[ Browse by Service Category : Topics Related to Specialized Information and Referral (157) ]

Food Bank Referral Programs

Programs that coordinate requests for emergency food assistance by screening individuals who apply using criteria established by the food pantries or other providers, maintaining lists of individuals who have been aided, and checking new applicants against the lists before referring them to a resource that can meet their needs. Emergency food clearinghouses help to avoid duplication of service and maximize the availability of food resources while relieving the agencies of the task of handling requests directly. Also included are programs that refer people needing food to an appropriate resource, but which are not the sole source for this information.

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Housing Search and Information

Programs that help people to find and select available rental or purchasable housing, commercial lots and/or residential lots which meet their individual needs. Included is information that is available online, in print or in other formats.

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Legal Assistance Referral Services

Programs that maintain lists of lawyers, paralegals, mediators and other legal professionals and services, and link people who need legal assistance with those who specialize in the required area of law.

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School Placement Services

Programs that maintain lists of elementary and secondary schools and provide assistance for prospective students who need help in selecting an educational facility that is appropriate for their individual needs and interests. Included are programs that provide lists of available schools as well as those that help parents and students evaluate their options and make a choice.

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Health Care Referrals

Programs that link people who are in need of medical care, nursing care, dental care or other types of health care services with qualified practitioners.

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Long Term Care Options Counselling

Programs that offer an interactive decision support process that helps individuals in need of long term care and their families understand their strengths, needs, preferences and unique circumstances and weigh the pros and cons of available alternatives. The consultation includes a discussion of the factors to consider when making long term care decisions, information about the range of long term care support options available in their community (such as personal care, transportation and medication management) and resources that can help them pay for services. The program also provides decision support to help identify next steps in the process and help in connecting with services, if needed. The service is generally available to older adults and adults of any age who have a disability; can be of benefit to people using their own resources to pay for services; and may be provided over the telephone or in person (at home, at an agency, in a hospital, at a rehabilitation or nursing facility or in another setting of the person's choosing). The objective of the program is to allow people to live as independently as possible in the setting of their choice.

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Abortion Referrals

Programs that maintain lists of medical clinics and other facilities that perform abortions and which link individuals seeking the procedure with appropriate resources.

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Job Information

Programs that maintain lists of available employment opportunities that people who are searching for a position can access.

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Attendant Registries

Programs that maintain lists of individuals who are available to assist people who have disabilities in activities of daily living and which link individuals who are in need of this service with appropriate resources. The program may also recruit personnel to help individuals with disabilities in activities of daily living, screen people who apply, provide training for the workers, help in-home care recipients interview and select prospective workers and monitor the quality of care each individual receives.

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Child Care Provider Referrals

Programs that provide provincial and community-based services that are designed to improve the availability and quality of child care. These programs maintain lists of child care resources and link families who are in need of child care services with child care centres, licensed family child care homes and other organization-based providers; provide information that helps families become good consumers of child care services; recruit new child care providers to expand the availability of the service locally; provide training and technical assistance for providers; and collect and disseminate data which document the demand for child care services and the current availability of child care resources. Some programs may also make referrals to preschools and many provide referrals to children's play groups.

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In Home Assistance Registries

Programs that maintain lists of hourly and live-in companions, home health aides, personal care aides/attendants, cooks, drivers, homemakers, housekeepers (light and heavy housework), handyworkers, gardeners/yard workers, people who provide in-home secretarial help or other similar sources of assistance, and link people who are in need of these services with appropriate resources. The program may also recruit in-home assistance personnel, screen people who apply, provide training for the workers, help in-home care recipients interview and select prospective workers and monitor the quality of care each individual receives.

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Interpreter/Translator Registries

Programs that maintain lists of qualified interpreters and/or translators and link individuals and agencies who are in need of this service with appropriate resources.

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Respite Care Registries

Programs that maintain lists of individuals or organizations which provide respite care services and link individuals or families who are in need of this service with appropriate resources.

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Camp Referrals

Programs that maintain lists of organizations that provide camping experiences for adults and/or children and link families in need of a particular type of camp with appropriate resources.

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Therapy Referrals

Programs that link people who are in need of counselling services with private therapists who are qualified in the desired area of specialization.

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Central Intake/Assessment for Substance Use Disorders

Programs that serve as gatekeeper agencies which evaluate individuals who are in need of services related to an alcohol or other drug use disorder and triage them for the limited number of subsidized beds that may be available in the community. Some programs may also offer medical detoxification services for people who need them.

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Substance Use Disorder Referrals

Programs that link people who are in need of drug and/or alcohol use disorder services with appropriate resources.

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Military Family Service/Support Centres

Programs located at military installations throughout the world that handle inquiries from military personnel, retirees, reservists and their family members, do an assessment of their needs and refer them to sources of help available at the installation or in the local community. The centres may provide relocation assistance, transition assistance, family life programs (e.g., parenting, stress management), individual and family counselling, employment assistance, and financial management services as well as emergency assistance.

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The above terms and definitions are part of the Taxonomy of Human Services, used here by permission of INFO LINE of Los Angeles.


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