Bernalillo County and the City of Albuquerque are collaborating on an initiative they say will improve access to food, housing and behavioral health services.
The city and county are partnering with the software company Unite Us to offer a “secure and efficient way to connect residents to the services they need,” according to a Bernalillo County news release.
The city and county began working with Unite Us in April and hope to launch the new system later this summer. Doña Ana County, Santa Fe County and Presbyterian Health Services have also collaborated with Unite Us.
“Health is measured in more than just medical care. Food security, housing security,
transportation and child care are all critical to the health of our communities, so we’re making
sure people can get connected to the right help for them,” Mayor Tim Keller said in the release.
This initiative includes a new digital platform expected to improve the efficiency of the referral process so fewer people are “falling through the cracks,” according to the release.
Katie Simon, spokesperson for the Department of Health, Housing and Homelessness, said the new system is similar to a closed-loop referral system that hospitals use.
“It is like the way hospitals can send patient information and hand off referrals between medical agencies within their own closed-loop network so it keeps privacy protected,” Simon said. “We don’t have a similar system right now for medical to cross over to social service.”
The new system will allow health care providers and community organizations to screen residents for issues like food insecurity or housing instability. Then, a referral can be sent to the appropriate organization so residents receive help.
In the release, Erin Willis, senior director of customer success at Unite Us, said the platform is designed to break down barriers between health care providers and social care service organizations to ensure individuals receive the care they need.
Simon said residents will be able to use the platform themselves to see available services and — if they don’t have access to a device — there are city facilities where they can go to use one in order to get entered onto the platform. She said once the system is launched, there will be more information about how it looks from a user and organization perspective.