232-HELP Inclusion/Exclusion Criteria

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232-HELP/211 Resource File and Inclusion / Exclusion Criteria

232-HELP/211's database contains information about available community resources, including detailed data on health and human service provided by government agencies and community organizations and conditions under which services are available. 232-HELP/211 is committed to maintaining accurate and up-to-date information about community resources. We formally updated all listings in the database annually. We also continuously update program data as we learn about changes and new services.

Indexing an Agency's Services

232-HELP/211 uses the Alliance of Information & Referral Systems (www.airs.org) approved Taxonomy of Human Services, a standard indexing system used by human service information and referral systems throughout the United States. This national taxonomy contains thousands of service terms, organized into ten general categories and many subcategories. 232-HELP/211 uses a portion of these, chosen according to our own general information and referral needs. 232-HELP/211works diligently to maintain consistency in service term indexing, agency inclusion, and writing style; the writing style is based upon both mandatory and recommended criteria.

Agencies in the database cannot re-name specific service terms since the terms are part of a national indexing system. However, we invite your comments and suggestions about the service terms we use and we do add terms or make changes to terms when community needs or standards in acceptable terminology advise a change.

How We Maintain the Database

Entries in the database are updated as we learn about changes. Information and Referral Specialists (I&R) continually check resources and contact service providers of any reported changes and to verify changes to ensure that our data is as accurate and up-to-date as possible. We encourage you to contact us immediately if you see any information in the online database search engine or in one of our electronic directories that you believe is inaccurate. Entries in the database are also updated formally at least annually.

How We Collect Information

232-HELP/211 makes a serious commitment to maintaining an accurate database. Our most dynamic resource for information is our callers themselves. Since our own I&R Specialists who take calls are accessing the data every single day and giving information to hundreds of callers, we often hear about new information or inaccurate records when changes are fresh. We also subscribe to many newsletters in our search for new or changed information. I&R staff also attend meetings within the community and serve on statewide boards and committees where staff find out about new and changed resources.

We also rely on agencies to let us know when they are getting inappropriate referrals or when they have new programs. We send annual printouts to each agency in our database, showing them the details we have about their services and sites. Agencies can then review their information, and send us back their corrections or verify that their information is still accurate. Agencies can also log on through our Provider Portal at http://www.irissoft.com/swle/ to update their information on-line.

Specific Inclusions:

	Non-profit organizations (classified as 501(c)(3) under the Internal Revenue Code) which are involved with health and human services **
	For-profit and proprietary agencies if they offer a service not adequately provided by other resource listings; or if they offer scholarships, reduced fees or sliding fee scales and accept Medicare or Medicaid**
	Health and human services programs offered by the state, parish or municipal governments which either have offices in Acadiana or provide services within that area
	Organizations such as churches and social clubs which offer a service to the community at large, not just their own members
	Professional organizations related to community service
	Organizations outside the Acadiana region which provide a service not available locally
	Advocacy groups related to health and human service issues
	Support groups that are sponsored by or affiliated with an agency or church
	800 lines if they offer a social or community service
	Private schools for special needs
	State and Community Colleges
	Administrative offices (School Boards) of public schools in the10-parish service area

**Non-profit organizations and for profit businesses must meet all criterion and the criteria of being in operation for six (6) months prior to being added to the database. Exception is permitted when the parent company has been in operation for the required time.

Specific Exclusions:

	Organizations with incomplete applications - all applications and any necessary addendum
	forms must be complete; all required documentation must be submitted
	Agencies or organizations that provide services which are not available to the general public, or which are available only to persons holding membership or status in a specific group or other organization
	Resources outside Acadiana unless they provide services not available locally and are open to local residents
	Individual or private practitioners (i.e. therapists, physicians, etc.): These practitioners may be listed if they offer sliding fee or reduced fee pay scales. Those which accept Medicare/Medicaid will be referenced if listed under the Medicare/Medicaid Provider listing (as noted on those websites)
	Agencies or organizations that deny service on the basis of color, race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, ancestry, nationality, or on any other basis not permitted by law
	Agencies or organizations that misrepresent, by omission or commission, pertinent facts regarding their services, organizational structure, or any other pertinent matter, in any way
	Employment agencies that charge a fee to applicants

