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EASTERN ALAMEDA COUNTY HUMAN SERVICES NEEDS ASSESSMENT: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY || Page 2 mental health services.* There is also a general lack of awareness of available services and need for service navigation, as well as an expressed desire for more linguistically and culturally responsive providers. A need for outpatient and residential substance use treatment services was identified. Community members also expressed concerns around safety, and a need for more transportation services. There is also significant need for youth services. For young children this includes high quality, affordable childcare and early childhood education. For older children, parents and youth alike expressed a desire for accessible extracurricular activities including after school and enrichment programs, and affordable summer programs and recreational activities, including sports. Older youth identified concerns around academic pressures and responsibilities, mental health and physical safety, substance use including a need for prevention programs and treatment services, and a lack of access to school bathrooms. Organizations identified a need to increase awareness of services among each other, to avoid service duplication and to optimally leverage resources. They expressed a need to be able to recruit and retain members of their workforce, particularly those who are racially, culturally, and linguistically diverse. They expressed frustration at the general perception that needs are lower in the Tri-Valley. Finally, they identified several funding challenges including a need for grants that cover infrastructure, operating costs, and marketing, as well as a high burden for grant applications and reporting requirements. RECOMMENDATIONS These are divided into approach recommendations which address community or organizational need (i.e., how the work is done), and actionable recommendations which are more specific, targeted strategies to meet discrete community and organizational needs (i.e., what work is done). Approach recommendations include: 1) implementing North Star questions to serve as a constant reference point for decision-making, helping to steer the direction of the work and maintain coherence across programs and initiatives; 2) creating more structured and formal community engagement mechanisms to carry this work forward; and 3) anticipati ng systemic challenges and building responsive organizational relationships to address social determinants of health. Actionable recommendations include: 1) building a regional service network to support nonprofit collaboration and the alignment and coordination of services; 2) expanding youth services and supports as a long-term investment in reducing future human service needs; 3) examining funding mechanisms and processes to reduce the administrative burden and create increased and sustained funding opportunities from each of the three cities as well as from Alameda County and other funding sources; 4) building a pipeline for a diverse workforce, that *Distinct elements of health care and mental health services were identified as a strength or a challenge. For more information, please refer to the full report. Page 53 of 554