SocialCareSeries

In our past two #SocialCareSeries, we explored the formal “Bureaucratic Hurdles” that complicate access to social services and the “Invisible Walls” of stigma and isolation that hinder informal support. However, these barriers do not appear all at once.  Researchers at the Northwestern Network for Social Impact (NNSI) have found that, in addition to identifying formal and informal barriers, these barriers appear in a sequential order within the help-seeking pathway. Identifying

In our last #SocialCareSeries, we broke down formal barriers to accessing social services. Bureaucratic hurdles, information gaps, and identity-based discrimination often determine whether individuals can successfully navigate formal support networks such as government programs, social service organizations, and nonprofits. However, even when resources are available, many people struggle to reach out for help, and this hesitation is often less visible. These challenges function as invisible walls, not visible from the