The Faith Government Partnership
Through Open Table
Extending and Sustaining Systems of Care
© The Open Table, 2016
Open Table is a 501c3 nonprofit training organization that licenses its poverty transformation model to faith communities and trains them to implement the model.
A Faith-Government Poverty Transformation Movement
A Co-investment model that ends the fragmented and splintered transactional investments that do not transform poverty. Open Table partners the funding, expertise and best practices of government with the intellectual and social capital of faith communities to extend and sustain the system of care from poverty-through systems-to community.
© The Open Table, Inc., 2015
From Transaction... ...To Transformation
Government
programs expire.
Formal services are time-limited and often there is not a bridge to natural community supports.
Faith communities are a natural bridge home.
Government and faith communities do not have an integration model.
© The Open Table, 2016
A new idea.
• Imagine faith communities as a bridge from formal systems to a system of never expiring natural supports
• Faith communities co-investing with government in the transition and transformation of people
Working together, faith communities and
government are already making this idea real…
Open Table Unites Sectors Around the Shared Purpose of Poverty Transformation
Faith Communities
Government
Business
Universities
Community Agencies
All are welcome at the Table.
© The Open Table, 2016
National Faith-Government Conferences
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has invited Open Table to co-develop with SAMHSA three 2017 national training conferences through Open Table:
3 National Faith-Government Conferences:
o Implementing Open Table to transform civil unrest
o Implementing Open Table to reduce recidivism
o Implementing Open Table to end homelessness © The Open Table, 2016
Faith-Government Partnerships Through
Open Table Expanding Nationally
Federal: SAMHSA
State and County
Florida
Michigan
Missouri
New York
Pennsylvania
Texas
Virginia
Mayor Teresa Jacobs, Orange County, FL
Watch here. © The Open Table, 2016
Open Table Theory of
Change
Open Table is about a faith community being in direct relationship with those in poverty. The relationships between Table members and the Sister and/or Brother is at the heart of the effectiveness of the model, and the ability of the Sister and/or Brother to establish long lasting relationships with their Table and with other members of the community is crucial to success.
© The Open Table, 2016
The Open Table Theory
of Change WORKS
Ask Courtney.
Click here.
© The Open Table, 2016
Update 2: Open Table is becoming an
Evidence Based Model
Outcomes for the Open Table Model, 2015, Dr. John VanDenBerg, Ph.D.
95% of graduated Sisters and Brothers have long term relationships with at least one or more of my former Table members (after two years)
© The Open Table, 2016
Outcomes: the Faith Community and
and an evidence based model
VanDenBerg, 2016, continued:
85%: better job and/or in a college or technical school
85%: have skills needed to get through problems and crises better than before
95%: currently self-supporting or confident that they will be self-supporting in the future.
© The Open Table, 2016
Update 2: Open Table is Becoming an
Evidence Based Model
A Descriptive and Exploratory Study of Key Elements of the Open Table Model for Poverty Intervention, 2016, Dr. Michael Marks, Ph.D
“The primacy of relationship building, the cornerstone of Open Table’s theory of change, was confirmed by study findings.”
“Relationships between Brothers/Sisters and Table members were identified as important and intensive, with many Brothers/Sisters and Table members using descriptors such as “family” and “friends”, some noting “lifelong” in describing relationships.”
The Open Table Model
Similar to“Wraparound” concept. John VanDenBerg is an advisor to the Open Table board.
Developed independently, but rests on Wraparound learning and evidence.
Partner agencies refer candidates to Tables.
Faith-government partnership provides long-term natural supports for people transitioning out of formal systems.
Focus on real, enduring change in people’s lives.
Congregation members make a year-long
commitment: 52 one- hour meetings, social interaction
and an after-plan for long-term relationships and
support
Theory of Change
Relationship
Shared Purpose
A Safe Place
Transformation not Transaction
Local Determination and
Ownership
Accessing Congregation Resources
Wealth of intellectual and social
capital and community
connections for goods and
services
Estimate - 100 adult members:
200+ years of higher education
2000+ years of job skills and
experience
3000+ community connections
Harvesting Faith CommunityNetworks: Renewable Resources
Accounting/Taxes
Auto Mechanic
Behavioral Health
Career Mentoring
Child Care
Dentistry/Medicine
Education Advice
Housing/Furniture
Jobs
Law © The Open Table, Inc., 2015
Tables successfully connect to resources like these:
Update 3: The Open Table Model
Transforms Community Members
“She had been through more suffering than I could ever imagine. . . She lived out of a dumpster, prostituted, worked the whole time and saved money. She is now my friend because of our relationship on her Table. She calls me to pray, I call her to share things that happen in my life. She tells me, “You need to have patience.” I believe her because she has lived that truth. She is amazing and strong and I am blessed to call her friend. Only relationship could affect this kind of change in both of us.”
Table Volunteer, Arizona
© The Open Table, 2016
Hear from a Table. Watch video here.
Update 5: A Training Infrastructure Powers Best Practices and Expansion
Mission Leader/Mission Recruiter Training
Manualized
Readiness assessment and training
Online, state of the art, learning management system guides launch process
Navigator Team supports launch of each new congregation
Online Portal resource center for Open Table congregations
Open Table University (OTU) Online Table Member training with Resource Guides
Online group communication platform for each Table
Fidelity tools and licensing support the Open Table Model’s best practices
Skin in the game transoforms participants into owners
© The Open Table, 2016
A Experts Power Best Practices and
Expansion
Experts in the Open Table Movement
Cultural Competency – Latino Culture
Digital Marketing
Human Services
Mental Health
Recidivism
Research and Evaluation
Substance Abuse
Training Development and Technology
Trauma
© The Open Table, 2016
SAMHSA’s National Training and
Technical Assistance Center for Child,
Youth, and Family Mental Health
operated by
To receive information on opportunities and
resources, send an email
to [email protected] with “subscribe” in the subject line.
Organic Growth Creates Sustainable Movements
© The Open Table, 2016
21 States
500+ Tables
3000+ Table Members
Homeless
Working Poor
Transitioning Young
Adults
Racial and Religious
Reconciliation
Veterans
Re-Entry
Update 7: Local Determination Creates
Movement Sustainability
Local determination and ownership.
...how the community of business, non-profits, government and faith sectors form into a local movement, plan expansion, focus on populations, and how the effort and scope proceeds are all locally determined and managed as part of a community vision of their system of care under a shared purpose.
Faith communities are the implementers of Open Table at the sister/brother level and make final determinations at the model level.
Open Table Theory of Change
© The Open Table, 2016
Join the Open Table Movement.
theopentable.org
© The Open Table, 2016