In the early 1970’s, the information and referral network established the Alliance of Information and Referral Systems (AIRS) to create national standards, share information, and promote professionalism in the field of Information & Referral.  AIRS is now Inform USA.

Inform USA is a 501c3 charitable organization whose mission is to serve those in the nonprofit and government sectors that provide information and referral services, often referred to as community navigation. Inform USA is the driving force behind the delivery of quality resource referral, navigation, and connection services and is the sole source for standards, program accreditation, and practitioner certification for the sector. Inform USA members are governmental units, 211 & 988 programs, libraries, civic organizations, and those who work in the areas of aging and disability.

Inform USA Standards

First published in 1973 and now in its 10th edition (Inform USA Standards and Quality Indicators for Professional Information and Referral – Version 10.0, officially released in July 2024), the Standards underpin and bind together every aspect of information and referral and define the direction of all our products and services. The Standards are the foundation of service delivery and the prime quality benchmark for community navigation.

There are five sections of the Standards (seen below) and within those sections are 25 Standards covering every facet of an information and referral operation. Each Standard includes Quality Indicators that describe best practices for our industry.

The Standards are updated every three years to reflect the industry’s emerging trends. Here is a summary of high-level changes v.s. the 9.0 edition.

Download the Inform USA standards here.

Accreditation

Inform USA developed the accreditation process to assess the ability of an I&R program to demonstrate compliance with the their Standards. Accreditation is a multi-phase process that assesses an I&R’s operational components and affirms the program’s excellence. In Ohio, all 2-1-1 Call Centers must achieve Inform USA accreditation in order to retain their 2-1-1 designation.

Learn more about the Accreditation process on the AIRS web site.

I&R Specialists

An I & R specialist is a guide to the often complex system of human services and can assist people in understanding how that system works, particularly in how to access services. I & R specialists utilize skillful questioning and active listening with empathy, support, and guidance to help people make thoughtful and informed decisions. They help identify the services most appropriate to the person’s needs, discuss pros and cons of various options, and provide education about how to obtain the needed services.

Certification

Inform USA has established a professional credentialing program for I&R specialists. Certification is a measurement of knowledge in the field of I&R, that captures the skills, attitudes and work related behaviors needed by I&R practitioners. Certification is available for three specializations:

  • CIRS Certification for I&R Specialists
  • CIRS-A Certification for I&R Specialists in Aging
  • CRS Certification for Resource Specialists

Certification requires successful passage of the appropriate certification exam.

To learn more about the Inform USA Certifications click here.

Resource Databases

An I&R service is a provider of information to the public, and individuals using the service have a right to accurate, consistent, comprehensive, and unbiased information. Therefore, the I&R service develops, maintains, and publishes a resource database that contains accurate and updated information about available resources. It has staff that are specifically trained in the maintenance of the information (Database Curators). The I&R service makes sure the information is available for internal and public use and is structured in ways that make searching as intuitive and user-friendly as possible. The I&R service also analyzes the resource information to help identify/report about the resource availability or gaps within a community.

Learn more about the (AIRS) style guide on the Inform USA website.