Frequently asked questions

HelpSeeker is a free location-based help services network that allows you to find the closest, most relevant service for individuals in need at your organization. HelpSeeker is available as an app or web-based platform and is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

HelpSeeker is free for all end users, including service providers. Additional paid features are available to organizations conducting Systems Planning activities.

No - there is no fee for any service provider to sign up on HelpSeeker. Our platform is free to use - both for the public wanting to search for services, and for service providers wanting to list their services. The only time a subscription cost becomes a consideration is for access to the data dashboard and reports which is an optional upgrade only.

Agency accounts do, however, have the option to access reports relating to data specific to their agency. For instance, if the YMCA wanted to see data related to their programming, they can opt in to pay a subscription fee that allows them access to reports relating to the YMCA only. Again, this is a completely optional service, that no agency/service provider is under any obligation to pay for. It is simply a service we extend to them, should they see value in it.

As part of HelpSeeker's Reconciliation efforts, we waive our dashboard fees for any Indigenous service provider dashboards who are interested in the premium membership plan. The simple process to get your services up on HelpSeeker is to fill out this 'Join Us' form, once you have signed up for a free account and claimed your listings, HelpSeeker will open up the Service Provider Dashboard, waiving the normal fees. If you have any additional questions regarding this service please contact the help desk for assistance.

HelpSeeker staff conduct tailored training sessions when launching the app in a community. If you’ve missed a training session or need a refresher, resource materials such as the “Getting Started Guide” can be found here. Additional technical support is available by contacting info@helpseeker.org and is available Monday-Friday. HelpSeeker staff strive to respond to your technical requests as soon as possible but may take up to 24 hours to reply.

Signing up for a free account as a service provider allows your agency to ensure that the information available through HelpSeeker is accurate and up to date, correctly reflecting the services and programs that your agency or organization offers. Claiming your listing as a service provider is one way to ensure that your program information is available to clients looking for similarly identified services. Service providers can specify any eligibility requirements saving both the agency and clients time and ineligible referrals.

Keeping your agency information up to date allows for a more seamless delivery of services to those who need help right away. Furthermore, up to date information helps eliminate barriers for clients receiving help i.e., incorrect or missing contact info. Decision Makers may choose to use HelpSeeker’s Systems Mapping when it comes to funding or program decisions. The more accurate and up-to-date the information is, the better your community is able to make changes or assess your community assets.

There is no limit to how often you can update your listing; however for programs and services that remain fairly stable from month to month, year to year, you should log-in 1-2 times a year to ensure your information is accurate and up to date. Agencies with a larger number of programs or who have programs which change depending on the time of year, should update their information seasonally or more often if needed.

HelpSeeker System Mappers review and add new information approx 3-6 months after the initial mapping process of your community, and periodically thereafter. Once agencies claim their listings, they then become responsible for keeping their information up to date. Depending on the size and type of organization this can be typically from 1 to several times a year.

We have a "Getting Started Guide" for your reference to help answer your mapping questions. Alternately, if you have the information available you can forward it to info@helpseeker.org and we will map your programs for you.

To keep it simple, we usually only allow one person per organization to make edits, however there have been exceptions to this.

We hope that HelpSeeker will save your staff both time and work. Creating a comprehensive map of services allows frontline staff to quickly and easily look up programs for their clients, families and people experiencing vulnerability, saving copious hours searching on-line or through resource directories to find the information. Claiming your listing is not meant to be onerous and we suggest updating information at minimum once per year depending on the size of your organization, this may take from 5-15 minutes per update.

Our goal is to improve the process for getting help to people in need. We need the help of all agencies to truly make it a success.

The benefits of signing up are that:

• it supports the coordination of service delivery across agencies, making the process to match high-system users with available services easier
• it helps to improve service delivery: agencies with active/up-to-date listings help inform decisions around future program planning.
• it’s free advertising!

An unclaimed listing means the agency has not yet taken ownership of their listing(s) to ensure the information provided is accurate and kept up-to-date. An unclaimed listing was created by HelpSeeker staff with the most up-to-date information typically found through the agency website or on-line presence.

There are two ways to ensure your agency is included in your community’s system map.
Email info@helpseeker.org and provide your website and/or brief description of what services/programs you offer and a HelpSeeker System Mapper will create a listing.
Request a free account at helpseeker.org. Once you receive log-in information via email, you can then begin to map your programs/services. HelpSeeker has a “Getting Started Guide” to help answer any questions you may have about adding listings/services to HelpSeeker.

Please email info@helpseeker.org with the listing and correct info and we will update the information promptly. If your agency’s information is incorrect, alternatively you can claim your agency listing which will give you access to make any necessary changes.

HelpSeeker aggregates all end user searches and interactions (filters, clicks etc.) into user-friendly dashboards that provide real-time analytics and insights for funders, community leaders and systems planning.