Ohio Legal Rights Service Five-Year Strategic Plan
2004 - 2008
NOTICE: Take a survey to help OLRS shape its 2009 - 2014 strategic plan. OLRS has developed an online survey seeking your opinions. Answers to this survey will be used for strategic planning purposes and to improve client services to Ohioans with disabilities. The survey takes about 10 minutes to complete. Go to the OLRS Strategic Planning Survey
If you would like paper copies of the survey or more information, contact Tom Hemmert by e-mail at themmert@olrs.state.oh.us or by phone at 1-800-282-9181 (voice) or 1-800-858-3542 (TTY).
Download the PDF version: OLRS Five-Year Strategic Plan (PDF file)
Note: To view and print PDF documents, you need to have Adobe® Reader®, a free software program, installed on your computer. Download Adobe® Reader®
The following introduction is provided by Executive Director of OLRS and Bill Crum, Chair, OLRS Commission.
OLRS staff and Commissioners are very focused on providing quality advocacy services, working each day to find positive resolution of tough problems that children and adults with disabilities and their families face daily in their lives. OLRS and the Commission are also focused on the agency's operations. Service provision and organizational management are most assuredly critical focal points.
Stepping back from our everyday work to build on success and make improvements is critical to this agency's health, stability, and longevity. Forecasting a future is the purpose of this "Five Year Plan." The plan will assist OLRS in providing quality services to individuals with disabilities and to guide internal management decisions. It is a bird's eye view that maps out a course of action to where OLRS would like to be in five years.
The plan flows from OLRS vision and mission and directly informs and guides OLRS' yearly priorities and work activities.
OLRS' "Five Year Plan" sets out the agency and the Commission's vision for expanding our advocacy services, collaborating with the disability field and increasing outreach efforts, improving operational efficiency and effectiveness, and pursuing funding opportunities. Embracing change, we think this plan takes us into a robust future. We offer it to the disability community whom we serve.
Return to top
Our Vision: OLRS envisions a society in which people with disabilities enjoy the same rights and opportunities as all people. Everyone is entitled to make decisions about where, how and with whom they live and work as full and equal members of their communities.
Our Mission: To protect and advocate for the human, civil and legal rights of people with disabilities. OLRS accomplishes this mission by providing information, referral and educational services, individual case advocacy, policy analysis, legal representation and systems change.
Return to top
Goal number 1: Ohio Legal Rights Service will expand its provision of protection and advocacy services to Ohioans with disabilities through a variety of means, within agency priorities and budget considerations.
- Strategy 1: Increase the number of individuals with disabilities served by ten percent over the five-year strategic plan period.
- Strategy 2: Increase the knowledge of self-advocacy skills of individuals with disabilities and their families.
- Strategy 3: Plan for and provide a level of service when representation can not be provided by building the agency's Information and Referral capacity.
- Strategy 4: Increase technical assistance to the public and private sectors regarding disability issues and rights protections.
- Strategy 5: Plan for and develop enhanced use of technology to improve both staff efficiency and client services.
Goal number 2: Ohio Legal Rights Service will pursue ongoing activities with the disability field that lead to increased opportunities for outreach and collaboration.
- Strategy 1: Develop a plain language presentation tool about OLRS and its services for use as an outreach tool to underserved and unserved groups.
- Strategy 2: Develop opportunities to better inform the public about OLRS services.
- Strategy 3: Hold forums in different parts of Ohio to increase understanding about the agency's mission and services and to allow individuals with disabilities and others to have input on OLRS' yearly priorities.
- Strategy 4: Develop mechanisms that allow OLRS to assess the needs of the disability community for new informational materials and annually review all materials.
- Strategy 5: Develop mechanisms to allow the agency's Web site to be used as a tool for outreach and collaboration with other disability groups.
- Strategy 6: Collaborate with advocacy groups, agencies, and others when common goals are identified, and look for additional opportunities to work together with partners toward mutual goals.
- Strategy 7: Review progress toward the strategic plan goals annually.
- Strategy 8: Increase the agency's leadership on legislative and policy issues.
- Strategy 9: Develop a communication plan.
Goal number 3: Ohio Legal Rights Service will improve and enhance its periodic and ongoing performance measurement system, and improve its operational efficiency and effectiveness.
- Strategy 1: Implement the Recommendations of the State Auditor's Performance Audit.
- Strategy 2: Improve access of clients and others to OLRS services through improvements in OLRS' telephone system, Web site and case intake system.
- Strategy 3: Increase the knowledge and skills of OLRS staff, and provide them with the tools and training necessary to perform their jobs.
- Strategy 4: Establish a timely and cost-effective way to measure consumer satisfaction in order to improve the quality of advocacy services provided to individuals with disabilities, families and other interested individuals.
- Strategy 5: Implement use of the Agency's Continuous Quality Process within the agency's total management structure.
- Strategy 6: Plan for and integrate office functions with Web-based compatible applications to improve agency efficiency and accountability.
- Strategy 7: Fully implement strategic budgeting to improve agency planning and accountability.
- Strategy 8: Develop a performance measurement system to monitor progress made toward strategic planning and strategic budgeting.
Goal number 4: Ohio Legal Rights Service will pursue financial diversification opportunities that are aligned with its vision and mission.
- Strategy 1: Identify gaps in its service areas and levels of service provision, and explore grants and other funding opportunities that meet these needs.
- Strategy 2: Evaluate grants and other funding opportunities and apply for those that support the agency's mission and vision, and are supportable after the ancillary funding is no longer available.
- Strategy 3: Evaluate the cost-effectiveness and efficiency of alternative (non-formula) funding opportunities with particular attention on the administrative infrastructure necessary both to apply for and implement new grant projects. OLRS will generally seek only grants greater than 75,000 dollars.
Goal number 5: Ohio Legal Rights Service and its Commission will work together to improve the efficacy of the agency.
- Strategy 1: Provide support to the Commissioners in the implementation of the recommendations of the State Auditor's Performance Audit pertaining to the Commission.
- Strategy 2: Establish mechanisms that assure open and ongoing communication among OLRS and the Commission.
- Strategy 3: Work with the OLRSC toward the development of a board governance model which enhances both the role of the Commission and OLRS' ability to serve its constituents.
Return to top
Ohio Legal Rights Service
50 West Broad Street, Suite 1400
Columbus, Ohio 43215-5923
Telephone 614-466-7264 or 800-282-9181
TDD 614-728-2553 or 800-858-3542
Web site http://olrs.ohio.gov
The Ohio Legal Rights Service Commission members are:
- William Crum, Chairperson
- William Bauer
- Wayne Cocchi
- Jerry Cohn
- Greg Gantt
- Ted Sipes
- Kalpana Yalamanchili
Return to top
Ohio Legal Rights Service (OLRS) is funded by, and prepared the OLRS Plan through, grants under the following federal programs:
- the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act (administered by the Administration for Developmental Disabilities, United States Department of Human Services
- the Protection and Advocacy for Individuals with Mental Illness (PAIMI) Act of 1986 (administered by the Center for Mental Health Services, United States Department of Human Services)
- the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (administered by the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, United States Department of Education)
- the Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act (TWWIIA) of 1999 (administered by the Office of Employment Support Programs, Social Security Administration) and
- the State of Ohio General Revenue Funds.
Return to top
Related Topics:
