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Operation hope

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Content Running Head: Capstone Project Paper: Operation Hope 1
Operation Hope
by
R. Grey Endres
Capstone Project Paper
Doctor of Social Work
Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work
University of Southern California
May 2020
Running Head: Capstone Project Paper; Operation Hope 2
Executive Summary
The Grand Challenge to ensure healthy development of youth is focused on prevention.
Hawkins et al., (2015) conclude their summary of the Grand Challenge to ensure healthy
development of all youth, by stating that most of not many behavioral health concerns could be
prevented. Prior to the 1980’s, it was thought that youth behavioral health issues could not be
prevented but only treated. In the last 30 years, research has shown that they can be prevented.
Font, and Maguire-Jack (2015) found that child protection agencies that had access to
preventative services were more likely to have reduced substantiation rates and recidivism. In
addition, Hawkins et al., (2015) share that “research has also identified positive attributes and
protective environmental influences that minimize the adverse effects of exposure to risk” (p. 5).
Prevention programs have three levels including universal, selective, and indicated. Universal
programs extend to all children regardless of risk. Selective programs focus on children who
have risks but have not exhibited any behavioral concerns. Finally, indicated programs target
children early on who have displayed behavioral issues. Prevention is an underutilized key. In a
recent open letter, the Executive Director at the National Association of Counsel for Children,
Kim Dvorchak (2018) stated that the lack of attention paid to the prevention of child
maltreatment is a critical failure of the child welfare system and federal law (K. Dvorchak,
personal communication, October 1, 2018).
The focus of this Grand Challenge is to promote prevention and transformation rather just
focusing on treatment or incremental changes. Incremental improvements are small changes that
“increase effectiveness, quality or value” (Kahan, n.d.). This is vastly different from total
transformation. Total transformation is described as “radical, overarching change that impacts
the whole system” (Kahan, n.d.). The continued failure of child welfare effects millions of youth,
Running Head: Capstone Project Paper; Operation Hope 3
costs millions of dollars, and is further complicated by social inequalities that target youth from
poor families, homelessness, minorities, immigrants, domestic violence, substance abuse, and
unemployment. For example, Eubanks (2017) began her examination of Pittsburg,
Pennsylvania’s child welfare system by explaining that poor families often feel “forced to trade
their rights to privacy, protection from unreasonable searches, and due process for a chance at
the resources and services to keep their children safe” (p.158). Subsequently, upper and middle-
class families do not experience the same feelings when they reach out to privately funded
resources.
At the request of the English Parliament, Eileen Munro facilitated a review of the child
welfare system in England. In 2012, Parton summarized Munro’s findings; that the child welfare
system has too many minute procedures and meaningless policies that created barriers for
workers and clients. The system was overmanaged, and the clients being served did not have a
voice. Parton’s review (2012) focused on three key factors. They included collaborative
interventions (prevention), trusting staff while increasing accountability and autonomy, and
increased transparency with the public including giving client’s a voice. The goal of any child
welfare service should be to seek to understand before seeking to be understood while creating a
cooperative alliance with the client and their systems. In addition, Font, and Maguire-Jack (2015)
noted that the response of child welfare systems is often too subjective. The decision to respond
varies from not responding, providing services, and to taking custody of the child and removing
them from the home.
The failure of child welfare is held in place by several norms including adultcentrism.
Gibson (2014) and Turnell (2012) both surmise that child protection services have a default
Running Head: Capstone Project Paper; Operation Hope 4
setting that they are the experts of their client’s lives. Chris Petr, retired Ph.D. chair at the
University of Kansas School of Social Welfare, refers to this practice as adultcentrism. It is the
practice of failing to see the child’s or parent’s world view. It disenfranchises the families served
and leads to high staff turnover. Petr (1992) explains that it can be very difficult to address and
correct given that most child welfare workers would argue that they are providing best practice.
Petr (2018) shared that this has become even more difficult given the shift from family centered
practice to the current focus on child safety (C. Petr, personal communication, October 3, 2018).
Adultcentrism is held in place by the need to rescue the child, unconscious bias, blinding
following “old” practices, and the notion that confidentiality supersedes transparency.
At present, this capstone innovation will be referred to as Operation Hope. The goal of
Operation Hope is to disrupt the norm of adultcentrism. Shared decision making can unlock and
empower the voice of those being served so that they can be seen as their own experts by child
welfare. In collaborative pilot with CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) in Kansas City,
Missouri, and Manhattan, Kansas, Operation Hope will develop an interactive comic book within
a shared decision framework that uses superheroes/comic book characters to teach children how
to have and use their own voice while assisting them to better understand child welfare policies
and practices. With the end user in mind, specific action steps that will be explored in depth in
this capstone includes why comics, establishing a non-for-profit business, acquiring funds,
shared decision making as a best practice, comic book design/prototyping, the digital presence,
public discourse, program implementation, measurement of effectiveness, and considerations for
addition program phases.
Running Head: Capstone Project Paper; Operation Hope 5
Operation Hope is supported by three reasons. First, is the focus on the best practice of
shared decision making. This model supports and drives client’s participation in their treatment.
Secondly, Rosenberg (2013) explains that comic book fans love superheroes as they can connect
with their origin stories as heroes "choosing altruism over the pursuit of wealth and power”
(Rosenberg, 2013). For example, Superman lived with adoptive parents, and Batman was witness
to his parent’s murder. Finally, Operation Hope will be grounded in Empowerment theory as it
will derive its power to create change from the concept of borrowed credibility and expert power
while empowering youth to have and use their own voice. It will teach and give those being
served by child welfare a voice (appendix C) that will lessen the negative impact of being served
by child welfare. Expected findings or measures of success are at the macro, mezzo, and micro
levels including challenging the norm that holds the problem into place. For example, allowing
children to have a voice can increase stability in placements, reduce placement disruptions, build
trust in the system, increase engagement, impact treatment planning, and improve overall
permanency outcomes at the mezzo and micro levels. In addition, as children begin to use their
own voice, large systems will recognize that shared decision making is a best practice.
Conceptual Framework
Given the fact that child welfare spends more money investigating families than
preserving them and the practice of disregarding the client as an expert, is often fueled by the
lack of transparency. Fellmeth (2018) writes that it is ever too common for child welfare to “hide
behind a veil of transparency while mischaracterizing the intent and extent of confidentiality
protections in order to protect the them from public scrutiny and scorn” (p.11). Child welfare
should be customer centric. The focus should be on the client. The Social Work code of ethics
Running Head: Capstone Project Paper; Operation Hope 6
clearly outlines the practice of self-determination and informed consent. Gambrill (2017) shares
that “self-determination is integrally related to informed consent” (p. 382). Within the NASW
Code of Ethics (2017), informed consent states that social workers should give clients the chance
to ask questions, and if that client does not have the capacity to give consent, the profession
should seek consent from an “appropriate third party. In addition, social workers are expected to
protect the client’s right to give and participate in informed consent process. Gambrill (2017)
argues that a lack of transparency is an ethical violation. Without transparency, you can’t
practice informed consent. For example, within the model entitled Signs of Safety, Turnell
(2012) challenges his readers by stating that just working for a state-run child welfare institution
immediately puts the social worker at odds with the Code of Ethics given its lack of
transparency.
An example of poor transparency was explored by the Kansas City Star (2018) as it
described the Kansas child welfare system as “One of the most secretive, dark states.” During an
extensive investigation, the newspaper found that children were sleeping in foster care offices
instead of being placed in foster homes, case workers were told to remove notes from records,
some records were shredded, and more than 50 children could not be located. “Once you’ve got
that lack of transparency, unless there’s something that rocks the boat, the people who benefit
from it are perfectly happy to let it be,” said Loomis, a political science professor at the
University of Kansas (Bauer, Thomas, and Longberg, 2017). Practices that prevent or avoid
transparency have become the norm.
In 2012, the Kansas Department for Children and Families moved a 7-year-old boy from
his mother’s care to his father for placement after allegations of abuse by his mother. In 2013,
that same young boy told caseworkers from the Missouri Children’s Division that his father was
Running Head: Capstone Project Paper; Operation Hope 7
hitting and kicking him. The uncooperative and unresponsive family responded by moving back
to Kansas. Records suggest that Missouri child welfare attempted to notify Kansas child welfare
of their concerns. It was “reported that the children were home schooled and not seen by any
outside members of the family on a regular basis, which heightened concerns for the safety of the
children” (Schwandt, 2017). Schwandt (2017) declares “what good is child welfare” if we are
failing to keep the children, they serve safe. In his opinion people were ignoring the idea that
something horrible might be happening (Schwandt, 2017). “It is too bad that it takes a horrific
death of a 7-year old child to finally get people to do something” (Schwandt, 2017). Despite
multiple reports of abuse, he was never removed from his father’s care. Subsequently he was
beat to death and his body was fed to pigs.
Child welfare errors are frequently not reported by states according to Redleaf (2018).
These errors include overreporting, over investigating, and over labeling. In addition, child
welfare rarely “acknowledges its false-positive errors” (Redleaf, 2018, p.21). She explains that
the “mantra of best-interest of the child” is often evoked to silence those that might question the
decision to remove a child or the “assumption that the state knows better than the parents”
(Redleaf, 2018, p.23). In November 2018, a class action federal lawsuit was filed against the
Kansas Department for Children and Families. The lawsuit claims that “foster children in Kansas
are shuffled between homes and facilities so much that youth can be rendered “homeless while in
state custody” (Bauer, Shorman, and Thomas 2018). In addition, it alleges that some youth have
been treated so badly that they have had to run away from their foster homes. In several cases
they have been trafficked by their foster homes, and in one case a 13-year-old girl was sexually
assaulted while spending the night in a child welfare office. In conclusion Bauer, Shorman and
Thomas (2018) report that one boy has had more than 130 placements in six years.
Running Head: Capstone Project Paper; Operation Hope 8
Social Significance
The continued failure of child welfare is a significant problem. Children’s Rights (2017)
estimates that everyday there are 400,000 plus children in foster care in the United States, and
those numbers are increasing. It was reported in the fall of 2018 by Strengthen Families Rebuild
Hope Coalition, that children coming into custody in Kansas increased 7% annually from 2011
through 2018. In 1998, Kaiser Permanente and the Center for Disease Control facilitated a
survey of 18,000 plus adults called the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs.) The survey
asked ten “yes or no” questions about exposure to abuse, neglect, violence, separation, and
substance abuse. Boullier, & Blair (2018) explain that the more traumas a person has
experienced increases the risks of developing serious health concerns that can impacting our
behaviors, the development of the brain, mood management, and decision making. The
continued failure of child welfare is increasing the ACEs scores of the child it serves.
In August 2018, a report about the Kansas Department of Children and Families was
released that indicated that it was failing to meet 16 of 35 federal standards of the child and
family services review (CFSR.) Shorman (2018) explained that the “shortfall shows the agency
still needs to improve despite changes in leadership” (Shorman, 2018). Several standards that
were not met included the number of homes children were in over the course of 1000 days,
strength assessments of the family’s, timely adoptions, and stable school placements. An
interesting question that these standards create is if a child welfare agency meet all the CFSR
standards, would the children being served be better off? For example, what impact does the
standard of an average of 4.1 placements per 1000 days have on a child? According to
Shorman’s (2018) Kansas children were in an average of 9.9 homes over 1000 days. It is well
researched that multiple foster placements causes additional harm (Pryce, 2018). Each move for
Running Head: Capstone Project Paper; Operation Hope 9
a child in child welfare creates loss, life altering trauma, and multiple school disruptions. For
example, Biehle and Goodman (2012) explain that when a child is removed from their family,
they are disconnected from their homes, communities, classmates, and pets. In addition, “most
profoundly, the parent/child relationship is disrupted, which can deeply affect identity, trust, and
self-esteem” (p. 8). In addition to being removed from their biological family, 4.1 moves (or 9.9
moves) over the course of 1000 days would cause additional loss and trauma while increasing
adverse childhood experiences.
Current Practices
There are few current systems in child welfare that allow the voice of the youth be heard.
The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989) states that “every child has a
right to self-determination, dignity, respect, non-interference, and the right to make informed
decisions.” In December of 1999, President William Clinton signed into law the Foster Care
Independence Act. Eventually it was renamed after Senator John Chafee from Rhode Island.
Chafee programs assist aging youth in child welfare system with education, employment,
finances, housing, and counseling. A spin off from the Chafee program was the creation of youth
advisory boards. Forenza and Happonen (2016) explain that the purpose of these boards is for
emancipated youth to share their own experiences with the system and advocate for other
children in care. “Research on youth civic development shows that when youth are encouraged
to take on leadership roles within organizations and communities, both youth and civic
development are enhanced” (Florenza and Happonen, 2016, p.111). Research, by Florenza and
Happonen (2016) does indicate that youth advisory boards are in every state. Some of them are
facilitated by the state child welfare system, but many are supported by private non-for-profit
social service agencies. The board in Missouri meets quarterly and is partnered with the Missouri
Running Head: Capstone Project Paper; Operation Hope 10
Children’s Division. An obvious barrier to existing youth advisory panels is that it only targets
youth who are aging out of care. For example, if a child entered care at the age of eight, they
wouldn’t have a voice until the age of seventeen. Florenza and Happonen (2016) conclude their
research by stating that the youth that participate in youth advisory panels often feel that no one
takes them seriously or that it really leads to any significant change.
In February of 2020, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors announced that it was
forming the county’s first youth commission which will be made up of 18-26-year old’s who have
been in California foster care and or probation systems. The concept was imagined and inspired by
the Youth Commission Architects which is an initiative that began in South Carolina. According to
their mission statement (n.d.) their goal is to “build strong foundations through the development of
comprehensive strategies that motivate communities, families, and youth to achieve their goals.”
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors (2020) shared that there’s traditionally been little
input from the people experiencing the system to improve it, and that this was an effort to make it
“of the youth, by the youth and for the youth.” The goal of the commission is to monitor child
welfare practices and policies while being able to make recommendations given that “those with
lived experience are experts.” While this is a start given it was driven by a youth program, how
will it capture the voice of young children who are currently being served by the child welfare
system? It remains to be seen if this initiative challenges the norm of adultcentrism or empowers
the youth being served by child welfare to have a voice in their treatment given the active members
are no longer youth.
Finding and empowering the voice of clients being served by child welfare has been
explored by the Annie Casey Foundation and the Child Welfare Organizing Project in New
York. In March 2014, the Annie Casey Foundation published a Case Study about Team Decision
Running Head: Capstone Project Paper; Operation Hope 11
Making that include its history as a pilot in Toledo, OH in the late 1980’s as well as an overall
goal of being listed on the Blueprints for Healthy Youth (Annie Casey Foundation, 2014). Team
Decision Making is a model that includes the family and children in decisions about their care
and or treatment as the model professes that the client is the best expert of themselves. In
November 2019, almost 30 years since its introduction, Kansas began piloting Team Decision
making in two counties. Missouri has been using the model for over a dozen years despite
consistent failure to meet federal child welfare guidelines of safety, engagement, stability, and
timely permanency.
In June of 2017 the Missouri governor signed into law Senate Bill 160 which is known as
the Foster Children’s Bill of Rights. It contains 7 parts. The language of part one is taken straight
from the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. “In all circumstances, the best
interests of the child shall be the first priority of the children's division” (General Assembly of
the State of Missouri, 2017). The language of shared decision making, and client participation
can be found in sections five and seven. For example, section five states “the children's division
shall work with each child in state custody to develop both a permanency plan and a case plan”
(General Assembly of the State of Missouri, 2017). However, despite a state law in Missouri,
incorporating feedback from clients is not consistently practiced in Missouri. In addition, the law
can’t overcome the inherent bias that child welfare workers have. According to Bauer (2019),
Richard Wexler of the Virginia-based National Coalition for Child Protection Reform, states that
“the biggest single problem in American child welfare is the confusion of poverty with neglect,
compounded by the racial bias.” If the worker continues to believe that they know what is best
for their client, neither laws nor current practices in Kansas or Missouri will addressed the norm
of adultcentrism.
Running Head: Capstone Project Paper; Operation Hope 12
The Child Welfare Organizing Project is a program that is focused on giving parents a
voice. It was co-founded by Dr. Terry Mizrahi in the mid 1990’s, and the results of her study
identified three concerns. They included parents with children in child welfare had few rights,
the rights and policies designed to support them were not followed, and that they did not have a
voice “in shaping the programs and policies that affected their lives” (Tobis, 2013, p. 3). Tobis
(2013) shared that the project has had two unintended consequences, “seventy percent of the
parents who were trained by CWOP between 2000 and 2006 and who had children in foster care
when the training began were reunited with their kids” (p.11) and a 15% reduction of children
being removed in the East Harlem area.
A final example of a program is in Seattle, Washington called Powerful Voices. It began
in 1995 and is designed around the belief that “girls are the experts of their own experiences.” In
addition, “young folks, particularly girls of color, hold wisdom and brilliance in how they
navigate their worlds” (n.d.). It is their premise that too often “the systems in place” deny them
the power to bloom, and that to truly create lasting systemic change, “we” need to trust in the
expertise of young people and collaborate alongside them. In 2019, the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention recognized Powerful Voices as an intervention that “connects caring
adults to improve the future outcomes for young people” (CDC, 2019)
The review of literature that pertains to shared decision making and youth is mixed.
Shared decision making has become a standard in medical care, especially in adults. Elwyn et al.,
(2012) suggests that shared decision-making increases client confidence in decision making, and
patient engagement. Shared decision making is driven by respecting self-determination which is
a core social work value. It requires an active strong alliance between the clinician and the client.
Elwyen et al., (2012) describe shared decision making as a three-step process. The steps are to
Running Head: Capstone Project Paper; Operation Hope 13
explore options, client support, and discussion. Engaging children and adolescents are another
issue altogether. Duncan et al., (2006) explains that youth frequently receive services as a
mandated client. A parent, judge, or caseworker decided that they needed counseling. Overall
children have almost no say or voice in their treatment. “This often leaves the youth with little
control over the process, and perhaps, little reason to engage (Duncan et al., 2006, p. 72). These
factors correlate and may explain the high treatment dropout rates of adolescents. Subsequently,
can children really give feedback? The answer is yes (appendix C). Coyne et al., (2014) states
that youth decision making can be divided into major and minor decisions.
Feedback informed treatment is grounded in shared decision making. It is the
conversation about treatment between the provider and the client. De Jong et al., (2018)
summarizes Feedback Informed Treatment (FIT) as an approved evidenced based treatment that
creates a “culture” of feedback within each session. At the beginning of each session, the
clinician asks about the client’s overall well-being and at the end of the session asks the client to
share how they thought the session had gone. Most of the initial research that indicates the
effectiveness of using feedback in treatment has been limited to adults. A study in 2006
suggested that including youth in the feedback process improved engagement and helped them
“make sense of their experience in ways that generate hope and engagement” (Duncan et al.,
2006, p.81).
In a review of literature that explores giving a voice to traumatized youth who are in child
welfare, Dittmann and Jensen (2013) shared that they saw 12 emerging themes including
confidentiality, active listening, nonjudgmental acceptance, competence, relationships and trust.
It was not uncommon that youth were unsure why they needed to be in counseling or how they
were to act or what to say. In summary, Madden and Kleinlugtenbelt (2107) explain that the
Running Head: Capstone Project Paper; Operation Hope 14
clinician, doctor, or health care provider acts as the expert per the issue and the client is an expert
of themselves. Listening to the client and evoking feedback has shown to improve treatment
outcomes, increased engagements, and increased trust in casework, therapy, and of family court.
Change Theory & Logic Model
Within a cause and effect framework, Operation Hope’s logic model (appendix A) is
ground by empowerment theory and will be implemented within the framework of Roger’s
Diffusion of Innovation Theory. The logic model is an outline of the steps needed to create
change. A logic model can be evaluated in any direction including front to back, and in reverse.
They are beneficial as they can help prevent a program from leaving out a crucial step or from
skipping steps. A simple model has four steps including input, activities, outputs, and outcomes.
As a roadmap, they are essential according to Savaya & Waysman (2005) in order to be able to
assess the quality and readiness of a program. Operation Hope is driven by empowerment theory,
and the goal is to create second order change. Second order change is change that creates
opportunities for new growth or new pathways. In addition, it is irreversible as compared to first
order change which is doing more or less of something.
Power and to be empowered is a driving force. Solomon (1987) suggests that power is
more motivating than guilt and is a bridge to understanding relationships within family systems,
organizations, and communities. Solomon (1987) defines empowerment as “the reduction of an
overriding sense of powerlessness to direct one’s own life in the direction of reasonable personal
gratification” (pg. 80). Solomon argues that the process of empowerment can’t be facilitated
unless the associated power blocks are identified and strategies to overcome them are assessed.
Solomon (1987) describes them as any process or situation which disrupts the development of
Running Head: Capstone Project Paper; Operation Hope 15
inner personal skills. There are indirect and direct power blocks. Indirect power blocks are
negative stigmas at the mezzo or family level that can interfere with a person’s own development
including self-esteem, empathy, and cause and effect learning. Direct power blocks are negative
stigmas at the macro level including health care, education, employment, and systemic racism.
The norm of adultcentrism is supported by four direct power blocks. These include the
need to rescue the child, unconscious bias, blinding following “old” practices, and the notion that
confidentiality supersedes transparency. These power components often dictate an unaware case
worker’s role and practice, while forcing clients into decisions that limit or prevent them from
identifying and understanding their own needs. Rose (1990) shares that there are three steps
needed to address these power blocks. They include contextualization, empowerment, and
collectivity. Contextualization is acknowledging the client as an equal partner who is an expert
of themselves. Empowerment is a shared dialogue where the client is an equal partner in their
treatment thus allowing the client a wider range of client driven care. Collectivity is the process
of bringing people together within a concept of normalization. It is through collective
consciousness raising that Rose (1990) believes “people can achieve individual and social
transformation” (p.50).
Recently, the events after the mass shooting in Parkland, Florida have shown the
potential and untapped resources of empowered youth and diffusion of innovation. “The
Parkland students now occupy a unique position in the debate: they’re the first school-shooting
survivors who are old enough, angry enough, and media-savvy enough to force the nation to
grapple with a problem that adults have failed to solve” (Alter, 2018). Cameron Kasky painfully
shared “we were there. People keep telling us that we don’t know what we’re talking about. We
were there. We’re the experts. We’re the experts on knowing what it’s like to be in that kind of
Running Head: Capstone Project Paper; Operation Hope 16
anguish and hysteria and fear” (Alter, 2018). The survivors as well as their peers across the
United States then took to social media to share their concerns and have not lost any steam. For
example, Emma González has gained so much momentum that she now has more than 1.1
million followers on Twitter (Beckett, 2019). She has more than a half million more followers
than the NRA. The power of her and her peer’s voice has spread through diffusion.
Diffusion of Innovation Theory was developed by Rogers in 1962. LaMorte (2016)
defines it as a process “that over time, an idea or product gains momentum and diffuses (or
spreads) through a specific population or social system” (LaMorte, 2016). LaMorte (2016) states
the Diffusion of Innovation has 5 distinct adopters: innovators, early adopters, early majority,
late majority, and laggards. An adopter is a person that does something different than what they
had previously done. Salveron et al., (2015) argues that as people change, their systems will
change. Subsequently, successful implementation and buy in occurs when organizations support
the desired change (Salveron et al., 2015). Bloom (2011) explains that as a living system,
organizations will “resist change imposed from above but will evolve and change naturally if the
circumstances are conducive to change” (pg. 134). Subsequently Bloom (2011) shares that it
should be no surprise that child welfare systems are unable to create change within themselves
given the that systems are composed of a collection of traumatized individuals who have their
own unique lens of the problem, their set of formal and informal rules, and varied role of power.
The plan is for CASA to be early adopters at the macro level with an 80% adoption rate
(appendix B). Then as it builds momentum, it would spread to additional CASA offices in
Kansas and Missouri, then to surrounding states. The diffusion of Operation Hope would benefit
from impression amplifiers. Dyer et al. (2019) defines them as “actions taken to make you and
your idea better known and more credible” (pg. 120). Three examples of impression amplifiers
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are broadcasting, signaling, and storytelling. Broadcasting is the process by which a person or
agency visibly communicates “who you are, who you know, and what you have accomplished”
(p. 121). Broadcasting is most effective when we hear about an idea from multiple credible
sources. An example of a broadcast is if a social media influencer referenced a program during a
podcast. Signaling occurs when there are “visible links or alliances” that “represents an
endorsement” of a program (pg. 130). Finally, storytelling is the emotional connection between a
program and its stakeholders. It includes narratives, and illustrations that will motivate the
audience into action.
Problems of Practice and Solutions/Innovations
Operation Hope will begin as a collaborative pilot with CASA (Court Appointed Special
Advocates) in Kansas City, Missouri, and Manhattan, Kansas. Jackson County CASA has 400+
volunteers that work with approximately 50% of the 3000+ children in state custody in Jackson
County, Missouri. The Sunflower CASA Project in Manhattan, Kansas has 82+ volunteers and
served 2100 children in three surrounding counties in 2018. CASA was an ideal collaborative
partner given their mission is to be the “voice” of the child in court. The mission of Operation
Hope is to teach children and families being served by child welfare how to have a “voice.” The
initial phase is to develop an interactive comic book for children 10 – 18 years old (appendix C)
that uses comic book “superheroes” to teach children in child welfare how to use their own voice
(appendix C) to express their needs, concerns, and goals. In addition, the reader will learn about
relevant child welfare policies, family court laws, and provide tools to assist the reader in using
their voice. Operation Hope will publish the story in a three-issue story arc. Each issue will have
an initial print run of 3000 books and will be disseminated to 500+ CASA volunteers during a
training that will teach volunteers how to use the comic books with the children they serve. In
Running Head: Capstone Project Paper; Operation Hope 18
addition, the training will include a pre and post evaluation of the volunteer’s understanding of
shared decision making as a best practice. The outcome objective is that 80% of the CASA
volunteers will demonstrate an increased favorable opinion about shared decision making and
will use the books with their assigned clients.
The second phase of Operation Hope is to develop a web platform and or app that would
support the comics books with additional activities, information, and include gamification
components. Gamification is a theory or process that incorporates elements of game play in
nongame situations. Van Grove (2011) explains that gamification is also a way of using game
thinking to “solve problems and engage audiences.” The Operation Hope app will include
badges, levels, challenges/missions, and tangible rewards such as redeemable coupons for local
merchandise.
Tangible rewards are rewards that have an actual financial value to the person who owns
the reward. It is not uncommon for some apps to reward their users something of value. For
example, the app Sweatcoin rewards user’s digital currency. That currency can then be traded for
available offers. Cavanaugh (2018) explains that after accumulating enough sweatcoins (roughly
1 coin for every 1000 steps you take) you can trade them for items like music downloads, or gift
cards. What if Operation Hope’s users could earn an ice-cream cone from Dairy Queen or a
French fry from their local Sonic?
Early research and prototyping suggest that combining superheroes, comics and a web
platform that is laced with gamification has potential. Norton (2003) summarizes the finding of
Haugaard’s research that comics have a “fantastic motivating power” (p. 140). During a research
project in Vancouver British Columbia in 1999, Norton (2003) was surprised by the children’s
response that an adult was taking interest in their world as opposed to adults who can be so
Running Head: Capstone Project Paper; Operation Hope 19
dismissive of children’s interests. Children have an ownership of the comics they read. A child
in the study shared that comics are fun to read, and sometimes hard to put down. Norton explains
that adults often summarize “fun” as something that may possibly be trivial. In addition, adults
can be quick to assume that the pictures and drawings in comics are distracting, but research
shows otherwise. The art will draw in the reader as they are engaging, and an aid to learning.
Norton (2003) summarizes that “comic books are innovative in seeking to convey meaning
through multimodality” (p.143). This is supported by the fact that not all people learn the same
way. Combining superheroes and the concepts of gamification just may be able to build a bridge
to transparency, and trust in the children being served by child welfare.
There are multiple examples of story books and or comic books plus engaging digital
platforms including Penny the Pirate, and Valiant Entertainment’s partnership with Keep A
Breast that empowers or influences the reader. In June of 2014, Optical Prescription Spectacle
Makers (OPSM) in Australia launched a campaign to address the issues of declining numbers of
children who were getting their eyes examined. The campaign included a full color storybook,
and collaborative app. According to Smeaton and Lonsdale (2014) it is the first “storybook
which is also a registered medical tool to help parents screen their child's vision.” In the first
eight weeks after its release, 100,000+ books had been distributed. Subsequently it led to a 25%
increase in children eye examinations. The story follows Penny the Pirate who is trying to
become the captain of the “Mighty Pickle.” She has to plunder treasure, read the captains log,
and see sails in the distance to prove she's a worthy leader” (WARC, 2014). Smeaton and
Lonsdale (2014) explain that parents assist their children in reading the story, then upload the
results into the app to assess if a complete eye examination is warranted. The goal of OPSM was
to “improve the lives of a whole generation” (WARC, 2014).
Running Head: Capstone Project Paper; Operation Hope 20
In June 2017, Valiant Entertainment Inc. joined forces with Keep A Breast to promote
breast cancer awareness in young women and prevention. Valiant’s Faith Herbert was announced
as the official ambassador with the Keep A Breast foundation, and its app. In addition, Valiant
published a limit edition comic book. Faith is a plus-sized superhero that is not defined by her
weight. By day she is Summer Smith as she wears a wig and glass while working as a blogger
for an internet news site. In the story, Faith learns that her close friend has found a lump in her
breast, and flies to her side for support. Afterwards, Faith installs the Keep A Breast app and
follows the directions to facilitate her own self-examination. The book reminds readers that the
“earlier you catch it, the better,” and “we need to be our own heroes in the fight against breast
cancer” (Prado, 2017). Schrock (2017) explains that “being your own health advocate can really
empower you, and knowledge gives you that power.” The founder of Keep A Breast shared that
collaborating with Valiant Entertainment and Faith was a perfect fit because “comics inspire
people to stick up for themselves and others, to be their own advocate, and that’s exactly what
we do” (Schrock, 2017). Faith is a hope keeper as she is a powerful reminder that there is a hero
inside all of us.
Using comics and superheroes will work given their wide appeal and acceptance. In a
recent book entitled Why Comics? Chute (2017) shares with her readers that since the creation of
the first superhero in 1938, “the appeal of superheroes has not only persisted through wars,
global crises, and shifting social values but it has flourished” (p.70). Using comics as a medium
for diffusion, Operation Hope could teach the user about their rights, social welfare policies,
child welfare program expectations, laws, and basic psychoeducation about loss, and trauma.
While exploring why superheroes, Chute (2017) quotes Grant Morrison, a famous comics author,
“superhero stories speak loudly and boldly to our greatest fears, deepest longings, and highest
Running Head: Capstone Project Paper; Operation Hope 21
aspirations. They are not afraid to be hopeful, not embarrassed to be optimistic, and utterly
fearless in the dark” (p.75). Rosenberg (2013) explains that each hero goes through three life-
altering experiences that their readers can relate to: trauma, destiny, and sheer chance. In
addition, the reader experiences those events simultaneously in text and graphics.
An example of a comic book that created social change is “Martin Luther King and the
Montgomery Story.” It was a 16-page comic book published in 1957 by Benton Resnick and it is
considered the “most dangerous comic book” (Bennett, 2019). Bennett shares that A quarter
million copies were printed and distributed through churches, universities, social advocacy
organizations, and labor unions. The story retold the Montgomery bus boycott, and it became a
how-to guide on how to use passive non-violent resistance for the Greensboro Four” (Bennett,
2019). The Greensboro Four were the four black youths who sat at a Woolworth’s all white
lunch counter. Bennett (2019) explains that it is considered the world’s most dangerous comic
because “people were told to read it, memorize it, and destroy it because if they were caught with
it, they could be killed" (Bennett, 2019). Congressman John Lewis from Georgia explains that he
read the comic when he was eighteen, and it changed his life. Bennett (2019) recounts
Congressman Lewis who stated that it led him to begin a life of nonviolent protest, or as he put it
"that comic book inspired me to make trouble” (Bennett, 2019). In summary, the comic book
taught a whole generation of African Americans how to use their voice.
Project Structure, Methodology, and Action Components
Implementation
By spreading through diffusion of innovation, Operation Hope will be implemented using
the framework of Re-AIM. Gaglio, Shoup, and Glasgow (2013) describe Re-AIM as a tool that
Running Head: Capstone Project Paper; Operation Hope 22
can improve the implementation of a health care innovation. Re-AIM has five steps which
includes reach, effectiveness, adoption, implementation, and maintenance. While Re-AIM will
assist in effectuating Operation Hope, it is important to note that implementation of an
innovation can be impacted by outer and inner contexts. Grossman, Ross, and Foster (2010)
shared that politics and funding sources within child welfare can have a greater impact on
decision making than evidence and outcome. Operation Hope is benefited by the fact that it will
not require legislation, or government funding. A table of the Facilitators and Barriers that
Operation Hope can expect when using Re-AIM is in appendix D.
King, Glasgow, Leeman-Castillo (2010) explains that each step (Reach, Effectiveness,
Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance) of Re-AIM was designed to guide the evaluation
of best practices. The target population and Reach includes both primary and secondary actors.
The primary actors for Operation Hope are the children served by child welfare. Secondary
actors are the children’s division, guardian ad litems, juvenile court judges, and officers, CASA
volunteers, educators, counselors/therapists, mental health techs, foster parents, psychiatrist, the
press, state/federal politicians, and funders.
Effectiveness is defined as the possible positive and negative impacts and or unintended
consequences. An example is the Hawthorne Effect. According Mccambridge, Witton, &
Elbourne, (2013) this was first documented in 1953. It is the potential impact that occurs when a
person or groups of people are closely supervised or believe that they are under the “scope.”
However, it is interesting to note that not all studies are impacted by the Hawthorne Effect.
Mccambridge, Witton, & Elbourne, (2013) explain that this could possibly be explained by
inherent bias. Child welfare is deeply biased as they believe that they experts of the client’s they
Running Head: Capstone Project Paper; Operation Hope 23
serve, and that they are in good faith protecting their clients. However, Salveron et al., (2015)
argues that as people change, their systems will change.
The third stage is adoption. Gaglio, Shoup, Glasgow (2013) describe “adoption as the
absolute number, proportion, and representativeness of settings and intervention agents who are
willing to initiate a program” (pg. 6). A potential barrier to adoption would be if either CASA
office pulled out of the pilot. If this occurred, Operation Hope could turn to another section of
CASA or engage a third-party foster care case management agency. It is also critical to consider
the timing of adoption. Brownson, Colditz, and Proctor (2017) point out that new programs are
not always implemented at the right time. There is an interesting correlation between timing and
public interest. Brownson, Colditz, and Proctor (2017) refer to this as the inverse evidence law.
Programs that are gaining the attention of the general public are sometimes considered the least
valued by policy makers given the barriers of timing, the clash of cultures, and balancing
objectivity and advocacy.
The fourth stage is implementation. King, Glasgow, and Leeman-Castillo (2010) define
implementation as the roll out or installation. Barriers of implementation include program
infidelity, inconsistent delivery, and the connection between the problem and the solution is not
clear. As Operation Hope diffuses, a consistent delivery would be key to program fidelity.
Inconsistency in diffusion could have an impact on the adopters. Turnell (2012) explains that
implementation will fail if the problem definition and scope (purpose) of the innovation is not
clear or clearly connected.
The final stage is maintenance. According to Gaglio, Shoup, and Glasgow (2013)
“maintenance is the extent to which a program or policy becomes institutionalized or part of the
routine organizational practices and policies” (pg. 39). This can also be considered as
Running Head: Capstone Project Paper; Operation Hope 24
sustainability. Has the change become permanent, and does it have the ability to stand on its
own? Palinkas and Soydan (2012) define organizational climate as the staffs view of their agency
and their overall work performance. In addition, to scale sustainability, it would be important to
consider who will be responsible to maintain the change, and what is needed to be sustainable?
Both questions are potential barriers and facilitators.
To assist in implementation, it would be best practice to define each step within a
strategy. To assist in this, the Expert Recommendations for Implementing Change project
(ERIC) is recommended. According to Powell et al. (2015) the ERIC project was initiated
because “identifying, developing, and testing implementation strategies are important goals of
implementation science” (pg. 1). It is important to note that prior to the ERIC project, the process
of assessing and/or testing implementation process was difficult given the wide variety of
inconsistent use of definitions and language. Secondly, Powell et al. (2015) shared that
“published descriptions of implementation strategies too often do not include sufficient detail to
enable either scientific or real-world replication” (pg. 2). The ERIC project is divided into 9
clusters, and Operation Hope has identified several implementation strategies to use (appendix
E). These strategies have been chosen as they are a good fit within the logic model.
Evaluation
Voiceworks will measure the effectiveness and outcomes of Operation Hope using a
mixed method. Palinkas and Soydan (2012) explain that “mixed methods research refers to the
integrated use of quantitative and qualitative methods in the same study or project” (pg. 125).
Together a mixed method provides more data to better understand the explored problem than
solely using quantitative or qualitative methods. The identified mixed method design that
Operation Hope will engage is QUAN > qual. According to Palinkas and Soydan (2012) this
Running Head: Capstone Project Paper; Operation Hope 25
design involves the collection of analysis of quantitative date prior to qualitative date, and the
quantitative data is the primary priority. In addition, the qualitative data will assist Operation
Hope in understanding the quantitative data. The outcome objective is that 80% of the CASA
volunteers will demonstrate an increased favorable opinion about shared decision making and
will use the books with their assigned clients (appendix B).
Operation Hope will use a short Likert scaled questionnaire (appendix F) to be given pre
and post training with the CASA volunteers. The scale would use the visual analogue that
contains two distinct choices with variations in the middle. While easy to use, Dawes and
Haslock (1982) shared that this scale can suffer from a perceived “golden” area thus it has some
limitations. While Hjernstad et al. (2011) suggests that age and cognitive ability can impact error
rates. However, visual analogue can be easy to score, and it can benefit from handheld
technology. At this time, Operation Hope will not be pursuing data collection from the children
being served by child welfare given their extreme vulnerability and need for protection.
It is important to note that there are several weaknesses that need to be considered. This
proposed research lacks a comparison group and may be vulnerable to internal validity threats
including testing influence, instrumentation design, and secular drifts. In addition, if Operation
Hope facilitates a pre and posttest evaluation with the goal of measuring the effectiveness, it will
require Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval. An IRB is an “administrative body
established to protect the rights and welfare of human research subjects recruited to participate in
research activities” (n.d.). The IRB proposal was granted by Missouri Western on February 22,
2020 and will expire in March of 2021.
Finances and Program Structure
Running Head: Capstone Project Paper; Operation Hope 26
It is common for many social services innovations begin as a nonprofit organization.
There are pro’s and con’s to be a nonprofit start-up. Chen (2013) shared in the Harvard Business
Review that the main different between either type of structure is how it seeks funds. For
example, nonprofit can seek donations and grants to fund programs. In addition, non-profit
agencies have internal and external stakeholders, who expect social benchmarks be set and met.
They include customers, employees, partners, shareholders, suppliers, and society in general. In
conclusion, Chen stated that “the most important part of choosing the right structure is starting
with your mission, and then adopting a structure that allows you to best achieve it” (Chen, J.,
2013).
The nonprofit will be called Voiceworks, and it will be a subsidiary organization within
Lifeworks Family Treatment Group (appendix G). Operation Hope will be a program within the
nonprofit Voiceworks. The auspice will be the board of directors, and the CEO of Lifeworks
who then reports to the owner (appendix H).
Operation Hope will require a significant amount of funds up front. The key to be able to
grow and expand is to have a flexible budget. This is critical in assisting an organization in
reaching stability. Janus (2018) shared that a nonprofit will eventually lose its momentum and
shut down if it does not raise enough funds to reach stability. The structure as a nonprofit, fits
within the input section of the logic model as it’s an investment of hard, and soft services as well
as resources. Voiceworks will use the line-item budget format (appendix I). The starting date for
Voiceworks will be January 1, 2021 which will include an approved budget for 2021. The 2021
budget will be ready for review by July 1, 2020.
Voiceworks projected revenue for the first year will come from four sources including
fees for service, the Greenlight Fund, advertising, and crowdsourcing. It is important to consider
Running Head: Capstone Project Paper; Operation Hope 27
diverse revenue sources. Foster, Kim, and Christiansen (2009) explain that when funding sources
are not diverse and linked to the program, the result is that programs are cut or never began. It is
projected that Voicework’s fees for services will support the COO position in the first year of
operation. The expected revenue of fee for service is $20,000. This revenue will be generated by
facilitating 20 continuing education (CEU) workshops with an estimated attendance of 25
participants at the cost of $40 per participant. Voiceworks will offer ceu’s for a variety of
workshops that will meet licensing requirements for ethics, diagnostics, safety, diversity, and
supervision. The total projected revenue for the first year of operations will be $78,000
(appendix I). The total expenses for year one are projected to be $75,600 which would leave a
surplus of $2400.00. Blank (2019) shares in his article, “Why the Lean Start-Up Changes
Everything” that new research by the Harvard Business school has found that 75% of start-ups
fail. The total costs versus expected revenue is a very slim margin. Thus, the bottom line must be
closely watched by the board and COO. An area that would impact the bottom line is the printing
costs. Presently, the estimated printing costs are $3 a book. If the price increases or can be
decreased, this would dramatically shift the bottom line in either a positive or negative way. A
successful marketing plan that engages all the potential targets would increase revenue thus
relaxing the tension in the bottom line. Finally, it will be very important to follow the money
and/or statement of financial position (balance sheet) by using a monthly cash flow statement.
Publishing a comic book has many variables to consider including the art, the story, and
printing. An average comic book is 32 pages long not including the front and back covers. Most
comic books are full color with a saddle stitch binding on glossy paper. A modern comic book is
roughly 10 by 7 inches and 22 of the 32 pages are devoted to the story. The rest are frequently
advertisements for other comic books, merchandising, non-related products including fast food,
Running Head: Capstone Project Paper; Operation Hope 28
toys, candy, and various snacks. In addition, many long running books have a letter to the
editors’ section and or fan mail. Operation Hope will sell advertisements and use the space to
collaborate with existing programs. For example, the Wendy’s Wonderful Kid foundation
focuses on permanency for children being served in child welfare, and maybe they would
purchase an advertising space that would offer the reader a small French fry or Frosty. It is
projected that Voiceworks will raise $5000 in advertising.
The decision to become a nonprofit opens multiple funding option. Aside from
advertising, Kansas City has a new funding startup called the GreenLight fund. In May of 2018,
GreenLight launched a site in Kansas City. The goal is to allocate $4.4 million to social
innovations that address local needs. Kansas City is the seventh site to join the fund. The Fund is
a nonprofit that is based in Boston. Its mission is to transform the lives of children and families
in high-poverty areas by identifying innovative programs. Voiceworks will solicit $40,000 from
the Green Light fund.
A fourth revenue source is crowdfunding. There are four types of crowdfunding
including equity, debt, reward or a simple donation. Equity based funds sell shares of their
company. Debt funding are peer to peer lending sites. Reward based sites such as Kickstarter
