Ad hoc
Dependent on individual effortCoordination depends on individual initiative and informal relationships rather than department-wide processes or systems.
DCHS Insights CX Human-Centered Design @ DCHS PROTOTYPE no real data DCHS Insights CX How We Integrate — Maturity Model
The draft maturity model
The section landing page states where each column is going. This page shows the four stages in between, and puts every recorded initiative in the cell it would move us to. Choose how to organize the same initiatives: by the current five strategic pillars, or by four operating domains. Both views use one shared set of stages.
The model describes increasing organizational capability across four stages. Use it to identify next steps and dependencies rather than to score the department.
What the four stages mean
The four stages describe increasing organizational capability in either view. Progress in one area often depends on progress in another.
Coordinated
Planned and definedRoles, protocols, standards, and coordination mechanisms are defined, but shared practice and systems are not yet consistent across the department.
Integrated
Standardized and measuredShared practice, technology, information, and measures make integrated service delivery the standard way DCHS works.
Proactive
Personalized; high-tech and high-touchTechnology and coordinated practice enable proactive, individualized support while giving clients greater continuity, access, and control.
The model
Five strategic pillars or four operating domains across, four shared stages down, and every initiative in the cell it would move us to.
Current view: five strategic pillars
Use these definitions as the key to the five columns in the model.
One-Stop Shop
Creates a unified entry point for all services, with consistent, predictable methods across every service area, so that a client does not have to understand how the department is organized in order to get help from it. Staff see themselves as one team with a “no wrong door” mentality: whoever a client reaches first takes responsibility for getting them to the right place.
Universal Screening
Systematically identifies client needs across all service domains at every entry point, so that no critical need goes undetected. Every client interaction becomes an opportunity to look past the presenting issue to the full range of challenges someone may be facing — including the ones they did not come in to talk about.
Shared Knowledge
Ensures that all providers have access to relevant client information while maintaining privacy and consent: shared case management, real-time collaboration, unified communication channels, and 360-degree client profiles. The point of all of it is that clients should not have to repeat their story at every engagement — what they have already told us travels with them, with their consent.
Coordinated Care
Coordinates and aligns services across programs to maximize impact and minimize gaps: joint service planning, synchronized interventions, warm handoffs, and integrated case management. Services work in concert rather than in isolation, so each intervention builds on and reinforces the others instead of pulling against them for the same client’s time.
Collective Accountability
Instead of each program measuring only its own success against its own quality standards, accountability organizes around the client's holistic outcomes. Every partner is invested in that client's overall wellbeing and progress, so what counts as success is whether their situation improved.
One-Stop Shop
Universal Screening
Shared Knowledge
Coordinated Care
Collective Accountability
0 Ad hoc Dependent on individual effort
Uncoordinated entry points.
Ad hoc referrals and screenings for other needs. Program-by-program arrangements.
Siloed data systems. Knowledge held by individuals, not systems.
Planning in isolation. Informal communication across programs.
Program-by-program accountability framework (driven by external requirements).
1 Coordinated Planned and defined
Central entry point with clear navigation. Aligned “first-touch” process. Central service catalog.
Physical co-location (Mark Center) DCHS Service Atlas Wayfinder kiosksStandard, defined process and expectations for screening for needs. Shared referral platform.
Screening for (other) needs HCS-powered department-wide referral systemCommon client index and linked data. Department-wide data standards.
PULSE — the weekly report Insights 360 Dashboards Credible DashboardFormal protocols with defined cross-program arrangements for shared clients.
Same Day Access IntegrationDepartment standards and metrics for quality, outcomes, and customer feedback.
Community Analytics Dashboard Customer Experience Research DCHS Key Indicators (revision) 2 Integrated Standardized and measured
Standardized processes using common forms. Cross-trained frontline staff. Robust self-service options.
Contact center modernization AI-Assisted Service Atlas Admin Services IntegrationUniversal screening of all clients using standard tool.
360° client profiles with role-based access.
HCS Modern Case Management System ImplementationCoordinated service plans. Unified client communication. Cross-trained clinical and case mgmt staff.
Department-wide client outcome and process tracking.
3 Proactive Personalized; high-tech and high-touch
Unified eligibility determination. “Tell us once.” Dedicated service navigators.
