An apple a day keeps the doctor away..

In this case, we’re the doctor.

Everyone knows how important it is to visit the doctor once a year for a comprehensive physical. It gives you a chance to discuss any issues, get any shots you’ve been avoiding and just have a thorough exam to make sure everything’s in working order. Completing an annual update survey with us is no different. This is your opportunity to review your agency’s entire listing, update your administrative and contact info, add the new program, change eligibility requirements for the old one and generally spruce up your listing. Here are some things to keep in mind when the third invitation shows up in your inbox:

1. Our Call Specialists read what’s in the database to callers- If it’s wrong, incomplete or not as informative as it could be, people are still going to hear it. We don’t want to give provide poor or incorrect information, it only results in angry phone calls from you and callers. We don’t want to waste your time or the limited resources of our callers.

2. Your programs are viewable by 2-1-1 Online subscribers- If it’s wrong, incomplete or not as informative as it could be, people are still going to read it. Call Specialists read what’s in the system. If someone submits their survey and leaves the “Documents Required” or “Fees” sections blank when clients actually need to bring a Photo ID, Proof of Income, and the services costs $10, you may receive unprepared clients you will have to turn away. If we don’t know, they don’t know.

3. We have standards- Just like your agency we have accreditation standards we must comply with. 2-1-1 agencies gain accreditation through the Alliance of Information and Referral Systems (AIRS). These standards require us to conduct a formal annual update of each of our agencies. If we can’t reach you, or you don’t complete the survey, we have to inactivate your listing. To put things into perspective we have over 1000 agencies in our database with over 1800 sites and in total, those agencies offer over 5000 programs. All that research for just two people!

These are just a few things to keep in mind when you receive your update survey. Most agencies will receive an email invitation to update online. Agencies we do not have valid email addresses for will receive their survey in the mail. We send out updates quarterly in alphabetic groups, following the general timeframes below (with a few exceptions):

1^st Quarter, January 1^st: A-F
2^nd Quarter, April 1^st: G-L
3^rd Quarter, July 1^st: M-S
4^th Quarter, October 1^st: S-Z

Something else to keep in mind- This first formal update may require significant changes. The combination of position vacancies and the conversion to a new database in July of last year jumbled quite a bit of information. Stick with it. Once you complete this mountain of a survey, the rest is maintenance. For online updaters, you have access year round. For the pencil pushers, if you give us a good email address, we can set you up with online access. So if in six months you get a grant that let’s you extend program hours or service areas, you can log on and make the change. Keep us informed on changes throughout the year! This way, once your annual “exam” rolls around, changes will be minimal, and you won’t get countless emails or phone calls from us begging for information!

Your agency and programs are invaluable to our community and Caitlin and I want to help you complete your surveys! The large number of agencies in our system encourages us to work together. Call, email, invite us to your office or stop by ours. We’re committed to creating the most reliable, up-to-date and comprehensive database possible.

You wouldn’t skip on the doctor visit, so don’t skip on us. We’re here to keep your agency listing healthy and active.

Caitlin Riegger
criegger@handsoncentralohio.org
614.221.6766 x 160

Kim White
kwhite@handsoncentralohio.org
614.221.6766 x 114