{"id":5424,"date":"2023-09-26T15:13:26","date_gmt":"2023-09-26T19:13:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/unite-us-tailwind.local\/?p=5424"},"modified":"2024-06-26T17:15:29","modified_gmt":"2024-06-26T21:15:29","slug":"county-partnerships-lessons-learned","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/uniteus.com\/blog\/county-partnerships-lessons-learned\/","title":{"rendered":"County Partnerships: Lessons Learned from Ten Years Working with County Governments"},"content":{"rendered":"

County governments are on the frontlines of many of our nation\u2019s most pressing challenges.<\/strong> From natural disasters and economic hardship to the <\/span>opioid crisis<\/span><\/a> and lingering public health<\/a> issues stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic, county leaders and workers are managing one crisis after another\u2014and often, managing multiple crises at the same time. In addition to being responsive to these emergent needs, many of America\u2019s 3,000+ counties are responsible for providing their residents with critical services like public safety and child protection. In part because of their sheer volume of responsibilities, counties are leading the way in creating innovative solutions to customer service and service delivery through county partnerships.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Building Successful County Partnerships<\/h2>\n

Here at Unite Us, we\u2019re proud to partner with counties doing incredible work for their constituents across the country. With rapidly growing partnerships in 44 states, we\u2019ve driven change in all types of communities, from the smallest towns to the largest cities.<\/strong> Our policy team members, made up of former government employees with decades of experience in public service, serve as thought partners to county leaders looking for new, effective ways to get things done. Our cross-sector collaboration<\/a> tools empower counties to leverage their full resources, understand community-level data, and transparently manage their funding. Our local, community engagement team members can amplify the work of public-sector and nonprofit employees. In the 10 years since Unite Us was founded, we\u2019ve learned a lot about how county governments can best prepare county partnerships and programs for success. From community collaboration mechanisms to using data to measure success, here are our lessons learned on how Unite Us can best support county governments looking to get things done.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

1. Leveraging Community Partners to Ensure Collaboration<\/h2>\n

Local governments are home to incredible community-based organizations (CBOs) that support their constituents on a daily basis. From food pantries and transportation providers to housing shelters and workforce training programs, CBOs are trusted sources of support<\/strong> in the community. Too often, CBOs are underfunded and forced to operate in silos. As a result, the services they provide are fragmented and may fail to meet whole-person needs. Government can be the convenor, but often needs support with execution. That\u2019s where we come in: Unite Us\u2019 software bridges gaps by allowing CBOs, health systems, and governments to securely communicate and coordinate with each other to achieve shared goals.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Community transformation <\/span>is<\/b> possible, but only when all parties are singing from the same sheet of music. While this is true for any type of health or social care transformation, it\u2019s especially relevant for counties looking to shift toward a more holistic way to address residents\u2019 needs. In those cases, it\u2019s critical that local governments play a leading role in connecting health systems with social services providers to quickly and efficiently deliver services to constituents in need.\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

2. Managing Federal, State, and Private Funding to Ease Administrative Burden<\/h2>\n

Local governments often manage complex, braided funding streams. From federal and state grants to philanthropy dollars to opioid abatement funds, managing the specific reporting and billing constraints that come along with these funds can place additional burdens on already overworked staff. Unite Us provides the technological infrastructure to manage different funding streams<\/strong> to ease the administrative burden and maximize impact. We facilitate social care funding through our platform by providing data and up-to-date reporting on where the funding is going and how it is being used.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

3. Driving Community Engagement Toward Better Health Outcomes<\/h2>\n

No matter the ZIP code, we know that providing children and families with the resources they need to succeed is critical to the overall health and well-being of any community. What sets Unite Us apart is that our team members aren\u2019t just assigned to support counties from a remote office building somewhere\u2014they live in the communities they serve and are deeply engaged in community work.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

When a local government joins a network of coordinated care, constituents of all backgrounds benefit from this local perspective.<\/strong> As a true partner to this work, Unite Us can help you:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n