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Making the AIRS Standards Work as a Specialized I&R
Provider
Jessica Giordano, MA, CIRSOperations Manager
Washington TBI Resource Center NW AIRS Board Member
Who are All of You?
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* Starting at the Beginning
* AIRS Standards
* Building an I&R System from the Ground Up
* Getting Connected…Creatively
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This Presentation
My First Experience with I&R
National Teen Dating Abuse Helpline/
National Domestic Violence Hotline
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•Formal Training
•Employees and Volunteers
•Running 24 hours a day
•Established organizational processes and procedures
•Standardized data entry into resource database with resources spanning the entire country
•Supervisors on-site providing real time feedback and debriefing
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My First Day at BIAWA• Private Office
• “Official Training” = bundle of pamphlets and books on Brain Injury
• 3.5 FTE working for the organization
• Referrals to “who-knows-where”
• Remote login phone system
• No supervisor to be found
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• People knew Brain Injury but didn’t know I&R
• No system for follow up – Clients falling through the cracks– Negative public image
• Call tracking by hand
• Personal resource sheets
• FNU, LNU
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What the heck have I gotten myself into?!!!!!
Fortunately, I like a challenge… 8
What Exactly is Information & Referral?
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Finding AIRS…
“…to provide leadership and support…”
“…standards driven I&R industry…” 10
AIRS Standards
“The AIRS Standards underpin and bind together every aspect of I&R and define the direction of all the products and services provided by AIRS.”
“The Standards are the foundation of I&R service delivery and the prime benchmark of quality I&R.”
11Let the Standards be Your Guide…
Defining I&R
According to AIRS,
“I&R programs help individuals, families and communities identify, understand and effectively use the programs that are part of the human service delivery system.”
12http://www.airs.org/files/public/AIRS_Standards_7_Final.pdf
According to AIRSAn I&R Service
• Maintains accurate, comprehensive, unbiased information about health and human services available in their communities
• Provides confidential and/or anonymous access to information
• Provides assessment and assistance based on the inquirer’s needs
• Provides barrier-free access to information13
• Recognizes the inquirer’s right to self-determination
• Provides an appropriate level of support in obtaining services
• Ensures that inquirers are empowered to the extent possible
• Ensures that the inquirers have the opportunity to access the most appropriate I&R service available in the system
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“Each I&R service is part of the larger “system” of I&R
1st AIRS conference I felt very small surrounded by big organizations such as
2-1-1s and state agencies
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BIAWASlightly Different I&R
• Small organization • Special population • Long-term assistance; sometimes 10-20
years+• Education/Outreach is a big part of what we
do
Do we even fit?
Are there ways you feel out of place? 16
It is OK that you are not like everybody else
•BIAWA will probably never be an AIRS certified organization
• Doesn’t mean we can’t benefit from AIRS and we don’t provide valuable contributions to the greater I&R field/system
•Smaller organizations become a valuable resource for the larger I&Rs
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Focusing on What Matters
“…brings people and services together…”
When I started at BIAWA, there was a disconnect between the people and the services…that was the “big picture” fix.
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Building an I&R System from the Ground Up
Resource Database
- Taxonomy
Data Collection
Data Analysis
Network of Support
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Resource Database
• What inclusion/exclusion criteria work for you? – Including for profit businesses?
• Clear rules about data entry
• Standardize everything from the beginning– Yes/No vs. Check Boxes
• Provide staff with a script for vetting
• Include date fields for created and last updated
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Modifying the Taxonomy• AIRS Taxonomy contains more than 6,000 terms.
Yikes!
• Knew we could only manage 2 layers to our taxonomy. Some smaller organizations may only have 1 layer
• Specialized population being served meant we had specialized terms
– Neuropsychologist, Assisted Living
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Keeping Up with Updates
• Review as entered
• Have all staff review and update as they use the database
• Create special projects for staff down time
• Utilize ongoing review and then yearly run a report on those resources that have not been update in a year
• Incorporate callers into the process; ask them if the info was accurate when we follow up
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Our Clients are Different
• Sometimes we have to contact resources for our clients
• We can’t just ask our clients to call us back and let us know how referrals worked out• We ask permission to follow up with them
• Follow up 1-3 days is too soon; not enough time for clients to follow through on resources
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Client Database
• Excel, Access, Online Database etc…
• Asking for nonprofit discounts
• Track only what matters
• Standardize everything possible
• Review data entry regularly
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Call Tracking
• Basic Spreadsheet (something easy for staff to use and for management to analyze)
• Phone reporting – talking to your phone company
• Initial investment (dashboards) long-term benefits
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Disaster Preparedness
• We are not a source of support in times of crisis/disaster
• Our voicemail always indicates to call 911 in the case of an emergency.
• Crisis response procedure
• Staff are all aware of 2-1-1, safety checks and other crisis services
• Ability to change the voicemail from off-site
• Always available for staff to debrief the call
Making it Happen
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Utilizing Free/Low Cost Resources
• Cloud based databases
• Always asking for a reduced/nonprofit rate
• TechSoup
• Finding free community events at which you can exhibit or present
• Offer to trade trainings with other providers
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Sources for Volunteers
• Universities
• Large corporations (Microsoft, Amazon, Boeing, etc)
• Your website
• Social Media • Flash Volunteer
• Clients
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Asking for Help
30 Minutes of Struggle
• Search the web for solutions
• Utilizing coworkers/staff
• Find the person who has a similar role in another organization
• Ask questions
People want to help.
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Getting Connected…Creatively
We all have the “responsibility of building or participating in an existing I&R system to more effectively serve the community.”
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“Cooperative Working Relationships”
AIRS; NW AIRS – local chapter
Lifespan Respite Coalition
Directors of Disability Organizations
Community Partners – researchers
Brain Injury Alliance I&R Providers
ListServs and ENewsletters
Can’t be there? Get the notes! 36
I&R Collaboration
The #1 Source of Free Information and Support
• We are all busy and stretched thin but at the same time have moments to spare to help each other thrive
• Here and Now: Share contact information
• Meet regularly to trouble shoot
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Do Not Duplicate
• Find out who else is out there and what they are doing
• Community events, conferences, etc…when tabling, visit the other vendors and get a sense of how you can utilize each other (not only for your consumers but also for yourself)
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Sharing What You Have
• Giving everything away (without giving away private client data)
• Recording processes so you can share (if you are doing something cool, write it down so others can benefit)
• Join coalitions and collaborate!
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Take a Break and Take it Easy
“…to meet the needs of [our] people…” 40
