FINDLAY, OH (January 31, 2022) - Social services systems can be hard to navigate and difficult to understand, causing people to feel rejected or frustrated in their efforts to obtain help.
That’s why the No Wrong Door philosophy ensures that when people need help, they’re connected with the desired services, regardless of which agency they call.
“The whole idea is we want to make sure we meet people where they are, let them know how we can help. And if we’re not the right door, we are making a warm handoff,” said Amber Wolfrom, a member of Hancock County’s No Wrong Door committee.
Agencies and organizations receive training twice a year on the resources and services available.
Wolfrom said No Wrong Door has been used locally since the early 2000s. It wasn’t developed here, but she suspects it may have been a program that United Way of Hancock County learned about at a conference.
“But I think we took the concept and then we put a Hancock twist on it,” she said. "And then we embedded it with the Family First Council so it wouldn’t get lost."
Nonprofits used to have so many volunteers who answered phones and redirected individuals when they called, and they wanted to know how to keep all of the information straight, said Wolfrom. That led to the creation of a giant binder containing all of the information.
“Interns would get the lovely task of updating it every year,” she said. “You flip alphabetically through the agencies. And every agency in town plus some of our regional ones like Legal Aid that covered multiple counties, they were in the book.”
The internet made compiling that information and getting it out to the agencies much easier.
“We realized when it came to our nonprofits, there were a range of individuals that were kind of the gatekeepers. Some of the individuals were volunteers, some were part time, some were full time. Sometimes the gatekeepers had many roles. And the concern was how do we make sure when someone knocks on a door they don’t get told, ‘I’m sorry, we don’t do that here. Have a nice day,’” she recalled.
She said having to make repeated phone calls can make the person in need feel agitated, undervalued and upset. That’s where No Wrong Door came from, said Wolfrom. The concept challenges agencies to make sure they know their partners.
Training sessions are held every April and October. The University of Findlay has supported the program by hosting these events.
Alyssa Roach, another committee member, said the sessions provide service providers with an opportunity to make connections with one another.
“They also can finally put a face with a name,” she said. “‘Oh, I’ve been trying to call you. I’m glad to finally meet you. Have you been able to reach so-and-so who needs this?’”
Trainings are especially helpful for new people, who can meet others and obtain information on programs and services.
“Sometimes we lose track of why we go to work every day. We get very bogged down with processes and paperwork and grant reports and things like that, and we forget we’re there because the people need our help,” said Wolfrom. “So No Wrong Door is a great refresher to us as service providers of what our true mission is and why we’re here for what we do.”
Roach added that the trainings are well received.
“Even if you’ve been in the service field for a while, sometimes you tend to forget. It gives you an opportunity for that refresher for seasoned service providers and then also information for new providers,” she said.
A resource guide — a handy one page list of social service agencies and organizations — is included with the program, said Peggy Grandbois, council coordinator for Hancock County Family and Children First. Many agencies keep the guide near their reception area or phone as a quick reference to make sure callers and visitors get the help they need.
The guide includes names and phone numbers for agencies that deal with services such as child support, community meals, disability services and legal services.
Grandbois said the guide is not intended to take the place of Hancock Helps (www.hancockhelps.org) — a comprehensive, regularly updated website listing community resources ranging from mental health care to housing that puts all of the information in one spot.
Instead, No Wrong Door is the philosophy used to remind service providers that everyone is working toward the same goal of assisting Hancock County families in need with support and resources.
“Anything we can do to reduce the stress of finding the right door,” said Wolfrom.
Article Source: https://thecourier.com/news/367479/finding-the-right-door-program-helps-direct-those-in-need/