RussBus is a nonprofit serving the homeless community in Russellville, Arkansas. The organization's ultimate goal is to transition people out of homelessness so that they never become homeless again. This requires more than a one-time service, a handout, or a referral.
According to Director of Daily Operations Nikki Stone, long-term accountability and communication between the various service providers is essential to keep a homeless person who is getting assistance moving forward and encouraged throughout the process.
Stone said HopeHub's online, collaborative case management system is reshaping how she is able to provide help to those in need. "A lot of what HopeHub provided, we were already kind of doing but it was complicated," said Stone.
Previous forms of communication between providers or referrals like texting or calling often resulted in "phone tag," unreturned messages, or miscommunications that prolonged the process and kept participants from being able to access services as quickly.
Another aspect of HopeHub that Stone believes has made all the difference is the ability to maintain HIPAA compliance while using the software. Stone gives an example of a participant who needs to attend a therapy session in order to receive a service. Prior to the implementation of HopeHub, getting confirmation that the participant had attended therapy was difficult because the doctor was not allowed to even confirm that the participant was a patient.
Within HopeHub, there are compliance forms that allow Stone and others like her who are using the system to know the therapy requirement was met and next steps can be taken.
The system also allows for selective sharing between providers to further protect the privacy of those getting assistance, a feature Stone said is particularly crucial for those who are impacted by substance abuse.
"I'm a one-person team," says Stone, "so I can only do so much. I need a system like this."
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