Community Action Collaborative
An Action Lab is a community process to collectively develop solutions, goals, and an action plan to address a systems change. A “100 Day Challenge,” takes place, where intervention strategies that were developed are implemented into our community.
From September 2016-January 2017, NCHA embarked on a community-based Action Lab to create inter-agency interventions to improve responses to non-emergency 9-11 calls that result in unnecessary Emergency Department (ED) visits or arrests.
Action Lab Goals
- Better understand the scope of challenges faced by law enforcement/first responders when working with high utilizers of the system
- Develop better system integration and responses to non-emergent 911 calls to provide law enforcement with alternatives to ED and/or jail
- Identify health/human services needs for better system integration of resources
Aim Statement
Develop and implement a new coordinated agency system to allow data sharing among involved agencies and develop a by name list of 125 individuals, those of which we will screen/assess and educate 85 on non-emergent calls and ED use, and connect 65 of those with the appropriate resources within 100 days in Greeley, Colorado.
Results
- Outreached for 142 individuals: 97 Diversion and 45 Prevention
- All 142 individuals were connected with resources
- The community health workers partnered with the Guadalupe Shelter and successfully assisted 9 homeless individuals with the appeals process to get them into the shelter.
- DHS and North Range Behavioral Health improved their relationship with the jail for discharge planning with inmates and enrolling them on Medicaid.
- Successfully wrapped one of the most complex individuals on the by-name list and she is now safe and receiving the needed care. This individual was known in the community for over use of the system for over 20 years.
- Ongoing agency collaboration with urgent responders, law enforcement, the justice system and other human services agencies for diversion to appropriate services