Inclusion/exclusion
Criteria for Resource Hub

TRA Inclusion/Exclusion Criteria for Resource Files

 

Introduction & Summary

Consistent with Inform USA (formerly AIRS) National Standards for Information and Referral, TRA has developed these guidelines to govern maintenance of its resource database, to include explicit criteria that:

• • Qualify an agency, organization, or program for inclusion in the file.

• • Disqualify an agency, organization, or program from inclusion in the file.

Inform USA Standard 2, Criterion 3:  “The I&R service shall publish criteria for the inclusion or exclusion of agencies and programs in the resource file. These criteria shall be uniformly applied.”

The purposes of these guidelines are:

1. To enable staff to apply them uniformly and consistently.
2. To enable staff to apply them easily without having to make case-by-case decisions.
3. To provide objective inclusion and exclusion criteria to the public.
4. To provide objective criteria to support decisions which may be protested. 
5. To enable the TRA Board of Directors to review and update the criteria each year.
6. To facilitate collaboration with comprehensive information & referral services.

The following factors govern the size and nature of TRA’s database:

• • Local needs and conditions. 
  • Program mission/target population. 
  • Other sources of information available for other topics requested of the Call Center. 
  • Staff and resources available to maintain reliable (relevant, accurate and timely) data and to update it annually

Subject Area Considerations:

• • The primary objective of the aging & disabilities specialized TRA database is to provide transportation and other resource information for older adults and adults with disabilities to help them remain in their homes safely and comfortably as long as possible.

• • Resources are provided to help caregivers and family members. For example – Caregiver programs at hospitals are included in the database but not general hospital services.

Service Eligibility Considerations for Membership Organizations

• • Aging in Place membership organizations are included with information about terms of membership and service area.

• • Religious/sectarian agencies serving only members of that institution will not be included.

Geographic Considerations: 

• • Organizations serving Westchester, Putnam, Rockland Counties in NYS and Fairfield County, CT.

Tax Status:  Included are

• • Not for profit 501(c)(3) organizations.

• • Private for-profit agencies that provide free, low-cost, or sliding-scale health and human services or goods not adequately available through public or non-profit agencies may be included. Inclusion is based upon uniqueness of services, lack of comparable services available through not-for-profit agencies or groups, and degree of need for the service.

• • Municipal, county and other government programs and services that serve the needs of older adults and adults with disabilities.

 

Private Practitioners and Insurance Professionals: Not included by name.

 

Political & Issue-Oriented Organizations:  Not included.

 

New Organizations:  Eligible after 1 year of service to the local community.

TRA Variations

The following entities will be included in the TRA Resource Hub guided search.

• • Aging in Place agencies will be listed under one aging in place taxonomy code, regardless of whether they are a village or other model.

    a. The service name will be Aging in Place for all organizations regardless of model.                                                  b. Transportation will be listed as a secondary service under the agency and will appear in the keyword search.

 

Disclaimers of Responsibility

TRA Group reserves the right to remove or exclude any organization from its database for any reason. 

 

Inclusion in this resource database should in no way be construed to constitute an endorsement of an agency or organization or its service, nor should exclusion be construed to constitute disapproval.  The information which appears in this database was provided by the agencies and organizations.

 

TRA Group reserves the right to exclude from its database any organization that it has adequate reason to believe may spread hatred or have a philosophy that could be hurtful to the well-being of any individuals, groups, or the community as a whole.  Potential grounds for exclusion or removal from the database may include, but not be limited to, service non-delivery, fraud, misrepresentation, discrimination against clients individually or as a class, or proved or alleged criminal activity. 

 

Organizations and programs may be considered for inclusion on a case-by-case basis when need arises, as, for example, when another service is not available.

 

Non-Responsiveness.  If an agency does not respond to TRA’s request for updated information after three attempts, TRA will make note that they did not respond and deactivate them by changing their Agency, Site, Service to inactive.

 

Complaint Handling Procedures

Organizations have the right to complain if they disagree with an inclusion/exclusion decision. TRA will acknowledge and investigate every complaint. 

• • Complaints are to be filed on a written form either by the complainant or by a staff member taking the information from the complainant.

• • Confidentiality – the identity of complainants will be held confidentially.

• • The President of TRA Group will investigate the complaint, ultimately ruling on it, and providing feedback to the complainant.

• • Formal written appeals will be reviewed by the TRA Group Board of Directors, whose determination will be final.
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Updates approved by TRA Group Board of Directors, 7/28/25.

 

To request edits, removal, or inclusion in the Resource Hub, or for additional information, CLICK HERE