Skill-Building for Effective I&R Service

Delivery

Fran Spadafora Manzella, M.S., CIRSCall Center Manager, 2-1-1 Tompkins

Objectiveso Review and practice effective steps in the I&R Process

o Review and practice active listening skills

oReview and practice effective assessment techniques

Ice Breaker

I&R Process1. Contact2. Gather Information3. Assess Situation &

Define/Prioritize Needs

4. Identify Goals and Outcomes

5. Identify What Has Already Been Done

6. Summarize the Situation

7. Research8. Giving

Information & Referrals

9. Closure

Contact

Establishing Rapport

Active listening: a structured form of listening and responding that focuses attention on the speaker and what is being said.

Gather Information

•Learn more about the caller’s:

SituationCharacteristics

age/employment statustransportation/healthlanguage/family/

income

Assessment• Understanding the nature and extent of

inquirer’s situation

• Employ Probing Techniques

• Involve the inquirer in the assessment process – check in and ask if what you’re suggesting is accurate

Asking Appropriate Questions

• Open and closed-ended questions

• Maintaining Boundaries

Open Ended Questions The questions help to get the conversation

moving, allowing the caller to delve deeper into the reason behind the call.

Questions that cannot be answered “yes” or “no”

Avoid conversational “dead-ends” by using “who”, “what”, “where”, or “how” questions

Active Listening Skills

Validation/Empathy

Open-ended Questions

Steering/Probing/Clarifying

Attention to Tone/Non-Verbal Cues

Active Listening SkillsMinimal Encourager

Reflecting Feeling/Key Phrases

Paraphrasing/Summarizing

Effective Pause

Defining Needs• Simple:–What is the number of my food stamp

office?

• Complex:–Where can I get furniture? We have

been sleeping on the floor for the past few weeks.

The Question Behind the Question

Exercise

Listening Pitfalls • Thinking of your next question

and not listening• Interrupting the caller when not

necessary for focus• Asking too many “why”

questions• Making decisions for the caller

Listening Pitfalls Cont. • Failing to maintain boundaries:

giving advice, counseling, or conducting case management

• Self-disclosure• Focusing too much on note-

taking

Prioritizing Needs• How do we help the inquirer

prioritize their needs?

EmploymentHealth Care

FoodHousing

Child CareTransportationLegal Services

Mental Health ServicesFinancial Assistance

Credit Counseling

Identify Goals & Outcomes

• Clarify caller’s goals–What do you want to happen?–What is important to you?

Identify What Has Already Been Done

• Avoids duplication–What have you tried?–Whom have you contacted?–How did that work out?

• Helps to explore available resources

Summarize the Situation

Ensures you understand caller’s needs

Reassures the caller that you are listening

Focuses on the problem

Research

• Consider creative approaches to the need

• Search the resources–Database, Internet; www.211.org

• Select two or three possible referrals• While researching, try to narrow it

down by continuing to talk to caller

Information Giving• Explaining services offered by a

community organization or by answering a specific question

• Be sure to provide only relevant information to avoid confusion

Making a Referral

Direct the individual to the appropriate organization(s) based on their need (s).

Provide contact information

Be sure to explain the referral(s) thoroughly and the reason you have chosen them

Closure• In the final stage of the call, it is important

to summarize the referrals and make sure that the individual understands the information.

• Be sure to thank the caller and offer to provide more information if the referrals don’t work out.

• Encourage the caller to call I&R/2-1-1 back.

Exercise

Training PresentationSource: ABCs of I&R, 2007-10 Editions

Thank you for Participating!

Fran Spadafora ManzellaHuman Services Coalition100 West Seneca Street

Ithaca, NY 14850607-273-3010, ext 242fmanzella@hsctc.org