offer goods or “rewards” for funding. The fourth type of crowdfunding is charity-based sites that
offer only the feeling of having contributed to a good deed. Mollick (2016) writes that funders in
the United States have raised over $2 billion dollars. As a process, it “connects creators and
entrepreneurs directly with customers and funders” (Mollick, 2016). Aside from the connection,
it facilitates a community whereas funders develop a sense of ownership and creators will feel a
sense of obligation to complete the project. Crowdfunding would fit within the logic model in the
activities section. The financial goal would be $12,000. Within the Kickstarter campaign,
Running Head: Capstone Project Paper; Operation Hope 29
Voiceworks would offer 4 tiers of support. Each tier would offer a reward including posted
sponsorship/credit, digital rewards, a hard copy of the comic, and signed original comic panels.
The Prototype
Prototyping has become an important step in innovative design. It is the process of
creating a preliminary model of a product that will give the designer the needed data to define
and redefine their product. Prototyping was first introduced in the USC DSW program in SWK
723. Operation Hope has gone through many alterations. The initial design included partnering
with a major comic book publisher but shifted after a primary interview with Edgar Bottger the
President and Executive Creative Director of alPunto Advertising and Promotion in Tustin, CA
shared that it may be easier to hire an inhouse artist and develop your own heroes than pursuing
collaboration with a major publisher (E. Bottger, personal communication, October 23, 2018).
Overall prototyping “provides both forward-looking designers with guidance in creating new ideas
and their clients with proof of concept” (Martin, 2014).
Initially, the innovation’s design was to focus on the development of an app that would
operate much like rate my professor or Angie’s List by capturing data about treatment providers,
caseworkers, and the family court system. Multiple interviews as well as feedback from USC
faculty suggested that this was most likely unfeasible given the extreme vulnerability of the
children being served. Secondly, the idea shifted to creating a comic book and how to get the
book into the hands of children. During an interview with Dr. Yo Jackson from Penn State
University (Y. Jackson, personal communication, March 1, 2019) shared that the key to engaging
child welfare is to constantly and consistently network which led to the idea to partner with
CASA. CASA and Operation Hope share the “voice” as a mission value.
Running Head: Capstone Project Paper; Operation Hope 30
The current prototype includes a journey map (appendix J) and a mock book cover for
“Finding My Voice” (appendix K). According to Gibbons (2018) a journey map is a
visualization of the process for an end user’s experience. Operation Hope has two end users,
CASA and children. The journey map demonstrates the connection between the problem and the
solution, and the end user experience. The first book will follow Levi as he is getting acquainted
with his new foster placement and school. The cover depicts Levi with all his thoughts and
worries. It is designed to immediately connect with the reader who may have the same or similar
thoughts as Levi. The end user experience for CASA is to engage them in disrupting the norm of
adultcentrism through a shared mission. The prototype was laid out using multiple story boards,
and then presented for feedback and editing from a variety of peers, former foster alumni and
stakeholders. In addition, both were impacted by the lean canvas (appendix L), an infographic
project (appendix M), and story boards (appendix N).
“Finding My Voice” will be followed by “Using My Voice and Sharing My Voice.”
Operation Hope has identified and entered into a contract (appendix O) with the author and
illustrator Todd Damotte (appendix P). Mr. Damotte has outlined the script (appendix Q), and
the storyboard (appendix R) for “Finding My Voice.”
Communications and Marketing Plan
Operation Hope is a disruptive innovative that it is attempting to create second order
change at the macro level of child welfare. Waters (2017) shared that there are four broad types
of innovations including disruptive, design-led, brand-led, and customer-led. Operation Hope
will begin as a disruptive innovation and evolved into a customer-led innovation. Disruptive
innovations are those that target the disruption of a long-standing norm or “dogma” while
creating a new way to conduct business. (Waters, 2017). Customer-led innovations are those that
Running Head: Capstone Project Paper; Operation Hope 31
are driven by the lens of the customer while acknowledging them as the expert. In addition,
Waters (2017) argues that the customer-led innovation “socializes insight and customer
storytelling.”
Operation Hope’s implementation will include planning for mass media marketing
through public discourse. Within the framework of the 70/20/10 rule, Operation Hope will focus
on short messages that entices the listener through compassion and involvement. This process
supports the Empowerment theory and is a natural fit for Operation Hope’s theory of change.
The campaign will initially target social media, and the second-year financial plan will include
expanding marketing costs for radio and visuals such as a billboard. The phase I spokespersons
will be “Levi and Maria” who is the central characters in the comic book story. While not a
phase I goal, identifying a sports celebrity who had ties to foster care should be a consideration
as children often look up to athletes.
As previously explored, Faith made her debut as Keep A Breast’s official “comics
ambassador” at New York Comic Con 2016. In a personal communication with Kelly Walsh, the
Strategic Partnerships Manager for KAB (Walsh, January 23, 2020) Ms. Walsh shared that
idea was developed by Valiant, and that KAB provided the educational material. Sadly,
the campaign’s outcomes are unknown. Ms. Walsh shared (personal communication,
January 23, 2020) that as a small non-profit that manages close to “80 partnerships a year”
they do not have the time to evaluate the effectiveness of each campaign. This is an
excellent reminder that assessing outcomes should be a critical consideration in all phases
including implementation, and marketing. It is not enough to measure an innovations
success by counting “likes” or hoping that it goes “viral.” According to Rayner and
Findlay (2017) measuring success needs to assess if the brand created “influential
Running Head: Capstone Project Paper; Operation Hope 32
memories.” In order to do this, Rayner and Findlay (2017) state that campaign needs to
create a deep engagement with the audience and/or stakeholder.
Marketing research suggests that successful campaigns should consider following the
70/20/10 rule when deciding on content. IMA Marketing Specialists (2017) explains that “if you
are constantly saying the same thing, all the time, people will tire of your company quickly and
look elsewhere.” Tsai (2019) adds that the 70/20/10 rule will assist an innovation in remaining
relevant to its customers while “focusing on spotlights and industry happenings.” 70% of
the communications campaign should build brand by having a voice. The 20% of
content should be focused on best practices within the identified practice. The final
10% should be focused on your agency promotions and products. “Levi and Maria” are going to
spend 70% of their time sharing how it feels to be a foster child and the problems they are
experiencing.
Conclusions, Implications, and Next Steps
Voice Works will be implemented as a “Lean Start-Up”. Blank (2019) explains that it
focuses on failing fast, constant customer feedback, and iterative design. In summary, he shares
that start-ups that succeed “go quickly from failure to failure, all the while adapting, iterating on,
and improving their initial ideas as they continually learn from customer” (pg. 89). These
thoughts mirror some advice given to this writer by Dr. Yo Jackson from Penn State University
(Y. Jackson, personal communication, March 1, 2019) that child welfare does not like second
order change. Given that, Voice Works and Operation Hope will need to be constantly and
consistently networking with secondary child welfare actors in order to improve the overall goal
of disrupting child welfare’s norms. Blank (2019) describes this as a “get out of the building”
Running Head: Capstone Project Paper; Operation Hope 33
approach. This is a process by which a start-up is constantly out in the field seeking feedback
from partners, potential users on all the business model elements.
Phase I of Operation Hope is implementation ready and has several strengths including
the relatability of comics, and the research on shared decision making. It will work as it is
grounded in best practices, sound theory, and it will derive its power to create change from
borrowed credibility and expert power. When a start-up affiliates with a reputable organization,
others are more likely to engage with the start-up because the reputable organization raised the
credibility of the start-up (Aster Family Advisors, 2016). Both CASA locations are a well-
established agency with legitimate expert power given their authority within family court.
According to Lununberg (2012) legitimate power is a person or agency’s ability to influence
others because of their position within a system as well as “recognized knowledge, skills, and
abilities.”
However, it is also important to acknowledge its weaknesses and business risks. It is a
risk that Operation Hope does not fulfill its potential, that CASA pulls out of the pilot, that the
board elects to not move forward, that funding cannot be secured, the comic books are never
published, sustainability, and how to “design” for all. Without an inclusive design, the end user
experience would be negatively impacted. Feedback from peers and stakeholders have all
pointed out that limiting the focus to a single age range, gender, or ethnicity would not support
the mission statement of ensuring the healthy development of all youth.
Despite these weaknesses, there are also many opportunities. The literature review of
current practices suggests countless opportunities to network and collaborate with ongoing
interventions. Presently, there is no other comic book that addresses adultcentrism to compete
with. Frequently, the comics industry often gets behind and supports projects that take on social
Running Head: Capstone Project Paper; Operation Hope 34
problems including bullying, domestic violence, AIDS, LGBTQ issues, and wellness. If CASA
was to drop out of the pilot, there other many viable resources including but limited to residential
care, third party foster care case management, and youth advocacy groups. In addition, if
Operation Hope, “Finding My Voice,” and “Levi and Maria” gain in popularity, an outside
publisher might be interested taking on the project.
Finally, it is also important to consider potential threats. Given that child welfare does not
embrace change, and transparency does not exist in child welfare, there could possibly be an
attempt to squash Operation Hope. In addition, while comics are easily embraced, if an outside
publisher took on Operation Hope, the local control of its creative content could be lost. Pursing
an inhouse art team is both an opportunity and a threat. The odds are not good that “Levi and
Maria” would ever be as popular as Superman or Batman, but one can always dream. Another
threat to change is the sense of loss that change can create. As taught by Bowlby (1991, 1980,
1969) the threat of loss is equal to loss. The threat of loss will assist in holding a norm in place.
This is supported by Bloom who stated that “as exposure to chronic fear can undermine the
ability of individuals to deal with their emotional states and to cognitively perform at peak levels,
chronic fear disables organizations as well” (pg. 198). Organizations are afraid of change for fear
of the unknown, possible shifts in power and control, and anything that threatens relationships.
There are several “next steps” that need to be completed before moving forward in
securing funding including updating the GANTT chart (appendix Q), filing the 501c3 status,
securing a tax id number and developing the training curriculum, and finalizing additional phases
that include the digital platform, and exploring additional ideas such translation into additional
languages, plan for 5-9 year old’s, a book for parents, former foster youth and child
contributions, and an audio book. In addition, an advance of $1000,00 was paid to Mr. Damotte
Running Head: Capstone Project Paper; Operation Hope 35
so that a workable prototype including sample art and a story board would serve as proof of
concept. These artifacts are critical in moving forward within the logic model and securing
funds. It was ethical practice of mutual responsibility to make a down payment to Mr. Damotte
as his work needs to be reimbursed.
In conclusion, Norton (2003) summarizes the finding of Haugaard’s research that comics
have a “fantastic motivating power” (p. 140). The art will draw in the reader as they are
engaging, and an aid to learning. Norton (2003) summarizes that “comic books are innovative in
seeking to convey meaning through multimodality” (p.143). Children have an ownership of the
comics they read and are sometimes hard to put down. The Eisner Award Winning cartoonist,
Brian Fies (2008) wrote in the forward of the graphic novel Mom’s Cancer that “no one will care
more about your life than you do, and no one is better qualified to chart its course than you are.
You are the expert” (Fies, B. 2008). It is time to empower the youth being served by child
welfare to have and use their voice. They are the expert of their lives.

