Contained in our release of version 3.87 of iCarol we have loads of enhancements across different areas. Stay tuned for more, and save the date for our next Enhancement Review Webinar tentatively scheduled for Wednesday, September 27 at 2pm Eastern (registration opening soon) to learn about all of them.
For today, though, we wanted to share one big and exciting upgrade to our Messaging services — several items that enhance and improve the experience for your Live Chat visitors who are using mobile devices, as well as tools that allow you to further configure the overall branding and appearance of your Live Chat service on your website.
What’s New?
Chat widget
Traditionally, your iCarol Live Chat invited someone to chat with you using an image embedded into one of your web pages that, when clicked, took the visitor to an iCarol-hosted registration page and the visitor held a chat conversation in an entirely different window outside of your website.
The option to have that workflow remains, however now you can choose to have your chat appear in what we’ve come to recognize as a more typical and modern chat workflow, by offering an icon and option to start a chat from the bottom right of your website as pictured here:
Once opened, the chat widget presents your optional pre-registration questions to the visitor. When those are entered and submitted by the visitor, the chat comes through to your iCarol Messaging queue as it has in the past. Then once the conversation is accepted by your volunteer, staff member or counselor, they’ll handle the conversation within iCarol as they always have, meanwhile the chat visitor will continue to use the widget. Perhaps best of all, this widget is even more mobile friendly to better accommodate your website visitors using devices such as smartphones or tablets to visit your website and begin a chat with your organization.
Chat Widget Configuration
Along with our new widget option is the ability to configure the widget to blend in with your website, matching your color scheme and branding. This includes:
Uploading a logo
Enabling Safe Exit and assigning the exit website
Setting background colors
Selecting font types and colors
We hope you and your website visitors enjoy these new options. We think that your website visitors will enjoy the ease of use and intuitive style of the chat widget, along with how nicely and seamlessly it blends into your site!
The new settings can be found within the Messaging module of your iCarol system and is accessibly by Admins and others with the appropriate security permissions. Please visit the iCarol Help Center to look through our new knowledge base article about these settings and tips on how to use them. If you need additional assistance, you are always welcome to reach out to our Support Team during their normal hours of operation by opening a ticket, sending an email, or starting a chat with them from the Help Center.
iCarol is currently seeking candidates to fill the position of CSIS – Client Support Implementation Specialist.
This is a remote position open to anyone living in the United States or Canada.
The person in this role provides application support to iCarol customers involving implementing new name and back to base sales, answering complex questions, contributing to a knowledge base, and advocating for the needs of the client.
Those with at least 2 years of experience working at a helpline, preferably both on the phones and in an administrative role, and those with at least 2 years of experience as an iCarol Admin are particularly encouraged to apply.
Applications will only be accepted at the Harris Computer Workday site using the Apply button above. Email or phone call solicitations will not be accepted.
Next week, beginning on Monday, August 21st and lasting through Thursday, August 24th our Solutions Expert, Aaron Young, will be at the National Sexual Assault Conference (NSAC) in San Francisco, California.
We first attended this national conference in 2017, though organizations that address sexual violence and help sexual assault survivors have long been a part of the iCarol family. Our first experience at NSAC was exciting and inspiring; we were thrilled by the number of talented and passionate advocates we met. They do invaluable work toward awareness, breaking the silence around rape and sexual assault, preventing violence, and helping those affected by sexual violence heal from their trauma. In the years that followed we welcomed a number of new organizations serving this space into the iCarol network of users, and the Victims Services industry is one of the fastest growing within the iCarol family. We’re eager to attend the conference again this year so we can meet more people doing this amazing work, reconnect with those we met earlier, and show everyone some of the latest solutions we offer to enhance service delivery to survivors.
So, why is iCarol a popular choice with Victim Services agencies who serve people impacted by sexual or intimate partner or domestic violence, human trafficking, and other forms of victimization or abuse?