Self-screening and scheduling. Automated eligibility checks.
Client portal. Client control over personal data access. Predictive service recommendations.
Integrated service plan. Lead (overall) case manager.
Shared accountability with community partners for population-level results. Public dashboards.
Each initiative sits in the cell it would move us to. Review the distribution across the matrix. Crowded columns show where effort is concentrated; sparse columns may indicate either limited relevance or a gap that needs review.
Alternative view: four operating domains
Where services happen, how work gets done, what enables it, and how well it is directed and assessed.
Setting
WhereFacilities, community locations, phone and SMS, web and apps, kiosks, wayfinding, and cross-channel access.
Practice
HowStaff capabilities, programs and services, workflows and pathways, referrals and handoffs, partner arrangements, and operational policy.
Platforms
With WhatSystems, data, records, directories, case-management and referral tools, integrations, and cross-program information flows.
Governance
How WellDecision rights, department standards, strategic policy, privacy and data governance, performance review, public reporting, partner accountability, and automated-decision safeguards.
Setting Where
Practice How
Platforms With What
Governance How Well
0 Ad hoc Dependent on individual effort
Entry points and referrals are uncoordinated. Facilities, phone access, web information, and signage are organized by program, and people must understand the organization to find help.
Programs plan, staff, supervise, screen, and refer independently. Communication and handoffs depend on individual relationships, even when programs are co-located.
Systems and records are siloed, and knowledge is held by individuals. There is no shared view of client contacts, needs, referrals, or status across programs.
Quality, outcome, and accountability requirements are managed program by program and are largely driven by external requirements. Department-wide integration standards and decision rights are not defined.
1 Coordinated Planned and defined
Coordinated front doors, clear wayfinding, consistent channel information, and a service catalog help people reach the right service. Priority facilities and channels begin operating from common access expectations.
Physical co-location (Mark Center) Wayfinder kiosksRoles, capability expectations, and cross-program protocols are defined. Programs use harmonized processes, formal referral arrangements, shared coverage, and operational agreements with partners where appropriate.
Screening for (other) needs Same Day Access IntegrationA common client index, linked information, and department data standards establish a shared foundation. One maintained service directory supports signage, referrals, scripts, and navigation.
DCHS Service Atlas HCS-powered department-wide referral systemDepartment standards are defined for service quality, outcomes, access, wait times, and customer feedback. Measures and policies have named owners and review schedules.
PULSE — the weekly report Insights 360 Dashboards Credible Dashboard Community Analytics Dashboard Customer Experience Research DCHS Key Indicators (revision) 2 Integrated Standardized and measured
People receive consistent, accessible, and multilingual support across facilities, phone and SMS, web and apps, and community settings. Information and handoffs carry across channels rather than restarting in each one.
Contact center modernizationCross-trained staff use common forms, coordinated service plans, unified communication, closed-loop referrals, and standard handoffs. Programs and partners work from shared expectations and measures.
Admin Services IntegrationRole-based client profiles, integrated case-management and referral systems, and shared operational and analytical data support department-wide work. Directories and navigation tools are maintained from common sources.
HCS Modern Case Management System Implementation AI-Assisted Service AtlasDepartment-wide outcome and process measures are reviewed routinely, including geographic and equity breakdowns. Privacy, consent, access, data-use, and partner-accountability rules are applied consistently.
3 Proactive Personalized; high-tech and high-touch
People can self-screen and schedule, receive services in places they already use, move across channels without restarting, and provide information once where consent and law allow.
Multidisciplinary teams and service navigators organize around client needs. Individualized pathways use integrated plans, proactive outreach, partner sites, and professional judgment.
Client portals, automated eligibility checks where appropriate, predictive recommendations, real-time status, and closed-loop follow-up support timely and personalized action.
DCHS and partners share accountability for population results. Public reporting, service siting, and outreach use current need and outcome data, with safeguards for privacy, consent, equity, and automated decisions.
Each initiative sits in the cell it would move us to. Review the distribution across the matrix. Crowded columns show where effort is concentrated; sparse columns may indicate either limited relevance or a gap that needs review.
Posters, for the wall or a working session: Five pillars Five pillars, blank Four domains Four domains, blank All posters