United Community Services (UCS) of Johnson County believes that human services matter to the quality of life for all residents and that a community plan can lead to positive action. Navigating the Future, published in June 2003, demonstrated that a plan, together with commitment of community members and organizations can result in tangible improvement in the lives of Johnson County residents through a human service response. That is why UCS is initiating a planning cycle that will culminate in June 2007 with the release of a new community plan, Navigating the Future: Setting the Course, 2007-2011.

The goals of Navigating the Future are:

•  Raise awareness about human service needs and issues.

•  Influence the planning and delivery of human services.

•  Guide the investment of resources in human services.

To develop an action plan to address priority issues, a dynamic, multifaceted process will incorporate quantitative data and qualitative information from human service providers. The State of Caring Human Service Summit June 13, 2006 was a primary venue for collecting qualitative data.

At the Human Service Summit, participants worked in facilitated small groups to identify priority issues and recommend ways to improve the human service response in Johnson County. Participants shared reflections and insights from their specific area of professional expertise.

Discussion groups were organized by four areas:

•  Economic Well-Being

•  Health and Wellness

•  Lifelong Learning and Development

•  Safety

For a summary of the discussion, click here.

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Navigating the Future: 2003-2006

Navigating the Future is the result of a yearlong process that combined data with invaluable input from more than 200 community leaders, human service providers, consumers and residents.

Download the entire 80-page Navigating the Future report. (PDF- 1.48 MB)

Download the 2005 Navigating the Future Progress Report. (PDF-933KB)

There is a perception that all Johnson County residents enjoy comfortable lifestyles and have no need for human services. Yet with the county’s population predicted to increase more than 20 percent by 2010, so will the number of people seeking help with human needs.

In anticipation of that growth, UCS initiated Navigating the Future -- a community action plan that identifies Johnson County’s most significant human service needs over the next three to five years. The June 2003 report provides both qualitative and quantitative data to support its findings. Most importantly, it provides a consensus around Johnson County’s most significant needs and action priorities that will help decision makers guide available human service resources in Johnson County and across the metropolitan area.

Visions and Overarching Strategies

Navigating the Future participants used a multifaceted planning process to establish visions and overarching strategies for improving the following five community life categories in Johnson County:

1. Economic Well-Being (Demographic Profile & Service Statistics PDF-192K)
2. Health and Wellness (Demographic Profile & Service Statistics PDF-204K)
3. Inclusion (Demographic Profile & Service Statistics PDF-184K)
4. Lifelong Learning and Development (Demographic Profile & Service Statistics PDF-176K)
5. Safety (Demographic Profile & Service Statistics PDF-168K)

For more information, download the Demographic Profile & Service Statistics PDF for each category.

Action Strategies

Navigating the Future participants also identified 12 specific action strategies that simultaneously accomplish many objectives in one or more of the above areas. Each action strategy is being guided by a lead agency that is committed to direct the implementation and move the action forward.