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procedures. But site-specific operations manuals need to be created for use in training and as asingle-source point of reference. The sites may wish to collectively create a basic, standardized operational manual, which each childcare site then customizes to reflect their specific procedures. 7) All departments should be charged with creating or updating an operational manual. One person per department should be in charge of making sure this happens, each department can determine the frequency needed for updating (semi-annually at the very least), and all operational documentation should reside on DSFRC's network and be updated and printed, when needed, from there. Alternatively, the manuals could be accessed/used from the computer. All operational manuals need to have a "last updated on [date]" indicator (recommended for footer). These documents should be used during training so that personnel learn to easily use them as references. Mr. Ennis' suggestion to make use of the new software for documentation creation and control should be evaluated and, if superior to the preceding recommendation, should be implemented instead. 8) The staff surveys showed a wide variety of responses to the questions "how well are you trained" and "how well are you cross trained". Several departments received both very high and low marks from staff -which is a bit confusing unless training is done person-by-person. We suggest having the HR consultant review staff responses and formal and informal training efforts for each department and make suggestions for improvements. Especially since DSFRC has had quite a bit ofkey-person turnover in the last two years and has managed to stay viable and even thrive, it would appear that the Center is capable of handling these issues as they arise and that turnover does not currently threaten the organization's sustainability. In fact, their performance (ability to survive and thrivel points to their staff's skills and dedication and is a si ng of organizational stren tg_h. With advance planning, and by implementing some of the recommendations above, responding to the loss of key personnel can become relatively seamless. But a smooth response can have a negative backlash. A smoother succession plan that provides for the temporary shuffling of current personnel's responsibilities might act as a better band aide and allow management to assign a lower priority to a finding permanent solution for high turnover or handling absent key people. This may mean that during these interim periods where current staff is filling in for missing key personnel, staff is being taxed beyond a reasonable degree and that, at some point, regardless of their dedication and loyalty, negative consequences will arise. Volunteer Recruiting, Development, and Retention: DSFRC relies on volunteers to serve in a variety of positions. The main types of volunteers include: 1) Counseling interns who are unlicensed MFT graduate students working under supervision of licensed supervisors for one year in order to satisfy academic requirements. They do one-on-one psychotherapy with clients. Some counseling Sustainability Study: Davis Street Family Resource Center - 4/08 Page 43 of 96