The More the Merrier: 6 Tips for Seamless, Impactful Community Referrals

Community-based organizations (CBOs) have a lot on their plates. The first order of business? Providing support and solutions for the complex issues program participants experience every day, including poverty, homelessness, trauma, mental health issues and much more.

It’s rare that the type of care an individual needs is isolated. For example, when a person is battling homelessness, there is a strong likelihood they are also experiencing food insecurity and need help securing employment. Or when a student is coming out of a transitional housing situation, there is a strong possibility they may also need assistance meeting educational milestones.

Often in these cases, CBOs search for partners they can refer participants to and collaborate with to get participants the help they need to make progress in their lives. When this happens, care teams need to know precisely when someone needs services, what services they need and when services are received. Many times, CBOs connect with other organizations to ensure there is space for a client. Then, once a client goes to another organization for services, the referring caseworker is out of the progress loop. Because of this lack of visibility across organizations, sometimes clients simply slip through the cracks.

How Can Community Organizations Easily Refer Clients and Stay in the Loop?

Social Solutions recently launched a new capability to offer a solution that works for both CBOs and their clients. Apricot’s Closed-Loop Referral capability empowers organizations to coordinate care for participants throughout the community. It seamlessly connects people with the help they need and provides complete visibility across all organizations providing services to individuals or families. With Apricot Closed-Loop Referrals, it’s easy to build a network of area providers to help program participants on the path to success.

Why are Closed-Loop Referrals So Important?

Working together with other providers in the community offers a level of care and support that helps ensure that participants continue on a successful path. With Closed-Loop Referrals, CBOs can:

• Make informed decisions with a holistic view of care
• Save time by managing multiple referrals at once without needing to make multiple phone calls or send a lot of emails
• Build connections and collaborate with other social good leaders in the community
• Keep care teams informed so they know when participants are receiving services
• Gain visibility into tracking, progress and care coordination, allowing organizations to report on community outcomes

This evolution of care allows clients to easily work with multiple CBOs at once. It eliminates the painful process of going from one organization to the next, retelling their story and filling out duplicate forms.

The More the Merrier! Tips for joining the Social Solutions Closed-Loop Referral Network

Getting on board with Closed-Loop Referrals is easy. Consider these tips:

1. Review Your Referral Process. Examine your current referral process and identify what’s working well and what needs improvement.
2. Join the Network. See if the Social Solutions Closed-Loop Referral Network is available in your area and register today.
3. Create your Profile. Consider how you want your programs to be viewed by others in the Closed-Loop Referrals service directory.
4. Build Your Partner Network. Tell organizations you refer clients to the most about your Closed-Loop Referral program and encourage them to join the network.
5. Make Referrals in Real Time. Manage multiple referrals and connect participants to providers from right within Apricot—no more manual phone calls and emails.
6. Report on Community Outcomes. Standardize tracking, progress and reporting care coordination across providers to demonstrate community-based outcomes.

Ready to learn more about how Apricot Closed-Loop Referrals can help your organization provide seamless services with partner organizations? Join the network today!