Our vision
We believe everyone deserves the opportunity to thrive. The goal of the Building Well-being Together initiative is to focus on the whole well-being of people, families, and communities, especially those being left behind due to race, age, disability, identity, and place.
This is a call to action for all of us - ODHS, other government offices, Tribes, providers, communities - all working together to ensure that everyone has the services and supports they need.
On this page, find an overview of accomplishments and highlights of work that has already started with building well-being in mind, stories featuring an on-the-ground focus of how this work is being realized, a subscription link to stay connected (offering periodic updates) and inspirational research that builds a case for this upstream approach.
What's inspiring us
Research and evidence for needed change
A fair chance for all - Breaking the cycle of persistent disadvantage.
The New Zealand Productivity Commission Te Kōmihana Whai Hua o Aotearoa has released its interim report on "A fair chance for all", looking into persistent disadvantage in New Zealand, and how we can address it.
A woman came into The Collaborative's Office in Jackson County and needed help. She had been involved in the criminal justice system and was trying to get her life started again. She needed housing, some form of identification, a cell phone and food. And right there in that office space – which by the way, is designed as a very inviting living room -- she was able to get all of her needs met in one place.
The Collaborative is a space where the Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS) Child Welfare Division and Self Sufficiency Programs, Jackson County Community Justice (JCCJ) and The Pathfinder Network (TPN) are housed together to help women and their families stay out of the criminal justice and child welfare systems, or to get out of those system and thrive in their lives. This partnership helps build better Well-being Together, an ODHS key initiative.
Listen how this innovative and transforming approach supports women in Jackson County in a trauma-informed manner.
The video is available in English and Spanish.
This article from DeLoitte speaks to meaningful changes in social care by focusing on early intervention, attacking problems at their root source, and creating paths to greater self-sufficiency and resilience.
Oregon facts
Share an innovative idea or issue impacting people you serve
We want to better understand the challenges people are facing, what prevents them from achieving well-being, and how we can work together to better support people and communities. Do you have an innovative idea or issue impacting people in Oregon?
Feedback and Story Form