It began with a bold vision. Matrix Human Services, a non-profit human services provider led by Dr. Marcella Wilson, set out to create and implement a national model of care without new legislation or policy change. This model would be scalable, sustainable, measurable and integrated into existing funding streams across various silos. It would unite systems and provide holistic services that would help clients achieve self-sufficiency.
Where better to put a program to the test than the economically challenged city of Detroit? With more than 67 percent of kids living in poverty, Motor City couldn’t afford to keep running the same old drills. Non-profits fighting over limited funds, unclear measurements of success, and a lack of best practices hadn’t yet broken the cycle of poverty and instability.
Plus, Michigan was ready for change. Gov. Rick Snyder had a bold vision. Committed to helping every person find a pathway to their fullest potential, his team implemented the “Pathways to Potential” business model in 131 schools across the state. The Department of Human Services (DHS) would go where clients were located and focus on 1) breaking the cycle of generational poverty, 2) improving school attendance, 3) improving safety, 4) enhancing educational outcomes, 5) building healthier communities, and 6) helping people move to self-sufficiency.
Addressing poverty could not be accomplished by one programmatic intervention. Resources had to be leveraged and integrated in creative ways to help vulnerable citizens see a new role for themselves with improved health and economic self-sufficiency.