2 1 1 uwcf inclusion exclusion policy

United Way of Central Florida 2-1-1 Inclusion/Exclusion Policy 2-1-1 United Way of Central Florida maintains and makes available to the public a comprehensive, up-to-date, Community Resource Database (“database”) of social, educational, legal, community/recreational, consumer protection, and health and human services (“services”). The Inclusion/Exclusion policy in compliance with standards set by the governing body AIRS (Alliance for Information and Referral) provides the criteria by which agencies and services are included or excluded. Inclusion/Exclusion of an agency or program does not imply endorsement or disapproval. Agencies offering services provide the information listed in the database. 2-1-1 United Way of Central Florida reserves the right to edit information for brevity, clarity and content and to publish the information in a variety of media subject to confidentiality issues.

Inclusion in the database is provided free of charge to organizations that meet the criteria within this policy.

Inclusion is a privilege and 2-1-1 United Way of Central Florida reserves the right to remove or exclude any organization from its database for any reason.

Criteria for Inclusion To be included in the 2-1-1 database, an organization must:  Provide social, educational, legal, community/recreational, consumer protection, health or human services (“services”) for residents of Polk, Highlands, and Hardee County;  Provide services for free, at a low/reduced fee, on a sliding scale fee, or with scholarships for residents who cannot afford private sector services;  Demonstrate provision of service for at least six (6) months;  Have an available contact person, location and telephone number for the service. Using an answering machine or email is acceptable;  When applicable, provide proof of credentialing (e.g. licensure, certification, accreditation) as required by any regulating organization;  When applicable, provide the letter of determination of 501(c) tax-exempt status on the on IRS/Department of Treasury letterhead;  Complete an annual update verifying accuracy of the organization’s services.

An organization must be catagorized as one or more of the following: 1. A not-for-profit 501(c) tax-exempt organization providing services to the residents of Polk, Highlands and Hardee County, Florida; a. Faith-based congregations, ie, churches, synagogues or mosques, that offer social services to the community at large and not solely to current or former members.

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b. Local civic/service groups or social clubs offering services to the community at large (nonmembers/clients) and not solely their current or former members/clients.

A professional association providing specialized services (e.g. specialized Information & Referral); a. Professional associations providing services funded through a private foundation. b. Organized, professional societies that provide information and referrals.

A governmental (city, county, state, and federal) and/or quasi-public agency providing services to residents of Polk, Highlands and Hardee County, Florida; NOTE: No attempt will be made to list all governmental agencies and/or departments A self-help support group, advocacy group, community coalition, ombudsmen, community health clinic/service, or acute care hospital (a) sponsored or administered by a not-for-profit organization, professional association, or governmental agency and (b) provides services for free, at low or reduced fee, on a sliding scale or with scholarships. (NOTE: Not all services offered will be included; just the services provided for free, at low or reduced fee, on a sliding scale or with scholarships.)

A local, state, or national toll-free hotline, helpline, information line, or information and referral line, or website sponsored or administered by a not-for-profit organization, professional association, or governmental agency providing services that can be accessed by the residents in Polk, Highlands, and Hardee County; A not-for-profit organization, professional association, or governmental agency serving limited target population shall be reviewed for inclusion on a case-by-case basis.

The following may be considered for inclusion: 1. Organizations that operate without a formal office by supplying information on state, regional, or national headquarters for inclusion; 2. Elected local, state and federal officials and representatives; 3. Not-for-profit 501(c) tax-exempt organizations, professional associations, or governmental agencies located outside Polk, Highlands and Hardee County that provide services to residents of Polk, Highlands and Hardee County that are not available locally or are more conveniently located than local resources; 4. Self-governed, non-tax exempt, or for-profit organizations/associations providing services for free, at low/reduced fee, on a sliding scale or with scholarships; a. This includes self-help support groups, advocacy groups, community coalitions, ombudsmen, community health clinics/services, and acute care hospitals that are not offered through a sponsoring/administrating organization (e.g. not-for-profit organization, professional association, or governmental agency) but are self-governed providing services for free, at low/reduced fee, on a sliding scale or with scholarships. b. This includes private sector providers in which services are free, at low/reduced fee, on a sliding scale or with scholarships. c. This includes for-profit organizations providing services (a) not adequately addressed or readily available by not-for-profit organizations, professional associations, or governmental agencies

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and (b) provide services for free, at a low/reduced fee, on a sliding scale or with scholarships (i.e. programs that meet court diversion requirements or that provide unique or difficult to access services). Inclusion is based upon uniqueness of service, lack of comparable services and degree of need for the service. d. This includes for-profit organizations receiving subsidies that pay for services provided. e. This includes for-profit organizations providing services that meet and provide proof of state licensing requirements (e.g. hospitals, home health care agencies, intermediate care homes, retirement homes, independent living facilities, assisted living facilities, nursing homes, substance abuse treatment programs, mental health services, charter schools, etc.).

Criteria for Exclusion or Removal 2-1-1 United Way of Central Florida database does not include/excludes an organization, and services thereof, that: 1. Does not meet the inclusion requirements; 2. Does not provide a direct service or information about direct services; 3. Has no organizational oversight; a. This includes standalone self-help support groups with no oversight from an organization with a board of directors. b. This includes organizations operating without having a legal corporate filing (e.g. Article of Incorporation) and operating without a board of directors.

4. 2-1-1 United Way of Central Florida knows, or has reasonable basis to believe, may have a philosophy that could harm the the well-being of individuals, groups or the community as a whole; a. Evidence of such philosophies may include, but is not limited to, exclusion of certain populations or individuals by denial of service/service non-delivery, fraud, misrepresentation, criminal activities, discrimination, etc. on the basis of membership in any class(es) protected under local, state or federal anti-discrimination law such as race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, familial status, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability status, veteran status, etc. b. Evidence of such philosophies may include, but is not limited to, records of serious complaints.

