09210 Responding to After Hours Calls

TCRC Procedure  │ Service Coordination  │ Procedure # 09210

Responding to After Hours Calls

SCOPE:

This procedure applies to all staff of Tri-Counties Regional Center. Persons served, families, service providers and community agencies will have access to Tri-Counties Regional Center during those hours the office is closed in order to secure assistance with urgent situations requiring service coordination.

The 24-hour response service is for crises and emergencies only.  All other calls will be referred to the service coordinator or office of record on the next business day.  The On-Call Manager will be sensitive to the plans and interventions developed by the existing planning team and is not responsible to redirect or change the Individual Program Plan.  The On-Call Manager will consult with the service coordinator/manager or notify by distribution of Sandis Title 19 Notes and the After-Hours Response Log form which includes a section for recommendations. 

PROCEDURE: 

When Tri-Counties Regional Center is not open for business, there is both a voice mail and answering service option available to callers.  Tri-Counties Regional Center maintains the voice mail greetings and instructions with the necessary information for callers, including an emergency option that connects the caller to the TCRC Answering Service.

1. Callers wanting to leave a message for a staff member, such as to cancel an appointment or request assistance/information are requested to do so.  at the beginning of the next working day and forwarded to the appropriate staff member.
2. Callers who have an URGENT matter that cannot wait for the next working day are instructed to enter “0” to be connected to the after-hours service operator answering service).  These may include critical calls of an emergency nature from a police department, behavioral health agency, hospital, residential program, person served, parent or any person that indicates an immediate response is warranted.

On-call responsibility rotates among Services & Supports and CPP Managers, Assistant Directors, Director of Services & Supports and Director of Community Development who:

1. Have a cellular phone with them at all times while on-call;
2. Take and respond to the calls as quickly as possible; but in no less than 15 minutes.
3. Complete an After-Hours Response Log in order to record the basic information, e.g., who is calling, their telephone number, the time and date, the name of the person served, the issue presented, the action taken, and the follow-up recommended;
4. Distribute the note, according to the directions at the bottom of the After-Hours Response Log form;
5. All Tri-Counties Regional Center service policies and procedures apply in the evening and on the weekend. 
6. Support the use of family, neighbors, private insurance, and mainstream community resources to resolve the problem.  If necessary, help with linking phone calls;
7. In the event that is unsuccessful, refer to other appropriate generic resources.  If necessary, make the linking phone call.
8. If services are currently authorized by Tri-Counties Regional Center, e.g., Independent Living Skills, respite, behavior, etc., help coordinate the use of those funded service(s);
9. If the situation is urgent and requires more information than we have available, contact the assigned service coordinator or supervising manager.  Each manager has a list of cellular phone numbers for all other managers in the event that they need to make contact for more information;
10. Call the Assistant Director or Director of Services & Supports for review and approval when needed;
11. If the situation demands attention but can wait until the next business day, distribute the After-Hours Response Log per the directions at the bottom of the form no later than noon of the next business day.
12. If situation involves a special incident, or a vendor related call, a copy of the After-Hours Response Log should also be distributed to the SIR specialist on the following business day.
13. The Services and Supports Executive Assistant maintain and distributes a schedule of on-call personnel with contact telephone numbers:
    1. The on-call rotation begins at 5 p.m. on Wednesday and ends one week later on Wednesday at 8:30 a.m.
    2. When trading weeks, both parties involved must notify the Executive Assistant in writing, at least one week in advance.  
14. When an inquiry is made about a person served by another regional center, the on-call person facilitates communication with that regional center.  If contact with that regional center cannot be readily made, the on-call person provides any needed assistance.  
15. For any after-hour calls regarding the Tri-Counties Regional Center physical premises, the after-hours on-call manager should forward information to the Facilities and Purchasing Manager, Jeff Barkhorn, on the next business day, 
16. Tri-Counties Regional Center service coordinators are to notify the on-call person and provide her/him with pertinent information when there is anticipated potential for an after-hours emergency (e.g. a missing person served by Tri-Counties Regional Center). 
17. Tri-Counties Regional Center physician must be consulted whenever there is a question about consent needed for any medical, diagnostic or treatment procedure for an adult

Revision Date: 12-14-2022