Policy & Practice | December 2021

The Magazine of the American Public Human Services Association December 2021

Partnering for IMPACT

Co-Creating Generative Solutions

TODAY’S EXPERTISE FOR TOMORROW’S SOLUTIONS

www.aphsa.org

contents

Vol. 79, No. 6 December 2021

features

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16

An Ecosystem Approach Disrupting Housing Insecurity and Homelessness

Public Safety and Health and Human Services How a Midwestern City Took a Hard Sociological Look Following Police-Involved Shootings

12

20

Succeeding Differently How Fairfax County Is Collaborating for Better Equity and Outcomes

SNAP E&T Maximizing Impact Through Meaningful Partnerships

departments

3 President’s Memo

24 Research Corner New SOCI Report Highlights Importance of Consent and Trust to Improve Health-Related Data Sharing, Outcomes, and Equity 28 Staff Spotlight Tina Wright-Ervin, Organizational Effectiveness Consultant

Top Insights From a Moment in History

5 Technology Speaks Achieving Collective Impact in 2022 Requires Human Services to Collaborate Across Sectors: The Top Four Ways Agencies Can Create Better Outcomes 6 From the Field 10 Ways to Support a Hybrid or Remote Workforce

32 Association News

NSDTA Announces 2021 Award Winners

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December 2021 Policy&Practice

Strategic Industry Partners

APHSA Executive Governing Board

DIAMOND

Chair David A. Hansell , Commissioner, NewYork City Administration for Children’s Services, NewYork, NY Vice Chair Dannette R. Smith, CEO, Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, Lincoln, NE Treasurer Reiko Osaki, President and Founder, Ikaso Consulting, San Bruno, CA Leadership Council Chair S. Duke Storen, Commissioner, Virginia Department of Social Services, Richmond, VA Member At-Large Rodney Adams, Principal/CEO, R Adams & Associates, Indian Land, SC

Immediate Past Chair David Stillman, Assistant Secretary, Economic Services Administration, Washington Department of Social and Health Services, Olympia, WA Elected Director Derrik Anderson, Executive Director, Race Matters for Juvenile Justice, Charlotte, NC Elected Director Anne Mosle, Vice President, The Aspen Institute and Executive Director, Ascend at the Aspen Institute, Washington, DC Elected Director Katherine H. Park, CEO, Evident Change, Madison, WI Elected Director Jennifer Sullivan, Senior Vice President, Strategic Operations, Atrium Health, Charlotte, NC

PLATINUM

SILVER

MEDIA

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Policy&Practice December 2021

president‘smemo By Tracy Wareing Evans

Top Insights From a Moment in History

L ooking back at this year, I am struck by an overwhelming sense of having lived through a decade in a span of just 11 months. I often find myself reflecting on the historic moment we are living in—wondering how my now 14-year-old son will one day describe this time to his grand kids. Together we have witnessed a massive vaccine rollout to an ongoing worldwide health emergency that continues to have economic and social repercussions across the globe, espe cially as COVID-19 variants emerge. At the same time, communities have been impacted by severe weather, gun violence, and other social strains, many of them further exacerbated by the pandemic. We have seen the ongoing fight for racial justice, both advancements

the brilliant voices that contributed to APHSA’s thought leadership platforms, including our second year of Leadership Corner and new podcast, Our Dream Deferred. These themes deserve much deeper attention than I am giving them here, but I hope they will prompt your own reflections on lessons and opportunities we can build from together in 2022. We must do more to center power structures with people, not systems. It is not enough to understand that lived experience is lived expertise; nor is it enough to give space for the voice of people who experience the systems we run. Centering people most affected by poverty and adversity requires being involved and having equal power and

and setbacks, showing up in all aspects of our three-branch system of government. At the beginning of the year, we witnessed an unprecedented attack on our U.S. Capitol, and continue to experience the fallout from it. Through a Presidential transition, we have been introduced to new leaders, goals, and strategies. Most recently, we saw passage of a historic infrastructure bill, and states and localities are now making key decisions on its implementation. As historian and On Tyranny author, Timothy Snyder, reminds us—it’s all one history. What we do with it next is up to us (listen at https://bit.ly/ APHSApodcast ). In that spirit, as we head into a new year, I am sharing some of my own insights. Many of these are drawn from

See President’s Memo on page 26

Image via Shutterstock

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December 2021 Policy&Practice

Vol. 79, No. 6

www.aphsa.org

Policy & Practice™ (ISSN 1942-6828) is published six times a year by the American Public Human Services Association, 1300 N. 17th Street, Suite 340, Arlington, VA 22209. For subscription information, contact APHSA at (202) 682-0100 or visit the website at www.aphsa.org. Copyright © 2021. All rights reserved. This magazine may not be reproduced in whole or in part without written permission from the publisher. The viewpoints expressed in contributors’ materials are the authors’ own and do not necessarily reflect the policies or views of APHSA. Postmaster: Send address changes to Policy & Practice 1300 N. 17th Street, Suite 340, Arlington, VA 22209

