CarePortal Network Structure & Roles

Overview

CarePortal is a Care-Sharing Technology that drives action for kids and families in crisis. The result of this is a network of diverse organizations and individuals, each playing a key role that empowers this critical mission, as defined by the Circles of Care. And the best part: the families served at the point of care by a local church may never even know what CarePortal is! This article provides direction and clarity on where each role fits and what their responsibilities are.

The following perspectives (and their associated roles) are outlined below:

• Administration & Development
• Local Implementing Partners
• Active Churches
• Requesting Partners (Agencies)
• Community Responders
• Community Sponsors
• Friends in the Field
• Combining Roles: Opportunities & Restrictions

Intended Audience

Area Directors, CarePortal Staff & Implementing Partners

Administration & Development

• Platform Ops Team
  Supported by: Global Orphan Project Board
  
  • Developer Team
    Web designers, software developers, and platform architects who work together to build and maintain the code that make connections through CarePortal possible
    Supported by: Product Manager
  • Support Team
    Regionally assigned specialists from our home office in Kansas City, Missouri document and prioritize user feedback on how the CarePortal platform is working, equipping our software developers to fix bugs and build valuable new features
    Supported by: Support Manager
  • Training Team
    A combination of specialists at our home office in Kansas City work with Field Training Specialists across the CarePortal network to provide implementing partners and local staff a clear onboarding journey, platform certification, and continuous equipping
    Supported by: Training Manager 
• Executive Director
  A leading member of the Platform Ops team who most-directly supports and develops Field Directors 
  Supported by: Global Orphan Project Board, Platform Ops Team
• Field Directors
  Leaders overseeing large regions and supporting multiple Area Directors. They are tasked with broad launch efforts and development opportunities
  Supported by: Executive Director, Platform Ops Team
• Area Directors
  Leaders placed within various geographies to lead the implementation effort on a macro level in those communities based on the unique qualities, organizations and needs of each area
  Supported by: Field Director, Platform Ops Team

To meet and learn about this leadership team, click here.

Local Implementing Partners

CarePortal is a platform that is implemented by local organizations (Implementing Partners, or IPs) that often (not always) have an existing network of church and community relationships. Multiple implementers could be active in any given area, each serving the churches in their network as requests are entered and approved by local requesting partners (agencies) and met by churches of all networks. The role of the local implementer is to support the churches they have relationships with and to help make collaboration possible where necessary. The goal for all network leaders is to develop and support a dynamic ecosystem of various partners that offers a balance of request opportunities and the capacity of partners to respond. This balance is illustrated below using a teeter-totter, or see-saw: 

Implementing Partner Roles (one leader may have multiple roles):

• Implementing Partner Admins
  Often executive directors or high level leaders who are involved in direction and decision making for the way their organization will use the CarePortal platform within their context and ministry focus. IP Admins have login access to the CarePortal platform to see all activity of churches assigned to their IP but are not involved in the Request/Response loop like Regional Managers, Church Ambassadors, and Coordinators are.
  Supported by: Area Director, Platform Ops Team
• Regional Managers
  These leaders are given specific county assignments with access to the individual requesting partners and church/community responders within the assigned geography. They lead and support most training for agency users and determine county settings with the goal of finding an effective balance for all users. For churches assigned an Church Ambassador, the Regional Manager will serve and support based on an established plan of engagement with the Church Ambassador(s) (see below).

  Supported by: Implementing Partner Admin, Area Director

• Church Ambassadors
  Leaders who are assigned specific church partners based on affiliation or relational connections (not necessarily geographic) and focus primarily on engagement, training, and support for the churches. Serves based on the agreed-upon involvement with the Regional Manager(s) of the churches they are assigned. In many cases, the Regional Manager also serves in this role for a portion or all of their network's churches.

  Supported by: Regional Manager, IP Admin & Area Director

• Community Coordinators
  Leaders of individual Active Communities who are equipped to engage on the individual request level to inspire collaboration and resource discovery. Active Communities are created by Regional Managers by selecting particular zip codes. This role can be played by Church Ambassadors or Regional Managers as well. Active Community gatherings are often led by Community Coordinators.
  Supported by: Regional Manager, Church Ambassador & IP Admin

To learn more about Implementing Partners and the roles they have, click here!

