Communications Toolkit
This toolkit contains a packet of communications materials that counties can use to convey a common message about the value, purpose and impact of Linkages.
Why Communicate
Service collaborations like Linkages require extra attention to communication, both between staff of partnering agencies and with those who benefit from Linkages. Creating and maintaining new channels of communication will be an important step in making sure everyone involved understands your county’s Linkages program.
Using standard communication materials keeps the message consistent and the workload down. Materials in this Toolkit were created under the sponsorship of CFPIC (or the previous sponsor, CCRWF) with the expertise of communications professionals Renee Wessels & Associates and Iron Mountain Films. Examples of county communication products are also posted for your reference.
Linkages Communication Tips
Statewide Linkages has developed communication materials for counties to use for introducing staff and partners to their programs. The materials support collaboration between CalWORKs and Child Welfare Services and are easy to adapt and use with program staff, community partners, families and others. The following tips may be helpful as you consider how best to use Linkages materials in your county.
Customize to Meet Your Needs
Many of the existing communication materials can be customized with information relevant to your county. We encourage you to make these materials “your own” and have provided materials in both pdf and Word formats. The Linkages brochure, in particular, has been created as an electronic template and is very easy to adapt. Please use it to highlight successful Linkages strategies in your county and add local staff and parent quotes to help make the connection for others about the difference that Linkages makes.
Disseminate Broadly
Consider the many opportunities for sharing communication materials with county staff and community partners. Use the materials to get the word out on collaboration, to address barriers that may exist in your county and to promote your good work. While agency staff are the primary audience for these materials, many can also be used with policymakers, stakeholders and the families that CalWORKs and Child Welfare programs serve.
Use in Staff Orientations and Trainings
Staff orientations and trainings provide excellent opportunities for helping others understand the benefits of Linkages collaboration between programs. Joint and cross trainings, in particular, offer the chance to focus on the specific activities that supervisors, staff and others can take to support collaboration. The Collaboration Checklist specifies what staff at various levels can do, and the 2010 “The Linkages Challenge” video gives voice to families in two counties whose lives have been profoundly changed as a result of Linkages. Use these materials to support collaboration and share your passion for what is possible when programs come together to support families.
Linkages Communication Materials
Key to any communication campaign is clear, intentional messages with the target audience fully in mind. Consistent, core messages about Linkages are woven through several products which can be used to share the Linkages story with an array of stakeholders for a variety of purposes. From key messages to videos to brochures, create a communication packet that addresses your specific needs.
A Soldier's Gratitude for Linkages
The young adult son of a mom in Stanislaus county who benefitted from Linkages expresses his gratitude for how Linkages changed their lives.
The Linkages Story
This is the original Linkages video that was produced and provides an excellent informational overview of Linkages and the value of collaboration. Click below to preview the video. The button below will take you to the full video.
Key Messages
This one pager provides overall key messages or talking points for counties to use in consistently and clearly communicating about collaboration.
Fact Sheet
This one page summary provides an overview of Linkages, including information on the overlap between families served by both CalWORKs and Child Welfare programs.
Collaboration Checklist
This two page checklist includes specific strategies and activities that directors, managers and staff can take to promote collaboration.
Success Story Collection Tool
Success stories can help educate others about Linkages. Submit this form to Linkages staff for help developing your experiences into sharable success stories.
Linkages Brochures
Here you'll find examples of a few county brochures (including one in Spanish) and a template you can adapt to your county's Linkages program.
Making the Case for Linkages
This document frames both the benefits of collaboration and addresses some strategies for addressing barriers to collaboration.