A Reliable Referral for the Non-Clinical Issues
Your patient or client is dealing with something outside their chart, an eviction, a utility shut-off, no food at home, family stress, no ride to follow-up appointments.
The Information Center has been the call for non-clinical needs in Wayne and Monroe Counties for decades.
A Community Navigator works with your patient to find local help and walks them through the next steps. One referral. We take it from there.
When to Refer to Community Navigation
Refer when your patient
Has unstable housing, just got an eviction notice, or is at risk of losing their home.
Has a utility shut-off pending or no working utilities at home.
Has limited or no food access for themselves or their household.
Has no reliable transportation to follow-up appointments or pharmacy.
Is caring for a family member and is overwhelmed.
Has lost a job, hours, or income source recently.
Is showing up in the ED for issues rooted in social conditions, not clinical ones.
Is asking your team for help with something outside the medical scope and your team does not have the bandwidth to coordinate.
Why Clinical Teams Use TIC
One referral, many needs. Housing, food, utilities, transportation, family stress, and benefits enrollment coordinated through one navigator, not five separate calls.
Real local knowledge. Our resource database is curated for Wayne and Monroe Counties and updated continuously. We know which agencies are taking calls today and which are at capacity.
Cross-program routing. If your patient turns out to need MI Choice, CTS, MI Options, or another program, we route them your referral does not go cold.
Reduced readmission risk. Stable housing, food access, and utility security reduce the conditions that send patients back to the ED.
Decades in the community. TIC has served Wayne County for decades and is a known, trusted name in the Downriver area.
Free for the patient and the referrer. No cost to your patient. No cost to your team. No paperwork on your side beyond the referral.
What Your Patient Gets
A real person on the phone, not a phone tree.
A conversation that is judgment-free and meets them where they are.
Specific resources matched to their situation, not a generic 211 list.
Help understanding eligibility, what to bring, and what to expect.
Connection to other TIC programs if a deeper fit exists.
Translation support for non-English speakers, when available.
How to describe TIC to your patient
‘There’s a place called The Information Center. They’re local, they’re free, and they help people figure out the housing/food/bills side of things. I’m going to send your name over so a Community Navigator can call you. Is that OK?’
Make TIC Part of Your Team’s Workflow
When you refer a patient to TIC, you don’t just hand off a name. You connect a real person to a real plan, with a Community Navigator who knows the local landscape. Your team stays focused on clinical care. We handle the rest.
Refer Someone
Is there someone you know who could use our services? Refer Here!
Call Us
Call us today. There is no obligation.
Partner with The Information Center
Together, we can do more. Partner with The Information Center and help your community find the support they need. Reach out today.
Common Questions for Clinical Teams
The online referral form goes directly to the Community Navigation team.
Phone referrals at 734-282-7171 reach the same team. Use whichever fits your workflow.
Most patients are contacted within 1 to 2 business days, depending on call volume and patient consent status. Your team can request priority routing for time-sensitive situations.
If your patient is a strong fit for MI Choice, CTS, MI Options, or another TIC program, we route them. Your referral does not need to be re-routed manually.
We can discuss BAA arrangements with hospital partners. Reach out for current data-sharing options.
No. Community Navigation is free for the patient and free for the referring partner.