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Policy&Practice December 2021

technology speaks By Gary Pettengell

Achieving Collective Impact in 2022 Requires Human Services to Collaborate Across Sectors: The Top Four Ways Agencies Can Create Better Outcomes

D edicated human services pro fessionals within agencies and departments across the United States are helping people, families, and society at a critical time. From the far-reaching repercussions of the recent pandemic to the long-term devastation of the opioid epidemic to the onslaught of natural disasters—the leading teams across sectors, from education and housing, to employment and criminal justice, play an essential role in facilitating recovery. However, to achieve collective impact, no agency, department, or even stand-alone team can do it alone or afford the time and expense incurred by working in a silo. Taking a digital transformation approach to how human services agencies and departments interact, share files and information, and empower their constituents to be part of the solution can help teams standardize a cross-sector approach to collaboration in 2022. As agencies look to maximize their impact at a critical time and are under time and budgetary constraints to do so, here are four ways that a tech-driven approach can help them collaborate to create better outcomes for their clients. No. 1: Promote a “One Front-Door” Intake Process Many people are reluctant to ask for help. And the actual act of reaching out for help is a process made more difficult by social stigma, physical limitations, and other challenges. Photo Illustration by Chris Campbell/Shutterstock

For example, a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (see https://files.hudexchange.info/ reports/published/CoC_PopSub_ NatlTerrDC_2019.pdf) report discovered that 36 percent of people experiencing homelessness also exhibit substance use or mental health chal lenges. In this case, helping someone achieve housing stability requires additional support, and processes and systems that enable a One-Front-Door

The health and human services sector can address this by adopting case management processes and solu tions that support a One-Front-Door intake process that allows people to share their story and express their needs once, while achieving access to various programs and support services. Since people’s struggles are often predicated on a confluence of challenges, integrating access to various support opportunities can be critical to helping agencies across the support spectrum achieve their missions.

See Four Ways on page 27

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December 2021 Policy&Practice

from the field By Trinka Landry-Bourne and Kimberly James

10 Ways to Support a Hybrid or Remote Workforce

T here is no denying that after the events of the past two years, remote and hybrid workforces are here to stay. This is true across all business sectors, from private industry to big technology companies, to health and human services, and everything in between. Media articles describe the planning processes that multi-billion-dollar companies like Apple, Amazon, and Facebook are investing in to ensure that their staff’s return to the office, after working fully remotely during the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, is as smooth as possible. As a part of this shift in workforce location, some companies are engaging in skills assessments for their staff to ascertain current skill sets and levels, given the differences in complexities that working remotely vs. working from the office create. Companies desire to have their staff apply and use their strengths at work. What they are finding, in part, is that those strengths may have changed over the course of working fully remotely. Supporting a remote or hybrid workforce is different than supporting a workforce that is fully present in the office. In this article we have captured 10 ways to support a hybrid or remote workforce.

staff wants to have time together. Studies show that one of the key indi cators of a healthy workforce is one that feels a sense of connectedness to others in the workplace. So, have those monthly virtual all-staff meetings and coffee hours. Schedule lunch hour walks outside or set up in-person meetings that adhere to your com pany’s health and safety guidelines. Being intentional about providing the opportunity for staff to connect shows staff that they are valuable, and that time together is important enough to add and protect on their calendars.

with agreement and support from their supervisor or manager. Staff is able to identify what time of day they will more actively work and when they may be less available for meetings or connecting with others. This includes continual intentionality for supporting a work–life balance for staff, which allows them to work at their most optimal times, thereby boosting productivity and supporting positive morale. 2. Create opportunities for staff to be “together.” Whether done in person, via tech nology, or a combination of the two,

1. Actively involve staff in creating their workplace plan.

In order to ensure a successful tran sition from working fully remotely to working in the office again, or a hybrid of the two, staff needs to be actively involved in creating a schedule or workplace plan that is desirable for them, created with their input, and

See Workforce on page 28

Photo Illustration by Chris Campbell/Shutterstock

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Policy&Practice December 2021

Disrupting Housing Insecurity and Homelessness

By Tiffany Dovey Fishman, Lydia Murray, Kelly Mahoney, Jamia McDonald, Jordan Schneidman, and Courtney Brett

August 2016, Bergen County, NJ, made national headlines for doing something no county had ever done: end chronic homelessness. 1 Six months later, Bergen County reached “functional zero” for its homeless veteran population as well, bringing the number of veterans experiencing homelessness below the number that can be housed within a month, to ensure that homelessness for veterans is both rare and brief. 2 How did Bergen County do it? By dispensing with its old strategies of aggregating data and one-size-fits-all solutions in favor of an unorthodox approach. The county assembled a regional team, aligned around a shared goal of getting to zero; it collected real-time, person-specific data on its homeless population; and it used these data to redesign its response. 3

