Greg's Blog - May 14, 2010

Getting Connected with Penelope's New "Blue Book" ('211') Feature

We're pleased to introduce an exciting new module in Penelope we call the "Blue Book". Now, I know for those of you from the US, the Blue Book is the used car valuation guide, but here in Canada, particularly here in Waterloo Region where we live and work, the Blue Book is a comprehensive yellow pages style directory of services available- with important contact and service eligibilty information. This Blue Book is a valuable resource for helping to provide referrals and to help connect your clients with the appropriate services in your community. The Blue Book in our area was a United Way funded project that originated out of the Waterloo Region Social Planning Council and sought to create a web of connections amongst social service providers to help coordinate services to clients and families.

Penelope's Blue Book serves 4 key functions within the Penelope ecosystem:

• The Blue Book constitutes a powerful, highly configurable and searchable directory where your organization can use many user defined options to search for appropriate services and comunity contacts for a client based on criteria options that you can customize - including such items as services offered, hours of service, catchment area, service restrictions/ eligibility criteria as well as many other options. For example, you can search the directory for a non-denominational counseling service in New York City's lower east side which is available on weekends, is wheelchair accessible, offers a sliding scale and offers Spanish-Languiage interpreters. Even better, you can track your referral to this service within the Clients' service file, add followup notes and even print the details to give to the client for reference.
• Blue Book entities serve as a source of and destination for detailed referrals
• Collateral Contacts may now be shared and added to the master Blue Book list as "public" contacts if appropriate
• A new layer of reporting on a range of attributes relating to referrals

The goal of the Blue Book is to assist providers in making and tracking effective, informed referrals that enhance the quality and coordination of care for clients. There are many other uses for the Blue Book connections that can be made with service files - including...

• searching for / tracking information on potential foster care families
• volunteer connections
• employer database for supported employment programs
• call centre information and referral services
• mentoring / big brother / sister database

Please give some thought to the opportunities that this new functionality rovides your organization as we're sure you'll find it a key tool in enhancing the connectedness of your services to the broader service community.

May 14, 2010

About the Author

Greg Stanley-Horn is one of the founding partners of Athena Software and has extensive experience in a variety of roles in the human services sector including:

• Front-Line service with High-Risk Youth
• Community Development planning and advocacy
• Development of Community Health Centres
• Fund-raising / Development Campaigns
• Development of Outcomes Indicators
• Software Development and Implementations

With Athena, Greg is the Director of Deployment Project and chairs Athena's Strategic Planning and Management Committee.

Greg can be reached at greg <at> athenasoftware.net or by phone at 1.866.806.6014 x 302.

NOTE: the personal opinions and views expressed in this blog are those of the author alone and are not the official positions of Athena Software or its employees. No endorsements or warranties are made with regard to its content and it is offered purely on an "as-is" basis.