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Harnessing the Resources on the Internet to Better Serve Clients

Shelly Lambert

Illinois Department of Human Services • Help Me Grow Futures for Kids Helpline

2501 N. Dirksen Parkway, Springfield, Il 62702

(800) 323-GROW (4769)

(phone and TTY) or 217-557•3776

DHSFH05@state.il.us

In many ways, the Internet represents a classic "good news/bad news" predicament. On the one hand, it offers almost every imaginable piece of information ever communicated. At the same time, though, our ability to access and retrieve the exact piece of information that is needed is a daunting challenge for even the most sophisticated and experienced Internet user.

Despite having a database with more than 6000 resource entries, the Illinois Department of Human Services' Help Me Grow/Futures for Kids Helpline often needs the Internet to provide callers with the answers they are seeking. With about 3000 callers per month requesting assistance on hundreds of topics involving health and human services, Helpline staff must use their knowledge and ingenuity, and sometimes trial and error, to navigate through directories and Web sites in search of some particular item. This presentation will focus on techniques that the Helpline employs to incorporate the power of the Internet. By sharing Ideas on accessing Internet resources, it is hoped that other customer assistance operations can replicate these procedures.

Perhaps the best way to view the Internet is as a maze with an entry point (where the search begins) and exit point (the needed information). In between are potentially billions of options, so the goal is to minimize the number of steps it takes to find the needed information. One of the critical elements to this process is the use of key words or phrases to conduct a search. Many navigators employ search engines, but even these may produce vastly different results using the same word or phrase. The user may face the prospect of checking out 10 million web sites in order to find a single piece of information.

One of the best ways to avoid this is to utilize shortcuts The Helpline regularly hits on sites such as "The Resource House," a referral network clearinghouse which has employed many Internet techniques and has already done much of the work in terms of locating necessary services for clients (this site even allows clients to register for programs online). Another way to be more efficient is to go to sites that have established links with relevant web sites - a kind of instant connection.

Other techniques employed to incorporate the power of the Internet which will be discussed include: bookmarking web sites relative to appropriate information and/or services found while navigating or learned about from punted literature or colleagues; utilizing the Intranet; networking with other crisis intervention and general intervention groups; attending workshops and conferences allowing dialogue on strategies as to how to better use the Internet; attending meetings concerning the Internet; and contacting your own webmasters.