Beyond Online Intake: Looking at Triage and Expert Systems

December 4, 2013

Presenters Mike Grunenwald

DC Bar Pro Bono Program

Gwen Daniels

Illinois Legal Aid Online

Gordon Shaw

Massachusetts Justice Project

Liz Keith Pro Bono Net Mirenda Watkins(Moderator) Pro Bono Net

What We Will Cover Today

• What is triage and what’s it’s relationship to online intake?

• Why online intake and triage? How does it help low-

income individuals and members of the communities served by legal service organizations and courts?

• How has technology and expert systems enabled and

changed the way online intake and triage is approached?

Defining the Terms: Triage

Triage- varying definitions exist, triage tools can be advocate and public facing

Defining the Terms: Intake

Intake –can be described as the process a legal non-profit (including a pro bono project) uses to accepting or rejecting clients based on articulated criteria. It includes data collection, review, acceptance or denial, notification to the applicant, and referrals for all.

Defining the Terms: Online Intake

Online intake= online application tool + online intake system

Some Technology Tools Used for Online Intake and Triage

• A2J Author (http://www.a2jauthor.org/drupal/)

• Neota Logic (www.neotalogic.com/technology)

• Form Router (http://www.formrouter.com/)

• Wufoo (http://www.wufoo.com/)

2013 TIG-Funded Online Intake and Triage Projects

TRIAGE • Montana Legal Services Association • Pine Tree Legal Assistance (Maine) • New Mexico Legal Aid

ONLINE INTAKE

• Center for Arkansas Legal Services

• Legal Services of Greater Miami

• Southeast Louisiana Legal Services Corp

• North Penn Legal Services

• Legal Services Law Line of Vermont

See: http://tig.lsc.gov/sites/lsc.gov/files/TIG/pdfs/TIG-2013grants.pdf

Resources • American Bar Association’s Standards for the Provision of Civil Legal Aid: http://www.probono.net/link.cfm?22268

• ABA Model Rules Revisions Include Technology - What Attorneys Must Know - See more at:

http://www.lawlogix.com/blog/aba-model-rules-revisions-include-technology-what-attorneys-must-

know#sthash.iWyazgVA.dpuf

• The Access to Justice “Sorting Hat” — Towards a System of Triage and Intake that Maximizes Access and Outcomes, 89

Denv. U. L. Rev. 859 (2012): http://www.zorza.net/Sorting-Hat.pdf

• Triage Protocols for Litigant Portals: A Coordinated Strategy Between Courts and Service Providers

http://ncsc.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/ctadmin/id/2045, Prepared by Tom Clarke, National Center for State

Courts. Richard Zorza, Self-Represented Litigation Network, Katherine Alteneder, Self- Represented Litigation Network

• Using Technology to Enhance Access to Justice, Harvard Journal of Law & Technology. Volume 26, Number 1 Fall 2012:

http://jolt.law.harvard.edu/articles/pdf/v26/26HarvJLTech241.pdf

• Previous LSNTAP/PBN Online Intake Webinar Recordings and Materials: http://lsntap.org/blogs/online-intake-webinar-

summary and http://www.slideshare.net/LSNTAP/online-intake-best-practices-webinar

• Claudia Johnson, LawHelp Interactive Program Manager, cjohnson@probono.net

Two Online “Triage” Projects in

Washington, D.C.

Mike Grunenwald

Senior Project Specialist

DC Bar Pro Bono Program

Two “Triage” Projects in DC

•DC Bar Pro Bono Program

•Non-LSC funded program

•Partnerships with Georgetown Law and Neota Logic to develop two apps

Consumer Debt/Bankruptcy App

•Problem: Creditors harassing consumers

•Initial solution: Document assembly app

•Expanded solution: Clinic referral and pre-screening app

Consumer Debt/Bankruptcy App

•Bankruptcy Clinic pre-screening

•Complete debtor checklist for user to take to clinic

Consumer Debt/Bankruptcy App

•First draft developed by team of Georgetown Law students

•Built on Neota Logic platform

•Development continuing with support from Neota Logic

Consumer Debt/Bankruptcy App

•Online intake hasn’t taken root in DC yet

•Vision: App will be a model for clinic pre-screening/intake for other DC providers

•Works for clinic = works for organization?

LawHelp.org/DC Concierge App

•Users have two ways to access resources:

•Folder/subfolder search

•Text search

LawHelp.org/DC Concierge App

• Challenge: Is there a better way to help users find what they need in LawHelp?

•Solution: “Concierge” app to help users find resources relevant to their specific situations

LawHelp.org/DC Concierge App

•Started (relatively) small – 1 subtopic

•Georgetown Law externship student built first draft using Neota Logic

•Neota Logic continuing to support development

LawHelp.org/DC Concierge App

• Lessons learned so far…

•Grand long-term plans

Massachusetts

Legal Resource Finder

Gordon Shaw

Executive Director

Massachusetts Justice Project

Intake Timeline

1970s-80s - Emphasis was on face to face (by appointment)

intake. Programs also put a premium on having many satellite

offices.

1990s - Intake became phone-centric. The model in the 90s was

the phone during set intake hours staffed by professional

intake workers or screeners. This is the dawn of hotlines.

Mid 2000s- Programs began offering on-line intake systems.

➢ While On-Line Intake offers a solution to the access problem that is the

curse of phone-centric intake systems, it does nothing to address the

problem of volume. In fact, it could potentially make it worse – as you

now have created access 24/7

2012 and Beyond:

➢ The dawn of client-centered web

based triage tools

In 2012, MJP received a TIG to develop the

Massachusetts Legal Resource Finder (LRF).

What is it?

