Policy & Practice | Spring 2024

FOR Community Wellness Unlocking the Power of Collaboration Across Agencies DATA SHARING

By Nikisha S. Johnson and Leah Pewitt

Imagine the dilemma of a single mother working as a state accountant, who, amid the rising cost of living, finds herself reaching out to numerous agencies for support, only to discover she earns too much to qualify for aid but not enough to ensure her family’s basic needs for housing and food are met. Similarly, a family lives with relatives, striving for stability but hindered by their child’s lack of medical care due to being uninsured. A grandmother unexpectedly takes on the role of guardian for her grandchildren after a tragic overdose. She faces the daunting task of navigating an unfamiliar system in search of child care, insurance, and crucial mental health services for her grandchildren, unsure of where to turn for help. It is clear from these stories that there is a critical problem with our current support systems. Despite numerous resources, they consistently fail to reach those who need them the most. The root of the issue lies in the ineffective communication between various agencies, resulting in a fragmented and inefficient support network. This, in turn, places many families in a dif ficult financial position, struggling to afford basic necessities and disqualified from receiving aid. Ultimately, this paradox highlights a more widespread systemic issue: communities with resources are still experiencing negative outcomes due to disjointed systems that struggle to provide the necessary support.

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Spring 2024 Policy & Practice