1. 1 CACHH Collaboration WG InfoHub SubGroup Oct 2013

2. 2 What is the Objective Assuming Information sources exist (HMIS, InfoAB) Information tools exist (2.1.1, Street Guide) Information users exist (agencies, collaboratives, clients) The question is: How do we improve the current “InfoHub”? To answer questions such as: “Where can I get a bed for the night?” “Where can I get baby clothes?” “Who can I talk to – I’m overwhelmed?” Step 1: ensure agencies can get the info they need Step 2: ensure clients can get the info they need

3. 3 Components of an “InfoHub” i.e., SCORCe staff, InformAb staff, SPDAT CLIENT RESOURCE i.e., bed, food, service, etc… i.e., new Calgarian, family member AGENCY WORKER i.e., street level worker, SCORCe staff i.e., Phones, Laptops, Library Computers NAVIGATOR / RAPPORT INFO / DATA i.e., InformAb, HMIS Search / Call needs assistance just needs info OPERATOR / TOOLS noise

4. 4 Public KEY The Situation Today (looks like this!) InformAB HMIS HealthLink Street Guide Agencies Private Systems Members Only DBs Worker Cheat Sheets / “I know” App PRIVATE DATA Alberta.ca Inform alberta.ca 211 Clients Collaboratives AB Health actors systems websites databases Paper Accessing info Updating info

5. 5 Conclusion: What works  Navigator  Can listen to clients and help triage  Can advocate  Have experience / expertise in Calgary  Operator / Tools  Brand presence… sector workers know about it, some public know about it  24x7 access  Easy to use o For sector workers o From various device types  Data  Info appears relatively accurate

6. 6 Conclusion: What Doesn’t  Navigator  Some navigators continue to use “what they know” rather than looking at updated system info (no feedback loop)  Not enough navigators – navigators overworked and have no time to keep up with changing info  Operator / Tools  Clients have hard time articulating their need over the phone – some need in-person support  Difficult to deal with unrealistic requests / gap in service / fit to specific request?  Can be difficult to use for clients who are high needs / vulnerable (complex cases, unique issue)

7. 7 Conclusion: What Doesn’t (con’t)  Operator / Tools (cont)  Impression that operators send clients to wrong organization more often than they actually do o Mental cheat sheets o Operator should call to confirm hand off  Data  Data is only as good as what agencies commit to  Lack of solid feedback loop for inappropriate referral from 211 to an agency  Search tool is not GOOGLE: “Need apartment” returns no results… apartment returns data!  Confusion distinguishing 211.ca from informalberta.ca

8. 8 Conclusion: Recommendations  Develop and distribute training on use of InfoHub for agencies who staff navigators  Inform CACHH / front line workers of the existing rigorous 211 operator standards  How does InformAb handle a complex request?  Index / list of search categories  Develop robust feedback loop in InfoHub for errors in handoffs  Invalid referrals  Ensure operator identification  Twice yearly mass email asking agencies to update  Encourage agencies to develop robust processes  Track and disseminate Coordinated Access and Assessment (CAA) work on FOIP

9. 9 Conclusion: Recommendations (cont)  Recommend InformAb tuning:  Move to a “Google” search experience – folksonomy  Spelling  Language barriers  Questions in the form of sentences  Suggestions when 0 results returned  Develop a 1-page users guide  Develop app  Allow searching of directories  Create a CACHH Focus Group to help tune InformAlberta site experience including  Front line workers  Clients  Teachers, relatives, co-workers, good samaritans

10. 10 Conclusion: Recommendations (cont)+  Recommend 211alberta.ca tuning  Allow search of client issues on 211.ca (like 311.ca)  Alternatively, if search on client issue, direct to informalberta.ca  Street Guide tuning  Advocate for stable funding for paper versions of street and aboriginal guides  Market street guide app/web site to navigators and front line workers

11. 11 Conclusion: Recommendations  Host a Agency Relationship / Resource Fair to share info of existing and new initiatives  Weekly agency focused profile (video?) sent to all workers  Cube-casts  Experiential learning exercise for more front line workers  Scorce training included 1 day aboriginal experience session

12. 12 Next Steps  Close out the Sub-Group  Present and confirm with WG  Circulate to WG  Present and confirm with Exec  Develop plan of action for the most impactful recommendations