Methodology
Gateway for the Blind has the responsibility of responding promptly to any and all authorizations and referrals sent to us.
Upon receipt of any such referrals from a counselor whether it be by phone, Email or fax, Gateway will either contact the consumer being referred, or the counselor, should more information be needed about what services the consumer needs.
Immediate contact with the consumer is a priority with Gateway and an appointment will be scheduled as soon as possible depending on the schedule of the trainer and the consumer.
Should the consumer need an evaluation concerning the type of service he or she might need, a thorough assessment will be made to determine the level of training and type of adaptive equipment and or software needed for them to best attain their goal.
If the consumer only needs training on the use of adaptive hardware or software, that training will start immediately. We do realize that some referrals take priority depending on the situation.
After an evaluation is done on a consumer, a report in compliance with the OTC will be sent to the counselor as to what this consumer will need. The report will include his or her goal, any issues we might notice that would keep this person from achieving their goal, the recommended adaptive hardware and software to help them attain this goal with an explanation of why we are recommending these products. The report will also include the amount of training time we feel this consumer would need to adequately learn how to use these products.
After each training session, a detailed report, again, adhering to the guidelines set forth in the OTC will be sent to the counselor outlining how much time was spent with the consumer and what training was provided for that session. We will also include how we feel the consumer is progressing toward achieving their goal and will note any problems we might notice.
It is a common practice for the staff of Gateway for the Blind to keep in contact with the counselor to discuss the needs and or concerns of a consumer. In turn, the counselor is always welcome to call any of the Gateway staff when they have a question about any aspect of the service we provide.