Part I: Vision & Goals

Build a Foundation

• There are many reasons to create a hotline. Some have to do with client access; some have to do with funding.

• The number one reason hotlines fail is because the program and/or staff do not recognize the goal of having a hotline and its benefit for clients.

Vision

The backbone of leadership is vision.

Your vision for the Hotline guides all decisions on support, design,

implementation, and management.

Vision

• Vision means you articulate– How it will fit within your program’s mission– How it will fit within your program’s delivery

system(s)– Advantages and disadvantages of a hotline in

your program– Impetus for creating hotline now

Role of Hotline in the Program’s Mission

The hotline needs to have clear reasons-for-being to be sustainable.

– Mission: How is the Hotline going to support the mission of the program? What is the nexus between starting a Hotline and the mission of the work we do?

– Delivery Systems: How is the Hotline going to fit into existing delivery systems, or change them.

Role of the Hotline in the program & the delivery system

Gateway to servicesIntake systemService providerReferral providerIdentifier of patterns and trendsCollector of dataCoordinate Services (in multi-program environment)

Role of Hotline in Your State’s Justice System

• How are pro se services perceived?– If few or no pro se services are available in

your state or area, this may impact the ability of the hotline to provide services, or may dictate what kinds of services should be prioritized. Wherever limited services exist, you will notice that volume “overtaking” the hotline. Example: family law matters.

Role of Hotline in Your State’s Justice System

• Ethical Rules and Support from the Bar– Unbundled Services– Use of paralegals– Ghostwriting

Planners need to be familiar with their ethics rules regarding these issues and review them with hotline staff.

Myths and Facts

• Every delivery system has pro’s and con’s.

• Your vision and leadership will determine your ability to mitigate challenges and build an effective system

• What are the perceptions of the Pro’s and Con’s?

Advantages for Hotline

• One point of entry for client & Efficient• Quicker decisions for clients: Yes or No• Uniform intake standards -- higher quality of intake

and advice• Cheaper: cost per case is lower after start-up• Common supervision and intake decisions• Frees up branch offices and full service staff• Bridges rural inequities• More clients served in more areas• More exposure to client community• Improves technology infrastructure for advocates• Identifies advocacy trends for full services

Perceptions of Disadvantages

• Expensive to start• Loss of exposure to clients by advocates doing

full-rep• Clients need representation not advice: a Hotline

gives more people service, but not in-depth service.

• Diversion of staff time and resources into limited service

• Less control over case acceptance or less control over experienced issue-spotting

Pros Versus Cons?

An exact polarity of the pros and cons of a hotline, in fact, does not exist.

A hotline or CIU is neither all these pros or all these cons.

These are the issues that you need to consider in the development of your hotline. Many options exist to mitigate most concerns.

A successful hotline is the result of vision, the assessment and addressing of these issues, and leadership.

The Impetus for some Hotline

• Funding Cuts• Influx of Specific / Targeted Funding • LSC-initiatives / Mergers• Geographic Inequities (Equitable Service to Rural

Populations)• Larger Service Area• Speedier Decisions and Acceptance on Cases• Client Convenience • Improving Efficiency of Full Service Staff• Providing Advice in Expanded Areas• Increase Numbers Served

Exercise I: Mission and Goals

• What are the reasons your hotline is being created?

• What are the main barriers to buy-in on the mission and vision? What concerns exist or are expressed as “cons”?

• Who is the leader of the effort?

Part II: Approaches for Developing a Hotline

Major Decisions

• Define the Model

• Define the Services

• Determine the Staffing

• Map Out Basic Operations

• Articulate Goals for Clients, Staff, and Administration

Services of Hotlines Intake Screening: income eligibility, conflict checks, and

general case acceptanceDiagnosis of Legal MatterFact-Specific Advice to

All Callers or only Case-Eligible CallersBrief Service CentralizationPro Se AssistanceProviding Written Client InformationDirecting Clients to Online or Written Resources Improved and Targeted Referrals to Agencies“Traffic” reports or Systemic problem identification“Developing” Cases for Pro Bono Panel (hotline tells client how

to prep for meeting with lawyer)

Clients Served

• People eligible by legal problem type• People eligible by age• People eligible by income• Special needs?

