What are UnSystem Roundtables?
UnSystem Roundtables are a series of confidential, invite-only virtual conversations designed to bring together key leaders, decision-makers, and changemakers in child welfare. Each session convenes a small group of 6-10 individuals who have first-hand experience with the challenges and opportunities in reimagining the system.
UnSystem Roundtables participants are carefully selected through an application process. Sessions are confidential and not recorded.
Rooted in Alia’s commitment to co-designing UnSystems, roundtables serve as brave spaces for real conversations—where leaders share successes, failures, and innovative approaches that challenge the status quo. Each session is built around a singular, high-impact theme, providing an opportunity for deep engagement and peer-to-peer learning.
Following each conversation, unattributed key insights are shared through Alia’s website, email updates, and social media, ensuring that these discussions spark broader transformation across the health and human services sector.
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Upcoming Roundtables
Stay tuned for our next conversation!
We host roundtables regularly, check back soon for upcoming dates.
If you have a topic idea or would like to host a roundtable, please click the link below.
Following each conversation, unattributed key insights are shared through Alia’s website, email updates, and social media, ensuring that these discussions spark broader transformation across the health and human services sector.
Roundtable Insight Reports
Each UnSystem Roundtable brings together child welfare leaders for honest, solution-focused conversations around the most pressing challenges in the field. After each session, we share a publicly available Insights Report—curated from the lived experiences, hard-won lessons, and bold ideas shared during the discussion.
You’re invited to download and share these reports, use them for strategic planning, leadership development, or simply as a reminder that you’re not alone in this work. While no comments are attributed to individuals, each report reflects the collective wisdom of peers navigating real-time transformation.
Driving Meaningful Change Amid Chaos and Uncertainty
In our inaugural UnSystem Roundtable, child welfare leaders from across the country came together to share how they’ve led through public pressure, political upheaval, and organizational crises—while staying true to their values.
Addressing Workforce Turnover (and Retention) in Child Welfare
In this UnSystem Roundtable, child welfare leaders tackled the workforce crisis head-on—sharing what’s working now to reduce burnout, improve retention, and rebuild a culture where people stay because they want to.
What Do We Do With “Unplaceable” Kids?
More and more children are being labeled “unplaceable”—youth with complex needs who cycle through shelters, detention centers, hoteling, or makeshift placements. This Roundtable centered around the difficult realities and the alternatives that are helping jurisdictions move from crisis-driven placements to belonging, stability, and healing.
Rising to the Challenge
Across the country, association leaders are being asked to steady the field while the ground keeps moving. This Roundtable convened association executives and policy leads for a confidential, solutions-focused conversation on what’s working now—and how to help members adapt without losing the heart of the work.
Protecting Families When Fear Runs High
Preparing agencies, staff, and communities for heightened disruption related to immigration enforcement and detention activity requires preparation on multiple fronts at once. In this Roundtable, leaders described strategies they used to protect children and families, reduce fear and confusion, and help staff stay grounded and safe while continuing to serve their communities.