Collaboration across agency lines and among public and private providers is one of the most significant developments in human services in recent years. Tangible benefits of bringing together various organizations include a more holistic approach to the needs and an ability to leverage community resources. Using a framework of shared decision making, shared resources and shared accountability, agencies working collaboratively are able to accomplish so much more as a unified entity than as separate organizations. It is the ongoing collaborative effort that leads to shared outcomes.
Bank On Greater Cincinnati
Central Access Point (CAP)
Chronic Disease Care Coordination Pathway Collaborative
Coaching to Quality in Northern Kentucky
Connected for Life
Consortium for Resilient Young Children (CRYC)
Covington Resilience Project
Every Child Succeeds
Hamilton County Family Violence Prevention Project
Healthcare Career Pathways
Higher Education Mentoring Initiative
Homeless to Homes
Homelessness Prevention Program
Oyler After School Enrichment
Price Hill Financial Opportunity Center
Pro Bono Counseling Program
Ready Schools
Safety Net Alliance of Northern Kentucky
Substance Abuse Wrap Around
Supporting Partnerships to Assure Ready Kids (SPARK)
Urban Partnership
Bank On Greater Cincinnati is a partnership among financial institutions, community groups and local government to connect “unbanked” consumers with mainstream financial services including checking, savings, credit, and financial education. This collaborative effort is lead by Mayor Mark Mallory of Cincinnati and includes Mayor Jerry Peluso of Newport Kentucky and Mayor Denny Bowman, of Covington Kentucky, The Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland (Cincinnati Branch), and SmartMoney Community Services serving as the lead agency. Together we can significantly increase access to quality and affordable financial services in the Greater Cincinnati region.
Central Access Point (CAP), a collaborative of Strategies of End Homelessness, is a centralized intake system for families and individuals who are currently experiencing homelessness or who are at risk of becoming homeless. Prior to the creation of CAP in 2008, calls were made to individual shelters and agencies looking for a bed for the night and for needed services. This antiquated system overwhelmed homeless families and shelter staff. Now, with just one phone call to CAP, a trained intake specialist provides confidential client-friendly screening of calls and then makes a professional assessment and appropriate referral to an available shelter or agency.
The Chronic Disease Care Coordination Pathway Collaborative works to improve health care outcomes through integrated care coordination for adults diagnosed with diabetes, hypertension and/or high cholesterol. The collaborative offers better access of resources including, medical, behavioral health, pharmacy management, and social services for uninsured, Medicaid or Medicare-eligible. Led by Health Care Access Now, partners include Crossroad Health Center, The HealthCare Connection, Greater Cincinnati Behavioral Health, LifePoint Solutions, Neighborhood Health Care, St. Vincent de Paul Charitable Pharmacy, and University Hospital.
The Coaching to Quality Collaborative in Northern Kentucky works to increase the number of early care and education centers that obtain and maintain a state quality rating. High-quality early learning experiences have long-lasting benefits for at-risk children, preparing them for a good start in school and increasing their likelihood of being promoted to the next grade level each year so they will graduate from high school on time. Led by 4C for Children, partners include United Way Success By 6®, Quality Enhancement Initiative and Northern Kentucky University Department of Early Childhood Education.
The Connected for Life collaborative remediates the impact of chronic trauma on children (infant to age 6) through an integrative treatment model that includes mental health services and occupational therapy within a single treatment session. Children served are those with sensory-processing and receptive language delays related to reoccurring trauma such as violence, neglect and prenatal exposure to alcohol and drugs. The collaborative is a partnership between the Young Child Institute of Central Clinic and Cincinnati Occupational Therapy Institute.
The Consortium for Resilient Young Children (CRYC) is a collaborative of mental health and early childhood education agencies that promote the social and emotional development and well being of young children, strengthens the capacity of all adults who care for them and advocates for coordinated, aligned systems. Convened in 2005 by The Children’s Home of Cincinnati, partners include 4C for Children, Talbert House, Central Clinic, Children, Inc., Cincinnati Early Learning Centers, Inc., Cincinnati Public Schools, and NorthKey Community Care. Services include training, coaching and consultation to child care classrooms and specialized services to individual children and families.
The Covington Resilience Project is a comprehensive prevention and intervention collaborative of mental health and early childhood education providers that helps prepare preschoolers socially and emotionally for kindergarten. The collaborative employs an assessment and planning system designed to promote the key social emotional skills of initiative, attachment and self-control, working to strengthen the capacity of both providers and parents. Founded in 2007 and led by NorthKey Community Care, partners include Children, Inc., Covington Independent Public Schools and Northern Kentucky Community Action Commission’s Head Start program.
Every Child Succeeds is making a difference for families in Southwest Ohio and Northern Kentucky through home visits that help first-time parents create a nurturing, healthy environment for their children. Home visits, which take place from the time of pregnancy through the child's third birthday, are designed to ensure an optimal start for children both physically and emotionally. The collaborative was founded in 1999 by Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati-Hamilton County Community Action Agency and United Way of Greater Cincinnati. Fourteen local agencies provide the home visits to promote parenting competence, healthy child development and family self-sufficiency.
