Case Studies in Supporting Prevention through Human Services Program Integration
A summary of findings from nine sites
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Key Findings
- Human services integration can reduce burden on individuals and families seeking services by reducing duplicative eligibility determinations, enrollment processes, service provision, and communication between individuals or families and staff, supporting individuals and families before they are in crisis.
- Case study sites simplified access and met immediate needs by offering services at a centralized location and through a no-wrong-door approach. They also prioritized offering stabilization services, employed case management, and used navigation approaches.
- Many sites intentionally designed prevention services to center community involvement with regular communication, reflect community values, and embrace partnerships not only throughout the design process, but also through initial and ongoing implementation.
- Sites shared strategies to address funding and staffing challenges and used data to assess and improve implementation and outcomes.
The U.S Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) has been working with researchers, leaders of human services agencies, and people with lived experience to visualize, describe, and document models of prevention of human services needs, including approaches for the prevention of child maltreatment, the promotion of housing stability and prevention of homelessness for families and youth, and increasing the use of economic supports such as Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) to promote economic stability. To support this goal, ASPE contracted with Mathematica and the Center for the Study of Social Policy (CSSP) to conduct case studies of innovative prevention approaches that integrate human services.
This brief summarizes case study findings from nine sites across the U.S. that integrate human services with a prevention lens. It includes how case study sites integrated services, what helped and challenged sites during ongoing implementation, and ideas and strategies for improving implementation to sustain programs and services in the future.
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