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

Information and Assistance is NOT:
• Intake into an ADRC agency’s core services although I&A can lead to assistance with
seamless access to the ADRC agency’s core services or to the services of external
providers. Seamless intake involves determining eligibility, gathering documentation of
eligibility when necessary, completing application and intake forms, and arranging for
the start date of services.
• Referrals made by non-ADRC staff (e.g. non-I&A Specialists such as Adult Protective
Service Staff, Community Employment Specialists, etc.) in the normal course of business
although they can make referrals to the ADRC I&A service or to external providers
based on the expressed needs of a consumer.
Refer to the AIRS Standards for Professional Information and Referral which are available at
http://www.airs.org/.
I&A involvement is generally expected to be short term, which is defined as 60 days or less,
unless extenuating circumstances exist.
The ADRC must have a system in place to ensure that people calling the ADRC speak directly to
a live person during published service hours, as opposed to an answering machine, except
during unusual circumstances.
I&A Specialists will respond within 24 hours or within the next business day to new incoming
calls. After the initial contact is made, I&A Specialists will send out written information within 3
business days and make appropriate referrals to outside agencies within 5 business days.
Establishing Rapport
The first job of the I&A Specialist is not to collect information, but to establish rapport and let
the caller tell his/her story.
Gathering Information (Discovery)
Initially the I&A Specialist must identify the intent of the caller, the intent of the consumer if
different than the caller, needs/preferences, and the level of caregiver stress. To do this, s/he
will follow the flow of the caller’s conversation and help him/her problem solve the issues,
ideally without taking notes or typing. The information collected is the foundation for the I&A
Specialist’s work.
In general, the I&A Specialist should ask open-ended questions such as “what type of assistance
are you looking for” or “describe a typical day,” or if the caregiver is the caller, “on a scale of 1-
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