Forest-Warren Human Services is looking for solutions to strengthen service in the region.

Recently, the organization contracted Health Management Associates – an independent, national research and consulting firm – to help formulate a five-year plan to address human services issues in Warren and Forest counties. The consulting group has been in contact with human services and government employees and elected officials to gather data. Monday night, the public got the opportunity to provide input.

During a more than two-hour meeting at the Jefferson Defrees Family Center in Warren HMA representatives Uma Ahluwalia and Jon Rubin hosted nearly three dozen human services workers, elected officials and members of the public who provided insight into strengths and areas of concern across a broad range of human services issues in the region.

Members of the public spoke on condition of anonymity to encourage open, honest participation.

“We’re trying to get a better picture of the system in Forest/Warren counties,” Rubin said. “How do we improve the system? We want to create an actionable roadmap.”

Ahluwalia outlined some observations the group had already made prior to public comment.

“Our initial assessment is, a lot of trust building needs to be done,” she said. “(There is) a lack of collaboration, even between agencies. We’re trying to focus on what can be improved, what can be done to move forward.”

The public did cite some areas that were generally agreed to be strengths, including faith-based involvement in human services, sensory friendly events at the Don Mills Achievement Center and FWHS’ current community advocate; but the bulk of the forum centered on current system weaknesses and potential solutions.

While the conversation did veer off topic into state and federal budget issues and other areas outside of the scope of local action, Ahluwalia and Ruben kept the discussion mostly on track.

“We need to limit the plan to what is within the scope of human service programs,” Ahluwalia said. “There are places we can go. There are also places we can’t.”

The pair also noted the need to identify what is the role of government in human services versus that of the community, and the need to tailor plans to the region..

“(The plan) needs to be localized,” Rubin said, noting a five-year plan would seek to focus on what could be accomplished immediately versus what could be done over time. “We can bring some innovative ideas that have worked elsewhere to the strategic planning process, but it needs to be for Forest/Warren, by Forest/Warren. This is going to be a long-term commitment to implement.”

Residents who did not attend the meeting can provide input through a short online survey by clicking the link located on the Warren-Forest Human Services website, wc-hs.org, or through paper copies available around the county, including at Jefferson Defrees center, Warren Public Library and the YMCA. The submission period ends Aug. 31.

Weaknesses

Areas the public identified as significant weaknesses in human services in the region included but were not limited to:

Difficulties accessing services in outlying communities,

Navigating human services systems and programs,

Lack of feeling of inclusion as part of county in communities at fringes of area, especially those served by school districts other than the Warren County School District or closer to services in municipalities outside the county,

Lack of intensive inpatient services for youth,

Lack of internet access,

Long wait lists for programs,

Lack of healthcare services that accept payment outside private, commercial insurance,

Staffing shortages in human service sector,

Misalignments of case management between programs and organizations,

Distance to needed services,

Dwindling and aging volunteer pools,

Lack of available, affordable housing.

Solutions

Potential solutions to some human services shortcomings discussed at the meeting included:

Creating mobile response units to respond to issues on-site and provide services to those unable to travel.

Partnering with volunteer fire departments to allow space for human services in outlying areas.

Regular human services personnel visits and forums to outlying communities to address issues in those areas.