Emergency cases? Seniors Limited English Proficient Some victims of domestic violence Specific legal matters that require specific handling

Geographic Scope

• Local area

• Regional: Urban or Rural or Both?

• Statewide

Relationship to Other Legal Services Providers

• Does it Serve One Program?One officeMany offices

• Many Programs?

Include this in your vision to facilitate making it a reality as you design and implement the hotline

Model of Hotline

• Stand-alone• Within a legal services program• Within another kind of program (e.g., bar

association)

(An important issue in this decision is the use of LSC funds and how the hotline will comply with LSC restrictions.)

Stand-alone Hotline

Standalone

Advice, Brief Service, Referrals

Legal Aid

Offices

Title IIIB Legal Services

Consumer Agencies

Social Service

s

Pro Bono Attorneys

Low Fee Attorneys

Long Term Care Ombudsman

Health Insurance Counseling

Hotline Intake Unit (Single Office)

Intake/ Screening

Advice

Brief Service

Full Service Unit

Referral

Clients Call In

Centralized Intake Unit (Multi-Office)

HOTLINE

Intake, Screening, Advice, Brief

Services, Referral

Office

OfficeOffice

OfficeOffice

Office

Office

Office

Multi-Program Intake

Hotline

Intake, Advice, Brief Service,

Referrals

Special Population Programs

Legal Aid

Offices

Title IIIB Legal Services

Family Law Programs

LSC programs

Pro Bono Project

Special issue

Programs

Call Routing and Flow

• Eligibility Screeners

• Handling Special Callers (LEP, DV, Elderly, Emergencies)

• Call Back or Limited Call Back Systems

Basic Operations

• What are current hours of intake?

• What are intended hours? Considerations?

• Shifts

Staffing and Productivity

Screener vs. Advocate

Which staffing model is more productive?

Factors

• Complexity of Necessary Screening

• Range of priority subjects

• Ratio of screeners to advocates

• Call Back vs. Queue

• Bilingual Services

Staffing

• Good listening and interviewing skills • Knowledge of area of law in the most

frequently asked questions• Understanding of hotline operations• Good computer typing skills (or fast two-

finger approach)

From: More Frequently Asked Questions about Hotline Operations, by Jan May, et al. MIE, July 1995, page 33.

Staffing the Hotline• Staff Attorneys and Paralegals

– Easy Supervision and Scheduling– High Level of Expertise – Stable and accessible

• Volunteers and Law Students– The Price Is Right– Difficult to Find – May Be Difficult to Supervise– Continuity May Be Erratic

Attorneys

• Pros:– Attorneys are easy to train in the substantive areas of

law. – Can be used in multiple ways (as supervisors)– Can expand the services of hotline easily to provide

limited representation.– Easier quality control systems.

• Cons:– Cost– Paradigm shift: Need to change their thinking. Skill is

to instruct client on how to solve problem for themselves versus approaching the problem as if client will be represented.

Non-Attorneys

• Non-Attorneys– Non-attorneys are conscientious about

learning the areas of law, but training time is longer and extensions supervision is needed. Depth of knowledge is weak. Quality control methods are essential.

Volunteer Lawyers

• Pros– They are free, specialized, motivated.– Can participate or help in materials or training.– Best used in their specific area of specialty only.– Good to use if phone system allows for off-site routing of

calls (from their office).

• Cons– They are busy and frequently do not show depending on

their own case loads. This, in turn, affects their ability to retain training information.

– A hotline is only partially about legal advice; a lot of record keeping. They are not good at keeping track of that. Need to take time to train and keep motivated.

Volunteer Law Students

• Pros– Free. Their involvement helps establish a relationship

with a local law school and future people in the profession. Potential screening for future staff. A program can consider creative approaches to retention” “commit for two semesters and we’ll pay for your summer internship.” Cheap and quality, and you can expand their involvement over time, to extended service.

• Cons– They require training. Several programs won’t accept

law students unless there is a commitment for at least two semesters, 1 - 2 shifts a week. Also, you’ll have to juggle finals and breaks.

Inherited v. New Hires

• Inherited Staff– Extremely knowledgeable, cross-training

needed in other areas, can use them in the training and material development, already versed in administrative requirements.

– Morale, perceptions of work, may be viewed as a demotion, may be unwilling to change former practices.

