Mobile solution to help address increasing caseloads, staff turnover
DUBLIN, OH—November 18, 2014—Faced with double the state’s recommended number of child protective services (CPS) cases per social worker, Rutherford County Department of Social Services (DSS) in North Carolina is turning to a mobile document management solution to help social workers better protect children.
Rutherford County DSS social workers who investigate child abuse and neglect are handling an average of 23 cases. The recommended standard in North Carolina is 10 cases per social worker.
The huge volume of complex cases involving domestic violence and other serious issues comes with mountains of documentation, which Rutherford County DSS social workers were struggling to keep up with. The stress of investigating child abuse and neglect combined with the paperwork burden impacted retention. In recent years, social worker turnover has been as high as 30 percent.
To deal with increasing caseloads and social worker burnout, Rutherford County DSS is partnering with Northwoods to equip 34 social workers with the social services software solution Compass® CoPilot to access and update documentation from the field. The agency is investing in the technology to simplify the paperwork process and give social workers more time to spend engaging families to ensure safety.
“The number one goal is to improve the quality of services Rutherford County provides. With Northwoods’ technology, social workers will be able to concentrate more on the needs of the family rather than all the paperwork,” said John Carroll, director, Rutherford County DSS.
Carroll said a major benefit of the mobile application is it will give social workers immediate ability to capture and retrieve case information in the field, and share it with their supervisors.
In Rutherford County, the safety of children is our highest priority. The Northwoods system will allow social workers in the field to access case information, and the ability to discuss cases with their supervisors in real time. This capability will greatly enhance our ability to make informed decisions to protect children, especially for after-hours and emergency cases of abuse or neglect,” Carroll said.
Rutherford County DSS already uses Northwoods’ document management software, Compass® Pilot, in the economic services department, which provides Medicaid, Food & Nutrition Services and Work First benefits.
Northwoods partners with 34 counties across North Carolina and over 100 around the country.
About Northwoods
Northwoods’ only focus is helping state and county human services agencies increase client service levels and productivity while cutting costs — allowing them to do more with less. Northwoods’ human services software solutions are designed around caseworkers and social workers, not simply data collection. Our Compass®products automate the flow of client and case information based on how caseworkers throughout the agency need to use it. Northwoods is headquartered in Dublin, Ohio. For more information, visit teamnorthwoods.comor follow Northwoods on Twitter @teamnorthwoods.
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Contact:
Tiffany Himmelreich
614.408.8772