Policy and Practice | August 2022

EARLY INTERVENTION continued from page 25

Effective early intervention solutions can help, but it requires communication, collaboration, and intervention across numerous nonprofits, public safety departments, and other support services.

That is why, when people seek support or express need, support agencies need to expand access to support services. This “one-front-door” intake process allows people to share their stories once while accessing a variety of services. It is an effective way to address the complex, and often-interconnected, needs within specific communities. For instance, more than 30 percent of people experiencing housing insecu rity 7 demonstrate substance abuse or mental health problems. A one-front door intake process would account for each of these problems, connecting people with resources to meet their interconnected challenges. With a one-front-door intake process, health and human services agencies might respond to one need while engaging early intervention responses to other expressed crises. In this way, agencies are making support services more accessible by making it easier to seek and receive support for many things with one stop. 2. Streamline Onboarding to Expand Service Access Digital records and collaborative case management software are making it easier for health and human services agencies to onboard people and connect them to a variety of services that meet their various needs. It is also expanding opportuni ties for community outreach. Health and human services can distribute actionable, informational resources through digital or in-person channels, allowing people to easily opt-in to specific interventions using a link or QR code. They can also provide “rec ommender” resources where people can advocate for community and family members, making it less likely that people in need will fall through the cracks. Regardless of the methodology, streamlining onboarding to expand service access is critical to early inter vention efforts, serving as a catalyst for encountering people in need as quickly as possible.

3. Increase Collaboration to Enhance Early Intervention Health and human services agencies are interconnected, and they are more effective when they collaborate across agencies, nonprofits, community service efforts, educational institu tions, and more. Simply put, agency outcomes are less efficient and effective when they operate as an island, and the reper cussions are felt by the families and communities they strive to serve. Digitalization has made these efforts more streamlined and tangible than ever before. Solutions like collaborative case management software facilitate part nerships and cross-agency support efforts, maintaining reports and refer rals in a shared system that maintains a single service record that improves engagement, information sharing, and cross-agency problem solving. When health and human services agencies work together, early inter vention is just a click away, and the benefits for families and communities are immense. According to a Rutgers University 8 study on the impact of interconnected support services, “more than ever during the COVID-19 pandemic, this collaboration has helped improve child well-being, financial stability and the relation ship between children and their caregivers.” Meet the MomentTogether After consecutive pandemic years, many families are reeling as health concerns, rising costs, housing inse curity, and other factors put people at risk. The results are devastating as everything from child maltreatment to

teenage stress increased significantly during the pandemic. Effective early intervention solutions can help, but it requires communication, collaboration, and intervention across numerous nonprofits, public safety departments, and other support services. This moment presents unique challenges for health and human services agencies, but it is also an opportunity to refine their practices to empower early inter vention through collaboration to support holistic health and wellness outcomes for their communities. Gary Pettengell is the CEO of ECINS (Empowering Communities through Integrated Network Systems). Reference Notes 1. https://www.npr.org/sections/health shots/2022/05/17/1093651037/ us-one-million-deaths 2. https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/ article/COVID-death-orphan-17151660.php 3. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/ articles/2021-06-17/opioids-rip-through-u s-workforce-with-deaths-at-record-level 4. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/ jamapediatrics/fullarticle/2788069 5. https://nationalhomeless.org/stop evictions-press-event/#:~:text=As%20 of%20Thursday%2C%20August%20 26,are%20at%20risk%20of%20 homelessness. 6. https://www.studyfinds.org/stubborn nation-asking-for-help/#:~:text=A%20 new%20survey%20asked%20 2%2C000,before%20they%20 absolutely%20need%20it. 7. https://files.hudexchange.info/reports/ published/CoC_PopSub_NatlTerrDC_ 2019.pdf 8. https://news.camden.rutgers. edu/2022/01/greater-than-the-parts families-benefiting-from-social-service collaboratives-faring-better-during pandemic-says-rutgers-camden-research

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