Policy & Practice | Winter 2023

Human services professionals must be elevated as vital partners in determining community needs and solutions. Public-sector leaders must be open and vulnerable to the reality of narratives and experiences of the community interacting with the public sector. Data-informed practices provide context and honor specific unaddressed community needs. The entire human services ecosystem must work together through a shared vision to progress mindsets, practices, and systems. This means leaning more into people, their strengths, and talents for maximum impact. When programs, initiatives, and mandates are working for communities, do not change them, invest to make them better. WHAT WE LEARNED Collective findings suggest a need change in support of community. Leaders acknowledge the need for support and guidance in how best to engage and share power with commu nities. Education and training to build capacity were commonly expressed as being fundamental to successful authentic engagement with commu nity. Cultural belonging; emotional intelligence; and equity, diversity, inclu sion, and belonging were among the experience, while also being mindful not to treat these individuals as tokens. for a next generation leadership framework for public-sector and community-based leaders to shift the balance of power to drive sustainable Organizations are encouraged to leverage community voice and become intentional in hiring individuals with lived

commonly mentioned topics. Cultural belonging allows public agencies to meet individuals and families where they are, aligning the necessary support and guidance. Feeling as though one belongs is necessary in fostering trust, inviting others to share their feedback and opinion, taking part in decision making, and setting goals. A new power-sharing paradigm ensures mandates, programs, and initiatives are centered in community, putting power back in the hands of the community and people at the front lines of service. Recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce that reflects the population served builds greater under standing, respect, and rapport when engaging the community. Organizations are encouraged to leverage community voice and become intentional in hiring individuals with lived experience, while also being mindful not to treat these individuals as tokens. MOVING FORWARD APHSA and Social Current remain committed to working with community and leaders to co-create a new narrative of service, providing national guidance and strategies for enactment throughout human services. Next-generation leader ship competencies are currently being socialized with community and public sector leaders to ensure practical and feasible behaviors that are sustainable across sectors. Thereafter, the leader ship framework will be enhanced, co-creating and designing leadership learnings, academies, and offerings throughout the nation. The focus and attention to this work is intended to establish new ways of thinking and planning for leaders from a more com passionate approach, with a people-first mindset. Valuing and honoring commu nity lived experiences will allow better understanding and help rebuild systems that address systemic barriers more centered in people and community. If you would like to continue in this dialogue, please contact Trinka Landry-Bourne at tlandry-bourne@ aphsa.org , Julia Mueller at jmueller@ aphsa.org , or Robena Spangler at rspangler@social-current.org .

Active listening frequently surfaced in community discussions as a barrier that prevents access to needed resources and support. Respondents described the feeling of not being heard, causing hesitancy in sharing opinions and feedback during interac tions within human services. Some even expressed the trauma their children and families encountered because they were not being heard. Discussions with public-sector leaders described active listening as asking and paying attention to community needs instead of making assumptions, participating in two-way information sharing, and being present to hear and learn about the community in how best to deliver critical services. Leaders in the public sector recognize the importance of their presence, follow-through, and consistency as essential components to build strong relationships and sustain trust with the community. Access to services was expressed as a challenge for individuals and families. Community members described feeling alone, not welcomed, and that they did not belong. Numerous occurrences of individuals and families experiencing a lack of empathy and understanding when trying to access services for such basic needs as food, shelter, and health care. Rather than feeling sup ported, individuals expressed feeling impugned and chastised when told what services they were eligible or ineligible to receive. These common experiences when seeking services from local agencies and jurisdictions speak to the urgency to amplify a com munity-centered approach. Community-centered engagement allows human services agencies to continue learning how best to meet community needs and how systems are working for or against the people. While this may seem simple, it can be difficult for public-sector leaders to execute. Large volumes of work leave little time for reflection on how policies are truly servicing the people or to consider new ways to approach community-centered work. Leaders recognize balancing well-being in the workplace as necessary to allow staff time, capacity, and support to better address and meet community needs.

Reference Note 1. See https://bit.ly/ShiftPow

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