The Monroe County Community Integration Initiative (MC-CII) successfully concluded in August 2024
650+ |
80+ |
100+ |
| Community members surveyed | Community-based organization participants | DHS staff participants |
MC-CII was a transformative, community-driven project dedicated to enhancing the delivery of public benefits in Monroe County by strengthening community partnerships and building new workflows for the Monroe County Department of Human Services (DHS). The work was facilitated by a project team from TogetherNow, and supported by leadership from the Department of Human Services.
The Monroe County Community Integration Initiative (MC-CII) was rooted in a human-centered approach. From the beginning, we engaged with the community—listening to those directly involved in the social care system, including community members, service providers, and DHS staff. Through interviews, focus groups, surveys, and brainstorming sessions, we aimed to understand their challenges and goals.
This work culminated in the March 2023 Prototyping Summit, where representatives from DHS, local community-based organizations (CBOs), and community members came together. Guided by the insights gathered from our outreach, participants developed innovative ideas to make public benefits more convenient. Five promising prototypes emerged from these discussions.
Further collaboration with DHS and community stakeholders led to the refinement of three key pilots:
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Co-location Pilot
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Capacity-Building Pilot
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Foodlink Pilot
Each pilot advanced our mission to improve the social care system, making it more responsive to community needs.
Co-location Pilot
DHS Connects: Partnering with Organizations to Bring DHS to You
DHS Examiners volunteered in large numbers to work on-site weekly at four local organizations, assisting with public benefits applications, conducting interviews, and providing case status information. The pilot program aimed to address barriers such as transportation, location, and childcare that made it difficult for people to access the St. Paul Street and Westfall Road locations, effectively bringing DHS services directly to the community.
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Served 260+ community members across 4 community locations
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99% positive feedback
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The feedback from DHS staff was exceptionally positive: Their eagerness and commitment were so great that the number of volunteers exceeded the needs of the pilot
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The participating community organizations were extremely pleased with the pilot and have expressed their enthusiasm to continue supporting this valuable service.
Capacity-Building Pilot
CBO Benefits Training Program
This pilot program trained CBO staff on the myBenefits.gov site to better support community members in applying for DHS resources and services. This pilot also set the stage for DHS to provide a direct line of support to CBOs as collaboration efforts evolve in the future.
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Worked with 6 different community agencies
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Provided 17 agency employees with 16 hours of in-depth training around benefits eligibility, regulations, process, and tools for application submission
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CBO staff responded positively to the training and collaboration with DHS and see this as a critical learning experience for community workers.
CBO staff trainees receive certificates after completing 16 hours of myBenefits training
Foodlink Pilot
Fresh Access: SNAP Support at Local Curbside Markets
DHS and Foodlink teamed up to bring SNAP support to Curbside Markets. A few weeks into the pilot, it became evident that the majority of the shoppers already received SNAP benefits, were not eligible, or were otherwise not inclined to engage with the pilot as designed. Thanks to the flexibility of the pilot model, the team reassessed and revised in real time. The pilot pivoted to train Curbside Market Foodlink staff on SNAP eligibility and requirements to better assist their customers directly. The training was very well received by Foodlink staff and they report feeling much better equipped to serve our community. Additional training is an option for new Foodlink staff in the future.
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Piloted across 26 Curbside Market sites
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Engaged with 200+ community members
This ambitious initiative fostered connections and developed a new, human-centered process that will inform ongoing efforts to partner with community organizations in collectively serving the community in the neighborhoods where they live.
Thank you to all participants, all who gave input, and all who gave their time to be a part of this initiative.
