With CCL’s technology, Jackson Co. COMBAT, in MO, makes it easier for police to help individuals and families receive life-changing and life-saving assistance.

KANSAS CITY, MO, USA, January 25, 2022 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Using CCL’s technology, Jackson County COMBAT, based out of Jackson County, Missouri, is making it easier for police officers to help individuals and families receive life-changing and even life-saving assistance. First launched this summer in Raytown, it expanded to Northeast Kansas City in November.

With the new Social Services Referral portal, police officers (as well as school officials and other first responders) can make a single referral to one agency, regardless of circumstances. That single agency does all of the follow-up work.

“I searched and couldn’t find anywhere else in the country where a system like this was being used,” Raytown Police Chief Bob Kuehl said. “We needed a bridge between the officers on the scene and the resources in the community available to help people out. There was a gap. This system provides that bridge and closes the gap.”

Working closely with Jackson County COMBAT, the CCL team developed an online portal that allows referrals to be made immediately, often while officers are still on the scene responding to a 9-1-1 call. From July 1 through November 30, 2021, Raytown police officers and school officials made 53 referrals using the CCL portal.

“A lot of police departments are trying to utilize social workers more, but the 9-1-1 calls keep coming in,” he continues. “It’s not easy to have those in-depth conversations later with a social worker about what’s happening with this family over here or this family over there. With this system, we can make a referral on the spot. All there is to it is checking a couple of boxes and hitting SUBMIT. Filling out the referral form is simple on your phone and can be done anywhere, anytime.”

“Those referrals represent real people with real problems,” states COMBAT Director Vince Ortega, “in some cases, problems so severe that the police were called to their homes. This system allows the police to do more than just deal with what is happening in that moment. It allows the police to also give people an opportunity to get assistance, so hopefully the police won’t have to come back later.”

“CCL started as a nonprofit technology company committed to developing systems that help people-serving organizations like COMBAT better serve communities,” said Dale Gray, CCL’s CEO. “We work directly with front-line workers, like first responders in Raytown, to create software that is easy and intuitive. We are incredibly grateful to be a part of building these life-changing and life-saving innovations.”

Liz Gilbert
Community CareLink
lgilbert@communitycarelink.com