On February 4th, 2025, the Southwest Organizing Project's (SWOP) Southwest System of Care (SWSOC) and Healthy Southwest teams convened their SWSOC x Healthy Southwest All Partner Meeting. This gathering marked a significant milestone in their ongoing efforts to enhance community well-being and improve access to essential services for families in the Southwest region. The meeting opened with reflections on the journey of SWSOC, which began six years ago with the introduction of Navigators in schools. Over the years, these Navigators, along with dedicated partners, have played a crucial role in ensuring that families received meaningful connections to care. Healthy Southwest, an extension of this foundational work, was developed to address existing gaps in access to services, reinforcing the commitment to comprehensive, community-centered care.
A central theme of discussion was safety and the necessary next steps to ensure continued progress. Participants considered the potential of embedding Public Health Advocates (PHAs) in schools, leveraging trusted relationships to bridge service gaps. SWOP reaffirmed its overarching mission: to advocate for the holistic well-being of the community, ensuring that systemic improvements remain at the forefront of their work.
The meeting transitioned into a deep dive into data and evaluation. The team explored key questions surrounding the past five years of SWSOC and Healthy Southwest's work, seeking to define success through school and institutional improvements, enhanced mental health outcomes, and stronger community relationships. Evaluation methods, including interviews and focus groups, provided valuable insights into both achievements and challenges. A key concern was the disparity in resources available to new arrivals and immigrants compared to citizens and permanent residents, alongside the persistent issue of long waiting lists for essential services.
Breakout sessions allowed for more focused discussions, where participants shared personal growth experiences, challenges faced, and aspirations for the future. The analysis of network referral pathways highlighted critical connections. The highest capacity needs received the most connections, while food delivery referrals were frequent, but senior care services remained scarce despite high demand. Schools generated many outbound referrals but did not receive many in return, raising questions about engagement strategies. Vulnerable populations, including aging individuals and those needing early childhood or maternal health services, had minimal referrals. Additionally, a higher
number of families accessed services during summer months, reflecting seasonal shifts in need.
Participants engaged in a data-driven discussion, examining key findings:
· Schools noted that while food delivery referrals were high, dental service referrals remained low due to in-school services. Additionally, public benefit requests surged among newcomers and in-shelter populations.
· Service providers recognized the growing need for behavioral health support and material aid but raised concerns about resource duplication and the effectiveness of immigration services in meeting community needs.
· Organizing teams focused on enhancing engagement strategies, particularly for children and young adults, ensuring a more equitable distribution of services across age groups. They also questioned the impact of immigration status on service accessibility and explored ways to track declined referrals more effectively.
The meeting concluded with a series of next steps aimed at strengthening referral networks, increasing youth engagement, improving service coordination, and enhancing data collection efforts. Participants committed to set specific referral goals for different age groups, developing targeted communication strategies, and refining data tracking methods to better understand community needs.
By the end of the session, it was evident that SWSOC and Healthy Southwest had made significant strides in fostering a more connected and responsive care system. However, the work ahead remains critical in ensuring sustained impact, equity in service provision, and continuous improvement in addressing the evolving needs of the community.
