If someone were looking for help after military service, they wouldn't need another long list of program names. They would need to know who could help them with what, and how to start connecting with that person or organization. A local resource list will be most useful when it is organized around the real decisions that need to be made by Wisconsin veterans and their families. Therefore, the best way to set up a local resource list is to first set up some standards for what you will add to the list, then record limits as well as benefits, and then assign ongoing maintenance to the best person.
Start with the decisions readers need to make
More crucial to organize resources around the situations in which a veteran or family member of a veteran would need help. That means organizing under 'Employment', 'Mental Health', 'Legal Assistance' and so on. But there should also be a general starting point for those newly returning from military service and not sure where to begin.
Use simple and descriptive categories. Avoid using internal labels that would not make sense to someone using the list under stress. Remember that the next step must change in distinct categories. For example, financial counseling, emergency food assistance, and benefits navigation all may overlap in some areas but all provide different types of responses to problems. Therefore, use the category "Housing and Basic Needs" rather than "Social Stabilization".
Each resource should have a short description for the services a particular organization or program offers to help explain who the services are for, the types of services they can provide, and contact information to start the process for services they offer. Try to rephrase promises and keep them short. For example, "They may help with benefits questions" is more accurate than "They will secure your benefits for you".
Set an entry standard before collecting names
One can't gather too many programs without allowing the directory to fall into an "open content" realm of dubious quality. Thus, first one needs to determine a reasonable set of criteria for accepting an organization into the directory, e.g. a recognizable service area, a public contact method, a clear and descriptive service offered, and the organization still accepts phone calls.
Then simply record the practical access details in the same format for every entry.
– Organization or program name
– Primary service category
– Geographic area served
– Contact method and preferred first step
– Eligibility limits or referral requirements
– Cost information, if publicly stated
– Accessibility or language notes, when confirmed
– Date last verified
– Name or role of the person who checked it
Just because a listing shows a phone number and a website, doesn't mean the program is currently active. Web pages stay up for a long time after a program has closed. Mark listings that you cannot confirm for review instead of sending people to them in error.
Verify the details that create the most friction
The most friction-provoking details in a program description (i.e., those which deter the greatest number of veterans and their families from approaching a provider) should receive the greatest amount of checking for accuracy. Typically this would include descriptions of a program's eligibility, service area, intake process, appointment process, fee(s) and whether or not referrals are required to receive services.
Some programs serve all veterans but only certain discharge statuses. Others help families only if the veteran is already a client of that program and served by a related service. Others may be based in a particular county but all services are initiated by phone for the first appointment.
Verify a detail affecting access to services by cross-checking with more than one person or source (e.g. a current official government web page supporting a listing). Verify hours, intake process and program availability by directly contacting provider or service listed. Note that for public benefits, health care and legal assistance services requirements may change. Verify current information with responsible office.
Make the first contact less intimidating
Acknowledging the frustration of having to leave a message, it would be helpful to state in the entry the preferred mode of contact (e.g. an intake form on a website, an office phone number, a walk-in process, referral by another professional, etc.). Also, preparation for the first contact would be helpful (e.g. bringing certain information such as contact information for self and family members, copies of discharge papers, etc.). In addition, indication of whether they take appointments or if they are a "drop-in" center would be very helpful.
Where useful, detail what a person can expect to need to bring with them to a service, such as contact details, copies of discharge documents, details of their household etc. Do not ask people to supply sensitive information over unsecured forms or by email unless a provider has told you that they are happy to accept such information.
Also list the alternative contact that the directory maintainer verified, such as the number for the relevant public agency, for another listing in the same directory, or for more general assistance. For very time-sensitive needs (e.g. an urgent safety problem), link to the most current official emergency or crisis information, rather than an unverified phone number that may go unanswered.
Protect privacy while making the list useful
A public directory of services should contain information that describes services offered and how to access them. There should be no information that would divulge information about clients or their families that would put them at risk of being identified. This would be the case even in very small towns where a seemingly anonymous example could easily be recognized by others in the community.
Similarly, when listing contacts of volunteers, it is critical to recognize the potential for transfer to other roles within the organization and to create directory listings that utilize contact points that reside with the organization rather than an individual volunteer.
Separate the public-facing information (that the reader would like to see) from the internal notes for how you managed to verify the information (that no one wants to read). Determine who in your organization needs to be able to read these notes, and ensure that the appropriate access permissions have been granted, and that they are removed at an appropriate time (e.g. delete the pending confirmation note once the confirmation has been received).
Build a maintenance routine that survives busy weeks
Just as you verify information before you publish it, you will verify information after you publish it. You will set a date to review each listing (an "access date" or "verify date"), and a status (e.g. "confirmed", "needs review", "under correction", "removed"). You can use a spreadsheet to organize the list of listings and verify dates. Or you can use a content-management system (cms) to organize the list on your website and verify dates for each entry.
Much simpler to establish a review rhythm based on the volatility of the information (e.g. frequently changing hours, intake methods etc.) than to set reminders for review of organ-centric 'about us' type copy. All parties (readers and service providers) should have a monitored way to report errors in listings.
Don't quietly remove or un-publish listings you are unable to verify. Instead, add a review note to un-verified listings, make sure they are not near the top of search results, remove them from the main listings list and maintain the listing in the directory's internal database record with the reason for removal noted.
How useful is your local resource directory? Measuring a directory's worth in terms of length is wrong. The best indicator of a good local resource directory is whether it has enabled the user to take action of some sort and to know the scope of what you have found to help them in their search.
