Policy & Practice June 2015

from our partners By Clarence Carter and Jerry Friedman

Part Skill. Part Science. Part Art. Why Citizen Engagement is Essential to Human Service Convergence

R esistance from advocates who are singularly focused on one program can impede progress toward conver- gence—integrated and citizen-focused human service delivery models. And sometimes, only consumer voices can break through. The Advocates’ Dilemma There is nothing like the passion of human service advocates. Many spend entire careers working tirelessly to get support and resources for their programs. It should be no surprise that many fear that integration will mean “less” not “more” for their cause. This is why it is so difficult to get to a collec- tive voice on enterprise human services in a categorical advocacy world. There is “resisting” when there needs to be “rallying.” Many human service leaders are discovering the hard way that making an intellectual case for change is not enough. Instead, leaders must harness the one thing that all advocates have in common—the consumer. By under- standing the consumer voice and developing a robust citizen engage- ment strategy, leaders can rally diverse programmatic interests and build the foundation for convergence. The Case for Convergence Why is convergence so important? Not only is there a greater demand for more services with fewer resources, digitally savvy consumers expect a modern, efficient service experience. Yet the categorical system is difficult to navigate, costly, and redundant. What’s more, it is hard to measure outcomes over outputs to articulate a

themselves, and for the benefits of the convergent human service enterprise: Š Š Consumers keep agencies honest. Only consumers are on the frontlines of their own lives. Only they know if the services they get are helping them on the path to self-sufficiency. They know the rewards and the roadblocks. Š Š Consumers want to act, not watch. The digital economy has influenced consumers to expect two-way inter- actions with providers of goods and services. They want dialogues, not directives. Š Š Consumers have a 360-degree view. Consumers live their interrelated needs—such as mental health, child welfare, housing, and substance abuse—without the program bias that is hard for program directors and advocates to avoid.

return on taxpayer investment. And when the only good news is bad news, the public can become disenchanted. Convergence is the common sense alternative. In a convergent system, there are no boundaries. Individuals, families, health and human service professionals, and community orga- nizations work in a streamlined and personalized way to address the social determinants of health. It is about col- laborative and cost-effective service delivery models that challenge today’s ingrained system. Simply put, conver- gence is the realization of the generative level on the Human Services Value Curve. This level generates outcomes with whole-family approaches that seed healthy communities. The Consumer as Advocate By definition, the generative level cannot exist without a strong focus on consumers. In fact, consumers are unique and unequivocal advocates for

See Citizen Engagement on page 36

Illustration via Shutterstock

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