2. Making Referrals to Economic Resource Navigators
Key Activities
Case Planners should:
Identify a suitable Navigation Provider—either within your own organization or through an external provider—with capacity to receive a referral (See ECRS Navigation Referral Directory).
Share economic and concrete resources and support (ECRS) screening information with the Navigator (Consider the ECRS Navigation Referral template).
Schedule a joint conversation between the Case Planner, Navigator, and family or young person to facilitate a warm hand-off.
Alert the Navigator of the case closure date.
Document the context and outcome of referrals in case notes.
Report all ECRS activities to ACS through the ECRS Data Reporting Form (see Data Reporting for more context).
Navigation Providers receiving referrals should:
Block off a set number of appointment slots per week to accept external referrals, then decide on a deadline for releasing those slots for their own organization's bookings.
Follow up with the Case Planner after the referral to offer updates on ECRS needs.
Alert the Case Planner of any extended out-of-office periods.
Jump to: Guidelines Tools
Guidelines
Your organization can design its own methods for engagement and documentation. Consider the following:
I. Thoughtfully identify potential referrals.
If you must refer to an external provider, consider needs and constraints. The family or young person might have specific language or program needs. Some families and young people might also prefer to speak with a provider that has no connection to ACS.
Case Planners should consult the ECRS Navigation Referral Directory to identify and contact suitable Navigation Providers and inquire about Navigator availability and scheduling. Case Planners often contact the Navigator's supervisor, though some organizations may prefer the Navigator be the point-of-contact.
II. Share only necessary information.
Consider adapting the ECRS Navigation Referral to compile information and email it as an encrypted PDF. If referring to an external Navigator, use a consent form to confirm permission for the Navigator and Case Planner to share information with each other (see the ECRS Navigation Referral Consent Form).
III. Prepare the family or young person for the hand-off.
Set expectations and clarify roles. Consider using or adapting the ECRS Navigation Referral Info Sheet.
IV. Project coherence and collegiality.
“I would like [the Case Planner] to explain in front of me what my needs are [when connecting with a Navigator]. So that we're all on the same page. So that they say, ‘I'll help you with this, and he can help you with something else.’ That way I feel like I'm receiving support from both sides.”
– ACS-connected family member
Families and young people are wary of being handed off to someone else, especially if the Case Planner has succeeded in building their trust. Case Planners should frame Navigators as an equal part of a cohesive team.
Case Planners should coordinate a three-way meeting with themselves, the Navigator, and the family or young person. Ideally, this would be in person. A video call is the second-best option, allowing face-to-face interaction. A phone call is least ideal but better than a cold hand-off.
Tools
Consider using or adapting these tool templates. Clicking a link for a template will download it.
ECRS Navigation Referral Directory
The directory lists community-based organizations that can receive navigation referrals and the appropriate contact at each organization. It can be sorted and filtered by location, populations served, programs offered in-house, language accessibility, and cultural competence.
ECRS Navigation Referral Consent Form
This consent form asks for consent both for the Case Planner to share information with an external Navigation Provider and for the Navigator to share updates back to the Case Planner.
ECRS Navigation Referral
The referral includes Case Planner information, client Information, referral context and client needs. It is designed to be emailed by the Case Planner to a Navigation Provider as an encrypted PDF.
ECRS Navigation Referral Info Sheet
The info sheet sets expectations and clarifies roles when a Case Planner is referring a family or young person to a Navigator. It also lists documents they should bring to their first navigation meeting.
ECRS Data Reporting Form
This Airtable form should be filled out for any date on which Case Planners make an ECRS referral.