The Family Violence Prevention Project (FVPP) is a community collaborative of more than 40 public and private agencies working together to prevent family violence – child abuse, children witnessing domestic violence, bullying, teen dating violence, intimate partner violence, elder abuse, and abuse of people with disabilities. Began in 2001, YWCA of Greater Cincinnati serves as the lead agency, bringing together partners to increase protective factors for healthy relationships, identifying warning signs of unhealthy relationships and have crucial dialogues that empower community members to experience healthy, peaceful relationships with friends, family members and partners.
The Health Professions Academy is a collaborative of Great Oaks Institute and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center that began in 2004. The collaborative is working to alleviate occupational shortages in healthcare while providing career opportunities for incumbent, low-skilled, entry-level hospital workers to advance, as well as for unemployed individuals to complete education and training that positions them to fill entry-level work opportunities created as incumbent workers advance. Services include case management, job skills training, employment, job retention and career advancement services, and access to postsecondary education to help families achieve financial stability.
The Higher Education Mentoring Initiative (HEMI) is a partnership between Hamilton County Board of Commissioners, Hamilton County Job & Family Services, the University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati State Technical and Community College, and Great Oaks. HEMI prepares foster youth for postsecondary education by helping them establish long term, positive relationship with mentors who assist, encourage and support students’ academic achievement through high school and help create a direct pathway to higher education.
The Homeless to Homes collaborative, led by Strategies to End Homelessness, strengthens the transition of homeless individuals into housing by providing intensive case management services to single homeless men and women at five area shelters in our community: CityGospel Mission, Drop Inn Center, Lighthouse on Highland, Talbert House Mt. Airy Center, and the YWCA Single Women’s Shelter. The collaborative addresses several recommendations from Homeless to Homes (H2H), the comprehensive plan adopted by the City of Cincinnati and Hamilton County in 2009.
The Homelessness Prevention Program is a collaborative working to stabilize the housing of families who are at imminent risk of losing housing and entering an emergency homeless shelter. The collaborative helps families develop a plan and provides financial support to prevent future homelessness. Led by Strategies to End Homelessness, partners include Freestore Foodbank, Jewish Family Service of the Cincinnati Area, Mercy Health – St. John, The Salvation Army of Greater Cincinnati, and Society of St. Vincent de Paul.
The Oyler After School Enrichment collaborative, a partnership between Cincinnati Early Learning Centers and YWCA of Greater Cincinnati, provides educational, recreational, cultural, and health programming in the after school hours for students grades K-12 at Oyler School in Lower Price Hill. The collaborative plans to positively impact students’ success in school so that they are promoted to the next grade and graduate on time prepared for their next step.
The Price Hill Financial Opportunity Center bundles a full range of essential services in one convenient location, making getting needed help much easier. Simplified access to public benefits and work supports are provided to help supplement income; stronger employment connections to become job ready and obtain employment; and, enhanced financial knowledge and coaching to ensure families are financially stable. The collaborative, led by Santa Maria Community Services, partners with Price Hill Will and Cincinnati Works.
The Pro Bono Counseling Program offers free mental health services for low-income individuals and families living in Hamilton County who are without medical insurance, are underinsured or unemployed. Mental health professionals provide counseling and a care navigator assists clients who need help accessing additional services, such as basic needs, housing and employment. Led by Mental Health America of Northern Kentucky & Southwest Ohio, partners include Ohio Consumer Empowerment Coalition, Partners for a Competitive Workforce, Santa Maria Community Services, and The Partnership for Mental Health.
The Ready Schools collaborative prepares young children and their families who have had little exposure to formal early childhood education to enter kindergarten ready to learn. Research has shown that quality early learning environments are effective in preparing at-risk children for success in school, work and life. Activities include a center-based and home-based pre-K summer program, a 2-day pre-K summer camp and an after school enrichment program for kindergartners. Led by Child Focus, Inc., the collaborative partners with the West Clermont Local Schools to serve children in the district’s four elementary schools.
The Safety Net Alliance of Northern Kentucky is a collaborative of more than 60 nonprofit agencies, government entities and faith-based organizations committed to providing the most effective and efficient emergency assistance service continuum to those in need. Formed in 2007 with Brighton Center serving as the lead agency, the networking and communication among partners ideally positions them to identify current trends and gaps in services, provide informal advocacy around common causes and pursue available resources.
Mental Health America of Northern Kentucky & Southwest Ohio and Transitions, Inc. are partners in the Substance Abuse Wrap Around collaborative, which combines substance abuse treatment services with intensive wraparound case management support services, providing a full continuum of care. The services help adults remain free of substance abuse and alcohol misuse and, upon completion of treatment, to become employed, enrolled in school or other training program, and assume responsible household and family roles.
Supporting Partnerships to Assure Ready Kids (SPARK) is a collaborative evidence-based program proven to help children ages 3-5 get ready for kindergarten by building reading, language and social skills. The goal of SPARK is to provide "ready children" and "ready schools". The collaborative, led by The Children's Home of Cincinnati, includes six other organizations, each with unique expertise – Cincinnati Public Schools, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center Division of Early Childhood, University of Cincinnati Department of Communication Sciences Disorders, Santa Maria Community Services, and The Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County.
The Life Learning Center and the Covington Re-Use Center are working together, as part of the Urban Partnership collaborative, to build a social enterprise venture that creates jobs for hard-to-hire individuals. The Life Learning Center provides a structured education curriculum in parallel with supportive services to prepare workers for sustained employment. The Covington Re-Use Center, which is dedicated to taking materials headed for the dumpster and making them ready to be re-used, provides the valuable work experience that employers are looking for.