Transcript Heading - MN Aging

The MinnesotaHelp Network:
Connecting Locally to Best Meet
Consumer Needs
Today’s Presenters:
• Elissa Schley, MinnesotaHelp Network Consultant, MBA/DHS
• Fay Simer, Transportation Planner, Minnesota Department of
Transportation
• Robin Thompson, Senior Outreach Coordinator, Minnesota River
Area Agency on Aging
• Elaine Spain, Planner, Minnesota River Area Agency on Aging
• Minnesota Aging and Disability Resource Center
• No wrong door approach
• Four Channels!
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Phone (Via three distinct lines)
Internet/Chat
In person/face-to-face assistance
Print
Background:
1994 – How it began (Senior LinkAge Line®)
– Evolved from information and referral to Long Term Care
Options Counseling service
– Managed locally by 6 Area Agency on Aging (AAA) offices,
managing seven contact centers
2005-Disability Linkage Line
– Managed locally by 2 Centers for Independent Living (CILS),
managing five locations across the state
2007-Veterans Linkage Line
– Managed in Perham by the MNSCU Call Center
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Background: Senior LinkAge Line®
Evolving the Service
• MN Board on Aging decision – AAAs
• Statewide uniformity
– Single Brand
– One statewide toll free number
– Upgraded phone system to zip code routing and
then later prefix routing
– Desktop Client tracking system
– Staff training
– Marketing and outreach
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But the real keys to our success:
• Branding. Branding. Branding.
• A People not Programs Philosophy which means simplifications
and streamlining for the consumer (not for the programs,
government etc)
• Thinking in a flexible and agile manner and sticking with our
core values
– Be relevant
– Be accessible
– Be ready when the student arrives
• Thinking like a single unit not 7 state units with seven area
agencies – we are one to the consumer
Branding! Branding! Branding!
Branding! Branding! Branding!
Phone
• Senior LinkAge Line® 1-800-333-2433
– Long Term Care Options Counseling
– Medicare and other health insurance counseling
– Government problem solving, connections to volunteer opportunities and
older workers (Spring 2013)
• Disability Linkage Line® 1-866-333-2466
– Disability Benefits, Accessibility/Modifications, Accessible Housing,
Employment
• Veterans Linkage Line™ 1-866-333-2466
– Veterans Benefits Assistance, Reintegration challenges and referrals,
Household finance management, Assistance with mental health and stress
disorders, Jobs, Education and housing
Phone Support:
MinnesotaHelp
Network™
Contact Center
Locations
Senior LinkAge Line® Provides….
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Long Term Care Options Counseling
Transition assistance for private pay nursing home residents
Medicare and other health insurance counseling
Prescription drug expense assistance for all ages
Application and forms assistance
Long Term Care Partnership (2006)
Caregiver planning and support
Health care waste, fraud and abuse
One Stop: State agency related questions, connections to
volunteer opportunities and older workers (Spring 2013)
Disability Linkage Line® provides…
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Disability Benefits and Programs (SSI, SSDI, PASS, MA-EPD)
Building Accessibility and Home Modifications
Assistive Technology
Personal Assistance Services
Transition Services
Accessible Housing
Disability Awareness and Rights
Employment
Veterans Linkage Line™ Niche Areas
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Veterans Benefits
Link to County Veterans Service Officers
Resources for homeless veterans
Referrals to Veterans Homes
Veterans Education Benefits
Liaison to federal Veterans Administration and TRICARE
Online Assistance – Minnesotahelp.info®
•Service of the MN Board on Aging
•Part of 2000 comprehensive reform
•Legislative mandate for a long-term care
database
•For all ages
Chat Assistance
– Step-by-step
decision making
tool
– Interactive
– Easy to use
– Available at
Minnesotahelp.info
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Disability Benefits 101 – DB101.org
DB101.org brings together:
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benefits information
tools
resources
to make it easier to:
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understand benefits
learn about work incentives
plan for work & set goals
build financial literacy
manage benefits while
working
Print
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30,000 printed annually
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Distributed statewide by the Area
Agencies on Aging to Medicare
beneficiaries, caregivers, local
partners and sites
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2013 – mailing of HCC done to
clinics, hospitals and health care
homes
Minnesota’s Landscape of In- person Help
Public Client (counties/MCOs $$)
Pre Eligible – Spending Down (ADRC)
Private Pay but getting frail (ADRC)
Private Pay but still healthy (ADRC)
Our Service Values – we are not about :
• Limiting the amount of time spent – options counseling may
involve several contacts over an extended period of time
– We do not measure call length as a metric except to describe the
importance of the service design
• Information and referral.
