Power in Partnership: SteppingStone
Our Power in Partnership series highlights our national and regional partners and the work they do to build healthier communities.
Tell us more about your organization.
SteppingStone is an adult day health program that provides health and social services to adults with chronic medical conditions and disabilities in California. Providing over 50,000 service days each year and serving over 350 clients, the program aims to improve participants’ quality of life by promoting health and wellness, providing individualized care, and creating a supportive community environment. SteppingStone offers a range of services, including nursing care, therapy, nutrition, and social activities and is a key part of the senior care infrastructure of San Francisco, working closely with many partner organizations and agencies. SteppingStone has been a Unite Us partner since 2022.
What are the greatest needs of the individuals and families you serve?
SteppingStone serves individuals who require ongoing medical care, socialization, and assistance with the activities of daily living. Some of the greatest needs of these individuals and their families include access to affordable healthcare services, social support networks, and caregiver respite. Additionally, they require specialized services to manage chronic conditions such as dementia or physical disabilities.
What are the main programs or offerings that your organization provides?
Some of the main programs and offerings that SteppingStone provides include medical and nursing care, physical and occupational therapy, social services, and recreational activities. Over time, these programs and offerings have expanded and evolved to better serve the needs of the individuals and families SteppingStone serves. For example, the organization has introduced new programs like the Alzheimer’s Day Care Resource Center, which provides specialized care and support for individuals with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia. More recently, the organization has started the onboarding process of Enhanced Care Management (ECM)—which goes live on July 1, 2023. The ECM Project at SteppingStone Adult Day Health Care (ADHC) is a program designed to provide comprehensive care coordination and management services to individuals with complex medical and behavioral health needs. The program aims to improve the health outcomes and quality of life for participants, many of whom are elderly or disabled and require multiple services and treatments.
The program is staffed by a team of experienced care managers who work closely with participants and their families to assess their needs and develop individualized care plans. Care managers collaborate with medical providers, social workers, and other professionals to coordinate services such as medical care, behavioral health services, transportation, and housing assistance.
How has working with Unite Us impacted the work that you do?
Ongoing communication and follow-up are essential to ensure individuals and families can successfully navigate the healthcare system and access the care they need. SteppingStone decided to use Unite Us for referrals because it provides a secure, user-friendly platform for our care team to connect participants with community-based services and resources. With Unite Us, we can easily track referrals and monitor outcomes, which allows us to provide more comprehensive and coordinated care to our participants. Additionally, Unite Us offers a large network of community partners, which helps us ensure our participants are connected with the most appropriate resources to meet their needs.
“Working with Unite Us is a valuable asset for organizations seeking to improve care coordination and enhance the services they offer.” – Jonathan Beavis, MPH Outreach Coordinator at SteppingStone
How does collaborating with other organizations play a role in your work?
Collaborating with other community-based and healthcare organizations is a critical aspect of the work we do at SteppingStone Adult Day Health Center. By working together, we can ensure our participants have access to a wide range of services and resources that can help them achieve better health outcomes and improve their overall well-being. This way, we can ensure our participants receive high-quality, coordinated care that meets their individual needs and preferences.
Through collaboration, we can streamline care delivery and avoid duplicating services and resources, which helps us use our resources more effectively. This ultimately improves the efficiency of our care model.
Additionally, collaborating with other organizations helps us stay up to date on best practices, emerging trends, and new developments in the healthcare field, which ultimately benefits our participants by helping us provide more comprehensive and effective care.
Why is collaboration important for your organization?
Overall, collaboration is an essential component of our approach to providing comprehensive, person-centered care to our participants, and we believe that it is a key factor in our success in achieving positive health outcomes for those we serve.
Learn more about how to bring Unite Us to your organization:
About Unite Us
Unite Us is the nation’s leading software company bringing sectors together to improve the health and well-being of communities. We drive the collaboration to identify, deliver, and pay for services that impact whole-person health. Through Unite Us’ national network and software, community-based organizations, government agencies, and healthcare organizations are all connected to better collaborate to meet the needs of the individuals in their communities.
