Background and History

Washtenaw County has a long history of collaboration among its human service agencies, law enforcement, judicial branch and local units of government and business.  This first originated nearly 30 years ago in 1978 with the creation of the Coordinating Council for Children and the Social Justice Team.  In late1994, members of several collaborative groups began discussing a need for a single collaborative council which later led to the creation the Family Services Council. More recently, the Human Services Community Collaborative (HSCC) was established in early 2002, evolving from the Family Service Collaborative Council.

One of 76 such state- recognized bodies in Michigan, the Community Collaborative of Washtenaw County (CCWC) officially began in 2006 and fulfills the mandate that each Michigan community have a multi-purpose collaborative body (MPCB).  Members of the Collaborative bring years of experience, as well as a broad spectrum of perspective and expertise to provide solutions to the pressing issues facing Washtenaw County. 

Vision

The vision of the Community Collaborative of Washtenaw County is to create a community of dignity and respect where all people can live to their maximum potential. 

Mission

The mission of the CCWC is to provide leadership, coordinate policy, leverage resources, build assets, and foster partnerships which promote healthy growth, learning and development for everyone is our community. 

Goal

To ensure effective coordination of programs which enhance community health and well-being, identify opportunities to change systems and break barriers to effective service delivery, and advocate for systems change and effective resource allocation. 

Structure of the Community Collaborative:


The Community Collaborative of Washtenaw County is comprised of the Funder's Committee, the Coordinating Council, and the 15 Initiatives / Coalitions. To find out more about the primary individual functions and responsibilities of each of these groups,  please click on the following links:

Funder's Committee -  Coordinating Council - Initiatives/ Coalitions


Primary Functions of the CCWC:

The Community Collborative of Washtenaw County will focus on developing the following:

• Community Needs Assessment: to identify current or emerging needs in our community.
  
  
• 15 Initiatives/ Coalitions:  To identify current initiatives or support the development of new initiatives in our County which enhance collaboration, integrate service delivery, and support systems change around emerging issues which represent the greatest unmet health and human services needs in the County. 
  
  
• Work Plans:  For an ongoing basis, review the results of the work plans for each Initiative / Coalition supported by the CCWC.
  
  
• Gaps/ Barriers to Effective Service Delivery: To identify opportunities to change systems in order to reduce barriers and provide more efficient and effective service delivery to the community.  
  
  
• Advocacy and Funding: Serve as a "voice" for the community in advocating for changes in how services are delivered and resources allocated to enhance community outcomes. 
  
  
• Community-wide Success Planning: Participate in the Community Success Planning process to develop a community-wide strategic plan to enhance the economic development, talent development, and quality of life in Washtenaw County.