Such complaints may be lodged with any regulatory body, with other organizations in the database or with 2-1-1 United Way of Central Florida itself.

5. Engages in or promotes fraudulent activities or activities that violate local, state or federal laws or regulations; 6. Does not supply proper credentialing or tax documentation when requested to do so; 7. Does not have an established address, phone and/or consistently available contact person; 8. Serves current or former members/clients only and/or a very narrow population; a. This includes faith-based congregations that offer no services to the community at large. b. This includes local civic/service groups or social clubs that offer no services to the community at large. c. This includes organizations that service less than five non-members/clients a month.

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9. Offers “services” for which there is a “standard rate” that pays an individual or group for the service; a. This includes private practitioners and group of practitioners of professional services, or other credentialed individuals, which provide a service that is readily available in the not-for-profit or governmental sectors. b. This includes for-profit organizations that provide a service that is readily available in the notfor-profit or governmental sectors.

10. For which an entity adequately maintains current data and provides central referral for the service (e.g., Child Care Resource & Referral, Physician Referral, etc.)

11. Does not respond to repeated requests for updates to information (annual updates).

Quality Control and Referral Evaluations Each organization may be reviewed by 2-1-1 United Way of Central Florida’s Information & Referral Database Manager at any time against this policy and other third-party sources. Illegitimate organizations or organizations defrauding the public, violating laws or engaging in questionable fundraising or administrative practices may be excluded or removed from the database. 2-1-1 United Way of Central Florida takes into consideration information obtained from third-party sources to base decisions on inclusion/exclusion or removal.

2-1-1 United Way of Central Florida does not evaluate the quality of services provided by an organization in the database. 2-1-1 United Way of Central Florida assists residents by offering relevant information on local services. To maintain neutrality, 2-1-1 United Way of Central Florida provides, when appropriate and possible, three different referrals. 2-1-1 United Way of Central Florida refers complaints about an organization to the appropriate regulating organization. If a significant number of similar and serious completes are received about an organization, 2-1-1 United Way of Central Florida may remove the organization from the database. 2-1-1 United Way of Central Florida does not directly investigate complaints against an organization; however, 2-1-1 United Way of Central Florida reserves discretion to exclude or remove an organization based on a complaint in order to maintain the integrity of the Information & Referral service.

Annual Updates Annual Updates ensure the residents of Polk, Highland, and Hardee County receive accurate Information & Referrals on services provided. Organization that do not respond to 2-1-1 United Way of Central Florida’s Annual Update risk the possibility of becoming excluded or removed from the database. 2-1-1 United Way of Central Florida reserves the right to edit information for brevity, clarity and content; and to publish the information in a variety of media, subject to confidentiality issues.

Uniform Application If a discrepancy occurs, an organization or 2-1-1 United Way of Central Florida may appeal an inclusion/exclusion of a service. Contact

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2-1-1 United Way of Central Florida’s Information & Referral Database Manager by (a) mailing a written request and reasons for the appeal to 2-1-1 United Way of Central Florida (address below) or (b) submit an email to the 2-1-1 United Way of Central Florida’s Information & Referral Database Manager (email address below).

Political and Social Affiliation 2-1-1 United Way of Central Florida maintains neutrality on political and social affiliations. The 2-1-1 United Way of Central Florida database does not endorse any one political or social affiliation; however, any political or social affiliation that may affect a resident in selecting a resource should be including within the database (e.g. a religious affiliation that is required in order to obtain services).

Exemptions 2-1-1 United Way of Central Florida reserves the right to make exceptions to this inclusion/exclusion policy and may choose to include organizations based on the following criteria:  Specialized services during community disaster  The organization is deemed to be in the best interest of those served;  Organizations operating for less than six (6) months may be included on a trial basis with ongoing monitoring to ensure accuracy of service information and ongoing provision of services;  Services provided for free, at low/reduced fee, on a sliding scale or with scholarships are not qualified at a “standard rate” service;  A review conducted by the 2-1-1 Director and Database Manager on a case-by-case basis.

Disclaimer 2-1-1 United Way of Central Florida, Inc. reserves the right to exclude or remove an agency or program. An excluded agency or program may appeal by submitting a written request and either (a) mail the documents to 2-1-1 United Way of Central Florida (address below) or (b) submit an email to 2-1-1 United Way of Central Florida’s Information & Referral Database Manager (email address below). All appeals will be reviewed by the 2-1-1 Director and the Advisory Board. Appealing entities will receive a written decision at the end of a 30-day period.

The Inclusion of an agency or program in the database does not imply endorsement nor does the exclusion of an agency or program indicate disapproval. Agencies provide the information about themselves and their programs; 2-1-1 United Way of Central Florida neither guarantees nor makes any representation as to the accuracy or completeness of the information contained about the entity in the database. Organizations included within the database agree to maintain accurate information and report any changes to 2-1-1 United Way of Central Florida’s Information & Referral Database Manager.

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2-1-1 United Way of Central Florida does not assume, warrant, or guarantee quality of services and disclaims any and all responsibility and/or liability that may be asserted or claimed resulting from or arising out of reliance upon the information and procedures presented by the agency or program in the database. 2-1-1 United Way of Central Florida reserves the right to edit information for brevity, clarity and content and to publish the information in a variety of media, subject to confidentiality issues.

Contact Information Information & Referral Database Manager 2-1-1 United Way of Central Florida PO Box 1357, Highland City, FL 33846 211DatabaseManger@uwcf.org 863-648-1500, ext. 268

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