Active Churches

• Church Leaders (leaders can be given multiple roles)
  
  • Point Person
    One individual with the ability to establish or change all church account settings. Point People are defaulted with the additional role of Team Leader for the church's default team, which allows them to receive individual request notifications when their church is inside the established radius set by the church (or defaulted by the county settings). Without the Team Leader role, Point People would not receive these notifications. Point People are also given access to all response options, including Activate Church, Engage Community, and Church-to-Church. The Point Person is also included on Community Responder alerts when/if their church has been upgraded to a Connecting Church.
    Supported by (one or more): Regional Manager, Church Ambassador, Community Coordinators
  • Pastors
    Church leaders with the ability to login and access the church account to engage Response Teams on various requests and needs. Pastors do not receive request notifications unless also given a Team Leader role.
    Supported by (one or more): Point Person, Regional Manager, Church Ambassador
  • Church Needs Leader
    Church leaders with the ability to enter and approve church-entered needs for their own response teams. These leaders often have a unique awareness of specific opportunities to serve people in the church or community.
    Supported by (one or more): Point Person, Pastor(s), Regional Manager, Church Ambassador
  • Connecting Church Leader
    Church leaders who are approved to be notified when a community responder is offering resources for a request near where they worship. These leaders have the ability to Take the Lead for the request and use the resources from community responders to make the connection with the family in need. 
    Supported by (one or more): Point Person, Pastor(s), Regional Manager, Church Ambassador
• Team Leaders
  Based on the type, settings, and location of the team, these leaders are the only ones who automatically receive individual request notifications and have the ability to engage their team through their own account, as well as the ability to Engage Community and Church-to-Church.
  Supported by (one or more): Point Person, Pastor(s), Regional Manager, Church Ambassador
• Church Responders (Also called Response Team Members)
  Individual members of a church team who are approved to make responses to requests based on the established settings of their church. Responders do not receive individual request notifications unless their team leader activates the team or has made the team settings to Auto-Activate. Responders do not respond directly to the requesting caseworker unless their team settings allow for that.
  Supported by (one or more): Team Leader, Point Person, Pastor(s)

To learn more about the roles Church Leaders and Responders have, click here!

Requesting Agency Partners

CarePortal's Requesting Agencies are individually enrolled, approved, and trained to submit agency-vetted requests through the platform, which are sent to the most local churches of the family or child in need. Each person who enters requests through the CarePortal platform on behalf of one of these agency partners must agree to abide by CarePortal's Protect the Trust Agreement.

What is an "Agency-Vetted Request"?
A request approved by a trained professional from an authorized CarePortal Requesting Agency, aimed at addressing an immediate need for a family to ensure their safety, well-being and/or sustainability.

• Agency Admin
  Similar to the Implementing Partner Admin, this leader is involved in getting their agency approved to use the CarePortal platform, and determine overall settings. Agency Admins have access to login to their agency's CarePortal account to view all agency requests and activity, but are not included on individual request email chains.
  Supported by (one or more): Area Director, Regional Manager
• Agency Representatives (Rep)
  Leaders who are assigned to a specific county and the ability to approve individual requests entered by workers at their agency in their assigned region based on the approval settings established by their agency. Agency Representatives can also enter requests manually into the system without needing approval, and have access to see all requests entered in their region.
  Supported by: Agency Admin, Regional Manager
• Agency Supervisors
  Agency leaders who are alerted and able to approve individual requests which they've been identified by the worker entering the request as a supervisor. This role only applies if their agency has selected the approval option that allows a direct supervisor of a worker to approve a request (as well as the Agency Representative). All other access matches that of an Agency Worker.
  Supported by (one or more): Agency Admin, Agency Representative(s)
• Agency Workers
  Individual child serving professionals who engage families and who are trained to identify and submit vetted requests through the CarePortal platform. When a response is made by the church, the worker who entered the request is alerted and given the church responder’s contact information. The church responder, likewise, is given the agency worker’s information. Each agency’s process of obtaining the family’s consent to enter a CarePortal request may look different, and passing along the family’s information to the church responders may look different as well. Ultimately, agency workers are trained to ensure the church responders have the information they need to serve the family.
  Supported by: Agency Representative(s)

To learn more about the roles Agencies have, click here!