Photo Illustration by Chris Campbell

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Policy&Practice December 2021

The Housing Insecurity Crisis Is More Urgent Than Ever Homelessness is a growing problem in the United States. After falling for six straight years, the number of people experiencing homelessness nationwide started to climb in 2016, reaching 580,466 people by 2020. 4 COVID-19 and its economic impact, together with climate change, further compound the challenge. Forecasters predict that COVID-19 will cause twice as much homelessness as the Great Recession, with delayed impacts and counts peaking in 2023. 5 The end of the eviction moratorium has left many families in danger of losing their homes. And climate change is expected to put an increasing number of people at risk. By 2050, the United States is projected to lose more than 24,000 housing units due to repeated flooding. 6 What can be done to reverse this tide? Challenging Existing Orthodoxies About Housing Insecurity and Homelessness Orthodoxies are deeply held beliefs about how things should be done. They often take the form of standard practices that help individuals and institutions function more efficiently. But they also can produce dogmatic resistance to change and blind spots

that can prevent the development of new and better methods. The pandemic has challenged many orthodoxies—whether it’s the notion that certain services can be only delivered in person, or that work must be done in offices from 9 to 5—and shown that letting go of the norm can unlock new opportunities. The success of Bergen County, and other jurisdictions across the country, is challenging governments to think differently about how to tackle housing insecurity and homelessness. New beliefs are reshaping initiatives to find shelter for people who currently lack it, and to reduce the chance that people will become homeless or relapse into homelessness once they’ve secured housing. These emerging principles include the following: n Accessing resources is critical across a spectrum of housing needs prevention and mitigation strategies n Ending homelessness requires an ecosystem approach It’s Not Just About Homelessness: Accessing Resources Is Critical n Real-time, integrated data are necessary to develop effective

spectrum of needs to better understand the common challenges they face as they navigate the system (see Figure 1). Take the unsheltered homeless, for example. While experiences vary widely, all individuals and families in this situation need to quickly find lifeline resources, be it space in a shelter or meals. People often don’t know how to locate resources. They find it nearly impossible to determine whether they are eligible for a shelter or if there’s space available when they need it without a significant effort connecting directly with multiple providers. Often, a good case manager makes the difference between someone who continues to experience homelessness or someone who gains stable housing. Contrast that with the needs of the housing insecure who need different supports that provide relief, whether it’s help with paying overdue rent or utilities or assistance from a housing counselor. A sudden change in one area of life—a relationship, their health, access to transportation, or job status—could push them into homelessness. Individuals who are housing-cost burdened face similar challenges when an unexpected life event can lead to a sudden decrease in the resources available to pay rent, utilities, or a mortgage. People experiencing housing insecurity and who are housing-cost burdened often

Across a Spectrum of Housing Needs

Individuals experiencing housing insecurity can be grouped along a

Lydia Murray is a managing director with Deloitte Consulting LLP’s Government & Public Services practice.

Kelly Mahoney is a senior manager leading the HHS and Labor Nerve Center in Deloitte's Human Services Transformation practice.

Tiffany Dovey Fishman is a senior manager with Deloitte’s Center for Government Insights.

Jamia McDonald , JD, is a principal with Deloitte Consulting LLP’s

Jordan Schneidman is a principal in Deloitte Consulting LLP’s

Courtney Brett is a manager in

Deloitte Consulting LLP’s Government & Public Services practice.

Government & Public Services practice.

Government & Public Services practice.

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Policy&Practice December 2021

Figure 1. Spectrumof housing needs

Figure 1. Spectrum of housing needs

HOUSING SECURE

HOUSING COST BURDENED

UNSHELTERED HOMELESS

HOUSING INSECURE

UNSHELTERED HOMELESS Someone who lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence or an individual who is exiting an institution where they resided for 90 days or less and who resided in an emergency shelter or a place not meant for habitation.

HOUSING INSECURE Someone who lives in inconsistent or unsafe housing, including those who have extremely high housing costs relative to income, poor housing quality, live in unstable neighborhoods or overcrowded residences, and/or are facing eviction.

SPECTRUM OF NEED:

SPECTRUM OF NEED:

Low

Low

High

High

HOUSING COST BURDENED Someone who pays more than 30 percent of their income for housing and may have difficulty affording necessities such as food, clothing, transportation, and medical care. Severe rent burden is defined as paying more than 50 percent of one's income on rent.

HOUSING SECURE A critical part of someone’s path to stability within the Continuum of Care.

1 | Copyright © 2019 Deloitte Development LLC. All rights reserved.

