SHARING SUCCESSES AND CHALLENGES
Empowering Staff

Front-line staff know their administrators and those of their partner agencies support their work and their efforts to collaborate. As one staff person noted, "We do what we do because we have the support from leaders. I get support from my office manager, as well as leaders from other agencies. Doors are open." And yet they clearly recognize that "front-line people are still the ones that make it [the partnership] work, even if the leaders left." To ensure that front-line staff know how to make referrals and share information about their partners with their clients, partners cross-trained their staff. Partner organizations didn't just explain their programs; they walked partners through their service-delivery process. Everyone—administrators and front-line staff—from key partner agencies participated.