A Story in Progress in the Lower Savannah Region of South Carolina! April 9, 2008

Transcription

1 Developing A One Call Center A Story in Progress in the Lower Savannah Region of South Carolina! Lynnda Bassham April 9, 2008

2 The Basics Lower Savannah Council of Governments is a Lower Savannah Council of Governments is a regional planning and development agency, working on behalf of local governments in a rural six county region of South Carolina. Our western border is the Savannah River. We operate in many program areas. Two of those include human services and public, private and human service transportation coordination and system development.

3 The Basics Where We Started Six counties, one sliver of one county large urban; rest of region very rural. No real transit agency in region Available transit provided largely by human service agencies, who stepped up by default One exclusive Medicaid non emergency provider ( a human service agency) in each county lots of duplication on out of county trips to medical centers. Many ways to purchase vehicles, not much way to pay for operation of service.

4 How We Started SCDOT funded a study in 1999, which called for our agency to form and lead a Regional Transportation Management Association (RTMA). SCDOT funded LSCOG for a transportation coordination demonstration project in When we began, there was no public transit in four of our six counties Seven years later, the LSCOG model has been adopted dstate wide and all ten COG s are charged with transit coordination and planning responsibilities.

5 First Steps LSCOG formed the RTMA, with an inclusive approach, and brought providers together to explore ways to work together Regional training, drug testing, purchasing led to regional strategic planning and setting the goal of having a regional transportation network and a regional center to help consumers find rides and help hl coordinate local l providers

6 Stars Aligning As United We Ride and Mobility Management were being conceived, the Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC) concept was coming to life. LSCOG became South Carolina s Pilot ADRC in 2003 one of the 1 st ten in the nation; ADRC s are one call centers for information and assistance for older adults and adults with ih disabilities.

7 Becoming a One Call Center: First ADRC, Then Transit Developing eeop gsouth Carolina s a ADRC helped epedto build a state wide web based resource data base, established LSCOG as a one call center with certified information specialists hl helping callers on a vast array of topics and solidified additional partnerships with local organizations. LSCOG decided to build consumer focused transportation assistance and coordination onto the ADRC structure and to add transit information to the resource directory on the web.

8 Coordination At Work Locally LSCOG pursued the regional vision and, at the same time, worked in local communities We helped local leaders to create new public transit systems in SC s poorest and most rural counties with no new vehicles Enabled public to buy tickets for available human service vehicle seats, using a mobility management approach one call to mobility manager matched passengers to rides!

9 And More Stars LSCOG partnered with the SC Lieutenant Governor s Office on Aging to apply for a Systems Transformation Grant tfrom Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. We were funded in 2005( one of ten in the country) to help develop and implement our mobility one call center as an expansion of our ADRC in this five year grant! Under its Mobility Services for All Americans and United We Ride initiatives, USDOT, in late 2006, selected us as one of eight national projects to do in depth technology planning for the mobility one call center that work is nearing completion now. Two of those eight projects will be funded for implementation!

10 Systems Transformation and Mobility Services for All Americans Both grants are helping us plan and develop a Both grants are helping us plan and develop a mobility one call center known as the Travel Management Coordination Center (TMCC). Building onto the ADRC is a model with replication potential across the country, as there are increasing numbers of ADRC s across the US. We have a design team of consultants who are helping us develop the TMCC detailed plans.

11 ADRC s Nationwide

12 Mobility Management With help from the Systems Transformation grant and Federal Transit Administration mobility management funds, LSCOG added a mobility manager to our staff almost a year ago. While we develop plans for a full blown Travel Management Coordination Center (TMCC), our mobility manager now takes calls from the public seeking rides under a variety of options in multiple counties.

13 Mobility Manager/One Call Center Our Mobility Manager s job consists of Gathering and updating information on transportation resources in the region Helping callers, oneperson at thetime time, to findrides Certifying callers as eligible for various transit programs ( ie 5310, ADA para transit, 5311, etc.) and linking them to transit providers Advocating for consumers to get service from local provider agencies Helping to find solutions to unique transportation problems Tracking and documenting un met needs

14 Travel Agent LSCOG s mobility manager age thinks sof herself ese as a travel agent for each caller, helping to focus on the consumer s needs and helping to find the best option for meeting them. In a one call center, focus changes from routes and groups to individuals id and destinations. It is helpful that a number of the federal operatingfundsfor for transitpassthrough through the LSCOG, so that they can be most effectively used in a coordinated system.

15 What s In Place Now? LSCOG helped local providers in the RTMA to acquire common scheduling and dispatching software, through SCDOT LSCOG applied and received a grant from FTA for digital it radio equipment for local providers, which helps RTMA provider network to communicate with each other and to have the potential to tie in with emergency management and law enforcement in an emergency One local mobility manager servestwo counties shared seat, interagency public transit systems; another is in the LSCOG regional office.

16 What s Planned? Technology enabled information, assistance and coordination center to help with transit and many other human services and health related issues with one call Web based access to making trip requests, cancellations, etc. Network of transit providers linked through commitment to teamwork and shared technology; LSCOG will help hl them to expand opportunities. Regional phone system that will be capable of directing all calls to one call center as needed and making reverse calls, reminder calls, inclement weather calls, etc. On board mobile data terminals and vehicle location technology to keep track of current vehicle location, track service data and streamline reporting Scheduling and dispatching software to help group trips and increase efficiency Cross trainingfor referrals back and forth among mobility and human services information and assistance centers Potential for service brokerage among provider network to increase coordination and efficiency New provider partners encouraged to help fill gaps in a cooperative network

17 Convenience and Efficiency Consumers will be able to get information from web site, interactive voice mail or a live person! By making betteruse of existing resources, new transportation resources will become available. Serviceoptions will become betterableto to meet more consumer needs. Serviceagencieswillhaveassistanceto assistance to meet consumer needs.

18 Next We are now seeking funding for the needed technology and putting together an operational budget and sustainability plan. We will design for our vision, but will be prepared to scale up operations in accordance with resources. Advice??? Assess your community s needs and resources, be inclusive, have a vision and a plan, form a team, minimize turf issues and just get started; as long as you make forward progress you are succeeding!

19 For more information Lynnda Bassham Director, Human Services Lower Savannah hcouncil of Governments PO Box 850 Aiken, SC