Streamlining Information and Referral
John Pierce, Deputy Director of the Allegheny County Department of Human Services (DHS), has been working his entire career to empower people with the information they need to make good decisions about their welfare. So when DHS was looking to upgrade its Information and Referral System, Rhiza’s Community Catalog powered by the Information Commons was a logical choice.
John worked with Rhiza and local non-profit 3rc to create HumanServices.net, a public website that unites information about 10,000 social service programs and 3,000 agencies into a comprehensive online referral tool used by DHS staff, the broader human services community and the general public.
The site combines multiple sources of up to date information into a distributed system and makes it possible for case workers to perform very detailed searches. Users can search for services by type and can narrow the search by neighborhood or school district. Referrals from HumanServices.net include program eligibility requirements, costs, hours, location, what to bring to an appointment, directions on public transportation and even a picture of the facility.
Before HumanServices.net, it used to take DHS staff days to compile the same level of detail by hand from outdated paper directories, transit maps and personal files. Now referrals can be made instantly, freeing up valuable case worker time and speeding up the important process of connecting people in need with the right services.
The quality of the data on HumanServices.net is so high that the United Way recently decided to power their Information and Referral website with web services from HumanServices.net.
John Pierce notes there’s a big shift in how human services managers are collaborating and communicating across agencies. Throughout the county, there’s a new level of “top-sight” into what services are available, knowledge that helps managers analyze service availability, gaps and utilization.
Learn more about Rhiza’s Community Catalog and how it can help your organization streamline its Information and Referral services.