When children and families move from one service to the next, they can easily be set back by the complex and differing intake procedures between organizations, requiring them to repeat their history multiple times. In combination with more broader systemic changes that make family referrals easier, a warm handoff can make all the difference for ensuring families are smoothly transferred from one service to the next.
In our work at SPI with Transiton-Age Youth with intellectual or developmental disabilities (TAY-I/DD) through the Navigating Change program, we utilize warm handoffs with our partner agencies to support our families through the referral process once they finish our Navigating Change program. Warm handoffs are vital to the success of our programs, and for the success of the families we serve.
SPI recently presented at the 2nd Annual Alliance for Children’s Rights Warm Hand-off event about how we have incorporated warm handoffs in our programming. We also heard from other organizations about how warm handoffs are used in their work.
Here are a few reminders our team walked away with:
- A warm handoff should transfer the person’s trust from you to the new system or contact.
- A warm handoff should decrease the need for families to repeat their entire story to a new contact/system.
- A successful warm handoff should help the individual feel comfortable enough to move forward with the new contact without needing to return to the previous support person.
Trust is an important aspect of our work, especially when our families come to us exhausted by their own search. As care providers, we must ensure that any transitions or referrals we initiate are done as smoothly as possible, allowing our families to move forward confidently.
Learn more about our Navigating Change program here.
