Getting Services to People in Need Brokering Three kinds of resource systems. Informal [natural] systems Formal [membership] systems - membership in an organization Societal resource systems - established through social legislation and voluntary citizen action

Giving information and making referrals Find out as much as possible about the exact need Find out what the person wants to do about the need or problem Begin to determine who can handle this request best Talk to the consumer, share responsibility and explain resources that are available.

Procedures for making referrals and preparing individuals to receive help with their unmet needs Sometimes the solution to an individual’s unmet needs cannot be met with the current agency and the person needs to be referred out. Discuss referral with consumer Assess the consumer's ability to contact the resource If you are making the contact make certain the resource can meet the consumer's needs Make an appointment Insure consumer know the appointment

Barriers

Reaching out to people in your community Out reach is locating the people who may need assistance, identifying the unmet needs of individuals in the community and getting that information to those in need. Many people do not know that there are resources for them.

Understand your self and your feelings, approach individuals openly, try to understand the person, don't offer help too quickly, know what you can and cannot do. Do not promise what you can't deliver.

Techniques for reaching out in your community and the importance of follow- up in reaching out Informal discussion with community Observation Interview and questionnaires Contact with staff and other agencies

Consumer Advocating The need for advocacy- 3 reasons The attitude of HS agencies and institutions; rules, policies, rigidity What consumers know and feel about human services; lack of knowledge of services and access, powerlessness, politically under represented The wrongs suffered by consumers; wrongs that they can not right themselves

How to make a decision to advocate: Look before you leap Worker needs to make certain that the complaint, action, or decision is legitimate; unreasonable or unjustified demands should not be made on behalf of the consumer. Decide whether advocacy is necessary. Have other avenues been tried? Was it a misunderstanding on either side? Before advocating discuss it with the consumer[s] to insure consumer's informed consent.

Components of the technique of persuasion and explore some methods of using persuasion effectively State the problem Discuss the problem State the action desired Summarize and restate Methods of persuasion: Common ground Cards on the table Blunt assault

Always be sincere and speak with conviction Look the other person in the eye Avoid negative appeals Do not do all the talking Control your emotions

Mobilizing Mobilizing is getting people, organizations, and or community motivated to engage in meeting un met needs. Mobilizing might involve the following tasks:

Discovering gaps within the service delivery system and recommending services to modify them Defining and communicating specific community needs by acting as a catalyst for the formation of self-help groups Describing an unmet service need and proposing a plan to a policy maker, using the telephone, personal visits, written communication, in order to gather support Discussing plans or ideas for new services with colleagues or lay individuals and encourage support of the plans Reading local newspapers in order to determine issues facing current or potential consumer groups Participating in existing community groups, serving as a resource and discussing human services