Chat and Text: A New Way to Access I&R

What is Text?• Text messaging, or texting, is the act of typing

and sending a brief, electronic message between two or more mobile phones , fixed or portable devices over a phone network.

History of Text

• 1920 – RCA Communications, New York introduced the first "telex" service. • SMS messaging was used for the first time on December 3, 1992• Today, text messaging is the most widely used mobile data service

What is Chat?

• Online chat may refer to any kind of communication over the Internet, that offers a real-time direct transmission of text-based messages from sender to receiver.

History of Chat

• The first online chat system was called Talkomatic, created in 1974 on the PLATO System at the University of Illinois• The first dedicated online chat service that was widely available to the public was the CompuServe CB Simulator in 1980,[1][2] created by CompuServe. Ancestors include network chat software such as UNIX "talk" used in the 1970s.

AIRS Chat Survey

• 12% of respondents currently provide Chat but over 50% believe it is an “absolute” in the immediate future

• Less than 15% are planning to make that move over the next 12 months

• Software, training, best practices

April 2013, 332 respondents

Getting Management Buy-In

• Potential access to new funding• Doing more without costing more• Improved Stakeholder Access Case Managers & Administrators• Improved Client AccessHearing / Speech ImpairedNo phone / no minutesNext GenerationReduces perceived stigma

Managing the Paradigm Shift

• Introducing the concept to your team– Advance training

• Dealing with staff concerns– Fear of technology– Crisis intervention– Length of interaction / multi-tasking

• Rolling it out

Recruiting & Training New Staff

• What makes a good chatter/texter?– Open to new ideas– Good typing skills (45wpm)– Empathy assessment/ Emotional Vocabulary

• Best Practice– NSPL– ABC’s of I&R– Shadowing & Quality Assurance

Identifying Current Staff

• Strong written communication skills• Strong typing skills• Ability to multi task• Previous experience

Professional Communication

• Use Summarization• Reflect Feelings• Use Clarifying

Questions• Use Proper

grammar/spelling

• No abbreviations• No slang• No emoticons• No CAPS• No joking

Emoticons: How Do They Make You Feel?

Chat & Text and the I&R Process

• Greeting• Assess client’s need• Active Listening

• Data Collection• Provide resources• Closing

I&R Process: What’s Missing

I&R Process: What’s MissingGreeting

Assessment

Minimal Data

Resources

Closing

What’s Missing?

Details Are Important

Challenges

• Multi Tasking• Response Time• Length of Chat• Language barriers• Assumptions• Crisis vs. I & R• Unable to hear client’s tone

Quality Assurance

• Self evaluation• Monitoring while chat is occurring• Reviewing previous chats• Post chat survey• Follow up with client

Crisis Chats & Texts

• Is the client alone?• Active Listening• Risk assessment• Emergency Intervention• Offer Follow Up

Active Listening

Is Emergency Intervention Possible?

• Gain cooperation from the person at risk

• Use active listening and clarifying questions to get the details of the clients situation

• Take detailed notes to share with emergency responders

Locating a Chatter• Locate the chatter’s IP address via your chat software• Use http://whatismyipaddress.com/ to locate the

Internet Service Provider who owns the IP address• Reach out to the local 9-1-1 if the ISP includes a

general location• Educate the police about

http://www.search.org/programs/hightech/isp/ that allows them to locate the 24/7 number for all ISP’s so they can request a location for the IP address you gave them.

Text Beyond I&R

• Fund Raising• Volunteering• Donations• Mapping• Event Registration• Surveys• Disaster Response…….

Software

• Click and Chat– http://www.clickandchat.com/

• TextTom Evans, Chief Executive Educational Message Services tom@emsmail.org www.educationalmessageservices.com

Text Print Screen

Questions?

• Larry Olness, larry.olness@hfuw.org

• Caree Jewell, caree.jewell@hfuw.org