Custom GPT: Build a Community Resource Navigation Chatbot

For Peer Support Specialists

Tools: ChatGPT Plus (Custom GPTs) | Time to build: 1-2 hours | Difficulty: Intermediate-Advanced Prerequisites: Comfortable using ChatGPT for research and drafting tasks. See Level 3 guide: "Set Up Claude as Your Peer Support Practice Assistant"

What This Builds

This guide walks you through creating a Custom GPT that acts as a community resource navigator for your specific city or region. Instead of each peer specialist spending 2-3 hours searching for the right housing program, food assistance, or legal aid service for a specific client situation, staff can ask the chatbot and get an instant, targeted answer based on your agency's actual knowledge of local resources. You build it once; your whole team uses it forever.

Prerequisites

• ChatGPT Plus subscription ({{tool:ChatGPT.price}})
• A community resource guide for your area in text format (can build this using the Level 2 Google Docs guide first)
• 90 minutes for initial setup and testing
• Agency supervisor awareness (this contains program names but no client PHI)

The Concept

A Custom GPT is like creating a specialized AI assistant with one specific job: answering resource navigation questions. You load it with your agency's resource knowledge (housing programs, food pantries, employment services, treatment options), and it answers questions in plain English. Staff ask questions like "Who takes people with active warrants in [city]?" and get instant, specific answers based on what your team actually knows.

Build It Step by Step

Part 1: Prepare Your Resource Knowledge Base

Before building the chatbot, you need your resources in a usable text format. If you've already built a Google Doc resource guide (see Level 2 guide), export it as plain text. If starting from scratch, create a structured document with this format for each resource:

ORGANIZATION: [Name]
TYPE: [Emergency Housing / Transitional Housing / Food / Employment / Legal / MAT / etc.]
PHONE: [number]
ADDRESS: [address]
HOURS: [hours]
ELIGIBILITY: [who they serve — be specific about restrictions and what they DO accept]
NOTES: [staff experience — wait times, helpful contacts, what makes them different]
ACCEPTS: [felony record: yes/no] [warrants: yes/no] [children: yes/no] [pets: yes/no]

Aim for 20-50 resources to start. You can add more later.

Save this as a plain text (.txt) or Word (.docx) file ready to upload.

Part 2: Open the Custom GPT Builder

1. Go to chatgpt.com → log in (must be Plus subscriber)
2. Click your profile icon → My GPTs → Create a GPT
3. The GPT Builder opens with Create tab on left, Preview on right

Part 3: Configure the GPT

In the Configure tab:

Name: "[Your City/County] Resource Navigator"

Description: "I help find local community resources for clients in recovery: housing, food, employment, legal aid, treatment, and more."

Instructions (paste this template, customized for your area):

You are a community resource navigator for [City/County, State]. You help
peer support specialists and case managers quickly find the right resources
for people in recovery from substance use disorders.

YOUR KNOWLEDGE BASE: The documents uploaded to this GPT contain an up-to-date
directory of local resources for [city/county, state].

HOW TO ANSWER QUESTIONS:
1. Always ask about key constraints before answering: Does the person have a felony
   record? Active warrants? Children? Pets? What's their Medicaid status?
2. Give specific answers with organization names, phone numbers, and eligibility notes
3. When you're uncertain or the knowledge base doesn't have the answer, say so — do
   NOT make up resources or phone numbers
4. When listing options, rank them from most accessible to hardest to access
5. Include your "NOTES" field information — the real-world experience is often
   the most valuable part

IMPORTANT: This chatbot contains program information, not client information.
Never ask for client names, dates of birth, or other identifying information.
Staff should use this to find options, then make their own referral calls.

WHEN YOU DON'T KNOW: Say "I don't have that resource in my current database —
check [local 211 system or relevant directory] or ask [supervisor name]."

Part 4: Upload Your Resource Document

In the Configure tab, scroll to Knowledge → click Upload files → upload your resource guide document.

What you should see: Your file appears in the Knowledge section.

Troubleshooting: The file must be .txt, .pdf, or .docx format. If it's a Google Doc, go to File → Download → Microsoft Word, then upload.

Part 5: Test With Real Questions

In the Preview panel on the right, test with actual questions your colleagues ask:

• "I have a client who needs emergency housing tonight, has a felony, and has a dog. Who can help?"
• "What food pantries are near downtown [city] that don't require an address?"
• "Where can someone go for MAT (suboxone) if they're uninsured?"
• "I have a client with an active warrant who needs housing. Do any programs take people with open warrants?"

For each question, check:

• Does it answer using information from your document?
• Are phone numbers accurate? (Verify these. Errors here have real consequences.)
• Does it appropriately say "I don't know" when the answer isn't in your document?

Fix any issues by updating your resource document and re-uploading it.

Part 6: Share With Your Team

When satisfied: click Save → set visibility to Only people with a link → copy the link.

Share in your team's communication channel: "Use this link to quickly find resources for clients. It knows our local area and common eligibility questions."

Real Example: Full Workflow

Setup: Resource Navigator GPT is live and shared with 6 peer specialists

Input from a colleague: "Hey, I have a client who needs housing. He's been sober 45 days, has an old felony (assault, 2018), no children, has a therapy dog, and is on Medicaid. Where do I start?"

Output (in 20 seconds):

Time saved: A 2-hour search reduced to 20 seconds. Staff still make the calls, but they're targeted, not exploratory.

What to Do When It Breaks

• Gives wrong phone number → Fix in your resource document, re-upload; always verify phone numbers before adding to the knowledge base
• Doesn't know a resource you have → Check that the document uploaded successfully; try rephrasing the question
• Makes up resources → Add to Instructions: "Never invent resources. If it's not in your knowledge base, say you don't know."
• Team isn't using it → Present 3 examples at your next team meeting; show how much faster it is than individual searching

Variations

• Simpler version: Create a well-formatted shared Google Doc with the same resource information. No AI, but searchable with Ctrl+F, shareable, and free to maintain
• Extended version: Add a section for your agency's own services and programs so staff can also use it to explain what your organization offers to referral partners

What to Do Next

• This week: Build the resource document first (Level 2 guide); that's the foundation regardless of whether you build the chatbot
• This month: Test the chatbot with your team's 10 most common resource questions; refine the knowledge base based on what it gets wrong
• Quarterly: Update the resource document. Programs change eligibility, open, and close regularly

Advanced guide for Peer Support Specialist professionals. Requires ChatGPT Plus ({{tool:ChatGPT.price}}). Team members access through a shared link. No Plus subscription needed to use the chatbot.