Empowering Families through Community Collaboration and the Collective Impact Model

The 100 Families Alliance of Miller and Bowie Counties, supported by Ground Floor Collective, is a community-led initiative that helps families navigate from crisis to career. By employing the collective impact model, this program engages community partners, trains agencies in collaborative case management, and mobilizes case managers to provide timely support when families face adversity.

The Collective Impact Model

The collective impact model is a framework for tackling complex social issues through collaborative effort. It involves five key elements:

1. Common Agenda: All participants have a shared vision for change.

2. Shared Measurement: Collecting data and measuring results consistently across all participants ensures efforts remain aligned and participants hold each other accountable.

3. Mutually Reinforcing Activities: Participant activities must be differentiated while still being coordinated through a mutually reinforcing plan of action.

4. Continuous Communication: Consistent and open communication is needed across the many players to build trust, assure mutual objectives, and create common motivation.

5. Backbone Support: Creating and managing collective impact requires a separate organization with staff and a specific set of skills to serve as the backbone for the entire initiative.

By adhering to these principles, the 100 Families Alliance leverages the strengths of each partner organization to create a comprehensive support system for families in need.

Addressing the Expanded Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs through 13 Care Areas

The 100 Families Alliance recognizes that families in crisis often struggle to meet their basic needs, which can hinder their ability to achieve stability and self-actualization. To address this, the initiative focuses on 13 care areas that align with the expanded Maslow's hierarchy of needs.

At the foundation of the hierarchy are physiological needs, which include housing, food security, physical health, and dental health. These basic needs must be met for families to progress towards stability. The next level, safety needs, encompasses personal safety, recovery, transportation, childcare, and legal needs. These areas provide a sense of security and protection, allowing families to focus on growth and development.

Belongingness and love needs, which include mental health and recovery, foster a sense of connection and support within the community. Esteem needs, addressed through transportation, legal needs, financial literacy, education, and employment, help families build confidence and self-worth as they acquire new skills and knowledge.

At the top of the hierarchy, self-actualization needs are met through education and employment opportunities, enabling families to reach their full potential and achieve their goals.

A Shared Vision for Success

The success of the 100 Families Alliance relies on the collective efforts of the entire community. By working together, alliance members create a powerful force for positive change, helping families build brighter futures and strengthening the fabric of the community.

Through this innovative, community-led initiative, the 100 Families Alliance not only transforms lives but also demonstrates the power of the collective impact model in addressing complex social issues. By uniting around a shared vision of empowerment and opportunity, the alliance creates a stronger, more resilient community where every family has the chance to thrive.