SPECTRUM OF NEED:

SPECTRUM OF NEED:

Low

Low

High

High

Source: Deloitte Development LLC

Source: Deloitte Development LLC

insights into the success of various initiatives, highlighting communities that are reducing homelessness. These insights can help refocus resources to appropriate geographic regions and cohorts, both locally and nationally. Los Angeles County is using its data to understand who is at risk of homelessness so it can develop more targeted prevention programs. In a recent project, researchers at the California Policy Lab at UCLA and UChicago Inclusive Economy Lab analyzed millions of interactions between L.A. County’s social services agencies and residents to improve the odds of correctly identifying who will become homeless from 1 in 10 to 1 in 2. 9 Buoyed by the results, L.A. County launched a pilot program to target at-risk individuals and families for preventive services.

don’t know where to start looking for resources or they think they don’t qualify for help because they are not “technically” homeless. The specific needs and experiences of each group determine what it will take to move them along the path to long-term housing stability. Real-Time, Integrated Data Are Necessary to Develop Effective Prevention and Mitigation Strategies Beyond recognizing the spectrum of housing needs, leading jurisdictions have made meaningful headway on de-anonymizing aggregate data on homelessness and integrating the data to derive insights. At the micro level, communities need to knowwho is experiencing homelessness, and that list needs to be updated regularly. Annual point-in-time data aren’t sufficient. Communities such as Bergen County have used high quality, real-time data to understand their homeless populations, tailor their response to end homelessness for high-risk populations, and sustain that progress over time. 7

At the macro level, there’s a great deal of information being collected on homelessness. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) collects annual point-in-time data and housing inventory count data for all Continuum of Care (CoC) programs across the country. Homeless management information systems contain data collected by each CoC for reporting to HUD. The National Center for Homeless Education also main tains a database on the education of homeless youth. State and local govern ments also collect data. Unfortunately, much of these data sit in jurisdictional silos, making it hard to build a complete picture of homelessness. But that is changing. The National Alliance to End Homelessness, for example, has created a “State of Homelessness” portal that aggregates data from across the nation, represented in visual form. 8 Users can employ the portal to examine sheltered versus unsheltered populations, homelessness by race and ethnicity, the availability of beds in each state, and trends in permanent housing solutions. Such open data portals offer

2 | Copyright © 2021 Deloitte Development LLC. All rights reserved.

Ending Homelessness Requires an Ecosystem Approach

Homelessness is not, nor should it be, solely the government’s responsibility.

See Homelessness on page 30

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December 2021 Policy&Practice

Succeeding

Differently How Fairfax County Is Collaborating for Better Equity and Outcomes

By Michael A. Becketts and Adan Hernandez

2017, the Fairfax County Department of Family Services’ Children, Youth and Families Division com mitted to significantly changing the way we respond to allegations of abuse and neglect, partner with families, address systemic barriers adversely impacting communities of color, and partner strategically with our community stakeholders. Despite a strong vision, we struggled to maintain a dual focus on trans forming for tomorrow while ensuring children’s safety today. We believe many child welfare agencies experience similar challenges in any change journey. We also believe we’ve found a solution. In

Only through authentic partnerships

The Fairfax County Department of Family Services’ (DFS) Children, Youth and Families (CYF) Division has been working to redesign our practice and engagement with families for several years. In 2017, and after careful evalu ation, Fairfax County DFS adopted the Safe & Connected™ Practice Model. This evidence-informed practice incorporates diverse perspectives that enable evaluations through an equity- and trauma-informed lens. To do so, the model integrates critical thinking, applied knowledge and research, col laborative practice across the child welfare delivery system (courts, county attorneys, education, mental health, housing), comprehensive assessment, and a fundamental focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion. By adopting the Safe & Connected™ model, we aimed to change how we approach child welfare services and to reduce the system’s historically disproportionate impact on children and families of color. It was the best option for supporting our guiding equity statement: The Department of Family Services (DFS) is committed to addressing institutional racism in its core responsibility to support the safety, health, and wellness of county residents. DFS recognizes systemic oppression and institutional racism have contributed to

disparities in opportunities for county residents to succeed. DFS will support equitable outcomes by examining its policies, practices, and procedures to eliminate disparities in service delivery and outcomes for county residents. In working to operationalize our new practice model, we experienced a series of fits and starts as urgent mission priorities kept eroding momentum. By 2020, we were navigating even more complexity and disruption. This included the COVID-19 pandemic, which increased isolation as families interacted less often with schools and other nodes in the traditional reporting network. The pandemic also prevented the child welfare workforce from making frequent, unrestricted contact with each other and the families they are serving. As a result, Fairfax County DFS has been managing resource and workforce challenges alongside a surge in referrals from schools. At the same time, we are tackling implementation of Family First. (These challenges and priorities may sound familiar!) In the face of this complexity, we accepted that there is never a “right time” to take on systems-level change. We also realized we could not achieve the needed transformation on our own. Rather than repeating earlier tactics, we made a strategic decision to succeed differently. With a spirit of purpose and humility, we committed to innovative, authentic community and public–private partnerships. And as we have integrated partners into our workflows, we’ve been looking to them to help carry the weight of this transformational work. Multidisciplinary group decision making, group consultation, group supervision, and family involvement processes are all essential to increasing equity and improving outcomes. What’s more, building and strength ening connections between home and community (including schools and cul turally specific services) and nurturing relationships with caring, responsible adults provides protection for children and older youth beyond what we can offer through our child abuse and Collaborative Change for Collective Impact

