Referral Journey Mapping
"How people transition to additional or external services"
Objectives
- Eliminate lost or failed referrals
- Ensure continuity and accountability
Key Components & Required Elements
- Referral decision logic
- Matching criteria
- Capacity constraints
- Communication method
- Accept/deny feedback loop
- Referral sent
- Acknowledged
- Service started
- Outcome reported
- Owner
- Timeline
- Client feedback post-referral
Maturity Rubric
Assess your organization's readiness across four levels
Referrals are made with no tracking of outcomes or follow-up
Referral tracking exists but feedback loops are incomplete or informal
Closed-loop referral system with feedback at each stage and assigned follow-up
Real-time referral dashboards with capacity awareness, automated follow-up, and client-reported outcomes
Sample Deliverables
What a completed phase produces
Key Facilitation Questions
Do we know the current referral completion rate?
Who is responsible for following up on each referral?
How do clients experience the transition between providers?
What information is shared (or lost) during the referral handoff?
Discussion Prompts
What percentage of our referrals result in completed service?
How do we currently know if a referred client actually received services?
What happens when the receiving provider is at capacity?
How do we handle referrals that cross organizational or system boundaries?
User Story
As a case manager, I want closed-loop referrals so no client is left without support.
Acceptance Criteria:
- Feedback loop documented for each referral
- Follow-up owner assigned
Accreditation Alignment
Service coordination
Continuity of care
Cross-system collaboration
Related Phases
Internal Program & Service Delivery Mapping
Fully map internal service delivery, not just intake/referral. Identify program strengths, gaps, and improvement opportunities.
Cross-Journey Analysis & Redesign
Identify systemic failures across the entire journey. Design future-state journeys that address root causes.