Linkages Transition Program

A Link During Transition
Individuals and families facing multiple barriers to self-sufficiency need reliable communications even after obtaining jobs or housing. Many simply do not have funds to obtain their own telephones, especially if they are attempting to repay large past-due bills. For example, locating housing often means the loss of TCCVM-cutting off the vital connection to prospective employers, case managers, clinics and other community resources.

Now former TCCVM clients don't have to try to purchase expensive commercial voice mail services as they work to continue the progress begun as a client.

The Linkages Transition Program is designed for clients who achieve their initial goals through participating TCCVM agencies but for whom obtaining their own phone is not yet a possibility. The goal of Linkages: to assist those who have made good starts toward independence maintain that progress with no-cost transition TCCVM service.

Thanks to the assistance of The St. Paul Foundation, a two-year project to test the Linkages Transition Program is underway.

TCCVM's 340 participating agencies can now offer clients who have successfully completed initial service an additional six months of free voice mail. 150 new TCCVM Direct Inward Dial (DID) numbers help them make the transition from agency client to independence.

Agency staff:
• Recommend clients for up to six months of Linkages service following successful completion of goals
• Enroll them on Linkages numbers they have received from TCCVM


Clients:
• Achieve positive outcomes on goals set previously with agency staff
• Use TCCVM numbers only for legal purposes and must agree to have their use monitored by TCCVM
• Use Linkages service for up to 6 months at no cost


TCCVM:
• Provides 100 TCCVM numbers for Linkages use and transfers clients to them at the recommendation of agency staff
• Advises clients approaching the 6-month time limit of the date at which service will be terminated
• Removes clients who have reached their time limit, who are not using their voice mail numbers, and any found to be conducting illegal activity using their voice mail
• Evaluates the Linkages program to help determine its effectiveness in moving clients toward self-sufficiency during the final six months of the grant period