protocol for fully functioning information & assistance - Western ...

In general, the I&A Specialist will:
• Use professional judgment regarding when to follow up. Follow up does not do any
harm, so it is better to err on the side of overdoing it.
• Ask permission to follow-up.
• Make sure s/he is talking to the right person during the follow-up call.
• Avoid disclosing sensitive information or violating confidentiality.
• Keep records of follow-up activity in ReferNET.
• Refer to an Options Counselor or another staff person for a face-to-face or home visit when a
person does not appear to be able to follow through on referrals without assistance when the
I&A Specialist calls back, when assistance is needed, and for seamless access to publicly funded
services.
If, during the initial communication between the I&A Specialist and the caller (or with any
other ADRC agency staff), it becomes evident that the caller is in crisis, the I&A Specialist will
follow the companion ADRN Crisis Intervention Protocol.
Following-up
Intent:
• To help the
caller link to
needed services
Follow-up:
The process of contacting callers to determine whether their
needs have been met as a result of the referrals provided and if
not, why not. Possible outcomes:
• Caller follow up on referral and need was met
• Caller did not follow-up on the referral. Depending on the
time between the referral and the follow-up, it is possible
that the caller is still thinking about the next steps, discussing
it with family members or has been busy with other issues.
• Caller followed up on referral, but the need was not met
either because the caller received inaccurate information,
denial of service following assessment, waiting lists,
affordability
• Additional information or assistance is needed
Advocacy and System Change
When an I&A Specialist is assisting a consumer of publicly funded services with seamless access,
s/he may discover systemic barriers to a consumer accessing the service. Again each ADRC can
respond individually to this information by working with the administering body of the service
or with public elected officials to correct the problem or the ADRN can look at this collectively
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