New Horizons:
Getting New Projects and Initiatives off the Ground
Established end-of-life coalitions often measure success in terms of the community value of new projects they launch in the face of cultural denial about death. The best way to ensure success of new projects is careful planning and flexibility. This program is designed to identify the scope of the end-of-life project; to identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, barriers and resources; to identify key stakeholders; to identify the questions that must be answered and issues that must be resolved before moving forward; to identify the key players who need to be involved; to identify potential funding sources; to outline the process to ensure accountability, community engagement and success; and to offer technical assistance in reviewing plans as they are drafted.
Consultation will be led by Sally Mullen, LEI executive director, who has 25 years experience as a "turnaround" manager and organization consultant.
Building Strong Coalitions:
A Community-based Model
Using the broad community approach of Life’s End Institute: Missoula Demonstration Project, this program guides you through the process of developing or enhancing an effective end-of-life coalition, using the resources and talents at your disposal. Through intensive telephone and on-site consultation, you learn strategies for assessing the needs of your community and establishing goals for your coalition. Depending on participants’ needs and interests, the program may include assistance with writing grants, building organizational structure, fostering broad participation, and promoting community awareness. Components are adaptable for coalitions at various stages of development. This strategic planning program may also be combined with the "Arts as Avenue" and "Integrating the End of Life into Local Schools" programs, workshops on Gathering Life Stories, Spirituality at the End of Life, Assessing Community Needs, and presentations to community groups, such as the Rotary, the Ministerial Association and hospice workers.
Consultation will be led by Barbara Spring, Ph.D., LEI co-founder and community liaison, and/or Kaye Norris, Ph.D., director of research.
Using Community-based Assessment to Catalyze Community Action
When used effectively, community-based research serves as a call to action. This intensive program will guide you through the steps necessary to conduct community-based research and present your results to relevant audiences. Through both telephone and on-site consultation, you will receive assistance in developing a research tool, gathering data, managing a database, interpreting results, and tailoring those results to communicate a meaningful story. The components of the program can be customized to best utilize the resources and meet the needs of your organization.
This program is led by Kaye Norris, Ph.D., director of research.
Working with the Media in Rural/Small Communities
Local media can be vital for raising awareness about end-of-life issues. By working effectively with media, an organization can increase its success within the community. In this two-day, on-site workshop, participants will learn to take full advantage of local news outlets. Components of the workshop are adaptable but may include techniques for approaching editors and reporters, getting opinion page coverage, writing news releases using AP style, managing deadlines, and converting national events into locally relevant news stories. Participants will also receive guidance in creating a media plan for a specific event or activity. Consultation is available both before the workshop and as a follow-up.
Training will be led by Lilly Tuholske, M.A., director of programs and communications.
Arts as Avenue: Generating Community Awareness about Life’s End
The arts can be a powerful means of taking end-of-life issues from the intellectual to the emotional realm. This program will assist you in the process of utilizing art to provoke response, raise awareness, stimulate conversation, and promote action. In an on-site workshop, you will also receive consultation in the design of an arts program for your community. Examples include working with high school classes, exhibiting art in museums and coffee shops, utilizing public broadcasting services, and staging poetry festivals and dramatic productions. The on-site workshop will be supplemented by telephone consultation to help you meet challenges and capitalize on successes. This program may be used alone, or in conjunction with "Building Strong Coalitions."
Consultation will be led by Barbara Spring, Ph.D., LEI co-founder and community liaison.
Getting Unstuck:
Moving Forward through Chaos, Conflict and/or Apathy
End-of-life coalitions and projects flounder for a variety of reasons: too much work for too few people; perceived conflicts of interest due to limited resources; burned out leadership; high interest but low expertise in a particular project; inability to reach into the community effectively; personality conflicts; erratically productive meetings; lack of clarity about a mutual agenda; dispersed energies; hidden agendas. The goal of this program is to identify current strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and barriers; to identify the questions that must be answered and issues that must be resolved in order to move forward; to construct recommendations to address those questions and issues; to maximize opportunities and streamline inefficiencies; to identify a team to implement accepted recommendations; in short, to re-energize the end-of-life coalition and its work.
Consultation will be led by Sally Mullen, LEI executive director, who has 25 years experience as a "turnaround" manager and organization consultant.
Integrating the End of Life into Local Schools
Schools can be a vital institution for fostering social change. If children are given the tools to better understand dying and grief, they will be more likely to engage with end-of-life experiences. Through both telephone and on-site consultation, this program offers techniques for assessing needs within a school district, raising awareness among teachers and administrators, integrating end-of-life issues across a curriculum, and developing a schools task force to maintain ongoing efforts in the community. Components are adaptable to meet your needs. This program may be used alone, or in conjunction with "Building Strong Coalitions".
Consultation will be led by Barbara Spring, Ph.D., LEI co-founder and community liaison.
If you are interested in either of these packages, please
contact Life's End Institute at (406) 728-1613, or by e-mailing: .
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