ets Connections

ets Connections is a comprehensive "Whole Family" approach designed for community leaders to implement and sustain positive change. The nucleus of ets Connections is the EZ Self Help Systems (EZSHS), which enables families to understand their holistic needs based on proven risk factors and directly access the appropriate community services.

EZ Self Help System

The EZ Self help System is composed of three ets proprietary software programs. Together, they enable families, and individuals of any age to:

• Understand their holistic needs, known or unknown using research-based survey instruments, and create a unique family profile.
• Identify potential community service providers capable of meeting the family's or individual's needs, and directly access the best choices.
• Create a personalized success plan enabling the family to manage its transition to self-determined success.

Supporting System

Six supporting modules form the management system which helps ensure the EZ Self Help System becomes the nucleus of the community by engaging and aligning businesses, government and service providers to the needs of families.

The Management Reports and Leadership Scorecard module provides ongoing status of system performance and family and community outcomes. Effective use of these reports enables community leaders to evaluate and improve service quality and resource allocation in the areas of:

• System Performance
• Family Outcomes
• Community Outcomes

The Community and Network Self-Assessment module, based on the Malcolm Baldrige and the Florida Governor's Sterling Award Criteria for Performance Excellence, enables community leaders and individual network member organizations to evaluate capability and performance, and to develop plans for systematic improvement of the service delivery network.

The Strategic Planning and Leader Engagement module enables community leaders to develop aligned strategic goals, objectives and tactical action plans to efficiently address the quantified gaps identified in the community-level profiles.

The Funding Stream Generator module helps ensure that funding is not a barrier to improving the quality of life for a community's citizens. The Funding Stream Generator is key to strengthening and sustaining the network of services available to meet the holistic needs of citizens.

ets' Best Practices Florida is an accessible web site that ensures all ets connected communities can learn from each other, thereby eliminating the waste that results from "re-inventing the wheel."

The Training module ensures that the best approaches and standard practices are in place to promote improvement and sustained performance excellence. Web-based and classroom trianing are available for leaders, administrators, advisors, managers and providers.

Whole Child Connection

A key element of ets' Whole Family approach is the Whole Child Connection suite of services, which is focused on improving the quality of life for all children aged birth through 19 years and their families, and adults. Communities that make the commitment to their youth by ensuring their holistic needs are identified and met, can begin the journey to becoming a Whole Child Connection Community.

The Whole Child Connection System is powered by ets' proprietary ets Connections and EZSHS programs.

Whole Senior Connection

Citizens 55 years and older benefit from ets Connections by understanding barriers to their achieving and maintaining self sufficiency and independence. By developing personalized success plans and connecting directly to necessary services, seniors can achieve the highest quality of life, and remain vital members of their communities. The Whole Senior Connection version of ets Connections is designed to comply with Section 508 of the Americans with Disabilities Act, helping ensure access and usability by most people.

Communities that have implemented both the Whole Senior Conncetion and the Whole Child Connection have systematic approaches in place to become Whole Family Communities (sm).