Community Responders & Champions

• Individual Community Responders
  Individuals who have an active CarePortal account not associated with an active CarePortal church and is not a member of any communities. Responders are not included when a Church Leader chooses to Engage the Community and invite partnership and collaboration on specific requests. They can respond to requests they find on their own from the various places approved requests are found (CarePortal Map, Open Requests List, Church/Team Pages). 
  Supported by (one or more): Regional Manager, Church Ambassador(s), Community Coordinator
• Individual Community Members
  Individuals who are not associated with an active CarePortal church but have joined at least one community in the process of creating their account. This community could be local to them or a community of critical need from somewhere else. These individuals are notified about specific requests when a Church Leader opts to Engage the Community they are part of, which includes the ability to respond directly back to the Church Leader and partner with them in meeting that specific need.
  Supported by (one or more): Regional Manager, Church Ambassador(s), Community Coordinator
• Community Champions
  Organizations, schools, businesses, or other groups that wish to help meet specific requests they choose through partnering with specially-trained churches who are local to the family in need. Champions receive a public page and leader dashboard, which empowers them to develop a culture of meeting needs as an organization. 
  • Champion Admin
    This is the equivalent of the Primary Point Person for a Local Church. They have the highest level of permissions and access to change their Champion account's settings, manage their teams, and act on behalf of any of their teams.
    Supported by (one or more): Regional Manager, Church Ambassador(s), Community Coordinator
    
  • Champion Observer
    This is the equivalent of the Pastor for a Local Church. They have the ability to login, respond as a Champion Leader, and manage their various response teams, but are not able to change settings for the Champion account. 
    Supported by (one or more): Regional Manager, Church Ambassador(s), Community Coordinator, Champion Admin
  • Champion Team Leader
    This is the equivalent of the Team Leader for a Local Church. They have the ability to respond to requests and are considered the "admin" for just their team's settings and customizations.
    Supported by (one or more): Champion Admin, Champion Observer(s)
  • Champion Responders
    These are the equivalent of Church Responders for a Local Church. Depending on their Champion's account settings, their responses will go either to their Team Leader or to the local Connecting Church Leaders near the family in need. These responses will be tracked as part of the overall impact of the Community Champion as well as by the individual responder.
    Supported by (one or more): Champion Admin, Champion Observer(s), Champion Team Leader(s)

To learn more about the roles Community Champions have, click here!

Community Sponsors

• No active roles in the CarePortal Platform
  Community Sponsors give directly to local implementing partners for the purpose of supporting the platform fees, expansion, and team of that particular network. 

Friends in the Field

Network Leaders will inevitably encounter organizations who are already doing fantastic work to support vulnerable kids and families in their communities and yet may not be a great fit with any of the roles highlighted above despite being just as called to serve in their way as CarePortal network leaders are called to serve in theirs.

When approaching and interacting with other organizations, any organization, it's important to do so with a humble posture. Lead with curious questions that display an interest and value in what they do and how they do it. Celebrate the Kingdom work they are doing. If there is an opportunity where the CarePortal platform might serve them well in their mission, by all means offer it, but it should never feel pressured. 

Combining Roles: Opportunities & Restrictions

Can an Implementing Partner also be a...
	Requesting Agency?	Maybe: This would represent an additional enrollment with a fee schedule for the organization and is recommended mostly for temporary or pilot seasons where a higher volume of requests is needed for church response capacity. In general, separate requesting agencies create a broader network of collaboration and avoid confusion of roles.
	Church?	No: Implementing Partner organizations are defined as Church-empowering organizations that seek to lead the Church into this work directly rather than doing the work on the Church's behalf. If an IP leader wishes to respond directly to requests and make connections with families and caseworkers, they should do so as a Church or Team Leader of their own local church.
	Community Champion/Responder?	Yes: This is the ideal perspective for an Implementing Partner that wishes to respond to help meet requests. As a Community Champion or Community Responder, responses are directed to families through the leadership and empowerment of local Connecting Churches.
	Community Sponsor?	No: Implementing Partners are the direct recipients of Community Sponsor funding. To be both would mean the Implementing Partner is giving to itself.

