WHAT IS FOCUS ON PREVENTION?
At Focus on Prevention, we are community members getting to the source of concerns to truly address them in the areas of housing, education, economy, neighborhood, and health.
The Problem
As a community member, you need to live and/or work in a community where you can thrive. The problem is, you see concerns that need to be addressed which makes many of us frustrated. It often seems that what’s been done isn’t working or isn’t enough.
Our Approach
At Focus on Prevention, we believe there should be a way to address community concerns so that they are truly resolved. We are leaders across business, government, community, and the non-profit sectors. We live here too and want the best results for Stanislaus County.
With our decades of combined experience, the leadership teams are engaged in proactive work, collaborating with community, private sector, and governmental leaders.
Our Methods
We employ four alignment methods to ensure mission effectiveness:
Effective Communication
We continually widen our sphere of influence in communicating why prevention is key to success. We convey both the value of preventative work as well as the need for collective impact efforts in creating the changes needed in our county.
Effective Advocacy
Effective policy and funding need to be directed towards prevention initiatives and programs. We engage the community and our partners in sending letters, attending important meetings, and more. We also educate decision-makers and influencers about the importance of prevention.
Effective Relationship-Building
We assist and support groups who want to focus on preventative work. We can assemble the right organizations and community leaders to correctly address complicated issues. We know that no singular person or organization can be fully effective in the long-term by just working alone.
Effective Leader Development
We develop and support change-makers because we know that this collaborative way of working is not easy. We also know that our challenges have scaled faster than most solutions and leaders at all levels need support now, more than ever, to effectively address these challenges.
Collective Impact
No one entity or group can solve the myriad problems of Stanislaus County residents who experience homelessness, poverty, food insecurity, addiction, poor physical health, or mental health issues.
Focus on Prevention addresses this reality by mobilizing the experience, expertise, and resources of the county’s top leaders across multiple sectors. We address root causes, not merely chase symptoms.
Collective impact creates a better community for everyone by creating an awareness of interconnectedness and acting on our shared interests. We work together for the greater good, connecting individuals to valuable county resources and agencies. By implementing preventative measures, we can catch smaller problems before they develop into larger ones.
Through collective impact, individuals and families can live a healthier life, neighborhoods can be safer, and the overall quality of life and social ecosystem can reflect better wellness, prosperity, and harmony.
Through communication, advocacy, relationship-building, and leader development, we empower decision-makers to change lives, families, and our communities for the better.
Why Collective Impact?
Through our years of experience individually, in our organizations, and through the work of Focus on Prevention, we know that the way we lead matters.
Gone are the days of the heroic individual single-handedly towing the line towards progress. To achieve the results we want for our community, change-makers must lead in new, more collaborative ways.
Our contemporary challenges call for leaders who:
- recognize our interconnectedness
- are team-players
- know how to build consensus
- possess self-awareness
- are curious
- are brave and innovative
- know how to inspire others to get involved and remain committed to progress
This collaborative approach is essential to long-term and systemic improvements. When change-makers pool their knowledge and efforts, their effectiveness grows exponentially.
The Focus on Prevention leadership teams understand the importance of developing these new types of leaders and promoting a system of effective collaboration. These are the essentials for collective impact.
Key Accomplishments
August 2017
Opened the Outreach & Engagement Center
February 2018
Stanislaus Community of Care (CSOC) was established to address homelessness
April 2018
Launched Cradle to Career
Launched Community Assessment, Response, and Engagement Team, with County partners
February 2019
Launched Downtown Streets Team (DST) in Modesto, with County partners
Opened the Modesto Outdoor Emergency Shelter, with County partners
April 2019
Launched the Love Our Neighbors website, with County partners
Established the Stanislaus Homeless Alliance, with County partners
December 2019
Opened the Access Center Emergency Shelter, with County partners
February 2020
Published the Youth & Family Well-Being Spotlight Report
Programs That Emerged From Our Work
The CARE Program
The Community Assessment Response & Engagement (CARE) program was created in 2017 with the primary objective to develop cross-sector, cross-agency strategic initiatives and engagement strategies for individuals that are causing the most distress in our community and for themselves.
A multi-disciplinary team creates and implements individualized, case-by-case intervention plans which focus on connecting individuals to the appropriate services and community supports.
Learn more here: https://www.stancounty.com/cares/
The Modesto Downtown Streets Team Program
Modesto Downtown Streets Team is a program that invites people experiencing homelessness to volunteer on teams dedicated to cleaning streets, parks, and other public spaces while they chart a path out of homelessness.
Teams provide meaningful structured daily activity that fosters community, kindles confidence, reaffirms dignity, and develops employment soft skills like punctuality, cooperation, and personal responsibility.
Learn more here: https://www.streetsteam.org/modesto
Focus on Prevention History
Focus on Prevention was established by the Stanislaus County Board of Supervisors in 2015. The primary impetus was to concentrate efforts for quality-of-life improvements in the County by creating a nexus for partnerships.
Through interconnected partnerships, four critical areas could be addressed:
- reducing homelessness
- strengthening families
- reducing recidivism
- early intervention with and guidance for youth
These targets continue to be addressed through various agencies, adapting to ever-changing community needs.
The Focus on Prevention program was established as a partnership to include many sectors, agencies, and service providers, each transcending individual silos to commit to a common set of objectives and goals.
The primary focus is on preventative efforts, requiring that the community, our advisory council participants, and each representative on the leadership committee address root causes and not merely treat symptoms. Our central ideology revolves around the effectiveness of collective impact.