Explore how roles and responsibilities connect across the justice system.
Locate your role in the process
Begin with the person’s current setting, the task you are responsible for, and the agencies involved. Distinguish what you can decide from what another office must confirm. Avoid making a referral sound like a service that has already been arranged.
Make the handoff understandable
Explain the reason for the next step in ordinary language. Ask the person what they understood and what still seems unclear. Record the responsible contact, the action needed, and any dates that have actually been confirmed.
Questions to carry with you
- What is within my role?
- Which information requires confirmation elsewhere?
- How will the person know what happens next?
One manageable next step
Clarify one handoff: who is receiving it, what they need, and how the person can follow up.