Who are we?

This project is currently coordinated by South Louisville Community Ministries, but it goes well beyond one organization.

Built on a foundation of partnerships, we are navigating person-centered collaboration with hundreds of individuals from a multitude of sectors:

Nonprofits

Coalitions

Philanthropy

City Government

Health Care

Corporations

Faith Communities

*Please note: this is currently a citywide initiative supporting our neighbors throughout Jefferson County.

The challenge we face:

With an increased sense of scarcity, social services are forced to significantly limit their accessibility and support while maintaining record numbers as ‘outcomes,’ leading to:

  • Expectation that organizations will implement corporate solutions for social problems

  • Decreasing funds paired with increasingly complex needs (leading to a scarcity mindset/competition)

  • Organizational trauma forces community service providers to react to urgent ‘fires’ instead of creating slow, healing environments

  • Limited support and accompaniment for people who fall outside of program requirements

How it works:

STEP ONE: Identifying and providing triage support for all basic needs required for human flourishing and stabilization through a Centralized Intake

STEP TWO: Developing ever-shifting flow charts for each Care Path to understand all factors (i.e., eligibility requirements) of the city's ecosystem of care

STEP THREE: Goal Navigators communicating with Community Service Providers and Clients through questionnaires and conversational evaluations for immediate support, comprehensive data, and improved understanding of lived experiences

STEP FOUR: Better understanding through history and research of care path/journey map through open communication with advocates and experts

STEP FIVE: Articulate prioritized service gaps and barriers our low-income population face when trying to meet their basic needs

STEP SIX: Implementation of immediate/micro problem-solving leading to long-term/macro problem-solving through innovative collaboration

STEP SEVEN: Through relationship and discussion, we'll lift up visionary alternatives with accessible and courageous next steps, creating ways to plug in and take action that feels good and providing accountability that's helpful and non-accusatory

Lessons learned leading us to opportunity:

With extensive data and shared experience following an influx of financial assistance in the form of federal pandemic relief, the collaborative efforts required from the past three years continue to work together in efforts “not to go back to the way things were.”

Lesson: Without continued care addressing all basic needs, crises reemerge.

Opportunity: Change how we think of resource lists and referrals by honoring the complexity and nuance of every situation.

Lesson: There’s a shortage of case managers and service providers providing accompaniment through crisis.

Opportunity: Build interdependent networks of care through sustainable funding and collaboration in trusted relationships.

Lesson: Our ecosystem of care has significant service gaps and barriers.

Opportunity: Through collaborative efforts, we can make systemic change by leading with and exploring visionary alternatives.

Lesson: Burnout is real and we need care for our caregivers.

Opportunity: Listening to our direct service providers and learning from their expertise makes our city stronger and social services more effective.