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HOPE-Informed Organizational Certification

Transform your organization with the HOPE framework

The HOPE-Informed Organizational Certification reshapes care and service delivery in ways that enable child- and family-serving organizations to better accomplish their missions of improving the lives of the children and families. The Certification is based on the HOPE framework, which is grounded in research showing that positive childhood experiences (PCEs) support healthy development and help lessen the lifelong effects of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). In adopting the HOPE framework, service delivery organizations and care providers consistently identify, honor, and promote child and family strengths.

Why become a HOPE-Informed organization?

Enhance families’ experiences of care at your organization

  • Increase equitable access to PCEs for children and families you serve
  • Increase families’ satisfaction and reduce families’ experiences of bias in the care they receive
  • Increase family retention rates in the services you provide

Increase your organization’s relationship with the community

  • Create meaningful ways for community members to engage with your organization
  • Ensure your services are culturally relevant and meet your community’s needs.
  • Gain recognition for your family-centered approval

Promote a healthy internal culture within your organization

  • Incorporate the HOPE framework into your organization’s culture
  • Increase staff retention and job satisfaction
  • Engage your staff with the reasons why they chose your organization’s work

When HOPE-Informed organizations implement the HOPE framework, it means they:

  • Prioritize family strengths and resilience
  • Provide anti-racist and culturally resonant care
  • Create and promote positive childhood experiences
  • Practice continuous learning and improvement
  • Invest in creating a more cohesive, happy workforce
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Hear from HOPE-Informed Organizations

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Learning to incorporate HOPE with other existing frameworks like Strengthening Families [was the most helpful aspect of the Champion training]. We [Bayou Lotus Corporation] have become a certified HOPE organization and are integrating HOPE throughout our organization.

Danell Spillman
Bayou Lotus Corporation

How can your organization become certified as HOPE-Informed?

The path to certification: kickoff session, self assessment, co-design action plan, and implement action plan
1

Kickoff session

Partner with a HOPE Champion(s) and meet with the HOPE team to discuss the Certification process and your organizational goals.

2

Self-assessment

Complete the self-assessment using the Six Standards of HOPE to determine your organization’s current implementation of the HOPE framework

3

Co-design of action plan

Create an action plan with your HOPE Champion and members of the HOPE National Resource Center based on the results of the self-assessment including determining key metrics to track progress. Once the action plan is created, your organization becomes “HOPE-Inspired.”

4

Implementation of action plan

Work through the action plan to implement the HOPE framework in your organization. Once the action plan is complete, your organization becomes “HOPE-Informed.”

Is your organization ready to become HOPE-Informed?

Each organization must partner with at least one HOPE Champion before applying for the HOPE-Informed Organizational Certification program. The HOPE Champion can be an internal staff member and an external collaborator outside your organization.

The Organizational Certification is a long-term commitment. The self-assessment and co-designed action plan processes can vary based on the size and complexity of the organization. On average, the self-assessment and design of the action plan can take 2-5 months to complete. The implementation of the action plan can take 3 months to 3 years to complete. The Certification process is customized for each organization, and the HOPE team collaborates with each organization to support their unique timeline.

The Organizational Certification costs $5000. There will likely be additional costs for organizations as they prepare for certification by either training a staff member to become a HOPE Champion or partnering with a Champion in the community.

Scholarships are available upon request. Please reach out to us for more information.

Start your HOPE-Informed journey

FAQ

The HOPE-Informed Organizational Certification program transitions organizations from talking about broad concepts like health equity and trauma-informed care to implementing specific actions to achieve these goals and publicly declaring their intentions and accomplishments. As a HOPE-Informed organization, you can:

  • Improve health equity
  • Improve service quality and delivery
  • Align with trauma-informed care work
  • Increaser staff engagement and prevent burnout
  • Open new partnerships opportunities
  • Attract funders to drive growth and pact

We offer online courses that introduce you to the research behind positive childhood experiences (PCEs), the HOPE framework and the Four Building Blocks of HOPE, and what the HOPE framework looks like in practice.

The HOPE team also offers in-person and virtual presentations and workshops for organizations. You can request a variety of options based on activities, topics covered, duration, and speakers. Contact us to learn more.

The HOPE-Informed Organizational Certification and the HOPE framework build on the strengths-based models organizations currently use, such as Strengthening Families, Early Relational Health, the Basics, and DULCE. The HOPE framework can be integrated into and build on the work an organization is already doing to enable it to provide more comprehensive and consistent strengths-based care and services.

We use the TRIADS model to link ACEs and the HOPE framework. Research shows that positive childhood experiences (PCEs) drive healthy development and lessen the lifelong effects of ACEs. Organizations that screen for ACEs and are HOPE-Informed have reported that ACE screening and the HOPE framework complement each other. The HOPE framework provides an actionable way for direct service providers to follow-up on ACEs screenings to build on families’ existing strengths and protective factors, and a way to integrate PCEs into service plans for children and families.

In other words, when ACEs exposures are identified, the HOPE framework can guide healing.

Each organization must partner with a HOPE Champion before applying for the HOPE-Informed Organizational Certification program. If you have a staff member(s) interested in becoming a HOPE Champion, they will need to complete the HOPE Train the Facilitator Certification program followed by the HOPE Champion Certification Once their Champion training is complete, your organization is ready to apply for HOPE-Informed Organizational Certification.

Alternatively, you can partner with a HOPE Champion outside your organization. Find a trainer near your area. You can also contact us and we will be happy to find you a suitable match.

Contact us

Not sure if the HOPE-Informed Organizational Certification program is right for your organization? Reach out to us with any questions.

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