HD21 - Review of the Statewide Human Services Information and Referral Program in Virginia


Executive Summary:
House Joint Resolution 502 of the 1999 General Assembly Session directed the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC) to evaluate "the effectiveness of the Information and Referral Centers in the Commonwealth" and to determine "whether any legislative changes are necessary to enable the program to work more efficiently." The Statewide Human Services Information and Referral (I&R) program is established in statute as a three-tiered system. These three tiers include: six regional I&R centers, which operate as independent contractors; the Department of Social Services, the State-level agency that administers the program; and an advisory council that recommends standards for improving the I&R system. The purpose of the I&R system is to help link people in need with community services designated to meet those needs.

This study found that Virginia's I&R system is not well developed, even though it has been established for a number of years and has been the focus of numerous studies and recommendations for improvement. In addition, this report also underscores that none of the players in the three-tiered system are currently meeting their statutory responsibilities. The primary reasons include the low priority that information and referral services have received at the State level, lack of awareness by citizens, and insufficient funding. This report addresses the mandate through a series of recommendations that would improve the delivery of information and referral services within the current system.

While the recommended changes to the current structure would improve performance, the larger policy question is whether the General Assembly wants to continue funding the current system. The State needs to consider whether there are alternative arrangements that might be used to more effectively achieve its information and referral objectives. One option is the development and implementation of 211 as a non-emergency information telephone number that could link citizens to designated human resource agencies in their own communities. Another option is the development and implementation of a State-level, World Wide Web internet site with links to all local, regional, and State I&R resources across the Commonwealth. Both options could improve citizen access to needed information about public and private services.

The General Assembly may wish to require the Secretary of Health and Human Resources to consider these as well as other ideas in developing an approach for restructuring the State's information and referral services.