canwe co-create a future that both

neglect reporting community. None of those are supports we could create or maintain independently. With that in mind, we formed the Fairfax County Community Partner Advisory Group in 2020. This group brings together community stake holders with diverse perspectives to co-create policies and customized community resources based on needs reflected in disaggregated data. It also provides opportunities for those who are part of the plan or receiving the services to be meaningfully involved in the development process. The advisory group includes representatives from Fairfax County Public Schools, the Office of the County Attorney, the Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board, the Fairfax CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) Program, Fairfax County Neighborhood and Community Services, SafeSpot (Fairfax’s Children’s Advocacy Center), and the foster care private provider community. We also invited the Virginia Department of Social Services—which is looking at Fairfax County’s innovative approach to child welfare system redesign as a model for other counties across the commonwealth. Fairfax County DFS also formed public–private partnerships with KVC Institute for Health Systems (proprietor of the Safe & Connected™ practice model), Accenture (expert in child welfare services, implementation, and change management), and the Butler Institute of the University of Denver (staff/partner training design strengthens current practice anddelivers equitable outcomes for families.

Michael A. Becketts is the Director of the Fairfax County Department of Family Services.

Adan Hernandez is a Senior Manager with Accenture’s North America Public Service Strategy and Consulting practice.

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Policy&Practice December 2021

experiences within the child welfare system. But until you acknowledge what hasn’t worked in the past, you can’t truly move forward on sustain able system-wide change. 2. Get innovative with your budget. Consider how you could use Title IV-E training funds to support cur ricula development and training to strengthen your workforce. Within our organization, some of these funds are being used to support the work with the Butler Institute for Families and KVC. 3. Be prepared to invest more than money. This type of work requires commitment from leadership to make it a department priority. You will need to put in a lot of “sweat equity” to co-create, drive, and implement your plans with partners. Within Fairfax DFS, we leaned on our external partners to keep up the momentum. Without their support, the challenge of staff resources and promotions would have been exponentially greater. 4. Create impact that endures. Consider how you will encourage lasting change. Our work in human-centered design made it clear that our middle managers and supervisors are critical to a successful transformation. We rec ognized a need to focus and invest in the mentoring, training, and coaching skills that managers and supervisors need to support front line staff. We also are working with our partners to build in knowledge transfer activities to sustain efforts through every project phase. Succeed Differently The DFS bears responsibility for pro viding children and families of Fairfax with equitable, family-first services. The entire community shares respon sibility for providing support and proactive care. Only through authentic partnerships can we co-create a future that both strengthens current practice and delivers equitable outcomes for families. Engaging with community partners and the private sector may be new to your organization. And it can be a vulnerable position. We assure you: It’s worth it.

and curriculum redevelopment). These three partnerships move beyond the traditional contractor–vendor relationship and serve as examples of generative thinking, planning, and co-creating to drive better outcomes. From Ideas to Implementation In 10 months—using existing Fairfax County DFS resources augmented by our partners—we have made signifi cant progress in three key areas: n Human-centered design. To gain a deeper understanding of strengths and needs, we conducted youth and parent focus groups. To understand service gaps, we engaged commu nity stakeholders. We wanted them to tell us about our shortcomings and shortfalls, but we also wanted them to think about the art of the possible. What could the future be like? How could we knock down the silos and do better for the children of Fairfax? n Implementation assessment and road map. Though confident that the Safe & Connected™ practice model was the best choice, we had encoun tered struggles in operationalizing it. Using implementation science, we identified where and why we had been stumbling. More important, we created a road map with clear imple mentation pillars for translating the model’s tenets into clear roles, responsibilities, and tasks. n Professional training and devel opment. We conducted a learning needs assessment to understand the gaps in our workforce’s knowledge and understanding of the model. We identified opportunities to close those gaps through formal and informal professional development. These efforts are helping us shift away from a hierarchical culture. Through a formal training curric ulum and a coaching program, we’re working to ensure that everyone— from front-line caseworkers to supervisors and managers—has knowledge of and confidence in our practice model.

