When public welfare agencies encounter individuals who need care, they need to capture all relevant information for immediate processing and further review. This process encompasses call taking, intake, referral, assessment, investigation, and disposition. The MASTRR™ Solutions Intake, Assessment, and Referral module creates a systematic, uniform means of administering and recording this information.
The profile of a public welfare agency, its served populations, organizational structure, administrative arrangements, and many other factors influence the process of intake, assessment, and referral. Regulations for systems of care specify further requirements as to urgency, acceptable timeframe, paperwork, and interaction among involved parties. For example, although a social welfare agency's policy for responding to a child abuse report is materially different from a mental health agency’s policy; both processes can be described as intakes.
The profile of a public welfare agency, its served populations, organizational structure, administrative arrangements, and many other factors influence the process of intake, assessment, and referral. Regulations for systems of care specify further requirements as to urgency, acceptable timeframe, paperwork, and interaction among involved parties. For example, although a social welfare agency's policy for responding to a child abuse report is materially different from a mental health agency’s policy; both processes can be described as intakes.
- Call taking—The application assigns a unique number to each caller, distinguishes between calls for information and calls for intake, triggers an immediate reaction by the agency if necessary, and allows users to collect information about the caller, the nature of the call, and the person in need.
- Initial intake—The application allows users to establish a unique intake record and capture all pertinent information related to intake (identifying information, problem, urgency of request, etc.), either by direct input or through transfer from a call record.
- Eligibility determination—The application helps users establish whether the public system should provide care.
- Initial assessment (including risk assessment)—The application enables users to formalize the need presented.
- Referral—The application records the results of any professional evaluations.
- Investigation—The application assists in investigation processes that may be relatively protracted when addressing reports of abuse or neglect.
- Intake notes—The application allows users to capture and maintain notes, while also allowing users to view each others’ notes.
- Disposition—The application tracks each contact event to its completion.
Public welfare agencies may either combine intakes or maintain them independently through disposition. The module can link intakes that result in opening or re-opening a case or intakes associated with a currently active case.
When used in conjunction with agency-wide policies and procedures, the MASTRR™ Solutions Intake, Assessment, and Referral module provides the tools the public welfare agency needs to organize information related to all intakes and to keep case managers informed about their clients.