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> Ohio Family Support Act, House Bill 214
> What is a Single Point of Entry
Consider the following scenario. Recently your child has been diagnosed with a disability. The doctor who provided the diagnosis directs you to a Web site that provides information about all the services in Ohio that your child with a disability might be eligible for. You visit the Web site, where you complete an on-line application/eligibility form to enter your child's financial and medical information. Within seconds of pressing the "Submit Information" button, you receive a list of agencies that your information has been forwarded to and the contact information for each agency. Within one application, you have applied for services from multiple agencies. You have just used a "single point of entry."
Sounds like a great concept, right? Establishing a single point of entry for families who have children with disabilities is something that many states are currently trying to accomplish. This article provides more information about the concept of a single point of entry.
A single point of entry is a place where someone can find all the information they need about an interest that they have, such as consulting a travel agency to find out information about different vacation packages. When applying this concept to families who have children with disabilities, a single point of entry could be:
A single point of entry should provide information in an efficient, unbiased manner. It not only gives families all the information that they need to know, but also allows families to be the decision-maker when it comes to deciding which supports and services may be most helpful to their situation.
Since most states have tight budgets and limited resources, establishing a single point of entry seems like a tall order to fill. However, a well organized plan would allow this to be implemented in phases over time. For example, the single point of entry could start out as a paper directory or Web site that provides agency contact information and descriptions of the services the agency provides. Later, a state-wide phone center could be established to help people apply for services. Even the functions of a Web site could be enhanced over time. The site could start out as a place to find contact information and later offer links to on-line application forms from various agencies. Eventually, the Web site could offer one application that links to all agencies, just like in the scenario described at the beginning of this article.
The following are a few examples of state and federal government Web sites that offer a type of single point of entry, although each site varies in the level of information offered and how much information has to be provided by the person visiting the Web site.
Currently, there are no Web sites or other services in Ohio that provide a way for families to find out about and apply for services in one place.