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According to Dictionary.com, CHAOS is defined as a state of utter confusion or disorder; a total lack of organization. Synonyms include tumult, turmoil, jumble, and disarray. Antonyms include calm, peace, and order.
Social services have been working in ever-increasing levels of chaos since at least 2020 when the COVID pandemic began to change so much of our lives. We have yet to regain some of the institutional knowledge that was lost during that time. Trust in federal and state-funded services has eroded. Were agencies perfect before? Most definitely not. Was there room for improvement in terms of access, finances, and programming? Certainly. Does this mean that we, as a society, should curtail all social services? No, I don’t believe so, because we have effective methods for evaluating programs and outcomes.
When we discuss social services, we quickly delve into nuanced, often emotional, discussions of “for some people” and “in some circumstances.” There are no easy “yes” or “no” answers for social services. Every agency defines eligibility requirements and the length, breadth, and depth of services it provides. Agencies are now being asked to justify these decisions in ways they haven’t before as they fight for funding. It can be disheartening and intimidating to answer these questions from funders, political representatives, and even friends and loved ones.
We are typically used to the clients we serve living in chaos, but we are less confident living in it ourselves. Unfortunately, there is not much we can do as individuals to resolve this chaos. Moreover, there is no indication that the chaos is ending and that we will return to some “normal” state in the future. Rather than see chaos as a negative, it might be helpful to view our current chaos as a pressure test of effective social service responses.
One healthy response to chaos that we can’t control is RESILIENCY. Dictionary.com defines resiliency as the ability of a system or organization to respond to or recover readily from a crisis, disruptive process, etc.
Right now, we are being called to evolve without dissolving. We need to meet new demands and needs without losing who we are. Our resiliency can be rooted in our confidence that we know our programs and services are necessary and effective. We know we are offering the most effective approaches for our populations because we have researched and evaluated our approach. There are many models, such as the Polaris public policy model, that help us think about our work in terms of processes or cycles:
- Problem Identification
- Policy Analysis
- Strategy and Policy Development
- Policy Enactment
- Policy Implementation
Your specific agency may follow a different model, but most include some aspect of needs assessment, planning, implementation, and evaluation. Impact encourages you to clearly and intentionally follow whichever model your particular discipline recommends for policy decisions. If one funding source dries up, you will be better prepared to compete for a different funding stream with solid decision-making and evaluation results to help tell your story.
Impact can support you in these efforts through qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis. We can work alongside you as you strive to answer the hard questions and build your staff, agencies, and institutions even stronger than they were before. We can work together to learn our lessons and move forward in strength and compassion.
Margo is on the path to physical healing and is re-entering the working world with a new “resiliency” mindset. She is extremely grateful for the grace shown to her for every extended deadline and rescheduled meeting during the past six months.
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