Running Head: Capstone Project Paper; Operation Hope 36
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Appendix A
The Logic Model for Operation Hope

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Appendix B
Goal and Measurable Objectives

Expected findings or measures of success are at the macro, mezzo, and micro levels
including challenging the norm that holds the problem into place. The goal of Operation Hope is
to disrupt the norm of adultcentrism by empowering children to use shared decision making. The
initial objective is to increase CASA volunteers understanding of shared decision making. The
primary intervention is a continuing education event for CASA volunteers where the books will
be distributed, and they will be taught how to use the comic book with their client. The IRB was
submitted in February 2020 and approved by Missouri Western with an expiration date of
3/2121. The IRB can request extensions to the end of 2021.
Goal; Disrupt the norm of adult centrism by empowering children to use shared decision
making.
Process Objectives; While using a tracking log, Operation Hope will train 500 CASA
volunteers on shared decision making over a 6-month period.
Outcome Objectives; That 80% of CASA volunteers will demonstrate an increased favorable
opinion about shared decision making.
Data Collection Methods; The Endres pre & posttest visual analog survey (appendix F)
concerning shared decision making.
Timeline; Operation Hope will provide 5 trainings with a capacity of 100 participants each
including a pre & posttest survey by the end of 2021.
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Appendix C
Decision Making Examples

The initial books for phase 1 are designed for children 10 – 18 years old. The characters
in the book are 14-year old’s/ 8
th
graders. This age was chosen as 10-year old’s look up to middle
schoolers and 18-year old can still relate as it was only a few years ago that they were middle
schoolers. The main characters are “Levi” who is a Hispanic youth, and “Maria” who is an
African American youth. Both of them are in separate foster care homes.
Operation Hope and “Finding My Voice” disrupts the norm of adultcentrism by
empowering the child to use their voice. A challenge is the barrier that adultcentism creates is
child welfare does not only believe that they are the expert, but that children can’t really have a
voice regarding their experiences in child welfare. Coyne et al., (2014) states that youth decision
making can be divided into major and minor decisions. Major decisions include being in foster
care where minor decisions included day to day care activities such as taking music lessons,
walking their dog, or playing a sport. Coyne et al., (2014) found that children who can make
minor decisions will have decreased fears, will feel more engaged in treatment, and be more
trusting. Below are examples of minor decision making (their voice) that children in foster care
can make which would increase engagement, hope, and stability.
I miss my dog. I want to visit my dog. Can I be placed in a home with pets?
I miss playing basketball. I want to play sports, take music lessons, or go to Scouts.
I miss my siblings. I want to be placed with my siblings. I want more visits with my siblings.
No one looks like me in my foster home.
Court is confusing. I want to talk to the judge.
I miss my old school. I miss my old friends. Can I visit my friends / school?
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Appendix D
Implementation Barriers
Facilitators and Barriers to Using Re-AIM
Stages Barriers Facilitators
Reach Vulnerable children CASA (2
nd
order actors)
(1
st
order actors)

Effectiveness The Hawthorne Effect The use of best practices
Inherent bias Comic books
Empowerment theory
Shared decision making
Borrowed credibility

Adoption CASA / timing Comparable missions
Agency Culture Jackson County CASA 400+ volunteers

Implementation Fidelity A clear purpose
Inconsistent delivery Consistent delivery
Unsustainable costs Diffusion of innovation

Maintenance The Hawthorne Effect Adequate funding
Agency culture Beneficiary builder
The who The who
Too expensive Outcomes & evaluation

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Appendix E
ERIC Clusters
ERIC Cluster ERIC Strategy Who
Iterative Strategies Stage implementation scale
up.
Voiceworks; COO
Develop Stakeholder
Interrelationships
Facilitate education meetings
and outreach visits.
Voiceworks; COO
Train & Educate Stakeholders Conduct ongoing trainings
with pre & post evaluations.
TBD
Train & Educate Stakeholders Provide ongoing consultation
& clinical supervision.
Voiceworks; COO
Train & Educate Stakeholders Work with educational
institutions to create train the
trainer strategies.
Voiceworks; COO
Engage Consumers Use mass media and public
discourse.
TBD
Change Infrastructure Create change by disrupting
the norm of adultcentrism.
TBD

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Appendix F
Likert scale & Quantitative Assessment Tool
Example
A short Likert scaled questionnaire that uses visual analogue that contains two distinct choices
with variations in the middle.

1. Children, ages 10-18, being served by child welfare should be included in decision
making about placements.

Disagree Agree

2. Children, ages 10-18, are experts on themselves.

Disagree Agree

3. Children, ages 10-18, are experts on their families.

Disagree Agree

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Appendix G
The Business Plan
Voiceworks & Operation Hope Nonprofit
Voiceworks Mission Statement
To share, educate, and inspire social service systems and networks within the framework of
ensuring the healthy development of all youth.
Operation Hope Mission Statement
The mission of Operation Hope is to teach children and families being served by child welfare
how to have a voice.
The vision of Operation Hope is to be focused on the future. By focusing on the child’s future,
their experienced trauma can be reduced and can allow them a platform to give feedback, by
providing transparency, and creating empowerment. The vision of Operation Hope is to help
child welfare focus on a bright future for the children and families they serve. Focusing on the
future, focusing on and considering a child’s future is not something that child welfare does well.
Operation Hope; Innovation & Change Theory
The overall goal of Operation Hope is to disrupt the norm of adultcentrism. Thus, unlocking and
empowering the voice of those being served so that they can be seen as their own experts. The
projected outcomes are second order change at the macro, mezzo, and micro level. Operation
Hope will work and is relevant as it will be driven by best practice theory of Empowerment and
would be implemented within the framework of Roger’s Diffusion of Innovation Theory.
Operation Hope will work given its foundation of best practices including shared decision
making, comic book & superheroes, borrowed credibility and expert power.
In collaborative pilot with Jackson County CASA and the CASA in Manhattan, KS, Operation
Hope has two phases/components. The first component is to develop a comic book that uses
superheroes to teach children how to have and use their own voice. In addition, superheroes
would teach the reader about relevant child welfare policies, family court laws, and provide tools
for managing loss and trauma. The second component of Operation Hope is to develop an app
that would use superheroes to give a voice to children and their families who otherwise don’t
have a voice. The design of the app would include gamification components. Gamification is a
theory or process that incorporates elements of game play in nongame situations. The Operation
Hope app will include badges, levels, challenges/missions, and tangible rewards. In addition, the
platform could capture data about treatment providers, caseworkers, and the family court system.
It would operate much like rate my professor or Angie’s List.

