Around here, we wear the phrase “built for case managers by case managers” like a badge of honor. We are proud that our clients feel we’ve created software that truly works the way they need it to through our understanding of the unique requirements of people-serving organizations.
If anyone knows the power of Community CareLink, it’s Alice Lemmons, finance director for Sheffield Place in Kansas City, Mo. Alice was a part of the original team of agencies that came alongside First Call to create a better case management software through a Robert Woods Johnson Foundation grant. Today, Alice tells us Sheffield Place’s story!
Alice, how does Sheffield Place contribute to the community?
We are a treatment and transitional housing program for homeless women with children. Our treatment encompasses mental health diagnosis, drug and/or alcohol addiction and history of domestic violence. The women we have a responsibility to serve are the highest need population because nearly 100 percent have dual diagnosis.
You’ve been involved with First Call Technologies from day one. Tell us about how it all started.
First Call put together a group that included treatment agencies and the municipal court to problem-solve how we can better follow where people were getting treatment. At the time, there was not a way for us to determine and track the many issues needed to be addressed together, like drugs and alcohol, mental health, and homelessness. It was clear to all of us that we needed a database that could meet our needs, and Community CareLink was the solution.
How did Community CareLink change how you serve homeless mothers and their children?
It allows us to treat the whole person by connecting us to other treatment agencies in the community. Like I mentioned, almost all of our women are dual diagnosis, so referrals are extremely important. For example, if a woman comes to First Call for drug treatment and shares that she is homeless, they can refer her to us on the spot. And vice versa. Community CareLink allows us to track her needs and medical history, as well as where she is and has been treated. In the end, it helps us anticipate issues so together we can treat her and the next mother more completely.
How does the software support your staff?
Every single staff member uses Community CareLink every single day, from the Director to the child care provider and the case managers, therapists and group leaders in between. In a snapshot, Community CareLink allows us to look at a mother and see if we are serving her to the best of our ability. We can know if she is attending group, meeting with her therapist, if her kids are in care, what her goals are, etc. If we see inconsistencies, we can then self-correct within our agency to make sure we’re setting each mother, and her kids, up for success.
We heard that Sheffield Place is 1 of 67 agencies across the country to receive a perfect 100% ranking from Charity Navigator. You guys are a big deal!
You heard right! In 2017, 2018, and 2019, Charity Navigator awarded us their highest ranking, 4-Stars, in recognition of financial effectiveness, transparency and accountability. In 2019, we received a perfect 100% rating - the only Kansas City nonprofit to do so and 1 of only 67 nationwide. It’s a team effort - by tracking outcomes with Community CareLink, we can evaluate our programs and see a bigger picture of what’s possible. As a result, we can achieve more effective resource development. Our program and development director, David Hanzlick, describes us best as a snowball rolling down a hill. As it travels, it adds more and more “pieces” until it’s a giant ball of resources. That’s us - alone, we wouldn’t be much. But together, we’re changing lives.
Want to learn how Community Care Link can provide a solution to your case management tool needs? Contact our team to get started!