:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/shawmedia/BQ24LSTQDZAGZD3DS3LLKYW3YY.jpg)
Asking for help is not always the easiest thing to do. Many of us, struggle through our battles in silence afraid of being vulnerable. If you have ever been in a position where you needed help financially, medically, or any other way you know how difficult it can be to find the correct person to talk.
At the Community Foundation of Grundy County (CFGC), we get calls multiple times a week asking if we help with rent or utilities etc. Because we do not provide direct services to individuals, the caller is given a list of places to call and we as CFGC staff never know if the caller found what they were looking for or not. For years, it has been the dream of many of our Grundy County social services to have central intake system so referrals can easily be made and followed up on. Through the years, we have collectively tried to create a referral system that works seamlessly, but have always ran into barriers.
Several years ago, we were made aware of a referral system created by University of Kansas called IRIS- The Integrated Referral and Intake System. This system is exactly what our Grundy group had been looking for. It allows organizations registered to create a profile that indicates current detailed information regarding their programs, who they serve, and even wait list times. Organizations registered with IRIS have a point person(s) who have the ability to both referral clients and accept referrals from other organizations. The basic process is as follows:
- Client contacts agency 1 for assistance with food. During the conversation with the client staff finds out this client also needs assistance paying for childcare and is under employed so would like to expand their skill base to find a higher paying job.
- With permission of the client staff from agency 1, enters the client information into the IRIS system.
- With a few clicks of a button, agency 1 staff can select programs they believe this client will qualify for from agency 2 and 3, submitting a request to the system.
- Agency 2 and 3’s point persons receives an email indicating they have a new referral from the IRIS system, they have 3 days to respond to the referral.
- Staff from agency 2 and 3 both contact the client. They go into the system and report that they contacted the client and can or cannot assist the client.
- An email then goes back to agency 1 staff saying the referral has been addressed and is now closed.
- Services at all three agencies continue with the client, but no additional reporting is tracked in the IRIS system.
The IRIS system is a very easy way for local agencies and schools to refer clients to one another without spending hours on the phone, alleviates clients needing to call multiple agencies until to find help, and provides basic follow-up for the referring agency. In addition to all of that, the system is HIPPA compliant and is capable of providing data to the agencies.
Even though we have known about IRIS for several years, we didn’t have a person or organization wanting to spend the time or money to kick this off. The stars aligned this year to bring the right players to the table and I’m happy to say the IRIS system has found a home with
Kendall-Grundy Regional Office of Education’s collaborative Plano Area Alliance Supporting Student Success. As you may gather from the name, our IRIS System will encompass both Kendall and Grundy Counties, which makes since as we are both under the same ROE.
Over the last couple months, a group from Kendall and Grundy Counties have been meeting with the University of Kansas staff to learn the ins and outs of IRIS. We are just beginning to educate organizations on the system and will soon be training them how to use it. The hope is by summer 2025 Kendall-Grundy IRIS is fully up and running. We plan to start with a smaller group of agencies, focusing on those who serve families with children. Over time, we will expand to encompass all organizations serving our areas.
Other counties have seen the benefits of IRIS. We are excited to join our neighboring counties of Will, Kankakee, and Kane to utilize IRIS making referrals quick and easy for both agency staff and clients. Stay tuned for more to come on this as we roll IRIS out in Kendall and Grundy Counties. Until then, have a happy healthy holiday season!