Expanding Critical Services with Equity and Inclusion

The Challenge:

The Children’s Advocacy Center of Ottawa County is the leading local expert in services related to child sexual abuse intervention and prevention, and has been for decades. However, they identified that, due to equity and accessibility concerns, their services were not meeting the needs of key communities in their service area.

Organization: Children’s Advocacy Center of Ottawa County (Nonprofit Organization)
Duration: September 2018 – September 2019 (12 months)

The Approach:

• Using people-centered, Universal Design principles to the un-services communities, and applying Change Management processes internally, we expanded services to unreached communities.
• Canvassed the community and used data and local partnership connections to clearly identify which communities could not equitably access the services provided in the organizational service area.
• Conducted a 12 month, Change Management driven campaign focused on education, empathy-building, and knowledge development to support staff understanding and owning the changes needed in each of their services areas for true accessible services.
• Built internal tools and systems for accountability and tracking of changes.
• Fused these changes directly into the processes, procedures, and goals of the organization for sustainable, resilient change.

The Results:

• Change Management: Staff independently and collectively increased their understanding of the concern and their role in addressing service accessibility.
• Community-centric: Key community members and organizations became key partners to help coach the necessary changes and keep the organization accountable to growth.
• Systems Change: By integrating these changes into the already expertise-led systems, it ensured long-term use of tools and procedures to lock changes in place.

Sometimes, Universal Design means that individuals have access to systems that improve equity and dignity. Other times, Universal Design means that individuals have access to systems that save lives. Both are essential.

Cassandra is a strategic driver and is able to evaluate a system from a macro level and break down incremental steps for change. Cassandra is an excellent Diversity, Equity, Inclusivity, and Belonging advocate and practitioner and has a gift for facilitation and integration.

Rebekah Bakker