• Talking about public programs first
Options counseling is a process…not a single event.
Evaluation and Accountability
• ADRC Client Relationship Management Strategy
– Key client tracking which results in a measure of quality and service
feedback
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How did you hear about us?
Would you refer us to someone else?
Did you receive a contact within one business day?
Did you get the service you needed?
– Key system measures current or planned
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Length of call
Random Call monitoring
Staff certifications and training
Anecdotal “pulse” on the community
Follow up
– Consumer Satisfaction Surveys
– Formal Evaluation Process
Distributed Dashboards
Lessons Learned
• Consumers want a neutral, unbiased place to go to for help
• Community Partnership development takes time and often a
“one size fits all” approach needs to be modified
• Collaboration doesn’t only require meetings – it requires trust,
relationship building and a joint commitment of resources –
sometimes you have to give up something
• People don’t care about the stuff government thinks they care
about
• Government produces a lot of information that is at a high
literacy level
The Network is Expanded…
• New Partnership Formed through a Federal Grant Funding
Opportunity
• Veterans Transportation & Community Living Initiative…Known
as Minnesota Ride Link Project
Ride Link Background
• Connect veterans, military families, and others to information
about rides
• Create “one call, one click transportation resource centers”
• $1.78M capital funds awarded to MN in 2012
Why the network…
Augment transportation information on existing MinnesotaHelp
Network™
– Linkage Lines = “one call” phone hotline
• Providers are joined via virtual communication tools
• Phone key shows staff availability in real-time
• Ability to chat and transfer calls while client remains on
the line
– MinnesotaHelp.info = “one click” web resource
• Create a specific “transportation” page
• Make transportation information easier to find
• Public, caregivers can access information
Eligible Participants
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Public transit providers
Non-profit transit providers
Inter-city bus providers
County veterans service organizations
DAV
VA Hospitals
VA clinics, homes
Other veterans service organizations that provide transportation
Phase 1: Southwest Minnesota
• Minnesota River Area Agency on Aging is local
administrator
• Public transit providers and vets organizations join
network
– 50+ providers, including 25 CVSOs , public transit,
non-profits, private inter-city bus
– Implementation March-July 2013
– Project Advisory Committee provides local input
• Hardware bulk purchase order
Intended Outcomes
• Finding information about rides is easy
• Service provider information is linked
• Linkage Line staff access complete inventory of available
transportation
Future Phases
• Enhance MinnesotaHelp.info
– Transportation information is easy to find
– Work is underway
• Statewide implementation of Revation
– Future phases begin fall 2013
– All other users added by fall 2015
• Marketing
• Regional Coordination Meetings
Additional Information
Ride Link Web Site
www.dot.state.mn.us/transit/southwest-ride/
Minnesota Help
www.minnesotahelp.info
Partnerships
• Minnesota Department of Human Services/MBA
• Minnesota Department of Transportation
• Minnesota Department of Veteran’s Affairs
Project Description
• Provide funding for technology enhancements that will allow
agencies to be added to the existing MinnesotaHelp
Network™ communication tool
• SLL call center staff and participating agencies will then be able
to easily route and transfer calls, chat, conference, and send
secure documents
Benefits to Partners
• Each agency becomes part of a network of professionals to
assist individuals with finding rides
• Agency can offer referrals to customers with ride requests they
are unable to serve
• Rich and encrypted online conferencing and collaboration
without the need for expensive dedicated hardware
• Grant-funded hardware can be used for other agency purposes
beyond Linkage Line activity
• MinnesotaHelp Network™ staff can better assist veterans,
military families and others with transportation-related calls
Lessons Learned
• It was important for the SLL to demonstrate to the partners that
their service had value.
• When dealing with multiple partners from a large geographic
area the wheels can sometimes turn slowly.
• When introducing new technology the providers comfort level
varied significantly.
• Be careful not to promise more than you can deliver (there will
always be transportation problems in rural Minnesota).
Presenters Information
Elissa Schley, MBA
[email protected]
651-431-2584
Elaine Spain, MNRAAA
[email protected]
507-389-8860
Fay Simer, MnDOT Office of Transit
[email protected]
651-366-4194
Robin Thompson, MNRAAA
[email protected]
800-333-2433 ext. 82016
Demonstration of MinnesotaHelp Network
Technology-(Revation)