Influencing policy while helping families:The power of care coordination

Established in 1976, United Way of Connecticut's Infoline system is one of the oldest and most established comprehensive statewide telephone information and referral (I&R) service in the country. Connecticut Infoline, staffed by telephone specialists, started as a comprehensive I&R service designed to assist anyone with a health and/or human service issue. Throughout the1980s and 90s, the service delivery systems became more complex and fragmented. Connecticut Infoline responded to this change by establishing specialized call centers that are staffed by Care Coordinators (CCs) whose roles and responsibilities are more narrow in scope, but intense in content and involvement with clients. Two of the specialized call centers are: the HUSKY Infoline (HIL), established in 1998 and the Child Development Infoline (CDI), established in 2002. HIL assists callers with applying for and obtaining covered services through Medicaid (known as HUSKY A) and SCHIP (known as HUSKY B). CDI serves as the access point for the CT Birth to Three system, Preschool Special Education Services, and the Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs (CYSHCNs) program. Within each call center, the casework and advocacy done by the CCs are documented in an automated client tracking system that collects demographic information, case activities, including the outcome of the case (from a system's perspective -- did the family receive the needed service?), and any gaps or barriers encountered. These tracking systems offer a unique vantage point from which generated reports provide valid and reliable data to policymakers, funders and administrators.