Clearly define the goals of the program. Before you create the specific activities involved in any program plan, determine the outcomes you hope to achieve, such as providing an arts-based therapy environment for the elderly, or a structured mentoring program for adolescent residents of a mental health facility. Then decide what activities you will need to incorporate into the program to achieve those learning goals for residents.
Determine the procedure of your event or activity as you write a program plan for group homes. Write the program procedure to serve as the roadmap or script for executing your program planning. Outline the specific activities that will be included as you write the program plan, and keep the activities in a logical order to avoid getting mixed up when the program is implemented. Also, include contingency plans for activities that may be cancelled or changed for any reason, so that your program can run smoothly under a range of circumstances.
Determine what resources you will need for each activity outlined in educational program planning. Consider the personnel, modes of transportation, tools or materials and financial resources you will need. For example, your program may require buses to transport residents to museums or parks, arts or athletic equipment to use in program activities or money to bring in speakers or workshop leaders.
Create a plan for sources from which to obtain needed resources when you write a program plan, making a list of potential funding sources and donors as well as existing resources at the group home, including local government agencies, community services, religious organizations, nonprofit organizations, private foundations and individuals.
Establishing community partnerships with other organizations, such as the Department of Health and Human Services or juvenile correctional facilities, for the purposes of recruiting participants and drawing resources.
Include a structure for feedback and evaluation when you write a program plan. If your program includes social goals, such as anger management, incorporate feedback from family members, teachers and peers to asses the progress of individuals and evaluate the overall effectiveness of the program. Also include a survey or interview with residents to give them the opportunity to voice their opinions as a part of the educational program planning in your group home.
Create a specific timeline for planning, gathering resources, implementing the program and following up when you write a program plan for group homes. The timeline may vary depending on if you are planning a new residential environment, which may take several years for residents to complete, or an ongoing class or activity, such as a series of hiking trips or an adventure team-building course, which may last a few weeks or months.
Itemize a budget, including resources that are donated or volunteered as well as funds that will need to be raised, using sufficient detail for submitting the budget to an external funding agency or auditors. Organize a fundraising campaign to solicit any funds that are still needed from families of residents and former residents, area hospitals and correctional facilities, government agencies, local businesses and private foundations concerned with the group you are targeting, such as mental health patients, the elderly or juvenile offenders.