Some of the top reasons this is such a fast growing industry for iCarol are…
Integrated Live Chat and SMS/Texting – This communication channel is in high demand among those affected by forms of abuse. It’s silent, can be anonymous, and for many people they find it easier to “talk” about this difficult subject through writing rather than speaking out loud. With iCarol you can offer Live Chat or SMS/Texting services through the same platform you use to document your calls and collect data needed for funding, dispatch SAFE accompaniment, offer referrals, manage and track your clients, and all the other services you use in your iCarol system.
Specialized Messaging – iCarol is also an inherently better choice for Live Chat/SMS channels than a generic, out-of-the-box product because of some of the other tools and features elsewhere in this list. Because iCarol has other tools designed specifically for social and human service organizations. That includes built-in risk assessments, triaging, ability to enroll them in programs and services, provide and track resource and referral access, and working with clients over a period of time and not a transactional relationship more common in customer service style interactions.
Privacy and Confidentiality Issues – We understand the unique needs of victims services organizations and how those also play into the safety of the person contacting your organization. All throughout iCarol we offer settings that allow you to decide if or how data is tracked, if Chat/Text conversation transcripts are saved, what data should be digitally “shredded” and after what period of time, etc. We also use the latest and most secure methods of data hosting, architecture, and encryption.
And of course there’s lots more that make our solution a top choice among victim service organizations. If you haven’t already, check out our free eBook on Choosing Software for Survivor Support Services which walks you through the top needs of victims services organizations and helps you organize your thoughts and research around choosing technology that’s best for you.
If you’re going to be at the NSAC conference, please stop by the iCarol booth (#110) and say “hello.” We’re looking forward to the opportunity to answer your questions and hear more about the amazing work you’re doing for sexual violence survivors in your community and beyond.
All the data shows that it is critical for your organization to offer consumers more ways to reach you than just by phone. Phone calls are declining in popularity and offering SMS/Texting and Live Chat to connect with your services is crucial if you want to reach everyone in need, stay relevant, and help more people.
For a limited time, you can add a first or additional Live Chat or SMS/Text Portal to your iCarol system and save 50% off the usual setup costs!
When you integrate these important channels into their iCarol system, you can:
Reach populations of people who either can’t or prefer not to make phone calls
Build rapport and trust by offering a more private way for someone to share their story
Streamline data collection and reporting to include Live Chat/Text
Have complete control over Online/Offline times using your iCarol shift schedule
Access additional reporting on SMS/Text such as offline texts received and overall usage
Plug resource and referral information from your database into the messaging conversation
Triage Live Chat conversations using pre-conversation survey data
Use pre and post conversation information to measure your impact
And much, much more!
This offer is only valid for a limited time — If you haven’t checked out iCarol’s Messaging tools in awhile, now is the time! We have exciting new enhancements coming to Messaging at the end of this month so stay tuned for more information! Also check out these resources to learn more about iCarol Messaging:
After fifty years of serving the sector as the Alliance of Information & Referral Systems (AIRS), the organization has rebranded the organization as Inform USA to better reflect its commitment to its mission and members. The change was announced at its 50th Anniversary Celebration on the evening of July 31 at the organization’s annual conference in Orlando, Florida.
Among the reasons for the name change, Inform USA more closely aligns the organization with its Canadian counterpart and frequent partner and collaborator, InformCanada. The chat bubbles seen in the new logo visually represent the exchange of information its membership provides to the consumers and constituents they serve.
In the announcement, InformUSA explained the balance of the need to preserve the legacy and good works of the organization over the past 50 years, with needed changes around technology, access, and modernization. The organization’s overall mission remains the same, however members are promised greater ease of access to membership benefits, networking, and information via the new and improved website and Member Compass.
