Helping people move from where they are to where they dream to be.

What is Driving The Dream?

United Way of the Mid-South serves the greater Memphis area in improving the lives of Mid-Southerners by mobilizing and aligning community resources to address priority issues. As part of a strategy for creating equitable access to the fundamental resources and supports needed for people in the Mid-South to achieve their hopes and dreams, United Way of the Mid-South implemented a two-generation strategy, Driving The Dream™ (DTD). Driving The Dream is a functional coordinated network of effective community-based services and supports to help families advance from where they are to where they dream to be.

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Collective Impact fundamentally changes the way community partners work together by focusing on intentional, measurable collaboration.

At its simplest level, Collective Impact happens when a core group of people or organizations come together around a shared goal with a common set of strategies and metrics. No individual agendas. No duplication. Everyone bringing their strengths to the table to solve a social issue that cannot be solved alone.

Collective Impact must meet five conditions: shared understanding of the work (common agenda), common progress measures (shared measurement plan), coordinated plan of strategies/activities (mutually reinforcing activities), communication plan between partners (continuous communication), and supporting infrastructure of staff or a central organization (backbone support).

Sector Integration The local human services sector achieves greater integration and meaningful collaboration.

Culture Transformation By using two-generation (2Gen) best practices, the human services culture transforms its service delivery practices from transactional and single-domain focused to holistic and family-focused, working to offer the supports families need to achieve greater economic security.

Transitions to Success Promotion of a common framework and tools to track customers’ movement toward self-reliance – The Transitions to Success (TTS) model of service delivery and the secure online shared database and referral tool have been adopted to unify the efforts of individual agencies in addressing the broad, multifaceted social needs people in poverty face.

Shared Outcomes & Measures Partner agencies develop and adopt shared data to measure outcomes and inform collective action.

Expanded Services for Families Network Partner Agencies are able to serve more families in a comprehensive, holistic manner aligned with a two-generation approach, which leads to greater economic security for those families.

Adapted from Creating Open Roads to Equity (CORE), a Collaborative Approach of United Way of Snohomish County, United Way of Northern California, and Collective Impact Forum

PARTNERS

All DRIVING THE DREAM™ Partners are trained to employ the Transitions to Success® care model and utilize the Arizona Self-Sufficiency Matrix (learn more & see the matrix here. Partners also centralize information, access client data, track client progress, and make/receive referrals through CoactionNet (a local, shared, web-based database).

PARTNER LIST

ALL DRIVING THE DREAM™ PARTNERS are trained to employ the Transitions to Success® care model and utilize the Arizona Self-Sufficiency Matrix. Partners also centralize information, access client data, track client progress, and make/receive referrals through CoactionNet (a local, shared, web-based database).

Click here to view a downloadable PDF list of Driving the Dream™ partner agencies.

2Gen for Tennessee

Driving The Dream™ is aligned with the two‐generation (“2Gen”) whole family service delivery model that has been implemented within the Tennessee Department of Human Services. Known as ‘2Gen for Tennessee,’ this approach is consistent with the 2Gen service delivery model, which focuses on creating opportunities for and addressing the needs of both adults and the children in their lives together. The 2Gen approach recognizes that families come in all different shapes and sizes and that families define themselves. Our goal is to implement the 2Gen framework within the DTD partner agencies client intake and service delivery model, where all DTD programs are aligned and in synch – ensuring 2Gen tactics are applied when working with all customers in all aspects of case management and service delivery.

This project is funded under a Grant Contract with the State of Tennessee.

How it works and the expected impact

United Way estimates roughly 20,000 people in poverty can be promptly impacted by Driving The Dream in its early stages if we receive the support we need from donors, grantors, and other sources of philanthropy.

A coalition of local businesses who are all focused on investing in innovative poverty reduction solutions and economic growth strategies will create opportunities for us all. That means nearly 10% of Mid-Southerners in poverty can receive support now, and be connected to resources and opportunities to free them from generational cycles of poverty.

Families and individuals in poverty work with the Driving The Dream providers to create a “map of their dreams,” charting the order of steps, programs, and services necessary to help escape poverty and live the life of their dreams.

Leadership - System Advisory Team

Driving the Dream is guided by the System Advisory Team, which is comprised of leaders from the local health and humans services sector. This guiding body was established to inform and influence system level practice and policy with the goal of addressing structural inequity that has perpetuated poverty in Memphis/Shelby County.

The DTD mission is to foster a DTD 2Gen community of practice where the people we serve are hopeful, resilient, and self‐sufficient.

Care Coordination Hubs

DTD Care Coordination Hubs are agencies in the network that employ care coordinators. These Care Coordinators work with individuals to create the “Map of My Dreams” (care plan), refer families to appropriate services, and provide overall service coordination, coaching and support. The Hubs are housed at partner agency sites alongside their core programs, which increases access and eases stress for families seeking DTD services. The 2021 Care Coordination Hub partner agencies are Communities In Schools of Memphis (CIS Memphis), and Church Health.

Referral Network Partner Agencies

The DTD Referral Partner network is comprised of human services agencies that agree to adhere to DTD guiding principles, adopt a common referral platform, participate in an enhanced online shared customer data system, and follow formalized policies and procedures for customer referrals and warm hand‐offs. Their primary responsibilities include informing individuals of services available at the Hubs, referring appropriate individuals to the Hubs, referring individuals to other DTD Referral Partners, and accepting eligible individuals referred through the DTD network.

Outreach and Education Partner Agencies

Outreach and Education service partners actively reach out to individuals who could potentially benefit from Driving The Dream™, educate individuals about DTD and related resources, and connect individuals to a Care Coordination provider. Partners include agencies that frequently interface with clients, such as government agencies providing benefits or direct client services, 2‐1‐1, hospitals, childcare providers, schools, first responders, crisis centers, outreach coalitions, etc.