Date of Last Revision: August 11, 2005

Introduction

It is the function of Info Line to provide information about and referrals to a broad range of human service agencies throughout the County of Summit.  It is the intent of the program that specialists will provide as much information as possible to individuals who call to enable them to make an informed decision about which of the available resources may best meet their needs.  While Info Line specialists will strive to give the most accurate and appropriate information and/or referrals possible, Info Line is not responsible for the quality of service delivered by any agency to which a caller is referred.  Specialists are to refer to available agencies, not to recommend one over another.

It shall be Info Line's practice to maintain as comprehensive a file as possible of agencies and programs whose services are directed toward the solution of human  problems.

1. Included in the resource file are the following:
1. Non-profit and government agencies providing a community service.
2. Organizations (such as churches, social clubs) which offer a service to the community at large, not just their own members.
3. Proprietary organizations which offer services in the areas of health, mental health, recreation, education, financial, legal, home maintenance, arts and culture, to the general public.
• Proprietary organizations offering services not met by public or non-profit agencies.
• Proprietary organizations offering low-cost goods that are not readily available through community non-profit agencies.
• Proprietary organizations that offer free or low cost services to the community.
4. Self-help/support groups.
5. Elected representatives (federal, state, local)
6. Hospitals, health clinics, intermediate care homes.
7. Organizations outside Summit County which provide a service not available locally.
8. Professional organizations (especially those organizations in the social services field). These would include:
1. Counseling/Psychiatry
2. Medical
3. Dental
4. Legal
2. Excluded from the Resource File will be:
1. Services available only to members of a certain group or club (i.e. counseling available to a church's parishioners only).
2. Illegal services; including agencies which deny service on the basis of color, race, sexual orientation, etc.
3. Where licensing standards for a given field of service are known to exist, only those agencies which meet these standards may be included in the file. Agencies will be requested to send copies of their licensing with their application for inclusion in the resource listing.
4. Where licensing standards are not known to exist, Info Line will use the following guidelines to establish the validity of any agency's service.
1. evidence of an established service site
2. demonstrated provision of service for a period of at least six months (thereby excluding agencies of a temporary nature, i.e. support groups for Desert Storm, natural disaster support groups, etc. These would be included in a temporary file).
5. Info Line will use one or more of the following means in the validation process:
1. site visit and face-to-face interview
2. references from clients or affiliated professionals.
3. consultation with other agencies in the same field of service or geographic proximity.
4. check with local law enforcement and/or consumer complaints agencies.
6. If an agency does not meet the criteria for inclusion in the resource file, the Resource coordinator should inform the agency by phone. If there is a challenge to the decision of exclusion, a meeting with the Program Supervisor can be arranged to explain the reasons for the exclusion. If still not satisfied, a meeting with the Executive Director would be the next step, followed by a review by the Board of Directors.

(back to top)