Organizations which shall never be included:

	Agencies or organizations which misrepresent their services in any way
	Unlicensed agencies that operate in an industry where licensing standards exist
	Illegal services

Denial

If a program is found ineligible for listing in a regional database, that center will inform the service provider of their decision. Notification should be by letter, with a brief statement of reason for ineligibility, within 30 days from the service provider’s submission of program information.

Appeal

Decisions to include, exclude, or remove a service listing may be appealed by writing to the Executive Director after a reasonable attempt has been made to resolve the issue with 232-HELP/Louisiana 2-1-1 Resource Manager. Service providers must request an appeal hearing in writing no later than 30 days from the date of denial. A representative of the excluded agency will be allowed to meet with an I&R program representative to present the service provider’s case.

Once a formal complaint has been made, the complaint shall be reviewed by a review committee consisting of the Executive Director, Assistant Administrator and Resource Manager within 7 days of receipt of the complaint. Within 3 days of completion of the review, the subject service provider shall be notified in writing of the complaint, along with the recommended action.

Complaints Regarding a Service Provider

Before an I&R center will act on a complaint regarding a service provider, the complaint shall be submitted to the I&R Center in writing. Complaints may come from the complainant or from a staff member taking the information from the complainant. This written complaint shall be dated, with a detailed description of the complaint and signed by the complainant. Complainants may be either inquirers or human service professionals, including members of the staff of an I&R center.

Once a formal complaint has been made, the complaint shall be reviewed by the Review Committee within 7 days of receipt of the complaint. Within 3 days of completion of the review, the subject service provider shall be notified in writing of the complaint, along with the recommended action.

If the Review Committee decides that this service provider shall be removed from the database, notification shall include the agency’s right of appeal.

If the Review Committee decides that this service provider shall remain in the database, notification of the recommended action shall be mailed to the complainant.

Concurrent Reviews

The complainant may also be referred to other agencies with investigative authority to file a complaint. Depending on the nature of the complaint, these might include licensing, law enforcement, or funding sources.

Confidentiality

To protect the confidentiality of the complainant, neither the Review Committee nor the

I&R Center shall reveal the name of the complainant protesting the inclusion or exclusion of a particular organization in the database.

Exclusion from the database indicates that criterion for inclusion has not been met; it does not signify lack of endorsement. Likewise, inclusion does not imply endorsement.

232-HELP/Louisiana neither guarantees nor makes any representations as to the accuracy or completeness of the information contained in the database as these resources' information can change rapidly.

Public Disclaimers:

	A listing in the 2-1-1 database does not constitute an endorsement of or liability for any agency program or service.
	Agencies providing services to specific populations will be so identified in the service description.

Agency Disclaimers - - inclusion is a privilege, not a right:

	232-HELP/211 reserves the right to make all decisions regarding the inclusion or exclusion of information relative to individuals and/or organizations within the resource file database.
	Although inclusion/exclusion decisions will, for the most part, be made based upon the perceived needs of the clients/users of 232-HELP/211, the final determination as to inclusion or exclusion, the provisions of the criteria listed below notwithstanding, shall be in the sole discretion of 232-HELP/211.
	The 2-1-1 Center reserves the right to cancel a listing when an agency no longer meets the required criteria.
	The 2-1-1 Center reserves the right to delete any agency from the database when requests for updates are not provided

Note:

Information provided by organizations and individual services providers and included in 232-HELP/Louisiana 211 Information and Referral Services is available to the general public in various formats, including telephone information and referral, an online searchable database of services and printed materials. Although our policy indicates what agencies, organizations and services are eligible for inclusion in the database, 232-HELP/Louisiana 211reserves the right to prioritize and limit entry.

Inclusion/Exclusion Criteria Survey Application

Updated September 2010