The Importance of Collaboration in the Human Services Sector – Learnings from CSWB in Halton 

By Kendra Habing

March 2025

Complex Problems Require Collaborative Solutions

Today’s human services sectors face increasingly complex and dynamic challenges. Issues like mental health, homelessness, housing insecurity, and substance use require a multi-sector response that extends beyond the capacity of any single organization. To solve these challenging issues, upstream interventions are needed to prevent crisis in our communities.

Halton Region has demonstrated how Community Safety and Well-Being (CSWB) planning can be a powerful tool for tackling these systemic issues through strong, cross-sectoral collaboration.

Our approach highlights that partnerships, trustful relationships and networks, and collaboration are just as vital as the specific programs and subject matter expertise when it comes to driving better outcomes for communities.

CSWB Planning in Halton: A Collaborative Solution to Complex Issues

Halton Region’s CSWB plan, first implemented in 2017, is a model for proactive and evidence-based collaboration. It brings together partners across sectors, including social services, health care, education, law enforcement, and many community organizations. Together, we identify system-level challenges and create solutions that prioritize safety and well-being.

One of Halton’s key successes has been the development of a flexible and dynamic model that adapts to real-time community needs. At the heart of this approach are action tables, where stakeholders work collectively to address priority issues like youth mental health, food insecurity, homelessness/encampments, opioid misuse, and intimate partner violence.

Through the establishment of action tables, Halton has been able to respond swiftly and effectively to evolving community priorities. Through helping build capacity of community partners and raise profile of community issues, Halton’s CSWB model has been sustained by strong partnerships and buy-in at all levels.

Many of our action tables have achieved significant success in addressing complex community challenges through innovative, collaborative approaches. Below, we highlight a few impactful initiatives that demonstrate measurable outcomes and lasting improvements:

• Youth Mental Health Access & System Navigation Model: This action table introduced a streamlined "one-stop shop" system for connecting children, youth, and families to mental health services. This resulted in improved client experiences, systemic changes like shared reporting databases, sustainable funding, and enhanced collaboration among agencies, and addressing increased demand.
• Homelessness and Encampment Response: This action table implemented a coordinated access system and response process for homelessness and encampments, leading to streamlined housing placements via a by-name list, resulting in a measurable reduction in chronic homelessness, and more effective partnerships with municipalities and shelters.
• Community Wellness Hubs for Older Adults: This action table is focused on expanding and planning additional hub sites across Halton to deliver integrated health and social services. Early data from the existing hubs indicate a reduction in emergency department visits and hospitalizations for chronic conditions among clients. By utilizing data-driven strategies and fostering collaborative partnerships, this initiative has effectively scaled the hub model, leading to improved health and social outcomes for older adults.

Ongoing Engagement, Evaluation, and Evolution

To ensure the CSWB model remains relevant and effective, Halton has embraced ongoing evaluation and engagement. In 2023, Halton engaged over 150 community partners to validate priorities and assess the effectiveness of its CSWB model. The findings validated the work of action tables and highlighted strong partnerships and communication as key strengths of the model. The engagement report reflects the overall success of the model, with 93% of stakeholders affirming that their organizations benefit from participating in CSWB initiatives.

Out of the engagement, six key recommendations with accompanying actions were formed to continue to improve the model. The recommendations emphasize enhancing communication and transparency around CSWB initiatives, ensuring stakeholders are updated on progress, outcomes, and impacts. They call for greater inclusion of equity-deserving voices and individuals with lived experiences in decision-making, while also improving membership diversity and representation within action tables.

In addition to direct feedback, Halton leverages evidence-based tools like the CSWB Dashboard. This interactive resource tracks key indicators across health, safety, and well-being at both municipal and provincial levels. By providing timely insights and monitoring trends over time, the Dashboard ensures that decision-making remains data-driven and responsive to ever changing community priorities in real time.

