How do we move from managing pain to solving problems for good? This session explores that question through a real-world story of change: how Santa Clara County's Reentry Network, in partnership with DC Design, redesigned a broken system by co-designing with currently and formerly incarcerated individuals, survivors of crime, and family members alongside more than 20 local offices and service providers. Together, they avoided building a new jail and instead created a reentry continuum of care that reduced recidivism and increased access to stable housing and employment. Participants will learn a three-step framework for authentic community co-design that uncovers root causes and connects the ecosystem to address them. Through design thinking, systems mapping, and identifying key leverage points using a lens of fortification, participants will explore how to shift power, mindsets, and collaboration across sectors and leave with pointed reflection questions to situate their engagement efforts within the full system they seek to change.

Learning Question:  How do you do community co-design in a way that truly reveals root causes and redesigns the system for lasting change?