The iCarol team is very excited to see our friends at Inform USA take these steps to build a bright future for everyone in the I&R industry. We can’t wait to see what’s next, and offer our sincere congratulations and support!
iCarol is proud to sponsor the upcoming Alliance of Information and Referral Systems (AIRS) Discovery Conference in Orlando, Florida from July 31 through August 2, 2023.
The conference is extra special this year because it will mark a milestone 50 years of AIRS. This is a huge accomplishment definitely worth celebrating. So much has changed in the field of Information and Referral in the last 50 years! What constitutes information and referral services has greatly expanded, as have the types of needs communities experience and request from service providers. The industry started with virtually no technology usage, with organizations managing resource databases and records mostly on paper. Today these agencies have access to technologies, databases, and other tools available both to curate resource and referral information, as well as connect with consumers and document information about their needs both met and met, service gaps, social determinants of health, and much more! iCarol is delighted to be a solution that these organizations use to carry out their work.
And of course, a recent challenge the I&R industry faced was COVID-19. Not only did information and referral agencies encounter an influx of inquiries from an anxious community desperately seeking reliable information and guidance during a scary time, but these agencies themselves were living it, too — pivoting their services and staff to work remotely while facing higher volumes than ever. Clearly, this industry and AIRS as leader in it has seen and done a lot in 50 years, and deserves a moment to pause and celebrate this incredible achievement. We’re excited to be in Orlando celebrating alongside them.
Attend iCarol’s Customer Conference on Sunday
For us, our time in Orlando will start just before the conference officially kicks off, when iCarol hosts our own Customer Conference on Sunday, July 30. Starting at 9:00am we’ll welcome both current and prospective customers to join us for a day of learning and discussion, as well as a full user group session that will help influence iCarol’s development roadmap in the coming years. For information about our customer conference and to register, please visit this page.
Come see us in the Exhibit Hall!
Once the conference officially kicks off, iCarol will be present at our booth in the exhibit hall. Please stop by to chat with us; we’d love to hear about what’s going on at your organization, what projects you have in the works, and if there’s anything we can assist you with. We’ll have some fun giveaway items to share, along with material that shares information on iCarol and the solutions we provide.
Join our main conference session co-hosted by 211 Maryland!
Finally, we are extremely excited to co-present one of the workshop sessions at the conference on Monday, July 31 at 11:30am. Join iCarol’s Senior Product Manager, Crystal McEachern, and President and CEO of 211 Maryland, Quinton Askew, will share “No One Left Behind: A Case Study of Maryland’s Care Coordination Program.” The workshop will explore how 211 Maryland worked with their Department of Health and iCarol to create a process where those visiting emergency departments for mental or behavioral health reasons could access care coordination through 211 Maryland to better connect them with resource that will address the mental or behavioral health needs as well as their social determinants of health.
We wish everyone heading to Florida safe and easy travels, we we look forward to seeing you at AIRS Discovery!
We wanted to post a friendly reminder that iCarol’s Customer Conference is just 10 days away!
The team is excited to provide existing iCarol customers, as well as those who don’t yet use iCarol but would like to learn more about us and our software, with a day of discussion and training related to iCarol capabilities as well as industry-specific information. We’ll share information on:
Data and reporting
Resource management
Care coordination
Closed-loop referral
and iCarol’s future development in a User Group session
This year’s conference will be held at the Renaissance Orlando at SeaWorld on Sunday, July 30. We will be in the Tarpon room located on the second floor of the hotel. Refreshments including coffee, iced tea, water, and donuts will be served at the start of our day. While any travel and lodging costs will be your responsibility, there is no cost to attend this event. We do not plan to record any portion of the customer conference, however we will hold a virtual user group session later this year.
iCarol is the technology provider for the National Council’s 24 hour 1-800-GAMBLER hotline services offered through Chat and SMS/Text. Through the use of NCPG affiliates, this national hotline is staffed 24/7/365 with all calls, chats, and text messages being routed to an affiliate organization serving the help-seeker’s region. Using iCarol’s common messaging queue, all chat and SMS/Text messages are routed to the designated center so that the proper affiliate organization can answer, respond, and provide assistance to those in need.
