www.cvmsummit.

net
A program of:
Mission Statement

To provide 24-hour access to communication for people in transition and

crisis, directly linking individuals to jobs, housing, case management,
health services and stability

Fleeing domestic abuse

Finding A Job Access to Health Care

reconnect achieve results

Vision Statement

CVMS seeks to remove phonelessness as a barrier to

Free, 24-hour
economic opportunity, voice mailpeople
empowering access
to reclaim their
lives and move from crisis to self-sufficiency.

“Because you can’t get a job without a phone number”

 What is Community Voice Mail?
Free local telephone number,
24-hour voice mail access A PLACE
A JOB TO LIVE
A reliable telephone
number on a resume 47 Sites A phone number for a
prospective landlord
22 States

Serving 40,000

SAFETY each year HOPE

A tangible tool to
A lifeline for those
reclaim your life
escaping domestic abuse
 How does CVMS work for Agencies?

CVMS numbers are distributed

through existing social services – we
National Office
don’t reinvent the wheel.
HOST
AGENCY
Info Line

Participating Participating Participating Participating Client

Agency Agency Agency Agency

Client

Doubling Our Impact Client

Case workers also utilize CVMS to stay in consistent contact

with clients, doubling the impact of the service. Client
How Does CVMS Work for Clients?
Working with his case manager, Jerry is given an instruction card and a
touch-tone phone to use:
• He dials in A CVMS number looks
• Records a simple greeting like any other local
• Creates his secure password number – reflecting the
• He can put this number on job stability & credibility
applications, give it to his case associated with a
worker, health care provider and home answering
family/friends machine.

Jerry is immediately empowered with the tangible

tool he needs to succeed: a reliable way to reach him.
TIME ELAPSED: 3 MINUTES
Why do Clients need CVMS?
Community Voice Mail Summit is designed for individuals
in crisis or transition
Reasons to use Community Voice Mail Summit:

• Seek employment, shelter, or healthcare services.

• Seek safety from domestic violence.
• Contact with social service agencies.
• Childcare and school contacts.
• Stay in touch with friends and family.

“Empower an individual and help improve their ability to conduct

the business of their lives.”
 Who uses CVMS?
CVMS serves virtually every constituency, impacting each sector of the community
• Job Seekers
• Families choosing between utilities & rent
• Domestic violence victims
• Laid off workers
• Foster children who reach maturity
• Senior citizens on a fixed income
• Migrant/day workers
• Runaway youth
• Hospice patients
• HIV/AIDS patients
• Mental health patients
• Drug and alcohol treatment patients
• Homeless adults and families
Benefits of CVMS
For the Case Manager:
• Reach your client the first time
saving your time and saving
money for your agency.
• Broadcast Messaging allows
you to reach everyone with
one call.
• Give your clients a concrete
tool on their first appointment
with you.
• Remind clients of
appointments, meetings,
taking medications, community
events, etc….
“Turning phone lines into lifelines.”
For the Clients:
• Maintain dignity and respect.
• Increase client’s ability to solve
their own problems.
• Reduce the time spent in crisis
or transition in the social service
system.
• Messages are available 24 hours
a day, from any phone.
• Messages are private and
confidential.
• Available in English and
Spanish.
 More Than Just Voice Mail
CVMS Advanced Features
Broadcast Messaging:
Provides the ability to reach all clients at a single
agency, in the entire CVMS territory, or all CVM
territories with one message. This is a resource
that will allow you to post job listings, civic engagements,
weather alerts and EITC eligibility.

Reply to Broadcast Messaging:

When a Case Worker or CVMS Manager sends a
broadcast voice message to their clients, each client can
push a button and reply to the sender of the message
without having to make an additional call.
 More Than Just Voice Mail
CVMS Advanced Features
Email Broadcast Messaging:
When a client provides an email address, it will be
added to a broadcast email list that the CVMS
Coordinator can use to send messages to clients.
(i.e. job postings, agency events, job readiness
classes, workshops, etc…)

Multi-lingual Prompts:
The CVMS system currently offers prompts in
Spanish in addition to English. We have plans to
enable additional languages in the future.
 More Than Just Voice Mail
CVMS Advanced Features
Ability to Issue Voice Surveys:
The CVMS system can be used to collect survey data
from clients (clients listen to questions and respond).

Ability to Create “Hotlines”:

CVMS Coordinator can create customized hotlines
that clients can call to access recorded
information.
 More Than Just Voice Mail
CVMS Advanced Features
Email Notification:
Clients with email addresses can opt to receive email
notifications of “new messages waiting” so they know to
find a phone to check their voice mail. This feature is
especially helpful to clients who do not have daily access
to a phone but may be checking email at libraries and
community computer labs.

Usage Reporting:
Knowing when a client last accessed their voice mail is
an important indicator of usage, and helps case workers
know if clients are listening to their messages
 More Than Just Voice Mail
Community Voice Mail Summit Future Features:
Outbound Calling:
When a client listens to a voice mail message,
they can press a button and the CVMS system will
return the call to the person who left the message
without having to make an additional call.

Access CVMS via 211:

If a client calls 211(which is free from any pay
phone in Summit County), they can push a
button and be transferred to their voice mail
box.
Achieving Results on a National Level
• CVM serves an average of 40,000 people
each year across the country and partners
with nearly 2,000 agencies.
• Nearly 70% of CVM users reported achieving
their stated goals including employment,
housing and/or safe communication.

“Without Community Voice Mail, I simply would have been cut off from
the process of finding a job.” - Jerry, formerly homeless

*Data from completed subscribers who stated the goal & achieved it; did not include those currently receiving service.
 Info Line, Inc.
Host Site for CVMS
Who has Teamed up?
ACCESS, Inc.
Barberton Area Community Ministries
Battered Woman’s Shelter of Summit & Medina Counties
Family & Community Services – Fast Track Program
Info Line Title XX Case Management Program
H.M. Life Opportunity Services
Oriana House
Haven of Rest
Community Health Center

A CVM Partnership demonstrates a commitment to the communities we serve!

How Much Will CVMS Cost My Agency?
Info Line covers the majority of the cost of CVMS for Summit County, but
some of the cost must be shared with participating programs to sustain
CVMS Services. The service is always free to the client.

Participating Agencies pay:

$1.00 per voicemail box per month
Example: 10 boxes cost $10 per month or $120 per year

How can your Agency get Connected?

• Discuss your agency’s participation with the CVMS Coordinator
• Sign the necessary agreements
• Receive training on CVMS
 Thanks to CVMS Funders:

Anonymous Corporate Sponsors

Charter One Bank
City of Barberton
Margaret Clark Morgan Foundation
OMNOVA Solutions Foundation
Summit County
United Way of Summit County
Welty Family Foundation
www.cvmsummit.net
Contact :
Mike Gibbs, Community Voice Mail Summit Coordinator
Info Line, Inc.
(330) 315- 1349
mgibbs@infolineinc.org
www.cvmsummit.net

Community Voice Mail National Office

206-441-7872 Info@cvm.org
www.cvm.org