The Proximity Process

This is the next in a series of conversations about the intersection of child welfare and affordable housing. Nationally, 10% of children come into foster care simply because their families cannot access affordable housing. Dustin Koury describes how Wisconsin came to a decision that rather than removing children, causing undue stress and harm, they would instead invest in stable housing and related support. Dustin and I start the conversation with a question we often come back to on the show, should I stay, or should I go? In other words, can I have the kind of impact that is aligned with my values while working within the system, or do I need to work from the outside. Dustin talks about some of the conflicts that exist within this work and how he has come to his decision. 

We will update these notes as soon as the Family Keys films are available. In the meantime, you can find more information about the project here. Family Keys Pilot Puts Families First

You are invited to join the Proximity Podcast Club, a community of people supporting one another through their process of becoming who they want to be in this work. We have two options to make this community accessible. We meet every Monday at 9am ET and 9am PT (12pm ET). You can join the club by filling out this form and we'll send you the meeting invite. Proximity Podcast Club - Google Forms

Please connect with me, Matt Anderson, on LinkedIn - Matt Anderson | LinkedIn

In this week's episode I return to one of the core questions that not only led to the development of the show but also my decision to leave my job. Am I in right relationship? I share a few thoughts on being in integrity with my values as one way to answer the question. Then I dive more deeply into what has emerged for me over the past year or so, which is that I want to work and live at the intersection of purpose, joy, and justice. I talk about what these words mean to me and offer an example of how my work shows up right now at that intersection.

The journal prompts for this week are, 1) am I in right relationship with myself and the people I serve, 2) what are the conditions for how I work that would put me in right relationship (I reference two examples in the episode purpose, joy, and justice and freedom, joy, and sanctuary)?

Please use this short survey to share your feedback. This will help us make the show better as we move into year two. Thank you. The Proximity Process - Google Forms

You are invited to join the Proximity Podcast Club, a community of people supporting one another through their process of becoming who they want to be in this work. We have two options to make this community accessible. We meet every Monday at 9am ET and 9am PT (12pm ET). You can join the club by filling out this form and we'll send you the meeting invite. Proximity Podcast Club - Google Forms

Please connect with me, Matt Anderson, on LinkedIn - Matt Anderson | LinkedIn

This is the one-year anniversary of The Proximity Process podcast. Thank you for listening and being part of the community that we are building. To mark this milestone, we thought we'd go back into the archives and pull clips of our guests answering the question that ends every episode. What does proximity mean to you? I also talk about what the proximity process means to me. I hope you enjoy. 

I'm going to send 5 people a small gift as a gesture of gratitude. All you have to do is share this episode on social media and tag me in your post (so I see it). The first 5 people will get a little something to say thank you for helping us get to the one-year mark. 

You are invited to join the Proximity Podcast Club, a community of people supporting one another through their process of becoming who they want to be in this work. We have two options to make this community accessible. We meet every Monday at 9am ET and 9am PT (12pm ET). You can join the club by filling out this form and we'll send you the meeting invite. Proximity Podcast Club - Google Forms

Please connect with me, Matt Anderson, on LinkedIn - Matt Anderson | LinkedIn

Why do we remove kids from their family and pay for foster care when stable housing is a better solution? 10% of children in foster care are removed due to unstable or unsuitable housing. Investing in affordable housing programs to prevent foster care is better for kids, families, communities, and its less expensive.

When we start to look at the child welfare system through an economic justice lens, we can gain a better understanding of the root cause issues and solutions. In this episode I share some of my own process of beginning to see myself and my work from this perspective, and why I'm particularly interested in affordable housing solutions. 
 
To learn about the data being released by Chapin Hall you can look follow this link: Family and Child Well-being System: Economic & Concrete Supports as a Core Component to Address Race Equity

To learn more about the Family Keys program in Wisconsin you can follow this link: Family Keys Pilot Puts Families First | Wisconsin Department of Children and Families

You are invited to join the Proximity Podcast Club, a community of people supporting one another through their process of becoming who they want to be in this work. We have two options to make this community accessible. We meet every Monday at 9am ET and 9am PT (12pm ET). You can join the club by filling out this form and we'll send you the meeting invite. Proximity Podcast Club - Google Forms

Please connect with me, Matt Anderson, on LinkedIn - Matt Anderson | LinkedIn

In this week's episode my friend Carol King joins me for a conversation about why she made the pivot from technology to affordable housing. The story actually starts during her childhood. Carol grew up with her father as the primary caregiver and in an environment that wasn't always safe. She eventually made the difficult decision to remove herself from the home and ultimately go into foster care. In spite of the ups and downs Carol always knew she had the respite and stability of a home to go to at the end of the day. As Carol become more established in her career, she couldn't shake the feeling that something was missing, that she wasn't solving the right problem. She never let go of the idea that stable housing is an important factor in the well-being of families, and it's a significant problem facing many families caught up in the child welfare system. So, with great consideration she took the leap to pursue her dream of launching an affordable housing venture in her hometown of Kansas City. 