Looking Ahead

Fairfax County DFS has organized future efforts into five strategic areas: 1. Aligning with DFS’s Equity Statement and Equity Impact Plan; 2. Fully implementing the Safe & Connected™ model to identify racial disparities and other aspects of oppression and improve policies and practices of the child welfare service delivery system; 3. Constructing data development and analysis strategies (using quantitative and qualitative approaches) to better understand the extent and nature of racially disparate outcomes and inform system redesign; 4. Conducting training, workforce development, and capacity-building for all CYF staff members about how systemic oppression, bigotry, and violence impact the lives of children, families, and communities, as well as the institutions charged with supporting them; and 5. Restructuring existing partnerships and developing new ones to assist with and support disparity-reduction efforts through our continued community engagement efforts.

in children and families. If your organization is seeking to trans form, consider replicating the work underway in Fairfax County. With a strategic road map grounded in imple mentation science, our approach can support your agency with a similar, program-wide initiative or a more agile approach that can be scaled across programs over time. Either way, we offer four preliminary recommen dations based on our progress over the past 10 months. 1. Ask for input from people you’ve served. As we already mentioned, it can be quite humbling to listen to focus groups of people share their

Learn From Experience More than ever, it’s clear that we must reimagine our investments

15

December 2021 Policy&Practice

Public Safety and Health and Human Services How a Midwestern City Took a Hard Sociological Look Following Police-Involved Shootings

By Jamie Tester Morfoot and Daniel Pollack

In the

aftermath of a police-involved shooting, do social services agencies consider their role in the events prior to the shooting? Not immediately prior, but the preceding 364 days prior to the shooting? This is what Eau Claire County, WI, set out to do. By western Wisconsin standards, Eau Claire is “the city,” reporting a population of approximately 70,000— 92.1 percent of whom identify as Caucasian. The median income is just under $52,000. It is home to three major medical facilities and three institutions of higher education. Nestled in the heart of the Chippewa River Valley, it is surrounded by small, rural farming communities.

community collaboration, coordinated leadership, and innovative criminal justice programs. 2 By creating a multidisciplinary coalition, Eau Claire County began to examine how to better provide services to citizens interacting with the criminal justice system. The CJCC membership includes 13 elected and appointed leaders in the criminal justice system and three citizen members. All circuit court judges are members, and except for the Presiding Judge, are nonvoting. In 2010, Eau Claire County imple mented evidence-based decision making (EBDM) in its criminal justice system. The goal was to build a system-wide framework (from an arrest through final disposition and discharge) that would create a more collaborative approach to practice. EBDM is used to equip policymakers with the information, processes, and tools needed to reduce pre-trial miscon duct and post-conviction recidivism. 3 Five years later, in 2015, the Stepping Up Initiative was launched. As a partnership between the National Association of Counties, the Council of State Governments Justice Center, and the American Psychiatric Association Foundation, the Stepping Up Initiative focused on reducing the number of adults with mental ill nesses and co-occurring substance use disorders in jails. 4 Following the three shootings in 2017, leadership struggled to pinpoint a single cause for each incident leading city and county leaders to want to dig deeper. With an already established group of system leaders through the CJCC and Stepping Up, the group decided to shift its focus. The Review Process A neutral third party was secured to assist the group. The first task was to flush out what the group envisioned for a process they were calling a psy chological autopsy. The second was to facilitate a conversation around the challenging topic. When the new group met for the first time, representation at the table consisted of 10 individuals holding leadership positions or the actual position in the following departments: Corporation Counsel’s Office, Public

Defender’s Office, Director and Deputy Director of Human Services (DHS), EC Police Department, EC Sheriff's Department, EC County Jail, CJCC Manager, a community mental health provider, and a university faculty member as the facilitator. The group was well-versed in service evaluation by population, but analyzing services received by a specific individual was new territory. Through facilitated discussion, the group expressed wanting to uncover where the systems might have failed those involved in the shootings. The status of each of the cases was reviewed individually. There was only one that was closed with no pending litigation. It was decided that the group would examine this shooting victim’s life for the 364 days prior to the shooting. There would be no discussion of the day of the incident. Instead, the group wanted to focus on howmany times in the year preceding the individual’s death had there been touch points with a human service-providing system. It should be noted that discussion of whether to include the victim’s family, or other community members, was considered. After reflection, it was determined that for the service-pro viding systems to be able to be open and transparent about their processes and decisions, and not re-traumatize the family members, it would be more appropriate to have the process closed to community participation. Over the course of the next six months, the group blocked off three meeting times of four hours each. Each system entity brought requested records relevant to their system. For example, the group did not include a represen tative from the State Adult Mental Health Facility. The DHS representa tives requested documents from these entities. The group combed through case notes, police reports and 911 calls, jail booking and discharge dates, eviction notices, and public health or housing officials’ contact notes to determine touch points with public and private service providers. HIPAA regu lations made this most challenging. The process was tedious and inten sive. At the end of each meeting the facilitator would assist the group in identifying gaps in the timeline where

