Using Information & Referral Services and Hotlines
Information and Referral
Information and Referral (I&R) or Information & Assistance (I&A) services facilitate the connection of people to needed health and social services. These numbers may be general or comprehensive lines that maintain information about a full range of human services. Specialized I&R lines can focus on a particular set of resources that are appropriate for a specific population (such as aging or disability) or human service sector (like child care or public health). I&R services may be called Clearinghouses.
Hotlines
Hotlines or Helplines also provide information and make referrals to services but these lines may also provide immediate phone or on-line counseling to persons in crisis.
How They Work
Whether using an I&R service or a hotline, the specialist answering the call will ask a series of questions to understand the caller's needs. The specialist's responsibility is to listen and provide the caller with the best options available.
All conversations are confidential. Personal questions may be asked in order to provide the specialist with information needed to give the most appropriate choices. There might be follow-up contact when appropriate or requested.
A resource database, such as infoMONTGOMERY, is designed only as a tool for finding help. Whereas using an Information & Referral service or a Hotline involves discussing your needs with a person who is knowledgeable about the area's resources.
Case Management Services
Beyond I&R services and Hotlines,
care or case management services offer the assistance of a professional who is specifically trained to assess an individual's needs. They provide advice on coordinating and/or linking individuals to appropriate services and providers, as necessary. This may also involve continued support on a short or long-term basis.