A National Imperative: Joining Forces to Strengthen Human Services in America
On Tuesday, May 1 at The Children’s Center in Detroit, Susan Dreyfus, President & CEO of the Alliance for Strong Families and Communities, led a dynamic and solutions-oriented conversation based on a groundbreaking report from the Alliance titled, A National Imperative: Joining Forces to Strengthen Human Services in America.
This critically important and timely conversation was co-hosted by Debora Matthews, President & CEO of The Children’s Center, Lenora Hardy-Foster, President & CEO, Judson Center, Inc., and Janet Snyder, Executive Director, Michigan Federation for Children and Families at The Children’s Center in Midtown Detroit. Others in attendance include:
- Starr Allen-Pettway, Branch Director, Bethany Christian Services of Michigan
- Dr. Cecilia Astorga-Switzer, Chief Medical Officer, The Children’s Center
- Carrie Banks-Patterson, Retired
- Crystal Coleman, Director, The Children’s Center
- Kristen Cyrul, Director, The Children’s Center
- Carmine Devivo, Chief Operating Officer, Orchards Children’s Services, Inc.
- Julie Eastman, Director, The Children’s Center
- Robin Floyd, Coordinator, The Children’s Center
- Jessie Fullenkamp, LMSW, Ruth Ellis Center, Inc.
- Mary Ann Gingrich, Chief Financial Officer, Judson Center, Inc.
- Lenora Hardy-Foster, President & CEO, Judson Center, Inc.
- Fran Howze, Director, The Children’s Center
- Kapria Jenkins, Director, The Children’s Center
- Desiree Jones, Director, The Children’s Center
- Laura LeFever, Director, The Children’s Center
- Carlynn Nichols, Chief Clinical Officer, The Children’s Center
- Rosalva Osorio, Director, The Children’s Center
- Susan Salhaney, Chief Operations Officer, Judson Center, Inc.
- Mychele Tennille, Director, The Children’s Center
- Michael E. Williams, President & CEO, Orchards Children’s Services, Inc.
- George Winn, Chief Operations Officer, The Children’s Center
- Tammy Zonker, Chief Philanthropy Officer, The Children’s Center
Community-based organizations, working in partnership with government and the philanthropic sector, provide those building blocks.
A National Imperative: Joining Forces to Strengthen Human Services in America is a report commissioned by the Alliance for Strong Families and Communities and the American Public Human Services Association (APHSA) and produced by Oliver Wyman and SeaChange Capital Partners.
Funding for the project was provided by The Kresge Foundation and the Ballmer Group, with additional support from the Health Foundation for Western & Central New York, Mutual of America, Selective Insurance Company of America, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
This groundbreaking report focuses on human services community-based organizations, their economic and social impact, and the need to preserve and strengthen their critical role in building foundational supports that contribute to the health and well-being of individuals, families and communities.
What are the key findings from the report?
Among the key findings and conclusions is the critical role and value that human services CBOs play in communities across the nation – and the sector’s potential to be even more valuable in the future if strengthened and empowered to help citizens reach their full potential. The sector’s value and impact includes:
- Helping strengthen individuals, families and communities by building well-being and providing critical assistance and support – both preventative and when in crisis – which enables individuals to lead healthier and more productive lives.
- Contributing economic value to society, not only from long-term productivity increases, but also from current economic activity – human services CBOs spend roughly $200 BN per year on wages, rent, fuel, and all the other inputs necessary to run their organizations and deliver services.
- Providing investments in targeted, “upstream” human services that are demonstrated to improve the social determinants of health and help individuals achieve their full potential in a way that is transformative for our society and other systems, including health care, education, and the judiciary systems.
To learn more about the challenges facing the human services sector, key roadblocks to addressing these challenges, watch the videos below and visit the Alliance for Strong Families and Communities.
A National Imperative: Joining Forces to Strengthen Human Services in America
The North Stars: Recommendations for Change
Alliance President and CEO, Susan Dreyfus, shared report findings focused on human services community-based organizations, their economic and social impact, and the need to preserve and strengthen their critical role in building foundational supports that contribute to the health and well-being of individuals, families, and communities.
Susan is a true champion for our sector, and we’re thrilled she was able to be with us today.