Staffing DiscussionDiscuss advantages or disadvantages to each staffing

option. For ex: Lawyers v. non-lawyers; generalists v. specialists; contract v. staff; part-time v. full-time?

What factors did you consider to determine staff size of the hotline or CIU? 

What mechanisms or systems need to be in place for certain staffing patterns to be successful? 

If you use volunteers, how are they used and with what success? 

If you rotate staff in from different offices, can they do it from their offices, do they come into the main office, and how are they supervised if remote?

For programs that inherit a staffing pattern, what are your options?

Exercise 2: What is the Scope of Your Hotline?

• Stand alone or Integrated• What services offered?• What geographic scope of services?• What clients served?• What is relationship of hotline to other

programs, other offices, other units?• Hours of operation and intended shifts?

Part III: Funding For Your Hotline

Budget & Cost Determinations

Create a start-up budget• Staffing• Technology• Development of Materials and Policies• Office space and equipment• Training

On-going costs Staffing Refresher training Volunteer recruitment and coordination Technology

Maintenance Upgrades

Staffing Costs

Direct Costs– Salaries for all staff

• Attorneys, paralegals and/or intake specialists

• Fringe

– Include consultants• Technical support• Project managers

Indirect costs (time allocated to implementation)

– % time for executive and management staff

– Researching existing, mature systems

– Collecting samples and drafting materials

– Recruiting • Advertising• Interviews and references• Initial orientation and

training

All the Bells and Whistlestechnology expenses

• Computers– Hardware and equipment– Software

• Open source versus licensing costs

• Telephones– Hardware – Software and VOIP– Consultants and RFPs

Laying Foundation

Written Materials

Create your own from samples

Mission and Core Values Parameters Policies and Procedures Case handling criteria Checklists and flowcharts Scripts Reference materials Client Legal Information,

Brochures, Online Self Help

Space & Equipment

Office furniture-desks, chairs, cubicles v. offices (Issue of volume control)

Office supplies/postage Fax, copier, scanner Calculate overhead

• Rent and utilities

Staff Training Costs

• Cost Savings Tips and Resources – Cheaper or Free Trainers.

• Experienced attorneys in-house for substantive law

• Online training presentations with experienced hotline managers

• Community partners– Referrals and resources– Non-substantive skills– Working with special populations including

seniors, mental health consumers, LEP, physically disabled

– Prepare for Next Training: Video your trainings for future use

Sample Budget Ranges

• Project Manager: $35,000 - 75,000• New Hardware & Software: $1000 per station• Phone System: $RANGE• Space: $0 - 15,000• CMS: $RANGE ($XX - $100,000)• Training: $0 - $15,000• Phone Consultant: $0 - $20,000• Materials (Creation and Reproduction): $0 (in-kind) -

$20,000• Staffing: $Depends• Contract Staff: $15 - 35 / hour• Outreach and Marketing (Telephone book ads, etc.)

Staff Training Resources

• AARP Foundation National Legal Training Project – Web Trainings for Lawyers on Particular Topics

• Legal Aid University http://www.legalaiduniversity.org/ – Web Trainings for Hotline Lawyers

• Bar-Sponsored Classes

Sample Budgets from Forerunners

• Telephone Consulting and Systems:– APALC spent $XX on phone systems and phone consulting– NWJP spent $XX on phone systems and upgrades– Bay Legal spent $XX on telephone technology

• Case Management Systems:– Bay Legal spent $XX on CMS tweaks– APALC spent about $25,000 on a customized, newly

created CMS developed for their hotline– Others:

• Start Up Management– Bay Legal spent $XX on start up management

• Room and Basics – Bay Legal spent $XX on the room

Resource Development

• Funding sources and strategies

• Using data to support the proposal

• Writing strong narratives on technology and new delivery systems

Funding sources & strategies

Sources– Local, regional, state,

federal– Private foundations and

corporations– Developing new sources

(tech- related, telecom)

Strategies• Formal, written

development plan• Designated staff• Collaborations• Sustainability• Seek guidance from

funded legal services programs

• Seed funding and apportioning contributions

• Psychology in resource development

Grant Writing

• Think creatively about how you use data

1. Establish quality by• Range of services provided• Expertise• Productivity in number of clients served and

accomplishments• Client satisfaction

2. Use national data if you don’t have local data

Grant Writing

1. “Sell” the hotline concept: • Some social service funders don’t like to pay for

attorney services, so may take extra explaining.• The NUMBER ONE way to sell the concept is to

showcase dramatic personalized stories that show how a difference was made. KEEP A BRAG FILE.