During 2017, police officers shot and killed three people in Eau Claire County. At that time, Eau Claire Police Chief Jerry Staniszewski dis cussed how the complexity around police officers responding to a call had changed. One of the things Staniszewski noted was the lack of mental health services. 1 In August 2020 the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors published a series of briefs titled, “Beyond Beds: Crisis Services.” In the brief, Cops, Clinicians, or Both? Collaborative Approaches to Responding to Behavioral Health Emergencies , it was noted that individ uals experiencing a behavioral health crisis (mental illness or substance use disorder) account for more than 2 million jail bookings each year. This places individuals in an environment ill-equipped to provide the services needed to address a multiplicity of underlying concerns. History of Commitment In 2006, the Eau Claire County Board passed a resolution to create a Criminal Justice Collaborating Council (CJCC), and in 2008 hired a director to coordinate associated programming. The CJCC’s intent was to enhance public safety through

Daniel Pollack is a professor at Yeshiva University’s School of Social Work in NewYork City. He can be reached at dpollack@yu.edu. JamieTester Morfoot is an Assistant Professor at the University of Wisconsin Eau Claire’s Social Work Department. She can be reached at testerja@uwec.edu.

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Policy&Practice December 2021

By reframing gaps in service as a community issue, instead of just

with another currently in place as a limited-term employee. The clinic will be advocating for two additional thera pists to be added in the 2022 budget. Access to affordable housing is a more challenging and long-term stra tegic planning community concern. With three medical facilities and three institutions of higher education, rental properties are at a premium. Most landlords successfully require tenants to sign a lease a full year in advance. Engagement with community stakeholders and advocacy groups has been underway, with increased chal lenges and delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Eau Claire currently offers one single adult shelter capable of housing 52 individual adults, a family shelter that can house up to six families, and a domestic violence shelter that offers 17 rooms and six transitional housing units. However, these services barely scratch the surface of the level of need with 10.6 percent of Eau Claire residents reportedly living in poverty; and the only daytime shelter closed during the last year. By embracing the uncomfortable con versations around how service systems may have failed an individual, Eau Claire County has implemented changes resulting in improved outcomes for its citizens in need of additional supports. By reframing gaps in service as a com munity issue, instead of just individual government system issues, the human services provider leadership is striving to create better outcomes for all Eau Claire community members. Reference Notes 1. Dirr, A. (2017, October 9). Police killed more people in Wisconsin than in past years: Analysis. Post Crescent. https://www.postcrescent.com/ story/news/2017/10/09/fatal-police shootings-rise-wisconsin-and-no-ones sure-why/692779001 2. Eau Claire County (n.d.). Public safety & courts: Criminal justice collaborating council. https://www.co.eau-claire.wi.us/ public-safety-courts/cjcc 3. Eau Claire County (n.d.). Public safety and courts: Evidence based decision making (EBDM). https://www.co.eau claire.wi.us/public-safety-courts/cjcc/ evidence-based-decision-making-ebdm

individual government system issues, the human services provider leadership is striving to create better outcomes for all Eau Claire communitymembers.

experiencing mental health or sub stance abuse crises. In 2017, the Eau Claire County Jail had added mental health services. A result of the psychological autopsy was that it added additional hours in 2019. In a collaboration between EC DHS and the EC County Jail, a Jail Reentry Diversion social worker was hired in May 2021 to bridge the services between the jail and the DHS CCS Program. The social worker assists inmates with program enrollment and establishes a case manager prior to release. The jail has also begun con ducting mental health screenings for all bookings within the first 24 hours. The EC County Treatment Courts have redefined the term “predatory drug dealer” and eliminated the prior criteria of having all pending charges in other counties resolved prior to admission. These steps make treat ment courts more accessible to people with dual diagnoses fighting addiction. The court system continues to explore ways to expand admissions guidelines related to “violence exclusion” policies, as they may disproportionately impact individuals identifying as Black, Indigenous, or a Person of Color. Two community components identi fied during the psychological autopsy were (1) timely access to mental health services, and (2) lack of stable housing. In November 2018, the Eau Claire County DHS opened a Free Mental Health Clinic. Since its incep tion, approximately 700 individuals have been referred, with 560 estab lishing care. It is estimated that 20 percent of those who establish care are uninsured. The clinic currently has three therapists included in its budget,