Can a Church also be a...
	Requesting Agency?	Yes: To do this, the church would utilize Church-Entered Needs, which sends their own requests to their own Response Teams. In special cases, Church-Entered Needs can be escalated to churches and community responders outside their Response Teams, but this requires the direct involvement and approval of the local Regional Manager.
	Implementing Partner?	Maybe: Almost all cases of churches acting as Implementing Partners are multi-site churches creating a network for their own campuses, which gives additional features to each campus as its own church (as opposed to being set up as Response Teams). This use case would involve a church leader being given an Ambassador role. In other cases, churches do not fit as Implementing Partners, especially those who provide their county's Regional Manager, because these IPs must be ecumenically-minded and be able to partner and build trust with churches of multiple denominations for the entire region they serve.
	Community Champion/Responder?	Maybe: While churches do not directly enroll as a Community Champion or Responder, they may be treated as one if they respond to a request where they are not considered "local" to the family in need. In these cases, their response will be sent to a Connecting Church near the family to encourage and enable a local connection to be made. The way a "local" church is defined is by whether or not the church lies within the distance by which a request is escalated. This is a setting determined by the church's local Implementing Partner and can be discussed in more detail with their network leaders.
	Community Sponsor?	Yes: When churches give to their local Implementing Partner, they are acting as Community Sponsors. This is encouraged and healthy so their local network has the support to develop and expand to serve more families and equip more churches.

Can a Requesting Agency also be a...
	Implementing Partner?	Maybe: This would require an additional fee schedule for the agency, and is only a good fit if the agency is focused on empowering the local Church to meet the needs of the families and children they serve. Implementing Partners are defined as having an established or growing network of churches and community partners, with an emphasis on Church empowerment to serve families and children in crisis.
	Church?	No: Since Requesting Agencies enter the needs that churches respond directly to, this would result in agencies meeting their own needs without the involvement of the Church. If agency leaders or workers wish to help meet and respond to requests, they can do so as a Church Leader/Responder or as a Community Responder.
	Community Champion/Responder?	Yes: This is the ideal perspective for an agency leader to have if they are not connected to a local church that is using CarePortal but still wish to help meet needs in the community. Their responses will be sent directly to Connecting Churches near the family to empower those churches to serve the families and kids in crisis.
	Community Sponsor?	Yes: If a Requesting Agency would like to help support their local Implementing Partner to expand the network and add more response capacity through recruiting and training new churches and community champions, they would be ideal Community Sponsors.

Can a Community Champion or Responder also be a...
	Requesting Agency?	Yes: Requesting Agencies are defined as having case management services for families and children in crisis. If a Community Champion offers such services, they would be eligible for consideration as a local Requesting Agency, which requires a specific fee schedule and direct conversation with the Implementing Partners and Area Director assigned to their area.
	Church?	No: Only churches may enroll and be activated as a Church in the CarePortal platform, which opens up direct contact to families and kids in crisis through the family's caseworker. CarePortal defines a church as follows:  A “local church” for CarePortal purposes is a local fellowship of believers living in community, centered on Jesus as Lord and the Bible as the Word of God, committed to the ordinances, worship, and service together as a body, with spiritual and behavioral accountability to the leadership authority(ies) of the local fellowship, whether pastor(s), priest(s), elder(s), or other overseer(s). Source: Community Responder & Champion FAQs
	Implementing Partner?	Yes: This would require the Community Champion or Responder to lead a current church-empowering network (or have the desire to build such a network), and would require a specific fee schedule and direct conversation with their local Area Director.
	Community Sponsor?	Yes: This is very common and encouraged. While Champions help contribute resources to meet individual requests, Sponsors help support their local Implementing Partners in the support and expansion of the network. This is the unseen, less-glamorous work of adding more response capacity (and uncovering more needs), which creates an exponential impact over time as the network grows to see more churches responding to more needs.