Social workers are some of the most resourceful, creative, and passionate people in the world. It’s just one of the reasons we're so appreciative of your unwavering commitment to serve. No matter the circumstances, you always rise to the occasion. Thank you for being a source of stability and strength for the families and individuals who rely on you.
We know it can be hard to stay positive and keep fighting given everything going on in the world right now. We want to share some stories and quotes about the amazing work you do in hopes that it helps boost your spirits on tough days. Read MoreBlog
Our blog isn’t about us. It’s about you. We discuss business challenges and real issues human service agencies and caseworkers face everyday. You’ll find traditional human services software articles about things like document management for human services and social work technology. But you’ll also find inspirational stories to boost caseworkers’ spirits and tools to help agencies find and gain support for technology in human services.
Dear Social Workers, Thank You for Showing Up.
Celebrating Social Workers: A Roundup of Resources You Need to Succeed
Social Work Month is one of our favorite months of the year. We love shouting from the rooftops about the superhero work you do to support and empower vulnerable kids, adults, and families. You are a shining light, a beacon of hope for those who need it, and we thank you for all that you do.
Read MoreStories from the Heart: Reflecting on Our Impact in Human Services
Ask anyone at Northwoods what has made us successful for the last twenty years and they’ll say it’s our mission-driven people who love nothing more than making an impact. We truly do love partnering with our customers throughout their change journey, and seeing our shared hard work make positive changes for workers, supervisors, administrators, and ultimately the people they serve. That focus on mission and love of witnessing transformation is our secret sauce.
In the spirit of Valentine's Day, I wanted to share some stories from those at Northwoods who work with our partner agencies every day. I asked our teams to share in their own words times they have felt they made an impact or were really proud of the work we accomplished with our customers.
Read MoreAnswering the Top 10 Questions on Buying Human Services Technology
“As directors, it is our sole responsibility to clear the path and move obstacles out of the way for people to stay in our agency. Any time you can give caseworkers more time with families, it helps with their morale and their balance. That ultimately has a positive impact on the work we’re doing.” – Joe Kellerby, Child Welfare Director, Mesa County Department of Human Services
This quote from one of our customers underscores why technology has such a huge impact in human services. Technology allows workers more time to do the job they signed up to do—assisting clients in being healthy, safe, and successful—which is critical for supporting and sustaining the workforce.
Yet, buying technology can still be incredibly difficult, especially for agencies who haven’t done it before. We know it’s overwhelming to navigate all the options available, so we created a technology toolkit to help your human services agency navigate the journey—from defining the problem you want to solve, to evaluating the right partners, to implementing and optimizing your solution. Here’s a quick preview of the top questions we answer.
Read MoreSolving Cybersecurity Problems in Human Services Before They Start
If you work in IT, the words “data breach” likely send shivers down your spine. If you work in IT for a human services agency, the stakes are even higher.
No one—agency or vendor—wants to be responsible for a security breach, ransomware attack, or data loss that compromises your system integrity, threatens your clients’ privacy, or delays your agency’s ability to deliver services to the people who rely on you.
Read MoreCan't Miss Conferences for Human Services in 2024
New year, new opportunities!
Since 2018, this blog post has been a go-to resource for readers looking for information about the best industry conferences to keep up to date on key issues, trends, and topics impacting human services. The list represents events that not only have amazing programming and speakers, but also build in time for attendees to network, share ideas, and discuss how they're addressing their latest opportunities and challenges.
Read MoreReaders' Choice Recap: Top Blog Posts of 2023
Another year is coming to a close and that means it's time to recap our top blogs of 2023. Whether you're new here (welcome!) or a regular reader (welcome back!), we hope you'll find something new and insightful in this year's list.
Subscribe to the blog via email so you never miss out on future content or get in touch with our team if certain trends, topics, or challenges are on your mind as we head into the new year. As always, thanks for reading along with us!
Read MoreCheers to 20 Years: Celebrating Success and What’s Next for Northwoods
The year was 2003. Beyonce and Jay-Z were “Crazy in Love,” “Wicked” made its Broadway debut, and Marlin and Dory took us on an oceanwide adventure in “Finding Nemo.” That same year, Apple launched its original iTunes Music Store and camera phones began taking the US by storm. Here in Dublin, Ohio, a small but mighty technology company called Northwoods was starting to take shape.
Throughout this year we’ve been celebrating our 20th anniversary by reflecting on our past two decades of work and achievements and celebrating what’s to come. As 2023 comes to a close, we wanted to take a moment to look back, look forward, and say thank you to everyone who has been part of our story.
Read MoreTech Talk 101: Child Welfare Technology Terms to Know
Child welfare technology is constantly evolving: trends ebb and flow, policies and mandates change, and new tools become available seemingly every day. Beyond changing how work gets done, it’s also changing the way you talk about it—both about your challenges and how technology can be used to help solve them.
We’ve compiled a list of terms you’ve likely heard or read about related to technology, along with their definitions, how they relate to each other, and what they mean for child welfare.
Read MoreHSFO Highlights: All Things Finance and Funding in Human Services
Amy Drapcho, Northwoods’ fiscal advocate, helps human services agencies of all sizes navigate the complexities of budgeting, planning, and all things finance. Amy recently attended the Human Services Finance Officers (HSFO) Conference in Nashville and brought back a ton of insight on hot topics and opportunities impacting agencies today. Here’s a recap of her favorite sessions and resources.
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