three ways to get the most out of intake: 1. since intake is the gateway to justice, open that gate...

Three ways to get the most out of intake:

1. Since Intake is the gateway to justice, open that gate as wide as possible

Ohio Online Intake System

2. Once through the gate, get what we need to help them

VLAS use of Case Management System

3. Use that information to its fullest effect Bay Area Legal impact work

Walk-in

Hotline

Web-based

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Nearly 9,000 online applications in 2007

Web makes up approximately 30% of all intake traffic

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Legal Aid of Western Ohio (LAWO) submitted a $30,000 TIG application in 2007 in order to:

› Provide the opportunity for all providers to “share” in the intellectual capital and investment made by Iowa and LSC;

› Provide Ohio’s legal services providers with 24/7 online intake capabilities via a link through the LAWO website, as well as the Ohio Legal Services statewide website;

› Provide people in need with the ability to contact legal aid at all hours of the day and night.

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The script from Iowa’s initiative was used as the “starting point” for the Ohio intake initiative.

Modified as needed, with input from Legal Aid Line intake staff and LAWO attorneys.

The script will be reviewed by all participating Ohio programs and will be edited based on the individual intake process for each program.

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User will complete the interview.

The information gathered from the interview will be passed to Legal Aid Line’s Pika case management system by utilizing a custom-written piece of code called a “transform” that converts the .anx file to a .php file.*

9*Transform written by John Mayer, Computer-Assisted Legal Instruction

Intake staff can then review the case before it is accepted into the program’s Pika case management system by utilizing a piece of code called “Case Q”, developed through a TIG granted to Michigan Legal Services.

› Checks for conflicts and confidentiality issues.

› Follows the same intake process as the Hotline.

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A2J Guided Interview for Intake (.a2j files)

Case Management System Data Collection

Interview Answers

(.anxFile)

XSLTransform

Transformed Answer Files

Case Management System

Answer File Data Now Available For Review in the Case Management

System….….conflicts check….attorney review

….processing

Link for LAWO (and other participating providers) will be available under the “Find Ohio Legal Help” directory section of the Ohio Legal Services website.

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Click here to complete theClick here to complete theonline intake applicationonline intake application

Best practices in project management will be applied to all stages and phases of the Ohio A2J Intake project.

Actively using:› Microsoft Project› Issue Tracker (Kaivo tool)› GoToMeeting / GoToWebinar› Other: Poverty Law Survey Tool

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It is estimated that once fully implemented, the A2J Intake tool will save the client information gathering step; thus, shortening the intake process by 15-20 minutes, per client.

A2J Intake will be available 24/7, which provides potential clients with a way to contact legal services outside of regular business hours; thus, potentially reducing the amount of call traffic (and waits on hold).

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Ed Marks, Litigation Director, Legal Aid of Western Ohio

Debra Jennings, Managing Attorney, Legal Aid Line of Western Ohio

LAWO staff and Statewide Intake Staff

Cynthia Vaughn, Ty Acker, Jeffrey Fortkamp, Ohio Legal Assistance Foundation

Rachel Medina, Chicago-Kent College of Law

John Mayer, Center for Computer-Assisted Legal Instruction

Will Shryock, Network Administrator, Advocates for Basic Legal Equality (ABLE)

Teresa Green, Technology Support, Advocates for Basic Legal Equality (ABLE)

Eve Ricaurte, Iowa Legal Services

Steve Gray, Michigan Legal Services

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Who are we?VLAS is one of 10 legal service programs in VA;

cover 10,000 square miles with 5 offices, 13 attorneys

Why did we want to change?help more people, more consistency, and more

quality control; increase time spent on complex cases

How did we accomplish it?LawLine (LL) – centralized intake advice hotline &

our CMS

Results?Closing almost double the number of cases since before LawLine 2004: 2350 cases2007: 4515 cases

Extended Service cases:2006 : up 12% with three fewer advocates2007: about the same as before LL but with four fewer advocates

Consistent advice, intake, and high quality service

› PBI › Client intake questions and

FAQ’s› Agency referrals › Document Assembly› Call backs

Katherine Ezell, winner of the 2006 Tobias Simon Pro Bono Service award in Florida

Problem codes

National Index Codes

Questions?

Contact Information:Kelly Shuptrine

Virginia Legal Aid Society, Inc.Phone: (434) 455-3095

Email: kelly@vlas.org

An intake system that incorporates technology

Will give you added ability to do systemic work:

1) Volume2) Diversity of client population3) Farther geographical reach4) Ease of access

Challenge: now that you have the ability, how do you create the capacity?

1. Staff2. Organizational structure3. Communication/culture4. Accountability/management support

Have the priorities of your program be the priorities of your helpline

Incorporate the hotline stats, info, experience into your strategy meetings by area of law

Have hotline staff be on the “look out” for certain type of cases

Hire people who like to learn and are self starters

Train staff on new changes in the laws, and update them on proposed regulations and new regulations/laws/city ordinances

Encourage staff to spot new issues, “sexy” issues, and provide feedback constantly

Hotline staff can’t be isolated from the day to day practice

Create avenues of communication with local staff, for example:

training; office visits; county updates on judges, court rules, local housing authority staff changes; feedback on cases; periodic case review; technical assistance, etc

Create accountability going both directions If a case is scheduled and it had no merit,

provide feedback to helpline’s MA If a case is scheduled and it is not acted

upon, have the notes reflect why in a clear and cogent way—most likely the client will call the intake system over and over so it has to be an office/program decision, not an individual advocate’s decision

The managers of the litigation offices will need to push local staff to take the newer, different cases that come from the hotline

Once intake has been expanded via technology, it will never be “business as usual”

Staff will need support, training, and motivation to step out of the comfort zone to tackle the new issues coming from the hotline

Management will need to look for and monitor systemic advocacy in various ways:

o Database/case management systemo Time slips/how staff spends their timeo Court decisions/outcomes of cases/storieso Community related activitieso Monitoring to see if the same problem

keeps coming up over and over and over and over

Embrace the change Be open to new possibilities Learn new tools and bring tools from

other areas of law to your priorities Take time to monitor and control the

change Communicate the changes Be positive, be excited

Questions?

Contact Information:Claudia JohnsonPro Bono Net,NY

Phone(212)760-2554 Email:cjohnson@probono.net

Developing guidelines on compliance issues with online eligibility screening

Revising Program Letter 02-04 on intake systems

Session tomorrow on Telephone Intake Systems – 2:00 pm Minneapolis Grand Ballroom – Salon E

Questions?

Contact Information:Glenn Rawdon

LSCPhone:202-295-1552

Email:grawdon@lsc.gov