During year one;
Running Head: Capstone Project Paper; Operation Hope 58
Voiceworks will begin as a nonprofit subsidiary of Lifeworks Family Treatment Group. Initially,
there will only be one employee, the COO who will be accountable to a board of directors and
the COO of Lifeworks. The position of the COO will require an advanced social welfare
graduate degree (MSW required, DSW preferred) that has included leadership and innovation
theories. In addition, the COO must have experience in working with a board of directors, raising
funds, management experience, and be culturally aware as outlined in the NASW Code of Ethics
1.05.
The long-term vision is to spread by diffusion of innovation to other local CASA organizations
then eventually outside the states of Missouri and Kansas. In addition, phase one will contain a
variety of comics that will support the diversity of children served including children of color,
abilities, gender identity, language, and age. As Operation Hope gains credibility, it would then
be time to move to phase II, the app.
Phase I will have the following subphases; comic design and publication, CASA volunteer
training including a quantitative assessment and comics distribution including a qualitative
evaluation. Presently, Operation Hope is projecting that the comics story will be presented in
three issues.
Revenues
Voiceworks projected revenue for the first year will come from four sources including fees for
service, the Greenlight Fund, advertising, and crowdsourcing.
The expected revenue of fee for service is $20,000. This revenue will be generated by facilitating
20 continuing education (CEU) workshops with an estimated attendance of 25 participants at the
cost of $40 per participant. Voiceworks will offer ceu’s for a variety of workshops that will meet
licensing requirements for ethics, diagnostics, safety, diversity, and supervision.
Voiceworks will solicit $40,000 from the Green Light fund which is funding source for
nonprofits in the Kansas City area.
Voiceworks will raise $5000 for advertising and marketing within the Operation Hope comic
book. Advertising targets include Wendy’s Wonderful Kids, Legos, Marvel/DC comics, Cartoon
Network, and Dunkin Donuts.
The final revenue source that Voiceworks will explore is crowdsourcing through Kickstarter.
The financial goal would be $10,000. Within the Kickstarter campaign, Voiceworks would offer
4 tiers of support. Each tier would offer a reward including posted sponsorship/credit, digital
rewards, a hard copy of the comic, and signed original comic panels.
The total projected revenue for the first year of operations will be $75,600.

Board of Directors; Director & Secretary
1. Travanna Alexander MSW
2. Ericka Helin MSW

Running Head: Capstone Project Paper; Operation Hope 59
Steps to Incorporate Voiceworks
https://www.harborcompliance.com/information/how-to-start-a-non-profit-organization-in-
kansas
Tasks Who By
1. Name Search; Voice Works is available. Grey Done
2. Prepare and File Articles of Incorporation Grey (Dorothy) 9/1/2020
3. Obtain an Employer Identification Number (EIN) Grey 9/1/2020
4. Set up bank account Grey (Dorothy) 9/1/2020
5. Establish Initial Governing Documents and Policies Grey (Dorothy) 9/1/2020
6. Apply for 501(c) Dorothy 9/1/2020
7. Look into Liability insurance Susan 9/1/2020
8. On going; Kansas Nonprofit Compliance Required annual filings
https://www.harborcompliance.com/information/kansas-nonprofit-compliance

Grey (Dorothy) 12/1/2020

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Appendix H
Voiceworks Agency Tree

Lifeworks

Brainworks Therapyworks Voiceworks

(An in-home (Therapy) (Operation Hope)
Behavioral program)

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Appendix I
Line Item Budget

Revenues

Explanations
Fees for Service 20,000 20 workshops @ 25 x $40
Green Light
Foundation 40,000

Advertising 5,000

Crowdsourcing 12,000

Donation; Lifeworks 1,000

Total 78,000

Expenses

Personnel

Salaries

COO 15,000 .25 FTE 600 hrs (12x50) @ $25 hr
Total Salaries 15,000

Benefits 3000 20% x $15,000 = $3,000
Total Personnel Exps 18,000

Operating

Insurance 500 Includes Board members
Business fees & filings 700

Rent 400 $100 x 4
Phone/tech 1,000

Website/domain 1,000

Comic Books

Book 1 art & story 6,000 fee for service
Book 2 art & story 6,000 fee for service
Book 3 art & story 6,000 fee for service
Publishing 27,000 9000 books (3000 kids) x 3
Total 45,000

Shipping 5,000

Traveling 3000 Manh 240 x .48 / hotel
Accounting (contract) 500

Marketing (contract) 500

Total Expenses 75,600

Surplus/Deficit 2,400

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Appendix J

Running Head: Capstone Project Paper; Operation Hope 63
Appendix K
Prototype; “Finding My Voice”

Running Head: Capstone Project Paper; Operation Hope 64
Appendix L
The Lean Canvas; April 2019

Running Head: Capstone Project Paper; Operation Hope 65
Appendix M
Infographic

Running Head: Capstone Project Paper; Operation Hope 66

Appendix N
The Story Boards

Running Head: Capstone Project Paper; Operation Hope 67
Appendix O
Contract to Commission an Artwork
AGREEMENT made between Todd Damotte (hereinafter referred to as the “Artist ” ), located at 401 N.
6th St, Hannibal, MO 63401 , and Grey Endres (hereinafter referred to as the “ P u rch aser” ), located at
_8025 Lewis Dr. Lenexa, Kansas 66227
WHEREAS, the Artist is a recognized professional artist; and WHEREAS, the Purchaser admires the work
of the Artist and wishes to commission the Artist to create a work of art ( “ th e W o rk ” ) in the Ar tis t’s own
unique style; and WHEREAS, the parties wish to have the creation of this work of art governed by the
mutual obligations, covenants, and conditions herein; NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the
foregoing premises and the mutual covenants hereinafter set forth and other valuable considerations,
the parties hereto agree as follows:
1.Definition of the Work.
Working Title: Operation Hope
Description: Three 32-page comic books
Price: $6,000 per book ($18,000 total)
2. Payments.
The Purchaser agrees to pay the price of $18,000 for the Work as follows:
Book #1; $1000 down to begin the project and remaining price ($5000.00) upon the completion of the
first book.
Books 2 & 3; 50% down to begin the project and the remaining price upon the completion of the of the
first book. The same will be for each of the following books. The Purchaser shall pay the applicable sales
tax, if any, with the final payment. Completion of the Work is to be determined by the Artist, who shall
use the Ar tist’s professional judgment to deviate from the preliminary design as the Artist in good faith
believes necessary to create the Work. The Purchaser shall have a right to inspect the Work in progress
upon reasonable notice to the Artist.
3. Date of Delivery.
The Artist agrees to complete the first book within 8 months from the date of this co n tr act’s ratification.
Each book following will have an additional 8 month period of time for completion. This completion date
shall be extended for such period of time as the Artist may be disabled by illness preventing progress of
the Work. The completion date shall also be extended in the event of delays caused by events beyond
the control of the Artist, including but not limited to fire, theft, strikes, shortages of materials, and Acts
of God. Time shall not be considered of the essence with respect to the completion of the Work.
4. Providing Final Files for Printing.
Running Head: Capstone Project Paper; Operation Hope 68
Upon completion of the Work, the digital files for each book will be provided to the Purchaser and/or
the appropriate vendor/printer to complete the Work. If any additional work is needed after the
approval of the Work, the costs of such shall be the responsibility of the Purchaser.
5. Ownership.
Digital files for the Work shall remain with the Artist until the Artist is paid in full. At such time the Work
will be transferred to and owned by the Purchaser.
6. Future Work.
If there are any future projects (additional books, items for advertising and marketing etc) that are
based on the content created for the Work, the Artists reserves first chance to accept or reject the
opportunity to work on them. Upon that agreement between the Artist and the Purchaser, a new
contract may be created.
7. Copyright.
At the completion of the Work and final payment, the copyright will be transferred to the Purchaser.
8. Integration.
This Agreement constitutes the entire understanding between the parties. Its terms can be modified
only by an instrument in writing signed by both parties.
9. Waivers.
A waiver of any breach of any of the provisions of this Agreement shall not be construed as a continuing
waiver of other breaches of the same or other provisions hereof.
10. Notices and Changes of Address.
All notices shall be sent to the Artist at the following address: 401 N. 6th St, Hannibal, MO 63401. Each
party shall give written notification of any change of address prior to the date of said change.
11. Governing Law.
This Agreement shall be governed by the laws of the State of Missouri.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have signed this Agreement as of the date set forth below.

Todd Damotte, Artist Date

Grey Endres, Purchaser Date

Running Head: Capstone Project Paper; Operation Hope 69
Appendix P
Bio- Todd Damotte

Artist. Storyteller. Dreamer.

Todd Damotte is a lifelong artist who lives life one visual at a time. He grew up drawing on
every scrap of paper he could find, and over the years, he has branched out into a multitude of
media. Traditional forms of art have been his mainstay, but when he studied graphic design in
college, he enjoyed bringing his fine art background into digital environments. Some of his
favorite forms of communication include drawing, painting, graphic design, video and sculpture.

After graduating from college, he has enjoyed designing, editing and creating for over 23 years
within the fields of advertising, marketing, design and ministry. He loves to get his hands into as
many different mediums as he can. In 2014 he illustrated, wrote and designed a children’s book
series called The Adventures of Andey Andy Jones. This was a passion project that had been
percolating for years and one could even say it was autobiographical.

Art is in his blood, and he will always pursue the next story to be told through his artwork.

Running Head: Capstone Project Paper; Operation Hope 70
Appendix Q
Story Outline by Todd Damotte
Finding My Voice
Levi is a 7th grade boy who has recently been placed into a new foster home. Maria is an 8th
grade girl in his school.
Levi is in the deep jungle cutting his way through with a large machete. Large palm leaves and
branches part to reveal him charting a path somewhere. He is excited on his expedition amongst
peril. He feels accomplished.

Two shadowy figures come running through. The machete gets knocked out of his hand. He is
knocked to the ground into a puddle. The stick is lying next to him.
Neighborhood kids run to the bus. Levi has abruptly been pulled from his imaginary adventure
back into reality.

Levi: sighs
Levi walks to bus. He’s the last one on. No one will let him sit down next to them. He ends up in
the back of the bus having to sit on a single seat that is broken. Surrounding kids snicker at him.

