DENVER – The city’s department of human services unveiled a three-year plan Friday aimed at enhancing health equity and access in the community.
The Human Together 2022-2024 Strategic Plan is being billed as an ambitious vision “for a healthy community where all people are connected, supported, safe and well,” by Denver Human Services officials.
The plan will identify goals and strategies that include ensuring equity and access, advancing health and wellness, strengthening economic resilience, supporting safe and thriving communities and supporting a workforce and operations focused on excellence, according to a news release from the city.
“Prior to and throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Denver Human Services has been dedicated to providing vital services and has remained the connective tissue of our community,” Mayor Michael B. Hancock said in a prepared statement. “Human Together puts those hit hardest by the pandemic front and center, partnering and building a network of opportunity that addresses the root needs of each person.”
One such example of the plan working to meet people where they are is the agency partnering with the Westwood Community Action Table, a data-informed initiative to improve access to DHS services in the Westwood neighborhood, the release states.
“Our local partners have served heroically throughout the pandemic and offered vital support to those who have suffered health and financial hardships,” said Lily Griego, Region 8 director of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. “As we work to build back better, Denver Human Services will play a critical role in ensuring the social and economic well-being of every member of the Denver community.”
DHS officials said the three-year plan will serve as a tool to continue developing strategic partnerships, best practices and employee and client engagement, including ways to increase equity by addressing the unique needs of every person.
Part of the plan also involved unveiling what the agency is calling the DHS Index, an online tool that will aggregate 16 key indicators that will pinpoint where societal and systemic challenges may be limiting opportunities across the Denver community.
If you’d like to learn more about the plan, click here.