Partnering to Support Pennsylvania and Give CBOs a Seat at the Table

We are very proud to announce our partnership with the Community Action Association of Pennsylvania (CAAP) to lead community engagement efforts in support of the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services’ project to build a statewide online tool called PA Navigate. We’re partnering to support Pennsylvania.

Findhelp, CAAP, and CAAP member agencies are conducting outreach to local CBOs and onboard them to the PA Navigate platform.

CAAP will host local and regional listening sessions to ensure that CBOs are equal members of this collaborative effort to improve health outcomes for Pennsylvanians by addressing the social determinants of health (SDoH). 

PA Navigate: a Platform for All Pennsylvanians

Built on the Findhelp closed-loop referral platform and network, PA Navigate (powered by Findhelp) is a statewide community information network, designed to address health and social care needs for Pennsylvanians by connecting them to community services.

In addition to Pennsylvanians using the platform to find help for themselves and their families, social service agencies, local nonprofits, community-based organizations, county and state agencies, and healthcare providers can also help make connections to services on behalf of individuals and track referral outcomes to ensure that people’s needs are met.

Partnering to Support Pennsylvania

Findhelp has partnered with the HIE Consortium members (Central PA Connect, ClinicalConnect HIE, HealthShare Exchange, and Keystone Health Information Exchange) to build and support PA Navigate. Consortium members will use the platform to assess the SDoH needs of Pennsylvanians and refer them to providers, with dignity and ease. 

“We have built a strong relationship of trust with Pennsylvanians and are excited to work with our new partners to help more residents in need,” said Findhelp Founder and CEO Erine Gray. “Every member of the Consortium cares deeply about the people of the Commonwealth.”

Protecting Privacy

A key benefit of the PA Navigate platform (powered by Findhelp) will be its ability to allow healthcare providers to see the most complete view of an individual’s social care history and current status – to ensure Pennsylvanians are getting the help they need in the most efficient manner possible – while guarding their privacy and ensuring unrivaled protection of their personal information.

The Impact of Community Action Agencies

The federal Office of Community Services (part of the Administration for Children & Families, under the Health and Human Services Department) is celebrating May as Community Action Month in honor of 60 years of Community Action Agency (CAA) successes in reducing poverty, revitalizing communities, and empowering individuals and families. Read on to learn more about CAAs, their funding, and impact.

Community Services Block Grants

The Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) program, founded in 1964, combats the causes and consequences of poverty through Community Action. On average, CSBG serves more than 9 million individuals every year, in 99% of counties across the country.

• CSBG provides direct federal funds to entities nationwide so that, informed by regular Community Needs Assessments, they can understand and address the unique needs of their community’s most vulnerable members.
• Tribes, territories, and over 1,000 local Community Action Agencies provide CSBG-funded services and activities including housing, nutrition, utility, and transportation assistance; employment, education, and other income and asset building services; crisis and emergency services; and community asset building initiatives, among other things. 
• In FY 2022, $755 million was distributed to participating CSBG entities.

Supporting CAAs: the Community Action Association of Pennsylvania

The Community Action Association of Pennsylvania (CAAP) is the authority on addressing poverty in Pennsylvania and a statewide membership organization that represents CAAs in the Commonwealth. 

• CAAP is the primary source of advocacy, technical assistance, collaboration, and networking for Pennsylvania CAAs. 
• They represent 42 CAAs across the Commonwealth: public and nonprofit community-based organizations (CBOs) that serve all 67 counties in Pennsylvania. 
• While the approaches and programming is unique by Agency, all are unified in meeting the health-related social needs of their customers.

Partnering for Success in Pennsylvania 

More than 1.5 million Pennsylvanians have already used Findhelp to connect with social care services. As of May 2024, we partner with 35 customers to connect their patients, members, students, constituents, and clients to resources. The PA Navigate initiative will bring an additional 100 participating provider entities to the Findhelp Pennsylvania Network.

Next Steps for PA Navigate & Pennsylvania

On January 23, 2024, PA Navigate introduced their public-facing website, pa-navigate.org, the first step in a multi-year project. Not only can individuals find help for themselves via the platform, but local nonprofits, healthcare organizations, state and county agencies, and community-based organizations can refer individuals. These agencies can also track the outcomes of these referrals to ensure individuals’ needs have been met. 

Recently, Dr. Arkoosh, the Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS) spoke at Findhelp’s annual user conference, Connect: a Social Care Summit. Gabe Roberts, the former Deputy Director and COO of TennCare (the State of Tennessee’s Medicaid Agency), interviewed Dr. Arkoosh for our opening keynote. She shared her experience with addressing health-related social needs through innovative Medicaid programs like 1115 waivers and social care reimbursement. Watch the interview below!

We Can Help Your Constituents

To learn how we can help you support your constituents, connect with our team.