Figure 1: CSWB Dashboard Snapshot

Figure 2: CSWB Dashboard Snapshot - Community Well-Being (December 2024)

Dashboard Link

Halton’s CSWB work underscores the importance of ongoing evaluation to ensure initiatives remain responsive to community needs. This approach has allowed for significant growth and momentum of the CSWB initiatives, with action tables expanding from seven original focus areas to 15, and counting.

Furthermore, the strong inter-sectoral relationships developed through the CSWB process have not only supported these initiatives but have also paid dividends more broadly, being leveraged to inform and enhance other human service and community safety activities beyond core CSWB work. These relationships have contributed to the betterment of the Halton community as a whole.

Strengthening a Proven Model to Achieve Lasting Outcomes

Figure 3: Halton's CSWB Model

Halton Region’s CSWB model demonstrates that collaborative, evidence-based approaches are key to tackling complex and evolving community challenges. By prioritizing ongoing engagement, evaluation, and responsiveness, Halton has achieved significant outcomes, including:

• Increased coordination between services
• Enhanced systems planning
• Greater alignment on key safety and well-being issues

These efforts have not only enhanced systems planning but also reduced demand on emergency and crisis services, creating a stronger and more resilient community.

Looking ahead, Halton remains committed to building on this success by fostering inclusive partnerships, leveraging data-driven tools like the CSWB Dashboard, and acting on recommendations to further enhance communication, equity, and impact. With collaboration at the core, the CSWB model will continue to adapt, innovate, and drive meaningful change - ensuring all residents thrive in a safer, healthier, and more connected community.

Halton’s experience illustrates that collaboration is not merely a means to an end - it is critical to success. By working together, across sectors, each organization gains access to shared data, expertise, and resources. This interconnected approach fosters innovation, reduces silos, and creates better outcomes for individuals and communities alike.

The Halton CSWB model is an inspiring example of what can be achieved when government, human services, and community partners come together with a shared vision. It reminds us that when we work collaboratively, we can do more together - leading to stronger, healthier, and safer communities for all.

Learn More

To explore Halton Region’s CSWB model visit Community Safety and Well-Being in Halton.

About the Author

Kendra Habing is a Decision Support Advisor for Halton Region with nearly a decade of experience in research, strategic planning, and community partnership building. She holds a Master of Public Health and leads the work of Halton’s Community Safety and Well-Being Plan, providing critical support to enhance program effectiveness and community outcomes. Kendra’s recent projects on CSWB include:

• Supporting the establishment of 15 Community Action Tables focusing on priority CSWB issues
• Evaluation of Halton’s CSWB Plan, including engagement with community partners and the development of key recommendations and an Action Plan
• Development of toolkits to build capacity of CSWB partners to engage in planning, governance, evaluation and more
• Selection of indicators to build out a CSWB Indicator Framework and creation of a Power BI dashboard to provide dynamic updates to the public

With a background as a Public Health Epidemiologist, Kendra is deeply committed to leveraging data as a transformative tool for addressing social and health issues. Her work emphasizes the social determinants of health, focusing on the factors that influence overall community well-being. Previously, she worked with the Department of Family Medicine at McMaster University, where her research centered on Community Paramedicine and strengthened her dedication to collaborative, community-focused initiatives.

Kendra’s expertise in social services management, strategic planning, and program evaluation has allowed her to drive impactful change and build resilient community partnerships. Known for her strong analytical abilities and adeptness in project management, Kendra has a proven track record in managing complex projects, aligning stakeholders, and ensuring program outcomes meet community needs. Her approach emphasizes collaboration, continuous improvement, and evidence-informed decision-making, which have contributed to successful partnerships and enhanced service delivery within the municipality. She actively contributes to public service networks within Halton, across Ontario, and nationwide, with a passionate commitment to advancing health and safety in the community.

She is also the recipient of the 2024 OMSSA Young Leader Award. OMSSA's Young Leader Award honours an individual 30 years or younger who has been recognized as a leader, created change, and strengthened leadership in their community. Kendra will be recognized at our 2025 Exchange Conference.