Letter From Kathy McDonald, Director of Medfield Outreach

Community Survey and Strategic Plan Completed...

Medfield Outreach is excited to announce the completion of the community needs survey and strategic planning process. The Medfield Outreach department engaged in this process in the hopes of better understanding the community’s needs and tailoring services to meet those needs. We understand that our services should continuously evolve to adapt to our changing world, and we appreciate the opportunity to think carefully about these issues. As Director of Medfield Outreach, I am proud of the work that went into both the community needs survey and the strategic plan, and I am excited to share it with you, the Medfield community.

We are grateful to The Medfield Foundation Legacy Fund for making this project possible. The funding allowed us to secure a consultant, Ann Budner, to guide us in conducting a community needs survey and developing a five-year strategic plan. Secondly, this project would not have been possible without the support, participation, and commitment of our planning committee of twelve key stakeholders. These community members generously gave up time in their very busy schedules to collaboratively develop and disseminate the needs assessment, analyze the data, and use the information to inform our department’s goals and objectives. Finally, I would like to thank the community for your participation and candor. Approximately 800 of you took the time to complete the survey, helping us to better understand the complex needs of our residents and how to shape our services to serve you best.

The community needs assessment confirmed that we must increase awareness of our services. In addition, families rated mental health as their top concern. The results are consistent with the evidence we see in our office; the pandemic has caused additional stress, increasing mental health struggles, feelings of loss, economic instability, and uncertainty about the future.

Outreach provides a wide scope of human services, including mental behavioral health services, social and public assistance programs, prevention programming, and wellness initiatives. Our mission is to provide access to high quality behavioral health and social services for Medfield residents in order to optimize wellness in our community. Our vision is a community in which all people are valued, healthy, and empowered to live fulfilling lives.

This strategic plan serves as a blueprint over the next five years, as we continue to listen actively and respond to the needs of our community. Only with your input, involvement, and support can we best serve Medfield residents. We are committed to this work, and we invite you to join us.

To view the results of the community needs survey and the strategic plan, please visit our website found at Town of Medfield, Town Departments, Medfield Outreach or use this link: https://www.town.medfield.net/2120/Outreach-Strategic-Plan-Community-Survey

With Appreciation,

Kathy McDonald, M.Ed., MSW, LICSW, Dir., Medfield Outreach

More about the Medfield Foundation Legacy Fund

The Medfield Foundation Legacy Fund Is a professionally-managed endowment created to support community-driven projects. Volunteer-run and designed to complement the initiatives of Medfield organizations, the Medfield Foundation Legacy Fund raises funds from the community and makes grants to established non-profit organizations through a competitive process. For more information or to contribute to the Medfield Foundation Legacy Fund, please Click HERE!