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PAGE 20 differences within each were anticipated. As data collection and analysis progressed, however, it was found that issues were largely cross-cutting. For example, participants from all three cities identified concerns about housing, health and mental health services, substance use, transportation, and more. Additionally, youth from each city identified similar and overlapping themes. Further, participants proposed more regional recommendations. Nonetheless, there are some distinctions between the three cities, and many human services are funded or implemented within cities. Thus, the primary findings are organized by cross-cutting themes driven by the data. To add context and nuances, these findings are supplemented with city-specific data from census data and other published reports, where possible. NONPROFIT FOCUS GROUPS Focus groups with nonprofits were conducted to more fully explore the emerging themes from the landscape scan interviews. Steering Committee and JSI Project Team members circulate a Google form to indicate interest in and availability in the focus groups. A total of 43 respondents, including nonprofit and city government organizations members, completed the form. Because nonprofit executives and leaders have insights that are qualitatively different from those who work in more client-facing roles, the two sessions were separated into direct service staff and executives. This accounted for power dynamics and created an environment of peers in each case. Both focus groups were conducted over Zoom and recorded so that the JSI Project Team could code and analyze generated transcripts. Three JSI Project Team members were in attendance. Two co-facilitated and the third took notes to ensure the recordings were captured and provide technical assistance necessary to support participation. The JSI Project Team drafted a different facilitation guide for each nonprofit focus group. Input and feedback were solicited from Steering Committee members so that questions were relevant and aligned with the objectives of the focus groups. These objectives included learning more about the experiences of nonprofit staff in Tri-Valley, including organizational needs and partnerships and understanding the human services strengths, challenges, and opportunities, and recommendations to improve them. The first nonprofit focus group was held with 11 direct service staff on March 16, 2023. The nonprofit focus group for executives was conducted on March 22, 2023 with 17 individuals. Unlike the direct service staff group, this session included both Steering Committee members and other nonprofit executive staff. Findings from these focus groups informed organizational-level challenges and opportunity areas and the development of recommendations. COMMUNITY FOCUS GROUPS Just as the Steering Committee was involved in the co-design of nonprofit focus groups, EAPAC members were integral to the design and implementation of community focus groups. Members spent a considerable amount of time inside and outside scheduled meetings providing feedback on interview guides and recruitment materials and spreading the word on social media and in-person. Recruitment. EAPAC and JSI Project Team members created several physical and electronic copies of fliers that could be circulated on social media and in-person. Fliers included basic information about the Needs Assessment and a QR code that linked to a separate community member focus group interest form. In addition to inquiring about city of residence/ occupation, preferred modality (e.g., online or in person), and available dates, a set of preliminary demographics questions was included. While all participants who completed the form were invited to participate in their top-choice focus group, the demographic questions allowed the JSI Project Team members to assess who had been made aware of and expressed interest in participating in focus groups so that recruitment and outreach efforts could be altered if needed. The form also included a question on what services, if any, a participant had or was currently receiving. Structure. While the nonprofit focus groups were separated along direct service provision/executive leadership roles to control for power, a different set of circumstances influenced the structuring of focus groups with community members. For one, there had been strong interest from the Joint Human Service Commission and Steering Committee members to EASTERN ALAMEDA COUNTY HUMAN SERVICES NEEDS ASSESSMENTSS Page 78 of 554