2. Demonstrate the need• Data on the volume of incoming calls and

referrals to other programs• Research court pro se filings• Address in detail services of other agencies• Discuss outcomes

Part IV: Leadership and Change

Managing Barriers to Implementation

Implementing a Hotline Brings Change

• In your program and its culture

• Relationship w/other agencies and the courts

• With your funders and grants team

• Within your management team and management infrastructure

• See, Melissa Pershing, MIE Exchange, Fall 2000.

Change is difficult

• Emotional intelligence of your program, can it get thru change? Timing considerations

• Operate in concepts of abundance and not scarcity

• Hotline will change your program and its culture

• See, CEO-in, Something completely Different, MIE Exchange, Kay House, Spring 2002, pg. 7-8.

Hotline Starts From the Top

• Involve top level management in the planning of the hotline

• Have hotline manager report to first or second in command

• Hotline manager needs to be part of the management team

Develop a Timeline to Tackle All the Concerns From

Each Different Group

Start internally: focus on staff, management team, and MIS

Identify stakeholders Identify valid concerns and work on those Identify limits of hotline, choose a model that

works for your program Transform initial resistance into a dialog and

opportunities for feedback and ownership1. See, Kay House, CEO-ing, Something Completely Different, MIE Exchange, Spring 2002, pg 7-8.

Fears of Staff

• Incorporate autonomy w/in daily schedules• Include training time and down time into schedule• Assign areas of “ownership” and special projects

to each person• Allow staff to as a team develop their own shift

schedules, break time, etc. and be responsible for coverage

• Create a team that is a problem solving, self-reliant, and that can work together to overcome most obstacles.

• See John Tull, MIE Exchange, Spring 2003 and Victor Geminiani, The implementation of a hotline, MIE Exchange, July 1995.

Overcoming Fears of Routine and Mediocrity

• Quality Assurance: Always have access to expert attorneys

while on duty Have attorney(manager) read all of the

cases done by the hotline for at least the first 9 months

Incorporate training time into the hotline schedule

Have others review a 10-20% of closed cases, other than manager

a) See, John Scanlnn MIE 2003 ,

Outside Stakeholders

If you need funding to do it, you will need to work w/funders on it

Hard to pitch a concept, w/out any data, no outcomes

Focus on a specific type of funding and on a funder that understands hotlines, technology and may offer you technical assistance

Look at your Current Infrastructure

• Review your advocacy manual

• Review your basic job descriptions and salary scale

• Review your intake/case management software

• Review your management group

Do they support a hotline?

Do any of these need to change?

Evaluation of Hotline Key to Overcome Challenges

• Since your hotline will be an experiment, it will be under steady scrutiny by inside and outside

• Evaluation of the hotline will change the way you measure outcomes and performance for the rest of your program

• See Shoshanna Ehrlich, Elements of a High Quality Hotline, MIE Exchange, Beyond Serendipity.

Constant Monitoring of Hotline

• Keep a record on 10-12 numbers every week, month, quarter.

1. Number of calls per advocate

2. Number of cases per advocate

3. Distribution of cases, per area of law and county

4. % of clients referred for extended representation, in-house or to another program

Number of Cases Per FTE/Year

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

CasesHandled

Traditional HotlineBrief

Brief Services Affect on Totals

1,965

1,513

677

-

200

400

600

800

1,000

1,200

1,400

1,600

1,800

2,000

13 Hotlines≤10% briefservices

4 Hotlines >10%but <25% brief

services

4 Hotlines ≥25% briefservices

Average Number of Cases Based on % of Brief Services Done

Sample Goals

• Sample Goals for Hotlines– Goals for clients– Goals for staff– Goals for administration and management

Goals for Clients• Painless, uncomplicated experience for callers

Free, Easy Access to our Program on a First Call • Reduced wait time• Ability to respond to emergencies• Easy Access to Advocates on a First Call• After-Hours Options• Ability to Leave Messages with Advocates

Representing Them (24-hour/7-day) • Mechanism to Support Assistance to ALL Counties

Easy Access 24/7 to Common Legal Questions • A Person is Always Available When Open • Multi-lingual Capacity

Goals for Staff• No Geographical Barriers Among Staff: Our staff should be able

to freely and frequently talk with each other for mentoring, case discussions, work planning, supervision and other types of support, whether or not they are based in the same physical office.