A web-based tool that will connect low income persons to the Massachusetts legal resources that correlate with their specific legal issues

Why is it needed? • Every day legal aid programs are flooded with requests for

assistance. The vast majority of these applicants will be turned away with

nothing more than a referral to self-help resources or other sources of assistance – often after long waits in a phone queue.

• Programs are stretched thin and this extends to screening, intake and hotline resources as well.

• Massachusetts has a wide range of programs and resources to help low income

people with legal needs. Until now, there has not been a centralized way to direct people to these resources.

• The goal of the LRF is to give some relief to our over burdened intake systems while at the same time provide consumers with a quick and accessible way to find out what resources exist with respect to their legal issue.

How will it work? ➢ A user will complete a short on-line form with a limited number of questions

about their legal problem and household demographics. The LRF will then

search a database and give back to the user information that could include any and

all of the following:

○ If the issue is one which a Massachusetts legal services organization accepts for legal assistance, it

would provide a link to their on-line application and/or provide information on how to call to complete an

intake.

○ Live links to relevant self-help resources and court forms including automated Massachusetts forms on

LHI and I-CAN.

○ Additional resources that exist for obtaining legal assistance such as lawyer of the day programs and

other court-based help, lawyer referral services, other non profits, and government agencies.

➢ Participating programs will set-up profiles in the database that

includes selection of the legal issues they want referred to their

intake systems. Programs will be able to turn issues “on or off” as needed – providing real

time updates to program case acceptance/priorities

Who is building it and how?

• The Massachusetts Justice Project received a 2012 TIG and is working with the Massachusetts Law Reform Institute’s Statewide Websites Project on the design and implementation of the LRF.

• Search engine is being built in DRUPAL

Online Intake, Triage and Expert

Systems in Illinois

Gwen Daniels

Director of Technology Development

Illinois Legal Aid Online

Illinois Statewide Online Access System • Beta with Illinois’ LSC-

funded programs

•Public Benefits

•Foreclosure

•“Always Divert” areas

• Expanding in 2014 to 2 non-LSC-funded programs

Why Triage Before Intake?

• Programs are tired of having to say NO

• Divert people to the best AVAILABLE resource

• Divert people from applying when the program will not help them (low priority)

• Push high-priority cases through

Statewide Online Access System Three Components:

• Triage and Intake on IllinoisLegalAid.org

• Admin Console on IllinoisLegalAdvocate.org

• Drools Rules Engine

• Fourth component coming 2014: Rules Builder on IllinoisLegalAdvocate.org

Why This Approach?

User Profile

Set of rules

Scan rules

Find a match

Execute a rule

Update user

profile

• Integrates with existing technologies

• Flexible to support multiple agencies with varying priorities, service areas, and requirements

• Independent of website and case management platforms

How It Works

• Pop up offers triage when available

• Programs determine availability

Triage Example

• Rule generates a question

• Rule generates help display

• Answer to a question:

– Sends user to intake

– Sends user to ILAO resources

– Sends user to another question

Diversions

Next Steps

• Deeper integration with systems

• True statewide integration

• Data analysis to refine triage rules

Data analysis can lead to:

▪ Better rules

▪ More automated case acceptance

▪ Less time saying no

Resources

• On IllinoisLegalAid.org, search for public benefits or mortgage foreclosure in zip code 60602 to test; use name NTAP Tester

• Drools: http://www.jboss.org/drools/

• Documentation will be published in early 2014

• For more information: gdaniels@illinoislegalaid.org or 312-977-9047 ext. 13

New Mexico Legal Aid 2014 Triage Pilot

Project Overview

•2013 TIG to New Mexico Legal Aid

• Program partners: Five other legal aid agencies in New Mexico, New Mexico Courts and State Bar of New Mexico

• Technology partners: Pro Bono Net and Neota Logic System

•Goal: Pilot the creation and implement of a robust statewide online triage program for the major civil legal issues faced by low income individuals and other vulnerable populations

Project components

•Triage tool for advocates

•Triage tool for individuals in need of legal assistance

•New self-help and legal education content for triage system users

•Data reporting service

Scalable architecture to facilitate replication by other jurisdictions in the future

Triage Tool for Advocates •Advocates will be able to enter data about the litigant and assess relationship of case to:

Program priorities

Intake requirements

Broader advocacy strategies

•Based on these factors, the system will provide set of recommended options

Triage Tool for the Public • Info about self-help resources and

services, where available

• Referrals to appropriate to legal aid agency for intake, including several “next actions:” Email and printable summary with

interview results and recommended actions

Option to email a standardized intake request in .csv format and interview results to a recommended referral organization

• “Widgetized” for use on any website

Technology Approach

•Triage expert platform - powered by Neota Logic System

Rules can be created and modified by non-technical agency staff

• “LawHelp Triage” server at Pro Bono Net to run Neota Logic System

Extensible to host triage interviews for other states and integrate with other SWEB APIs in the future

Support for sharing and customization of rule sets

•Systems to integrate SWEB API feed with Neota Logic interview and capture anonymized data for reporting

“Phase II” Opportunities

•Deeper integration with case management and downstream systems

•Ability to apply standard visualization tools to analyze interview data and make adjustments

•Calls to outside data sources to help drive the interview

•Calendaring integration to have user scheduled into an organization’s next available appointment

•More extensive reporting interfaces to provide data to outside agencies/systems

For More Information:

•Ed Marks Executive Director New Mexico Legal Aid edm@nmlegalaid.org

•Liz Keith LawHelp Program Manager Pro Bono Net lkeith@probono.net

THANK YOU FOR ATTENDING TODAY!

More information at www.lsntap.org

Contact Information

Brian Rowe (brianr@nwjustice.org) or via chat on www.lsntap.org

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