{"id":509,"date":"2025-09-30T17:07:20","date_gmt":"2025-09-30T17:07:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/smc-connect-test.flywheelsites.com\/?page_id=509"},"modified":"2025-09-30T17:22:38","modified_gmt":"2025-09-30T17:22:38","slug":"509-2","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/smc-connect.org\/?page_id=509","title":{"rendered":"Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>How to Use SMC Connect Guide<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>SMC Connect is a digital resource finder created to help you discover community services and programs in San Mateo County more easily.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>What SMC Connect Can Do<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Find local services like food, housing, health care, and job support.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Search information from the Community Information Handbook and verified sources\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Provide results in multiple languages\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Give you a quick starting point to connect with services in your area\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>What SMC Connect Doesn\u2019t Do<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It\u2019s not a live person\u2014it\u2019s an automated assistant\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It can\u2019t provide legal advice, personal opinions, or case-specific guidance\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It may not always have the most up-to-date details\u2014when in doubt, call 211 or a Core Service Agency\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Don\u2019t share personal or confidential information like Social Security numbers, case numbers, or medical history\u00a0\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Search vs. Chat<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\ud83d\udd0d<strong>Search<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Best for quick lookups\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Uses prompts or keywords\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Provides one summarized response\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>\ud83d\udcac<strong>Chat<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Best for more detailed questions\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Lets you ask follow-ups and refine results\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Feels more conversational\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Helpful Tips for Getting the Most out of SMC Connect<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\ud83d\udca1<strong>Ask Clear, Specific Questions<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Instead of: &#8216;Food&#8217;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Try: &#8216;Where can I get free groceries near Daly City?&#8217;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\ud83d\udccd<strong>Include Your City or ZIP Code<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Example: &#8216;Job referrals and application assistance near South San Francisco&#8217;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>\u270f\ufe0f<\/strong><strong>Use Full Sentences with Context<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Instead of: &#8216;Housing&#8217;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Try: &#8216;How do I apply for emergency rental assistance in Redwood City?&#8217;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\ud83d\udd01<strong>Didn\u2019t Get What You Were Looking For? Try Rephrasing <\/strong>Example: &#8216;Can you show me food pantries open this weekend?&#8217; Example: &#8216;Who can I talk to about Medi-Cal eligibility?&#8217;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\ud83c\udf0e<strong>Use Your Preferred Language<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Type your question in your preferred language\u2014SMC Connect can respond in many languages.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>A Smart Tool\u2014But Not a Human<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>SMC Connect helps you start your search, but it doesn\u2019t replace talking with a person. If your question is complicated, urgent, or very specific, please call 211 or contact a local Core Service Agency for direct assistance.&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>How to Use SMC Connect Guide&nbsp; SMC Connect is a digital resource finder created to help you discover community services and programs in San Mateo County more easily.&nbsp; What SMC Connect Can Do&nbsp; What SMC Connect Doesn\u2019t Do&nbsp; Search vs. Chat&nbsp; \ud83d\udd0dSearch&nbsp; \ud83d\udcacChat&nbsp; Helpful Tips for Getting the Most out of SMC Connect&nbsp; \ud83d\udca1Ask Clear, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":2,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-509","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/smc-connect.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/509","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/smc-connect.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/smc-connect.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smc-connect.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smc-connect.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=509"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/smc-connect.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/509\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":511,"href":"https:\/\/smc-connect.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/509\/revisions\/511"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/smc-connect.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=509"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}