More than 4,500 people in our Southern Maine and Seacoast New Hampshire communities live close to or below the poverty line.
Mainspring: Changing the System
Most people seeking social services enter the system through a single agency, where an intake process typically involves an appointment, applications, and sharing with strangers the most personal details of their lives. More often than not, because these individuals would benefit from services offered by other agencies, they are sent off to repeat this time-intensive and emotionally draining process over and over again, always subject to the hours and availability of any one program. Social service agencies do their best to coordinate care, but without a system in place to do so with ease, they often end up working in silos. Seeking and receiving assistance can be a full-time job resulting in only short-term solutions. We can and must do better. That is why we created Mainspring.
“Addressing the challenges in a holistic manner will impact not only the lives of those living in poverty but be far more cost-effective than treating each challenge in silos.”
-Mike Sullivan, Eliot Town Manager
Elements of Mainspring
Mainspring is based on best practices associated with addressing poverty and strengthening individuals, families and communities. Taken together, these critical elements offer a long-term and sustainable solution to the broken system we have in place today.
Co-Location
Mainspring is bringing existing organizations, programs, and services together in one location. Being under one roof will provide the space for individuals to maintain their relationships with their respective service providers and not have to start again in the vulnerable process of sharing their needs. Their case manager will be able to gently refer them to other partners for additional resources that were either unknown or difficult to access before. While everyone will benefit from co-location, we aren’t stopping there. We are going even further for deep, meaningful collaboration.
Centralized Intake and Assessment
When an individual enters Mainspring, they will be met by a team member who knows the multitude of programs and services available and will match the individual with appropriate resources based on an assessment of need. Using this approach, individuals are better able to access the services specific to their situation in a streamlined manner, significantly increasing the connection to needed resources and reducing the need to start over with each provider.
Regional Focus
Mainspring will serve the Seacoast region and is committed to serving any individual or household who walks through our doors. Just as social issues do not cater to town lines, Mainspring will support individuals regardless of “home” location. Not only will the organizations at Mainspring be able to provide a stronger safety net for individuals with wrap-around services, but organizations outside of Mainspring will benefit as well. Mainspring will be a partner to organizations throughout the Seacoast, able to make and receive referrals through our centralized intake and assessment process, provide additional resources, and even help households to navigate the system of social services outside of the Mainspring umbrella.
Case Management
Sometimes an extra hand makes all the difference. By assigning one person to be point person for each household that has multiple needs, we are providing additional support to navigate the path out of poverty. We are truly wrapping our arms around a household and helping assess what they need, providing connections to the applicable resources, and staying by their side until we're no longer needed.
Shared Data
We are creating and implementing a shared data collection and tracking system to be used by organizations at Mainspring. This will allow us to determine baseline data across organizations, which unfortunately is unavailable in our current system design. From there, organizations will be able to see a real picture of the scope of the issues we are coming together to address. With this picture, we can set goals, track progress, measure outcomes, and evaluate programs based on data.
Case Conferencing
Organizations at Mainspring will come together regularly to touch base on households with multiple and complex needs. This process helps coordinate care, troubleshoot roadblocks, and ensure efficient, effective, and collaborative service delivery.
Comprehensive Care
Addressing poverty requires addressing the many life areas that affect a person’s overall wellbeing. At Mainspring, programs and services will be comprehensive, including resources for a range of ages, identities, and needs.