Growing Deeper Roots: Strengthening I&R/A Partnerships through a Call Monitoring Project Paula Krueger Iowa Association of Area Agencies on Aging Chris Juett United Way Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Objectives Build relationships with other Information and Referral/Assistance Agencies within a region or state. Understand other projects that may help to build relationships. Structure of AIRS affiliates. Understand the components of a statewide call monitoring system. Conduct a statewide call monitoring system with both general and specialized Information and Referral/Assistance Agencies. ◦ Use the templates provided to build a Statewide Call Monitoring System.

Growth of IA/NE AIRS

Planting the Forest Database Maintenance Project ◦ Project between 2-1-1s and AAA ◦ Self-Assessment Call Monitoring Phase 2 Supervisory Manual Conference

Branching out through Call Monitoring – Preparation and Implementation Purpose Preparation ◦ Sample Size ◦ Mystery Caller Scenario Observation Form ◦ What’s important to your I&R/A Implementation Report

From the Arborist: Reporting on the Project Collection of results ◦ Tools for collection ◦ Review of report Distribution of report

Results of the Project Contact- Initial ◦ Answered by live person strategy ◦ Scripting transferring a caller Contact- Greeting/Rapport ◦ Scripting a greeting for consistency Clarification- Assessment, Service Information, Data Collection Paraphrasing and asking probing questions Documentation of calls- how to successfully gather  Pertinent personal contact information gathered  Demographic information gathered Closure ◦ Scripting the closure of a call- bring the client back Supervisors training done at the state level Statewide trainings within individual I&R/As

Fertilizing our Tree: Lessons Learned Training needs ◦ Cross training between I&R/As Revision of observation form with matrix ◦ Share form with I&R Specialists Scenario – breakouts to help them build scenarios ◦ Each discipline has multiple scenarios.

Fertilizing our Tree: Lessons Learned Mystery caller ◦ Accountability ◦ Consistency  Same # of calls to all agencies  How we can do this in the future ◦ Processes  Not reaching a live person ◦ Training  How to get to the correct staff person Data collection Supervisor Training ◦ Continual supervisory training is the best way to implement staff training.

Question and Answer

When are you going to plant your forest?