Methods Discussion
RecommendationsWhile the AOCD Forum on Homelessness was not to take place until April, the Durham AOCD team started the initial planning steps early in February 2001 in order to ensure an adequate amount of time for effective preparation. This initial preparation contained two primary actions; the collection of forum advice regarding the forum gathered from the service provider interviews held in the Fall and the development of an official Forum Planning Committee.
The Forum Planning Committee was comprised of three members from the joint Durham Team, service providers, and community members. The initial meeting was held on Tuesday February 13, at the Northeast Central Community Center, at which point ideas for the upcoming forum were discussed at length. Furthermore, it became evident that the individuals present at this meeting felt a great deal of enthusiasm and hope for the potential outcomes of this proposed forum.
Several key themes regarding the success of the forum planning process and the forum itself emerged at this initial meeting. Some of these identified themes included the need for action to stem from dialogue, the need for active participation from all power structures of the community, and the dynamic involvement of a diverse group of individuals throughout the entire forum planning process. As the primary goal of the forum was to stimulate dialogue among all members of the community, creating an environment in which all voices could be expressed and heard was requisite to the success of this forum. If this is to be accomplished, involvement of service providers, community members, and the "homeless" was identified as being essential to the planning process. Despite a high level of enthusiasm and circulation of ideas, this planning committee was not able to sustain the necessary level of involvement to maintain effective planning. As a result, the Durham Team created a forum planning sub-committee made up of four group members whose responsibility was to devise the foundations for the forum structure and then report back to the entire Durham Team. This was a successful method for the initial forum preparation. As the date for the forum approached, the sub-committee merged into the larger group where the entire group made specific decisions. Several of these larger group decisions included which theme(s) to focus upon, the content and framework for the discussion, as well as the logistics for the day. Through a process of prioritization, the collaboration and coordination of services was identified as an appropriate and stimulating topic for the forum discussion. Following this, the structure of the smaller groups was planned accordingly. While these decisions were made as a large group, in order to expedite the implementation process, smaller action committees were formed in order to expedite the implementation of these larger decisions.
On April 6, 2001 approximately 30 service providers, community members, and politicians gathered at the Northeast Central Community Center to discuss the current challenges surrounding homelessness in Durham, North Carolina. After an icebreaker and short introduction, the attendees randomly broke into four smaller groups in order to engage in discourse regarding the collaboration and coordination of services. Each group was comprised of an equal representation of the diverse points of view present. Following the ORID discussion model (See Appendix C), each group had thirty minutes to discuss in greater detail the state of services currently working to ease the burden of homelessness. Through this activity, a variety of opinions and points of view were voiced in a positive and respectful manner. These opinions were heard from individuals currently utilizing the services, individuals providing the services and individuals in positions of power with the ability to influence long-range change. Each small group was given thirty minutes in which to discuss topics and then devise potential steps of action. By the time the four groups reconvened, several plausible steps of action had been identified. Each of the groups had the opportunity to report their proposed steps for action to the remaining groups. With a comprehensive list of action steps in view, the attendees proceeded to identify and prioritize the action steps that would be the most beneficial to tackle. With the consensus to facilitate greater collaboration and communication among the current services present in Durham, a call to action was made. Silence. An individual currently facing the challenges of homelessness broke this ensuing silence with a poignant and heartfelt statement that seemed to affect many individuals present. After another call to action, one participant agreed to arrange a meeting to continue this discussion. In addition, the AOCD team agreed to help arrange this meeting in order to encourage the continuation of the dialogue among the providers and community members on homelessness in Durham.
As the Forum came to a close, each participant was asked evaluate the day's proceedings and then choose a door prize of his or her choice. The response to the Forum was positive. Several attendees, however, commented on the need for additional time to discuss some of these weighty topics. This lends strength to the importance of orchestrating an additional meeting in which those interested would have the opportunity to continue the dialogue. Several attendees did linger that afternoon and continue with an informal discussion of the topics discussed earlier. In a planning meeting with Steve Hopkins, Lloyd Schmeidler (one of the AOCD preceptors), and several members of the Council to Ends Homelessness, it was agreed upon that the AOCD team would present this final document to the Council to Ends Homelessness and Forum attendees. This presentation will take place May 17th at St. Philips Episcopal Church in Durham.
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