information was still needed. Between meetings, group members would look for records that would provide insight into the individual’s whereabouts during each gap. Filling those holes in the victim’s whereabouts was where each meeting would start. The end result was a year’s timeline of events and contacts. At the final meeting, the group examined the full 364 days of service provider contacts. It was only at this point that the group shifted its approach back to forward thinking. It identified touch points where a missed opportunity for intervention or alter native outcomes might have occurred. By examining one individual’s experi ences with service systems, the group began to discuss what could be con trolled at a local level. Local System Changes Following the final meeting, Eau Claire County began implementing changes in how services are provided. The first change was to share informa tion across systems. The DHS worked closely with law enforcement to create a mental health flag that community members can opt into. A community member working with an EC County Comprehensive Community Services (CCS) Case Manager can now complete paperwork and a release of information allowing police access to the person’s mental health history and diagnosis when responding to a call involving that individual. To assist with response to these calls, a Co-Response Coordinator position was created and hired in July 2021. Now, a mental health profes sional is part of the responding police teamwhen calls involve individuals

4. CSG Justice Center (2015–2021). The stepping up initiative. https://stepuptogether.org

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December 2021 Policy&Practice

SNAP E&T

Maximizing Impact Through Meaningful Partnerships

By Brandy Whisman

T

he past two years have highlighted an important lesson: together is better. The adage “necessity is the mother of invention” has proven true in the way states and organizations

have adapted to serving participants of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) during the COVID-19 pandemic. SNAP has proven to be one of the most impactful resources during the pandemic for poverty prevention and family stabilization. As we move toward economic recovery, one valuable lesson learned is the importance of partnerships in moving SNAP participants forward on a path to economic mobility through SNAP Employment and Training (E&T).

What is SNAP E&T? SNAP E&T is a federally funded program that aims to help eligible SNAP participants develop skills to advance economically by putting them on a path to a career. SNAP E&T provides a package of services, including assessments, component activities, participant reimburse ments, and participant follow-up. In an effort to reduce barriers to employment, SNAP E&T also provides supportive services, including trans portation and child care assistance to help participants gain and maintain employment. Through the SNAP E&T National Partnerships project, the American Public Human Services Association (APHSA), in partnership with the Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT) and the National Community Action Partnership (NCAP), is leveraging SNAP E&T subject-matter experts to provide technical assistance to community colleges and Community Action Agencies (CAAs) to increase under standing, improve coordination with state and local agencies, and scale SNAP E&T partnerships. 1 The Right Partners Partnering in SNAP E&T creates opportunities for participants to engage in skill building and training to move forward into quality jobs. Organizations like CAAs and com munity colleges are integral to the system of employment and training

Partnering for Success

Truckee Meadows Community College (TMCC) partners with the Nevada Department of Welfare and Supportive Services to assist students in skills-based learning and education. The TMCC SNAP E&T program provides support to students working to complete a CTE (career and technical education) certificate or degree at TMCC, including help paying for classes, navigating the community college process, and assistance in procuring school supplies like textbooks

for classes or equipment for lab classes. This support helps alleviate barriers that frequently derail student success. In 2017, TMCC receivedWorkforce Innovations for a New Nevada funding to provide career development opportunities to people receiving SNAP, seeking access to skilled career opportunities in advanced manufacturing. 5 More than half of the program graduates attained employment in the first 12 months of the pilot.

Delaware Opportunities, Inc. , a CAA in Delaware County, NY, is a SNAP E&T third-party provider. Delaware Opportunities, Inc. partners with the Delaware County Department of Social Services to provide transportation, job search classes, child care referrals and post-employment services to SNAP recipients. Because they are anchored in the community, Delaware Opportunities, Inc. is an expert in the needs of the community. In addition to

providing extensive SNAP E&T services, Delaware Opportunities, Inc. is also a SNAP Outreach provider, giving them a full view of the SNAP program and the participants that are served.

and supportive services that provides opportunities for career pathways that increase economic mobility for families and individuals with low income. State and local agencies can leverage community colleges and CAAs to strengthen current provider partner ships and explore new partnerships to enhance services provided through their E&T programs. Community colleges serve as the nation’s leading providers of afford able workforce education, with nearly 10 million students enrolled at a community college at some point during the 2017–2018 academic year. 2 Community colleges are often thought of as barometers of the local labor market, reflecting the labor needs of the local economy, making them excellent partners for work force development initiatives. A new report published by ACCT, The Value of Community College Short Term Credentials , 3 demonstrates that

completing short-term credentials can lead to a higher wage and a better quality of life for students. The report further outlines recommendations to help bolster student success by addressing basic needs. More than one-third of college students lack food and/or stable housing. 4 Recognizing this can heavily affect student success, many commu nity colleges support students’ basic needs through SNAP Outreach, food pantries, and emergency financial assistance. Community colleges also serve a significant role as an access point to human services programs, including SNAP, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, and child-care/early education. Wrap around support is essential to student success. Because of their strong work force ties and unique perspective into student needs, community colleges are well equipped to partner with health and human services agencies

BrandyWhisman is a Project Associate at the American Public Human Services Association.

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