Human Services Integration Project - History and Activity

The Human Services Integration Steering Committee was formed in 2006 as a joint initiative of the Ontario Municipal Social Services Association (OMSSA) and the Service Manager Housing Network (SMHN). In April 2008, the committee was expanded to include a new partner, the Social Housing Services Corporation (SHSC).

The committee was mandated at the outset to begin to develop a solid understanding of human service integration so that it could initiate dialogue with Consolidated Municipal Service Managers (CMSMs) and District Social Service Administration Boards (DSSABs) across Ontario.

The committee has representation from all partner organizations and is co-chaired by an OMSSA and a SMHN representative. The initiative is resourced and facilitated by OMSSA’s Human Services Integration Project Coordinator, Jody Orr.

A First Year of Learning

In its first year, the committee began a research and learning process which was intended to result in a discussion paper that would inform the service integration efforts of CMSMs and DSSABs across Ontario.

This effort quickly became a journey of shared learning during which the committee was confronted with some fundamental challenges: the lack of a shared vocabulary; the need to think systemically; the requirement to become person-centred in service planning and delivery; and—the compelling imperative—the need to evaluate efforts at all stages along the way. The committee knew that if its own efforts at working in an integrated fashion around the table were challenging and that these challenges would be replicated in CMSMs and DSSABs moving along the integration path.

While this shared learning was going on, a parallel literature search turned up significant agreement among those who have studied integration, indicating that there are no easily portable models that can be replicated from one organization to another. There are dominant, repeating processes and organizational forms, but how these are introduced from community to community is deeply shaped by organizational and community history and culture. Each community will develop integrated structures and integration processes that are unique. The literature search also indicated that evaluation efforts in the area of human services integration are, as yet, not very comprehensive.

As a result of the committee’s own experience and its failure to locate clear models (as they are usually understood), it decided that, as its first major offering to CMSMs and DSSABs, it would publish a paper that encouraged readers to facilitate a parallel learning journey in their own organizations as a first and critically important step to initiating integration processes and structures.

Spring Leadership Seminar 2007: Seeking Feedback and Testing Key Approaches in the Discussion Paper

Key approaches and principles that the paper intended to explore were tested in Spring 2007 at OMSSA’s Spring Leadership Seminar. This conference brought together human service managers from CMSMs and DSSABs across Ontario.

The event was as a series of large group presentations and small group dialogues focused on aspects of service integration. A highlight of the event was presentations from two resource people with extensive experience in the process of service integration.

Susan Hallett, the Program Administrator from the Office of Community Partnerships and Innovative Practices (CPIP), Arizona Department of Economic Security, led off the conference on the first evening by sharing her learning from Arizona service integration efforts in her keynote address.

James Fong, from Fong Consulting, who has examined and analyzed service integration efforts in a wide variety of jurisdictions in the United States, joined the participants electronically on the first morning to share his theoretical framework for understanding service integration.

Over two days of facilitated discussion, the general directions intended for the paper were validated through participant discussion. In addition, the committee received substantial feedback on the integration resources which CMSMs and DSSABs were seeking. A copy of the Report from the OMSSA Spring Leadership Seminar can be downloaded below.

Based on these discussions and feedback, the committee spent its next few months developing and fine tuning its first discussion paper.

Publication and Launch of “A Guide to Thinking about Human Services Integration”

In September 2007, the committee released A Guide to Thinking about Human Services Integration: Making a Greater Difference for People and Communities. The paper was launched at a major presentation during the Forum on Social Housing and Homelessness for service managers, shelter providers and front-line staff, a conference jointly hosted by OMSSA, SMHN and the Ontario Association of Hostels.

The printed version of A Guide to Thinking about Human Services Integration is moving into its third printing and has been enthusiastically received by readers throughout Ontario.

Current Activity

Following the publication of its discussion paper, the committee developed a “next steps” work plan, which is currently driving its work in several critical areas.

Training

A range of training opportunities is in development. The first of these—Human Services Integration 101—was piloted at the OMSSA Fall Training Seminar in 2007, subsequently modified and is now available as an intensive one day on-site workshop.

Additional training sessions are being developed that will address systems thinking, evaluation of human services integration and promotion of human services integration in a community. As these sessions become available, OMSSA members will be contacted to ensure they are aware of their availability. Alternately, consult our HSI Resources pages to see what is new and available.

Dialogue

In the autumn of 2007, following release of its discussion paper, the committee hosted a province-wide conference call as a first step to initiate dialogue with OMSSA members about human services integration. The committee is exploring other ways of establishing a dialogue mechanism, which will permit sustained and continuing dialogue about integration. Once a mechanism has been determined, people will be invited to become participants in this ongoing dialogue.

Promotion

Members of the committee are active in promoting the project and human services integration more generally through speaking engagements and by ensuring that issues related to integration are being raised in key meetings and at key tables. If you wish to have a speaker for an upcoming event, please contact Jody Orr, the Human Services Integration Project Coordinator, at (905) 772-1084 or at jorr@linetap.com.

Consultation

CMSMs and DSSABs interested in specific issues related to human services integration, seeking more detailed information or looking for support for their efforts should contact the Human Services Integration Project Coordinator, Jody Orr, at (905) 772-1084 or at jorr@linetap.com.

The committee is currently in the process of hosting a demonstration project to test and develop best practices for consultation and coaching to CMSMs and DSSABs. On an interim basis, some facilitation, consultation and coaching support may be available. Contact Jody to discuss this if you feel this could be of assistance to you.

Find out more about:

Human Services Integration Project

Integration Principles, Commitments and Process Continuum

Human Services Integration - Database

Resources

Frequently Asked Questions