APPENDIX B: PARTNERSHIP HIGHLIGHTS
The Decker Family Development Center and its partners in Barberton, Ohio

The three partners in the Decker Family Development Center—the University of Akron, Children's Hospital Medical Center of Akron, and the Barberton City Schools—integrate their work through a monthly Open Intake process, called "Open." Education, social service, and mental health staff use the Open process to develop a comprehensive assessment of each family's needs.

Open is held over several days during the second week of each month. Partner staff take new clients through the registration procedures and conduct necessary tests and assessments for educational placement and mental health issues. Based on their TABE test scores, clients set long-range and intermediate goals for improving their literacy skills, and they complete a Work Development Assessment to help focus their efforts toward gaining employment. Partner staff then work with individual clients to develop a plan for their activities at Decker and refer them to other necessary services, such as public assistance or childcare. A social worker reviews clients' plans with them at six-week, three-month, and six-month intervals.