The Customer
Hanover Safe Place (HSP) is a nonprofit organization located in Ashland, Virginia, that provides victims of domestic and sexual violence with free case management services, emergency shelter, victim advocacy counselors, and support groups.
Hanover Safe Place (HSP) is a nonprofit organization located in Ashland, Virginia, that provides victims of domestic and sexual violence with free case management services, emergency shelter, victim advocacy counselors, and support groups.
Business Challenges
At the start of its search for a modern Unified Communications (UC) solution, HSP was still using the legacy telephone system left by the previous occupants of its Ashland site. The limited system included four analog telephone lines, no voicemail, and no ability to transfer calls. There was also no intercom system for calling a counselor when a client arrived. The office relied on basic communications, which meant employees had to write messages and phone numbers in a notebook and leave them on the desk of the case manager, counselor, or staff member to see when they arrived. According to HSP director Sheree Hedrick, this was not only inefficient but also problematic given the strict federal and state privacy laws their organization must comply with. “Without voicemail, we couldn’t simply leave communications from or between clients and staff on a desk for anyone to see,” Hedrick explains. “Especially on weekends, we had to lock away phone messages so the cleaning staff couldn’t see them. You can imagine how clumsy and inadequate our old system was. ” ” Hedrick says the final impetus to consider an upgraded telephone system came from a connection at the local Rotary Club.
Rotary member Kevin Smyth of Barre Y Lane Communications recommended the Switchvox Unified Communications (UC) solution as a suitable alternative and replacement for HSP’s legacy telephone system. “Kevin knew what questions to ask and helped us look at all our options,” says Hedrick. “We explained our needs to him and the importance of putting the client at the center of the system and hotline. The last thing we wanted was for a client to say they tried calling and nobody answered, which had happened several times with the old system. We also needed a way to document every hotline call, which was almost impossible to do accurately with the old system.”
The new solution had to be easy to use, especially when moving from such an old system. Although Hedrick had additional funding in the budget for a new system, cost remained a concern. The new system had to be affordable and adaptable to their small but growing nonprofit organization. Since the office was not initially wired for VoIP, Barre Y Lane Communications offered HSP a nonprofit discount and worked hard to assemble what they needed at an affordable price. The wiring was completed in one day, and they upgraded their Internet service to business speeds.
Solutions From Sangoma
HSP purchased a Switchvox system and a series of 10 D‑Series IP phones, along with a wireless phone connected to an analog telephone adapter. “The more we use the Switchvox system, the more we integrate its advanced capabilities into our operations, so I was mistaken in my initial assessment that it was more than we needed. In fact, we needed more capacity than we knew was available.” Privacy issues are no longer a problem. Even with voicemail, some clients do not want to share their details in their counselor’s or case manager’s voicemail box, so if they are out of the office, they can still answer calls in the field. This gives counselors the flexibility to work outside the office or from home.
HSP purchased a Switchvox system and a series of 10 D‑Series IP phones, along with a wireless phone connected to an analog telephone adapter. “The more we use the Switchvox system, the more we integrate its advanced capabilities into our operations, so I was mistaken in my initial assessment that it was more than we needed. In fact, we needed more capacity than we knew was available.” Privacy issues are no longer a problem. Even with voicemail, some clients do not want to share their details in their counselor’s or case manager’s voicemail box, so if they are out of the office, they can still answer calls in the field. This gives counselors the flexibility to work outside the office or from home.
The Results
Hedrick says the system was easy for all HSP staff to learn, even older employees (like Hedrick herself) who are less familiar with new technologies. “We can quickly log into the system and track calls, eliminating the documentation problem, and I can also see who is taking calls, how long they spend with a client during a crisis call, and help better manage the quality of those calls through the tracking and reporting feature,” says Hedrick. “Another shelter in Richmond shares the 24/7 hotline with us, so we can provide 24/7 service without having 24/7 staff.”
Hedrick says the system was easy for all HSP staff to learn, even older employees (like Hedrick herself) who are less familiar with new technologies. “We can quickly log into the system and track calls, eliminating the documentation problem, and I can also see who is taking calls, how long they spend with a client during a crisis call, and help better manage the quality of those calls through the tracking and reporting feature,” says Hedrick. “Another shelter in Richmond shares the 24/7 hotline with us, so we can provide 24/7 service without having 24/7 staff.”
“We saved an incredible amount of time and staff effort,” says Hedrick. “There was always that moment when you were busy and forgot to pass on a message, and sometimes paper messages simply got lost. Efficiency, tracking, and the ability to track calls are all important aspects of our organization and part of our responsibility to clients who are already under pressure.” “I received a grant to fund the opening of a second office,” says Hedrick, “and because Barre Y Lane built a Switchvox phone system that grows with us, we are currently seamlessly connecting a wireless phone system at the new satellite office with the main office here in Ashland.”