RESEARCH LIBRARY

The COVID-19 pandemic led to human services agencies transforming operations and culture to keep supporting the communities they serve. The transformation of operations and culture may have happened quickly, but they will continue to have an impact on the local, state, and federal human services systems for years to come. APHSA partnered with ACF and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation to document the real-time impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on state human services agencies and the lessons learned to help guide future policies and implementations.

Editor's note: The deadline to use the Coronavirus Relief Fund has been extended to Dec. 30, 2021, and this post has been updated to reflect that change and additional resources have been added.

The aftershocks of the COVID-19 pandemic will continue to impact human services agencies for the foreseeable future. As they do, we’re monitoring industry news, trends, and research reports to bring you the most helpful resources for maintaining telework, supporting your workers, and keeping up with service demand, while prioritizing safety and complying with public health emergency measures.

For many, COVID-19 forced an abrupt shift from working daily in an office to remote work. As necessary, organizations are starting to open their offices again, at least in a limited capacity. While returning to what we knew as normal may not be possible in the foreseeable future, agencies can plan for the new normal now. GovLoop put together a comprehensive worksheet to help agencies prepare facilities for staff to return to the office.  

Every one of us has had to step outside our comfort zones this year—both personally and professionally. Human services workers have had the especially tough task of pivoting to keep up as the “new normal” and landscape for delivering services continues to change. The American Public Human Services Association (AHPSA) and Maximus hosted a webinar with state and county agency leaders to discuss what they’ve learned throughout the pandemic and how they’ll apply those lessons moving forward.

The National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) conducted a survey with EY exploring how forward-thinking states view emerging technology like artificial intelligence (AI) and robotic process automation (RPA). Survey data shows how these states are (or are not) governing their use of emerging technology, the challenges they face, and what technologies will be most likely used.

Human services leaders were put to the test in 2020. Now, it’s time to think about what’s next.

As you look ahead to 2021, you may be considering several different technology-related options: investing in new tools, optimizing existing ones, or taking a step back to rethink what you really need before making any big decisions. Wherever you are in this journey, we’re here to help.

How are caseworkers and social workers experiencing and working to better understand racial bias and disparities in child welfare? What are families and recipients of services saying? How can we all support critical services such as child protection while sharing in the effort to shape healthier communities? Now is the time to seek a deeper knowledge of what is and has been happening and why. We’ve been compiling research and resources to gain a shared understanding to work from.

A new brief from the Center for Digital Government and Hyland summarizes how technology can help economic assistance agencies be more nimble and minimize churn, especially during times of crisis when vulnerable citizens need benefits the most.

Government agencies are beginning to leverage an emerging technology, robotic process automation (RPA), to streamline tasks and reduce administrative burdens. GovLoop’s eBook dives into how RPA works and what makes it successful, plus provides six examples of RPA in action at the state level.

While poverty and neglect tend to intersect, the two are not inextricably linked. Children’s Bureau Express (CBX) explains why differentiating the two is foundational for building a system that truly meets families’ needs and supports economic mobility.