washington

Director

Heidi Washington

Director

Goal 1 Invest in our employees

Objective 1.1

Enhance recruitment strategies and incentives to attract and retain quality staff with a target date of June 30, 2019.

The MDOC recognizes that recruiting and retaining staff is critically important to the achievement of our mission and vision. Several job classifications pose challenges for recruitment and retention such as corrections officers, health care professionals, and licensed tradespeople. Potential strategies and incentives to attract and retain quality staff have been identified through the Effective Process Improvement and Communication (EPIC) engagement and Lean Process Improvement teams. The Recruitment Division will implement approved strategies and incentives for attracting and retaining talent.

Objective 1.2

Establish a Wellness Unit to address overall employee well-being with a target date of June 30, 2019.

The best law enforcement agencies provide resources to manage occupational stress that impacts employee well-being on and off the job. Occupational stress in the corrections environment can contribute to PTSD, alcoholism, suicide and other devastating issues. The MDOC will establish a Wellness Unit that incorporates confidential professional services such as the Traumatic Incident Stress Management (TISM) team, Peer Support Programs and Chaplain Services to help employees achieve a healthy work-life balance.

Objective 1.3

Establish a new employee academy for non-custody employees with a target date of December 31, 2019.

All new employees need appropriate classroom-based training to properly prepare them for working in a corrections environment. This training is best delivered in an academy setting where each employee interacts face-to-face with experienced corrections professionals. The training division will establish a formal new non-custody academy training plan to prepare new employees for working in corrections.

Invest Objective 1.4

Establish a formalized mentoring program for staff with a target date of

March 31, 2020.

Employees are our greatest asset; therefore, actively mentoring them is crucial to personal development and positive growth. Mentoring employees increases their sense of ownership, loyalty and engagement. It is also a great tool for fostering overall career development for both the employee and the mentor that can last a professional lifetime. Effective mentoring can take place in a variety of forms, incorporating both formal and informal components. Historically, some form of mentoring has occurred within the department; however, a more formalized mentoring program will have the ability to aid in the growth and success of all employees. The training division will establish a formal mentoring program to help foster professional development.

Objective 1.5

Develop a staff legacy plan for long-term sustainability with a target date of June 30, 2019.

The MDOC has been protecting the public and transforming lives for more than 175 years. Building on this proud history and recognizing that this mission will never cease, it is critical that staff legacy plans be created to safeguard the continuity of key positions and functions within the department. To ensure this occurs, the MDOC will identify positions that are integral to the department’s continued success and develop written staff legacy plans that prepare staff to assume these positions through improved organizational practices, including a focus on effective knowledge transfer within the department.

Goal 2

Promote a culture that fosters success for everyone Objective 2.1

Establish a coaching model to improve interactions with offenders with a target date of December 31, 2020.

The interactions all MDOC staff have with offenders will impact their long-term success. Utilizing a “coaching style” will empower all staff to think differently about their professional role and use their expertise to model pro-social behavior and transform the lives of offenders. To ensure all staff are able to effectively utilize this coaching model approach, the department will continue with the roll out of the Motivational Interviewing (MI) training and evidence-based supervision tools.

Objective 2.2

Become a trauma-informed department with a target date of June 30, 2020.

Trauma is a very costly public health problem occurring as a result of violence, abuse, and other emotionally harmful experiences. By nature, correctional environments are often trauma-inducing. The MDOC realizes the impact of trauma on both staff and offenders and will take steps to become a trauma-informed department. Becoming trauma-informed means that we understand the signs and symptoms of trauma and the potential paths to recovery. When trauma-informed principles are added to the environment, triggers and re-traumatization are minimized, critical incidents are reduced and the use of restraints/segregation is decreased. The MDOC will establish a multi-disciplinary team to focus on integrating knowledge about trauma into policies, procedures, and practices to direct our interactions for a more positive outcome and to actively resist re-traumatization.

EnhanceObjective 2.3

Explore ways to refine the department's employee disciplinary process with a target date of December 31, 2019.

It is crucial that department policies and work rules are enforced for the safety of staff, offenders and the public, but it is also important to conduct a review to ensure these policies are reviewed so employees continue to meet the overall objectives and mission of the department. The MDOC will establish an Effective Process Improvement and Communications (EPIC) team to explore ways to refine the department’s employee disciplinary process. This will include a review of the employee handbook and department work rules, along with disciplinary procedures and related policies.

Objective 2.4

Define a team and process for ongoing technology review that will enhance staff and offender success with a target date of March 31, 2020.

A key aspect of being a correctional leader is ensuring that the department is continually on the cutting edge of technology that simplifies tasks, improves operations and prepares offenders for long-term success. It is imperative that future technological change be driven by the needs and input of staff, which is why the MDOC will create a collaborative team that will serve as a Technology Advisory Group, bringing input from their work areas, while identifying emerging technologies and practices that will place Michigan at the forefront of correctional technology.

Goal 3 Improve communication and collaboration in offender management and care

Objective 3.1

Provide continuous case management from conviction through discharge with a target date of

December 31, 2022.

The MDOC’s offender case management data systems have grown and evolved over the last three decades attempting to keep pace with the times. Staff currently use multiple data systems to accomplish offender case management and care, often re-entering the same information into each data system to perform their duties. The combination of separate but connected data systems are restricting staff communication and collaboration due to the lack of full integration.

Implementing the new Corrections Offender Management System (COMS) over the next four years will allow the MDOC to overhaul its fragmented case management system. It will replace it with a continuous case management system that provides staff with a seamless view of offender risks and needs from conviction through successful reentry.

Objective 3.2

Develop a communication pathway for relevant information sharing between all administrations and stakeholders with a target date of December 31, 2022.

Historically, the MDOC has operated in silos, despite the Correctional Facilities Administration (CFA), Field Operations Administration (FOA), Budget and Operations Administration (BOA) and the Executive Administration each contributing to offender management and success. Implementing COMS and replacing multiple legacy data systems in phases over the next four years will allow the MDOC to improve communications and offender hand off capabilities between administrations by sharing a single offender case management record, instead of case fragments spread across multiple data systems.

Collaboration Objective 3.3

Redefine the roles and responsibilities of staff pertaining to mentoring, care and case management of offenders with a target date of December 31, 2019.

The MDOC will redefine the roles and responsibilities of staff, specifically prison counselors, assistant resident unit supervisors, and resident unit managers. This is to ensure the primary focus of the prison counselors and assistant resident unit supervisors is on the case management of offenders. Case management is defined as the collaborative process of assessment, planning, care coordination, evaluation and advocacy for the options and services which best meet the offender’s needs. Collaboration will take place through the universal use of department electronic databases to create plans and document offender progress. Additionally, staff who work directly with offenders will begin to receive training in Motivational Interviewing to enable them to enhance their mentoring skills for prisoner success. An EPIC team will be created to establish a formal plan.

Goal 4

Transform the offender classification systems to align risk, placement and program needs

Objective 4.1

Create a program and security classification continuum that outlines placement, from reception to parole, with the target date of September 30, 2022.

The MDOC will formulate a comprehensive internal action plan to effectively align the use of department beds, while customizing security and program classifications to generate a roadmap for prisoner placement from reception through discharge. An EPIC team will be created to establish a formal plan to create a program and security classification continuum.