Person-Centered Service Coaching Program

About the Program

Category: Personnel Management, Employment and Training (Best in Category)

Year: 2018

The Person-Centered Service (PCS) Coaching program is helping the County of San Diego improve the quality and efficiency of delivering more comprehensive services, so that customers have better outcomes. The program accomplishes this by training employees about person-centered principles and how to coach other staff to more effectively implement PCS. PCS is an approach to service that places each customer at the center of their own personal development by considering all of their needs, and when those needs are beyond the scope of one department, it promotes collaborating to ensure customers are linked with appropriate resources. To date, 84 employees participated and were taught through presentation, discussion, hands-on workshops, scenarios, and roleplay, with emphasis on effective communication principles and coaching techniques. Participants mapped a business process in their unit, analyzed for gaps in PCS, and created a plan to address the gaps. Many of these plans have been implemented in County departments to improve PCS. A significant portion of the program was also devoted to learning about available County and community services for better intergovernmental and community collaboration. An ongoing Community of Practice group gives continued support to program graduates.