Using community organizing to build a system of care: A mixed methods evaluation

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Health Services Research
• Community Organizing

Background:

• Implementing a system of care (SOC) grounded in community organizing principles is complex.
• Evaluating the initial phase of such a system requires understanding multiple stakeholder perspectives.
• The COVID-19 pandemic presented unique challenges during the study period.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the initial implementation of a community-based system of care (SOC) using mixed methods.
• To assess changes in care coordination, communication, service quality, and relationships among stakeholders.
• To identify barriers and facilitators to the SOC's effectiveness.

Main Methods:

• Mixed-methods approach combining surveys and qualitative interviews/focus groups.
• Surveys administered at baseline and 1-year follow-up to parents and community partners.
• Qualitative data collected from community-based organization staff, navigators, school staff, and service recipients.

Main Results:

• Parent surveys indicated improvements in care coordination, communication, and service quality.
• Qualitative data revealed enhanced communication, care coordination, relationships, and service access, driven by community navigators.
• Community partner surveys did not show statistically significant changes post-implementation.

Conclusions:

• The system of care (SOC) shows promise in improving outcomes for service recipients, particularly through community navigators.
• Implementation challenges exist, as evidenced by the lack of significant change reported by community partners.
• Further research is needed to refine the SOC model and address systemic barriers, considering the impact of external factors like the pandemic.