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 Community Voice Mail
Updated October 16, 2008 Bookmark this page! What is Community Voice Mail? 
Community Information & Referral's Community Voice Mail Program (CVM) is a collaboration between Community Information & Referral in Phoenix, Community Voice Mail National (CVMN), and local providers (agencies) serving the homeless community. The mission of Community Voice Mail National is to provide free, 24-hour nationwide voice mail to people in crisis - connecting them to jobs, housing and hope - a deceptively simple concept with an extraordinary impact. CVMN obtains funding nationally for the CVM Centralized System and provides training and technical support to the local CVM managers. CVMN coordinates the phone numbers and the national CVM Centralized System. Community Information & Referral (CIR) is the local partner providing the administration, local CVM funding, training, and technical support locally in the Phoenix Arizona Metro Area to the local Collaborating Partners (agencies, programs, etc.). CIR does outreach to attract additional agencies. How does Community Voice Mail (CVM) work? A phoneless client in transition requesting services from a local agency may request a local CVM telephone number. If a CVM voice mailbox will assist the client in reaching their goal, the staff at the agency may assign the client their own CVM phone number. The client records a greeting in their own voice. The CVM numbers are local phone numbers (no extensions) that mimic a home answering machine. This eliminates the stigma of being phoneless or homeless. The client provides the CVM number to potential employers, housing providers, medical staff, educational groups, family, and/or others who provide services or support to assist the client in reaching their goal. When the client has reached their goal(s) or is no longer using the CVM number, the assigning agency resets the CVM number (client access is turned off). The agency will eventually recycle (assign) the CVM number to another one of their clients. Who uses Community Voice Mail (CVM)?
CVM is used by people in crisis or transition. They are phoneless and homeless individuals and families who are trying to reach a goal. These are people who may have recently lost their residence, lost a job, a foster child who has reached the age of 18, a victim of an abusive relationship, or a senior person in transition. All of these people have sought help from a collaborating partner (agency or program) and are working with a counselor, case manager, teacher, or other staff position. They are temporarily assigned a CVM number to assist them in reaching their goal as long as they are working with the agency. How does a client get a Community Voice Mail (CVM) phone number? A client must have a goal or objective, be phoneless, be homeless, and request a CVM number from a CVM collaborating agency. If they have a problem with locating an agency with CVM numbers, they may contact Community Information & Referral's Community Voice Mail staff to obtain the name of an agency in the Phoenix Arizona Metro area. A client must receive a number from an agency where they will be working on an ongoing basis with a counselor, case manager, teacher, or other staff position designed to help clients of the agency. How does an agency get Community Voice Mail (CVM) numbers? An agency, program, or other entity that provides human services to homeless people may apply for CVM numbers with CVM staff. The agency should submit an Agency Profile form designating the primary contact person at the agency for CVM staff to contact. The agency should also submit a signed copy of the Agency Agreement. See below for these and other forms used in providing CVM to clients. CVM will consider the information on the profile in determining whether the agency qualifies as a CVM Collaborating Partner. If the agency is qualified, then CVM will return the signed agreement with the CVM Manager's signature. Soon after the Agency is approved, they will receive their assigned numbers and access codes. Five numbers will be assigned at start-up with additional numbers assigned as needed after the initial start-up. CVM Forms - Return to the top of the page These forms are available for you to download and use as needed. You will need the free Adobe Acrobat Reader to read and print it. If you don't have the reader, you may download it here. AGENCY FORMS
CLIENT FORMS
Contact CVM staff- Return to the top of the page
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