• Maximized Use of Our Support staff: Support staff should be available for phone answering and document preparation for all offices and advocates, regardless of the physical office where they are based.

• Promote Productivity and Flexibility for Staff: Advocates should have flexibility to work from remote locations where appropriate to increase productivity and effectiveness.

• Facilitate Use of Pro Bono Attorneys and Part-Time Staff: Pro bono attorneys should have easy ability to communicate with clients and receive support from legal services staff, without having to physically come to the legal services office.

Goals for Staff

• Ability for Judges, Politicians, Funders, or Others to Reach Specific Persons without Waiting: Non-Clients who need to reach project managers and directors should be able to locate and reach a personal extension of desired staff, easily.

• Improved Client Referrals by Subject Matter: Clients in cue for an initial intake advocate should be able to self-select when appropriate based on their legal matter to enable effective use of pro bono or specialized staff.

• Improved Client Referrals by Location: Clients in a cue for an initial call should be able to be routed by area code (or prefix) to the office that best serves them, if a centralized hotline is not used.

Sample Vision for Administration and

Management• Ability to Partner and Link with Social or Other Legal Services

Programs: Our hotline or call intake system should have the ability to directly transfer calls based on appropriate referrals to participating agencies.

• Improved Reporting and Management: Our managers should easily be able to create accurate reports of call, hold, service spikes, and other patterns; and should be able to assess advocate efficiency and performance.

• Ability to Link the Case Management System to our Phone System.

• Ability to Provide for Current or Future Opportunities for Video Conferencing between offices or other partner agencies.

• Telephone solutions should be integrated with our data systems, easily maintained, and cost effective. Inter-office calls should be free of charge, and long-distance charges should be below market rates.

Resources

The following resources can be found at: www.legalhotlines.org

• ABA Standards For the Operation of Telephone Advice Lines

• Legal Hotlines: A How to Manual • Legal Hotline Attorneys’ Manual• Legal Hotlines Self-Evaluation Measures Report• Senior Legal Hotlines Annual Report 2004

Handling the Details• CMS – review your CMS from order of how prompt moves and

special helpline data do you want to capture– Delete any unnecessary data collection - this just slows down the whole

process– Keeping client records and correspondence, do they attach to CMS or

separate docs– Document assembly, hotdocs or something else?

• Telephone - what is your plan for call routing based on Language and substantive law type– What is your maximum client hold time - limited or unlimited– what are your open incoming call hours - remember to plan for time to

complete advice and brief service cases, call current clients with on-going issues etc.  Plan for probono hours also

• Outreach—how will calls get to you? Do you need outreach? Will your staff do outreach?

• LEP what is your plan for LEP clients - phase in?  start at once?  use interpreters? Language Line?

The Details• Follow up--will you send follow up information to clients after the

call? Do you have brochures available and ready to go? What is the protocol if there are deadlines for materials?   what other post-call actions will you take

• Training/ resources for staff—canned notes or questions that pop up for your case handlers? staff training program what resources are available at every attorney's desk for quick access

• Statewide Websites -- Probono.net? Lawhelp.org? websites w/court info? Registry of action? does your state have an on-line case look up system - if so train staff on how to use it

• Counsel and advice, brief service unit—make sure you understand where the hotline stops and other providers work begins. Start small, then expand. Gauge volume before you take more than

you can chew.

• Pro Bono and volunteers—remote agents capacity? Hours? Training and supervision?

• what is your client evaluation plan, telephone surveys, written surveys etc.

• Evaluation--how do you comply with the ABA and LSC helpline standards

• what is your plan for client file management - hardcopy files, computerized files (attach files to CMS or separate system) what is your client evaluation plan, telephone surveys, written surveys etc.

• Ethics--what are your state's ethical rules related to unbundling? Conflicts? Scope of services?

• how will you integrate with court based pro se programs