Building sustainable capacity for data-informed decision-making and resident-centered service design.
Service integration and improvement work focuses on two interconnected goals:
- Improving how services are coordinated and delivered to residents
- Building the internal practices and structures that allow the County to consistently use data when making operational decisions
Over time, these efforts will expand beyond human services to support a broader, evidence-based approach across County operations.
Cohort Approach
One of the core strategies for improving service coordination is organizing work around defined population cohorts: subsets of the population with shared characteristics and needs that can be targeted with specific interventions. Rather than responding to crises as they arise, a cohort-based approach uses data to understand root causes and design more proactive, prevention-oriented responses.
We are developing this approach around four initial groups:
- Adults
- Children and Families
- Justice-Involved Individuals
- Housing-Insecure and Persistently Unhoused Individuals
For each cohort, the goal is to use integrated data to better understand needs and support more coordinated, targeted interventions across agencies.
Long Term Vision
This work supports a future where services are more connected and easier to navigate.
Residents can access support through coordinated entry points, and agencies share information responsibly to provide more seamless, person-centered care.
These capabilities are being developed alongside the County’s Integrated Data System and governance frameworks.
Broader Impact
Beyond service coordination, this work helps build a culture of evidence-based decision-making across the County.
This includes supporting departments to:
- Evaluate what’s working
- Identify opportunities for improvement
- Make operational decisions grounded in data
Over time, this approach becomes part of how the County operates—rather than relying on one-time initiatives or individual efforts.
Where We Are Now
The cohort framework is currently in development.
Short-term priorities include:
- Refining cohort definitions
- Mapping existing services and data sources
- Building partnerships to support coordinated interventions
This work will continue to evolve alongside the department’s expanding analytics and governance capabilities.