This industry has experienced a number of changes due to the proliferation of sports betting since 2018 when the United States Supreme Court struck down a law that had prevented most states from allowing sports betting.
Those treating compulsive gambling say calls to their hotlines seeking help have increased significantly in the five years since sports betting was legalized and made available on cell phones. Keith Whyte, executive director of the National Council on Problem Gambling, says calls to the 800-GAMBLER help line have increased by 15% over the last five years as “states began the fastest and largest expansion of gambling in our history.”
The National Council on Problem Gambling does not take a position for or against legalized gambling, according to its mission and values. Instead, it serves as an advocate to mitigate gambling-related harm — advocating for those who are effected by problem gambling, promoting collaborative action of a broad range of people and organizations, treating those affected by problem gambling with respect, and striving to be an objective, accurate and reliable source of information for those who are concerned about problem gambling.
We look forward to the opportunity to support NCPG’s efforts and mission by attending the conference next week. iCarol is always happy to invite new NCPG affiliates to join the 1-800-GAMBLER network. If your problem gambling advocacy organization would like to learn more, please speak to us during exhibition hours at the conference, or schedule a meeting with us!
iCarol is very proud and excited to be an exhibitor at the upcoming USAging (Formerly known as n4a) conference and tradeshow from July 16-17.
This will be iCarol’s fourth year in attending USAging. We are excited to once again celebrate the work of Area Agencies on Aging, Aging and Disability Resource Centers (ADRCs), and other organizations providing services to older adults and their caregivers. In a now post-COVID world, these organizations are readjusting their services and offerings. Many services that quickly adapted to the needs of these populations during COVID-19 have now found that older adults and caregivers want to continue accessing services in the ways they did during the pandemic – virtually or through other new communication channels. And as always as the generation entering adulthood shifts, so too are those expectations from the population in how, when, and where they access services or information. Clearly, we are in a very interesting and exciting time in this industry.
At our booth we’ll have information to share about how iCarol empowers ADRCs, AAAs, and Senior Information Lines, and other services for older adults, individuals with disabilities, and their caregivers to:
Provide social connection and ease loneliness through Telephone Reassurance Programs
Collaborate with Community-Based Organizations to address Social Determinants of Health
Participate in Health/Community Information Exchanges and No Wrong Door initiatives
Provide comprehensive I&R, Closed-Loop referral and collect outcome data
Document information included on reimbursement requests
Meet people on preferred communication channels
Integrate with other software and systems
If you’re attending the conference, be sure to visit the iCarol booth to learn more, download the resources we have available, and contact us with your questions! We invite you to schedule a meeting ahead of time using our convenient online calendar here.
July Is Bebe Moore Campbell National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month, which is also known as BIPOC Mental Health Month.
July was first recognized as Bebe Moore Campbell National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month in 2008, and was created to bring awareness to the struggles that underrepresented groups face regarding mental illness in the US.
Who was Bebe Moore Campbell?
Bebe Moore Campbell was an American author, journalist, teacher, and mental health advocate who worked to expose the mental health needs of the Black community and other underrepresented communities.
Each year Mental Health advocacy organizations launch their public education campaigns dedicated to addressing the mental health needs of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC).
Mental Health America‘s chosen theme for BIPOC Mental Health Month in 2023 is “Culture, Community, & Connection.”
Our lives are deeply intertwined with our environments, and these surroundings impact our mental health and overall wellness. Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) populations are faced with disproportionate amounts of historical trauma and displacement that can challenge their ability to thrive in their environments. However, culture, community, and connection are pillars that support and uplift BIPOC individuals in the face of oppression and systemic racism. Learn more in these resources about how BIPOC communities have thrived.
You can download Mental Health America’s free BIPOC Mental Health Month Toolkit here.
