Psychologist Kurt Lewin coined the term “gatekeeper” to describe a person who decides what information and influences enter a social system. Much like a parent deciding what a child can watch on a computer, or a newspaper editor deciding what stories will be published, a social services gatekeeper has extraordinary authority and power. Social services gatekeepers do not have simple jobs. They must be trained to make quick, accurate decisions, often based on meager information. Nonetheless, they are expected to have exceptional decision-making and communication skills and be able to effectively multitask.

From a programmatic and legal perspective, social service gatekeeping usually involves a matter that is:

  • an emergency requiring immediate attention or resolution;
  • urgent, but there is no imminent safety issue;
  • not particularly time sensitive, but will need to be dealt with in the future;
  • a matter that can be referred elsewhere.