Social Workers at the Station

An innovative partnership between SourcePoint, a community support organization for seniors 60 and older, and local fire departments is helping to reduce the number of nonemergent EMS runs throughout Delaware County, OH.

The FIRST (First In Response to Seniors Team) Program is one of only a few in the nation that provide this service using the skills of trained service coordinators affiliated with the American Association of Service Coordinators.

“The program is specifically designed to assist older adults who may call 9-1-1 for reasons other than an emergency, or those first responders identify as needing some other type of assistance,” says Karen Waltermeyer, LISW-S, client services manager for SourcePoint.

A SourcePoint service coordinator reaches out to residents by phone to see how they’re doing following a 9-1-1 call and will discuss community services with them if needs are identified.

“The service coordinator may also travel to residents’ homes, meeting with them one-to-one, which allows her to further assess needs, including completion of a home safety check if the resident is agreeable,” explains Waltermeyer. “She then helps to identify the appropriate community resources to reduce the individual’s risk of falls.”

FIRST was created after a local emergency services captain learned of a similar program in nearby Upper Arlington, OH, called STAY UA, which partners with area churches in a service coordinator program that facilitates keeping seniors and residents with disabilities safely in their homes.

After leaders learned first-hand of their success with linking residents to community services, they had two main goals in bringing this concept to Delaware County: to improve the residents’ quality of life in their homes and to reduce nonemergent 9-1-1 calls.

“A desire to collaborate with local experts and draw on the strengths and talents of emergency services and SourcePoint, with the shared goal of providing exceptional supportive services to Delaware County residents, led to this partnership,” Waltermeyer says.

Overcoming Challenges

One of the primary challenges in launching FIRST was helping legal representatives understand the purpose and value of the program as they worked through their agreement.

“Sharing a strong belief in the value the program brings to the residents of our community has allowed us to continue to persevere through that challenge,” says Waltermeyer.

Miscommunication and misunderstandings regarding the expectations and goals of the program were also a challenge in the early days. Waltermeyer says some first responders were concerned the service coordinators were there to help reduce costs through staffing reductions.

“As with any new partnership initiative, good communication between the organizations at all levels is critical to success,” she says. “Making certain everyone is on the same page has allowed us to work through any roadblocks that surfaced, as well as being open to dispelling misconceptions. Having a shared commitment to the larger goal was crucial in moving forward, always keeping the focus on the service recipients and our community members.”

Positive Impact

The service coordinator actively engages Delaware county residents by assessing their needs, identifying appropriate community resources to help and linking residents to needed in-home services through programs like SourcePoint’s Community Support Program. This program helps to reduce the number of nonemergent EMS runs and assist residents in accessing assistance that maximizes their health, safety and sanitation, enabling them to remain safely in their homes.

In 2014 a survey was sent to individuals who had received a home visit by one of the service coordinators. All who responded expressed satisfaction with the experience. Respondents rated the program highly, especially in the areas of knowledge about topics, belief that the service coordinator listened to them, and feeling things were explained by the service coordinator in a way the resident could understand.

“Based on individuals’ needs, they were given assistance and linked to a variety of services, including home-delivered meals, emergency response units, medication dispensers and in-home supports, just to name a few,” says Waltermeyer.

Collaborating With First Responders

The service coordinator, an employee of SourcePoint, works closely with first responders to engage them in the referral process and educate them regarding the needs of older residents. Working directly with first responders allows the service coordinator to be in the heart of the day-to-day action and hear and see first-hand the needs of local residents that may otherwise go unnoticed, according to Waltermeyer.

“Those daily interactions are also the foundation of building a strong relationship between the service coordinator and first responders, which promotes good communication and builds trust,” she says.

Waltermeyer notes it is vitally important that first responders trust the service coordinator to help the older residents and follow through. It also provides the opportunity for the service coordinator to provide follow-up to the referring EMS workers regarding outcomes.

“Our firefighters, EMTs and paramedics are vital to our community, and the work they do every day is phenomenal,” she says. “Not only are these men and women providing care and comfort to those who have experienced a medical emergency…they share a concern for what happens to individuals once the immediate crisis is over. They think about these individuals in the days, weeks and months after a 9-1-1 call, wanting the individual to be okay.”

That is where SourcePoint’s service coordinator is key. While there are many resources and services available in the community, Waltermeyer says they are able to keep up with the ever-evolving list, eligibility requirements and application processes for local resources.

“Our first responder team members know we are following up with identified individuals to get their needs met,” she says. “In fact, they have shared with us that hearing how individuals have been helped is a relief to them as well. They truly care about the individuals they serve above and beyond the 9-1-1 call.”

Replicating the STAY UA Model

The FIRST program is based on several STAY UA protocols. Waltermeyer says the programs are similar in many ways, with the focus on linking individuals to community resources. A primary difference involves geographical areas: While STAY UA is focused on the area encompassed by the city of Upper Arlington, FIRST has the ability to expand in all areas of Delaware County.

“Currently we have a service coordinator in the City of Delaware and in Liberty Township,” says Waltermeyer. “We continue to look for partnerships throughout the county to expand this collaborative service model. The team involved with STAY UA has been a valuable resource to us in the development of our own program, and we respect and value their collaborative spirit to expand this program to other communities.”

As part of its program, SourcePoint also maintains links with the American Association of Service Coordinators, whose national headquarters is located close by in Powell, OH. Additionally, the organization works with The Ohio State University Office of Geriatrics to stay connected regarding current trends in working with the aging population.

Starting Your Own Program 

If you would like to start something similar in your community, Waltermeyer recommends exploring your community’s needs, resources, opportunities and challenges: ”Engage other community members who have the same goals and outcomes in mind. People are willing to offer information and support when getting a new initiative started. Reach out and network with others who are already offering these or similar services.”

When obstacles arise, address them honestly, directly and with a collaborative spirit, always keeping in mind those you want to serve. 

“And when working toward an agreement, let your attorneys know you are committed to the program and want to find a way to work out the details to serve the community,” she adds.

For more information on the FIRST program or any of the services offered by SourcePoint, contact Fara Waugh, director of client services, at 740-363-6677. 

Daniel Casciato is a freelance writer and social media consultant from Pittsburgh, PA. He makes his living writing about health, law, social media and technology. Follow him on Twitter at @danielcasciato.