You are invited to join the Proximity Podcast Club, a community of people supporting one another through their process of becoming who they want to be in this work. We have two options to make this community accessible. We meet every Monday at 9am ET and 9am PT (12pm ET). You can join the club by filling out this form and we'll send you the meeting invite. Proximity Podcast Club - Google Forms

Please connect with me, Matt Anderson, on LinkedIn - Matt Anderson | LinkedIn

For this week's journal episode, I scrolled back into my photos to see where I was one year ago. I was on production of Standing with Mom's, a short film we produced for Mother's Outreach Network about their guaranteed income pilot. One of the lessons I learned from MON's founder, Melody Webb, is that we should believe in people, invest in people, and our investments should meet the need as defined by the people we serve. I talk about how this lesson can be turned into a simple framework for assessing our organizations, programs, and ourselves. And by creating the space to go through a process of answering a series of questions, I think we can see if we are in right relationship with ourselves and the people we serve.

If you want to watch Standing with Mom's and learn more about Melody and Mother's Outreach Network, you can visit their website. Standing with Moms Film - Mother's Outreach Network

You are invited to join the Proximity Podcast Club, a community of people supporting one another through their process of becoming who they want to be in this work. We have two options to make this community accessible. We meet every Monday at 9am ET and 9am PT (12pm ET). You can join the club by filling out this form and we'll send you the meeting invite. Proximity Podcast Club - Google Forms

Please connect with me, Matt Anderson, on LinkedIn - Matt Anderson | LinkedIn

This week's episode is the next in a series of conversations with a variety of guests on the topic of Termination of Parental Rights. The question we've been asking is, what if TPR didn't exist? In past episodes with Vivek, we've talked about two TPR cases he's been appealing and the opportunity he had this summer to present oral arguments to the Michigan Supreme Court. A few weeks ago, the Michigan Supreme Court released their decision in both cases. Vivek shares their decision, his reaction, and what's next in the fight for a world without TPR.

If you want to learn more about Vivek and the work of his law clinic at The University of Michigan, you can visit their website. Vivek S. Sankaran | University of Michigan Law School

You are invited to join the Proximity Podcast Club, a community of people supporting one another through their process of becoming who they want to be in this work. We have two options to make this community accessible. We meet every Monday at 9am ET and 9am PT (12pm ET). You can join the club by filling out this form and we'll send you the meeting invite. Proximity Podcast Club - Google Forms

Please connect with me, Matt Anderson, on LinkedIn - Matt Anderson | LinkedIn

In this week's episode I talk about why I'm cofounding the Imagination Factory and what I'm learning about myself and the work to advance justice. Systems change, changing the structures of what currently exists, is not enough to advance justice. We need to imagine and create a future where families and communities have what they need to thrive. While many of us have dreams and ideas for the future we want to create we don't always have the community, support, or resources we need. The Imagination Factory is building a community and offering programs to help individuals and organizations unlock their creative capacity so they can move from dreaming to taking action and ultimately having an impact. Our cornerstone program is our 8-week Accelerator where cohort members clarify their dream and intention, learn principles and practices, develop action plans, and build community. 

Please check out the website to learn more about the organization, programs, and cofounders. Imagination Factory

You can also follow us on Instagram at Imagination Factory (@imgnfactory).

You are invited to join the Proximity Podcast Club, a community of people supporting one another through their process of becoming who they want to be in this work. We have two options to make this community accessible. We meet every Monday at 9am ET and 9am PT (12pm ET). You can join the club by filling out this form and we'll send you the meeting invite. Proximity Podcast Club - Google Forms

Please connect with me, Matt Anderson, on LinkedIn - Matt Anderson | LinkedIn

In this episode I talk to leading trauma expert, Dr. Bruce Perry. I wanted to continue an ongoing conversation Bruce and I have been having about why systems don't change and the important role of storytelling in personal transformation. Dr. Perry is working on a new book about why systems don't change, and we thought it would be great to talk about what he's learning. We covered a number of topics that could be considered the right kinds of conditions for personal transformation. We started the conversation with Bruce sharing his perspective on the overall thesis of this show, that systems change starts with personal transformation.

If you want to learn more about Dr. Perry's work you can visit his website. The Neurosequential Network

You are invited to join the Proximity Podcast Club, a community of people supporting one another through their process of becoming who they want to be in this work. We have two options to make this community accessible. We meet every Monday at 9am ET and 9am PT (12pm ET). You can join the club by filling out this form and we'll send you the meeting invite. Proximity Podcast Club - Google Forms

Please connect with me, Matt Anderson, on LinkedIn - Matt Anderson | LinkedIn

In this week's journal episode, I talk about the practice of Right Relationship and how it has been a significant part of my process. I share a few different definitions that can be helpful in how we think about what this principle and practice actually means. I also walk through the Japanese concept of Ikigai as a tool that we can use to assess whether or not we are living in Right Relationship with purpose, joy, and justice. The episode ends with a journal prompt that we all can use to help us grow in our understanding of this principle and its application in our own lives and process. 

This is a good resource from Calm about what Ikigai is and how you can use it. Ikigai: what it is and how to use ikigai to find your purpose

You are invited to join the Proximity Podcast Club, a community of people supporting one another through their process of becoming who they want to be in this work. We have two options to make this community accessible. We meet every Monday at 9am ET and 9am PT (12pm ET). You can join the club by filling out this form and we'll send you the meeting invite.  Proximity Podcast Club - Google Forms

Please connect with me, Matt Anderson, on LinkedIn - Matt Anderson | LinkedIn