Arrive at school. He gets off the bus. Drops head as he walks by groups of other kids talking
outside and inside the school. He’s all alone. He carries all of his books so he doesn’t have to go
to his locker. Too many people hang around his locker. He sees a mean sign is taped to his locker
as he passes by.

Lunchtime he sits alone and worries about his life. Many thoughts go thru his head. Parents.
Sister. Foster family. Bullies.

Art class is the one class that he enjoys but he tries not to show it. He sneaks into class and sits in
the back. Not talking to anyone.

End of the day bell rings. He runs to get a seat on the bus. Someone pushes him down in between
the two seats. He struggles to get up. His backpack is wedged in between the seats. As he tries to
get free the other seats fill up. Then Maria shows up.
Running Head: Capstone Project Paper; Operation Hope 71

Maria: Can I help you?
Levi just shakes his head. She sits down next to him. He continues to struggle and decides to just
stay on the floor instead of asking for help.

The bus comes to a stop. Maria gets up and walks away.
Levi: In a panic he blurts out a helpless exclamation Help!
She comes back to the seat.

Maria: This is your stop you know?
He stares. She stands there for a moment getting agitated. Then she reaches out and grabs his
backpack and yanks him free. Then walks away. He sheepishly walks off the bus. Maria is
walking down the street towards his house. He keeps his distance. When she gets close to his
house, he gets scared but she keeps walking.

He runs inside the house and up to his room. Jumps on his bed and sighs. The thoughts take off
again. Foster mom comes in.

Mom: How did your day go?
Levi: Fine.
Mom: Did you meet anyone new.?
Levi: No.
Mom: I’m making spaghetti for dinner. Do you like it?
Levi: shrugs Hmmm.
Mom: I’ll call you when it’ s ready.
Levi: Hmmm.
Mom: As she is walking out of the room Your case worker is coming tonight.
Levi’s eyes gets really big and begins to worry.
——
Mom: Dinner!
Running Head: Capstone Project Paper; Operation Hope 72
The family is seated at a six-person table - both parents and Levi. They try to engage in
conversation with him, but he just gives them one-word answers.
Case worker comes over.
Caseworker: How is it going?
Levi: Fine.
Case worker: How was school today?
Levi: Ok.
Case worker: Can I tell you a story?
Levi: Sure.
She tells a story of a mighty warrior with a very special sword. It helped him protect his loved
ones. Cut through the tall weeds in the swamp land. Defeat the monstrous dragon.

Case worker: That sword is like your voice. You can use it to speak up for yourself or the
people you love. It can help you cut through the issues in an argument. It can help you
stand up to the dragons in your life. It can help you share what’ s on going on in your head.
Help you express what you want or need. It can help us understand you. You have a
powerful voice. You just have to find it. Try this. Tell me your name.
Levi: Levi
Case worker: How old are you?
Levi: 12
Case worker: Wh at’ s your favorite color?
Levi: Blue
Case worker: What do you want to be when you grow up?
Fear hits him. You can see it on his face.
Case worker: It’ s OK. Don’t worry about that now. You were using your voice. Short
answers but it’ s a start. Once you truly finding your dragon-slaying voice, it will take some
time to learn to use it. Do me a favor. The next time someone asks you a question use more
than one word to answer them. If the y’r e asking you how you ’r e doing, say “I am doing
OK” or “I had a hard day at sc h ool” or “I miss my fam i ly.” Be honest with them. You have
people around you that you can trust. Don’t be afraid to use your voice. You’r e a mighty
warrior with a powerful voice.
–––
Running Head: Capstone Project Paper; Operation Hope 73
Next morning at the bus stop. Levi stands away from the group of kids. Maria walks up behind
him and startles him. He glares at her.
Maria: How’ s the Backpack Bandit?
Levi glares again.

Maria: Ok, ok. Sorry. Sorry! My n am e ’s Maria. Wh at’ s yours?
Levi: Levi
Maria: How IS it going?
Levi: Ok …

A realization comes across his face.
Levi: I’m doing ok? Pause… How are you?
They continue to talk until the bus comes. They get on. There’s an open seat but a boy moves
over to it and glares at Levi.
Bully: Move on.
Levi musters ups the courage.
Levi: Can we sit there?
Bully: No.
A determined look comes over his face as Levi moves closer.

Levi: You just moved from the seat right there so that I c ou ld n ’t sit in that empty seat.
Move back there so we can sit here.
The bus gets real quiet. All kids are staring at him. Maria leans over to show herself and gives
the boy a look. He moves back. Levi sits down. Maria sits next to him

Levi: Thanks.
Maria: No problem. So I hear you ’r e a foster kid.
Levi‘s eyes widened in fear.
Maria: So am I. T h e r e ’ s a bunch of us in the neighborhood. I c an ’t wait to introduce you to
them.
Running Head: Capstone Project Paper; Operation Hope 74
Appendix R
Story board “Finding My Vocie” by Todd Damotte

Running Head: Capstone Project Paper; Operation Hope 75

Running Head: Capstone Project Paper; Operation Hope 76
Appendix S
Gantt Chart
Task Assigned To Start Date Due Date Stage Status
CASA collaboration GEndres 10/24/2018 5/30/2020 In Progress YELLOW
Present Outcomes GEndres 1/1/2019 1/30/2019 Completed GREEN
Kansas Appleseed GEndres 11/14/2018 12/12/2018 Completed GREEN
KAS Webinar GEndres 3/8/2019 3/8/2019 In Progress YELLOW
Interview/Research

Yo Jackson GEndres 3/1/2019 3//1/19 Completed GREEN
Mark Weiss CBCFA GEndres 3/23/2019 3/23/2019 In Progress GREEN
Jay Allen GEndres 2/26/2019 2/26/2019 Completed GREEN
Valiant Comics GEndres 3/23/2019 3/23/2019 In Progress YELLOW
Create Busniess Plan

Create a budget GEndres 6/1/2019 8/30/2019 Completed RED
Crowd Funding GEndres 6/1/2019 8/30/2019 Not Started RED
KC Greenlight GEndres 6/1/2019 8/30/2019 Not Started RED
Meet with G Hubbard GEndres 6/1/2019 8/30/2019 Completed GREEN
C Maude Calahan Ad Agncy GEndres 6/1/2019 8/30/2019 In Progress YELLOW
Board Members ID GEndres 6/1/2019 8/30/2019 Completed GREEN
Articles of Incorp GEndres 7/1/2019 9/1/2020 In Progress YELLOW
File 501 c3 D Loyd 7/1/2019 9/1/2020 In Progress YELLOW
Obtain EIN GEndres 7/1/2019 9/1/2020 In Progress YELLOW
Open Bank Account GEndres 7/1/2019 9/1/2020 In Progress YELLOW
Obtain Prof Liab Insurance S Peach 7/1/2019 9/1/2020 In Progress YELLOW
Implementation Strategy

Create Outcome Goals GEndres 4/5/2019 4/5/2019 Completed GREEN
Quantatitive Measure GEndres 8/30/2019 8/30/2019 In Progress YELLOW
Qualitative Measure GEndres 8/30/2019 12/1/2020 Not Started RED
IRB Gendres 2/1/2020 3/1/2020 Completed GREEN
Secure Artist Gendres 1/1/2019 5/30/2020 Completed GREEN
Secure Writer Gendres 6/1/2019 5/30/2020 Completed GREEN
Create HERO world/story Gendres & Damott 1/1/2020 5/30/2020 Not Started RED
Select a printer Gendres & Mpress 1/1/2020 3/1/2020 Completed GREEN
Train CASA & pass out books Gendres 9/1/2020 12/1/2020 Not Started RED
Phase II

Research app develop GEndres 6/1/2019 8/30/2019 Not Started RED
Cory Hein GEndres 9/1/2019 8/30/2019 Not Started RED
Jessie Smith GEndres 9/1/2019 8/30/2019 Not Started RED

Abstract (if available)

Abstract Within the Grand Challenge of ensuring healthy development of all youth, the child welfare system is failing to prevent harm to the children it is mandated to protect. The focus of this Grand Challenge is to promote the prevention of childhood adversity rather than just focusing on the treatment of traumatized children and children with behavioral disorders. The goal of this capstone is to give the children and families served by child welfare a voice despite the default setting that child welfare knows what is best for the children and families it serves. These norms effect millions of youth, costs millions of dollars, and is further complicated by social inequalities that target youth from poor families, homelessness, minorities, immigrants, domestic violence, substance abuse, and unemployment. At present, this capstone will be referred to as Operation Hope. The goal of Operation Hope is to create an innovation diffused by superheroes. It will teach and give those being served by child welfare a voice that will lessen the negative impact of being served by child welfare. Expected findings or measures of success are at the macro, mezzo, and micro levels including challenging the norm that holds the problem into place.

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Asset Metadata

Creator Endres, Robert Grey (author)

Core Title Operation hope

School Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work

Degree Doctor of Social Work

Degree Program Social Work

Publication Date 08/11/2020

Defense Date 08/11/2020

Publisher University of Southern California (original), University of Southern California. Libraries (digital)

Tag adultcentrism,OAI-PMH Harvest,Operation Hope,shared decision making

Language English

Contributor Electronically uploaded by the author (provenance)

Advisor Smith-Maddox, Renee (committee chair), Blonshine, Rebekah (committee member), Rank, Michael (committee member)

Creator Email rgendres@hotmail.com

Permanent Link (DOI) https://doi.org/10.25549/usctheses-c89-364063

Unique identifier UC11666275

Identifier etd-EndresRobe-8917.pdf (filename),usctheses-c89-364063 (legacy record id)

Legacy Identifier etd-EndresRobe-8917.pdf

Dmrecord 364063

Document Type Capstone project

Rights Endres, Robert Grey

Type texts

Source University of Southern California (contributing entity), University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses (collection)

Access Conditions The author retains rights to his/her dissertation, thesis or other graduate work according to U.S. copyright law. Electronic access is being provided by the USC Libraries in agreement with the a...

Repository Name University of Southern California Digital Library

Repository Location USC Digital Library, University of Southern California, University Park Campus MC 2810, 3434 South Grand Avenue, 2nd Floor, Los Angeles, California 90089-2810, USA