Outcome Assessment Project
Atlanta Legal Aid Society - 030169
Abstract Number: 030169
October 2003
Atlanta Legal Aid Society's Georgia Senior Legal Hotline (GSLH) developed an outcome assessment project to evaluate how effective GSLH's services were in resolving their client's legal problems. GSLH launched this project using three volunteers. The volunteers contacted clients and administered a satisfaction survey to determine if the client's legal problem was resolved and what action the client had taken to follow up on the advice they received from GSLH. The survey asked whether the client was advised to take any action, whether the client took the action, and whether the client's problem was resolved. If the client still had the same legal problem, a GSLH supervisor reviewed the case to see what GSLH could do to assist the client. GSLH then contacted the client to suggest additional steps to resolve the problem or to offer additional help. GSLH found that calling clients two to three weeks after the services were rendered provided clients with enough time to take action, but was not too far removed from their interaction with GSLH.
Statistics gathered from the surveys indicated that approximately 20% of closed cases needed additional follow up. In instances where GSLH's supervising attorney decided that GLSH could not provide additional assistance aside from a referral, form letters were sent to the client detailing the process. They are available below.
The survey also helped refine GSLH's outcomes. When cases are closed, advocates record case outcomes using modified kemps codes, which correspond to Atlanta Legal Aid's general "outcomes" categories. These codes indicate the main benefit for the client and whether the client recovered money or avoided additional financial expenditures. The survey helped GSLH determine whether the outcomes recorded, which are based on the advocate's "best guess" at the time of case closing, were accurate, or whether they should be updated.
The information gathered by GSLH through this outcome assessment project elicited important information for GSLH that revealed both strengths and weaknesses in their hotline services and allowed GSLH to take steps to improve their service delivery accordingly. In doing so, GSLH was able to ensure that clients were accessing services from other agencies and to follow up to clients whose problem was not resolved after their initial contact with GSLH. More recently, these statistics have been used in the state planning process to develop additional resources in the private bar. To learn more about this project, access the client satisfaction survey, the code form, and the client form letters below.
Contact Information:
Ellie Crosby
Georgia Senior Legal Hotline
Atlanta Legal Aid Society
151 Spring Street, N.W.
Atlanta, GA 30303
Phone: (706) 613-2200.
Fax: (404) 525-5710
elliecrosby@yahoo.com
Additional Information:
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