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	Aug. 26, 2004 Stand Together: A Blueprint for Transforming Human Services in King County Task Force on Regional Human Services releases final report, recommendations The Task Force on Regional Human Services, appointed by King County Executive Ron Sims, today transmitted to the Executive their final report and recommendations for addressing the stability of the region’s health and human service system. The task force concluded that fundamental and immediate improvements are required if the region is to rise to the challenge of meeting the human service needs of its residents, now and in the future. “As a region, we cannot simply express our good intentions while failing to act,” said Bruce Brooks, Co-chair of the task force. “We must have countywide collaborative planning, management and funding from all jurisdictions of King County, as well as the private sector and the philanthropic community. We must educate the public on the need, as well as the benefits, of human services to all our communities. And we must begin those efforts today.” Co-Chairs Brooks, executive vice president and director of corporate and community affairs for the Federal Home Loan Bank of Seattle, and Toshi Moriguchi, treasurer and a director of Uwajimaya, Inc. led a group of 17 citizens including several business people from for-profit and non-profit organizations, bankers, a physician, members of the faith community, and representatives of local government in the six-month long examination of the county’s health and human service system. The task force was charged to examine the current regional health and human services system and provide practical and strategic recommendations for stabilizing, improving and maintaining the human services system for the future. The committee met twice monthly and heard from the public and from fiscal and human service staff from the county, cities, United Way, human services providers, and representatives of the different subregions. “We heard from many dedicated service providers and we know that extraordinary work is being done in the community every day to help those most in need,” said Co-Chair Toshi Moriguchi. “Unfortunately, what we lack is the coordination of those efforts to achieve better efficiency and effectiveness.” The task force focused its findings in three key areas: Communicate need. There is a lack of public understanding and appreciation of human services and how those services benefit not just those in need but create healthier and more livable communities. Better public education is needed on the value and benefits of human services. Build a system. A truly regional infrastructure is needed to create greater efficiencies and effectiveness in long-range planning, administration and delivery of services. A key element will be better and more consistent data collection and reporting to increase accountability and track results. Dedicated resources. The current system is inadequately financed to meet the basic needs of our communities. Funding for human services has been steadily declining in recent years. A dedicated revenue source is needed to create stability to meet current needs, and to plan effectively for the future. The members concluded that human services are likely not sustainable under current modes of delivery and current revenues. They call upon the broader community to join together to improve and strengthen the service system for the future. “The participants of the King County Alliance for Human Services are looking forward to reading the final Task Force report,” said Laura Wells, Executive Director. “We really appreciate that Ron Sims convened this group to focus on the critical issues of regional human services, and we thank the task force members who devoted significant time and energy grappling with some very complex issues, not the least of which are the tremendous unmet human service needs throughout our county due to inadequate revenue. We're excited to continue our work with Executive Sims and other community members to create long term solutions so all our neighbors can meet their basic human needs,” concluded Wells. In receiving the report, Sims thanked the members of the Task Force on Regional Human Services for their dedication in analyzing the needs of the region and said he will thoroughly review the report and recommendations. "The members of this extraordinary group volunteered their time and their expertise to look critically at our current regional human service system and to explore ways to improve and strengthen that system for the future," said Sims. "The county, the region, our residents and our human service system will be all the better for their efforts.” “When I recruited the members of this task force, I told each of them that I would take action on their recommendations, as I have with our other citizen task forces. I look forward to reviewing their recommendations and taking the next important steps toward stabilizing our human service system for the future," concluded Sims. The full report is available on the Task Force on Regional Human Services’ Web site, at www.metrokc.gov/exec/tfrhs/. Updated: Aug. 26, 2004 Executive's home Executive's news Executive's site map | E-mail the Executive King County | Executive | News | Services | Comments | Search Links to external sites do not constitute endorsements by King County. By visiting this and other King County web pages, you expressly agree to be bound by terms and conditions of the site. The details.