Editor's note: Over the years, Northwoods has expanded its footprint across Ohio, ultimately partnering with the state in 2018 to implement enterprise document management to transform human services delivery in all 88 counties. Read more about that work here.
We are so pleased to congratulate an innovative collaboration of seven Ohio job & family services agencies, Collabor8, for receiving national recognition from ISM, the IT solutions management arm of the American Public Human Services Association (APHSA).The shared services effort received a national award for “Excellence in Human Services Technologies - Collaboration Across Boundaries, an implementation of county shared services, a modernization initiative.” Collabor8 was honored by ISM as a successful example of shared services and cooperation between governmental entities trying to do more with less.
This is not Collabor8’s first national recognition. Last year the seven-county partnership received two national awards from the National Association of Counties (NACo). Collabor8’s virtual call center received an Achievement Award, given for innovative programs that modernize county government and increase its services to residents. The project was also named “Best of Category in Human Services.”
The Ohio counties involved in Collabor8 are Wood, Delaware, Hancock, Marion, Morrow, Sandusky and Knox.
Northwoods, in conjunction with Hyland Software, has been an integral component in the effort. Northwoods’ human services software and Hyland’s OnBase® document management solution allow caseworkers in the Collabor8 agencies to electronically share and access case and client information throughout the seven counties. This electronic document sharing is fundamental to Collabor8’s “case banking” concept where beneficiaries can apply for services through one central call center, rather than applying at each separate agency in person.
“The workflow design we needed to accomplish the project was complex and was divided between multiple locations. We felt Northwoods was the only vendor capable of delivering a truly workable system in the short time constraint we were working under. We have been pleased with the result and plan to use it to tackle challenges brought to us by the Affordable Care Act,” said Dave Wigent, Collabor8 Project Manager and Wood County JFS Director.This is not Collabor8’s first national recognition. Last year the seven-county partnership received two national awards from the National Association of Counties (NACo). Collabor8’s virtual call center received an Achievement Award, given for innovative programs that modernize county government and increase its services to residents. The project was also named “Best of Category in Human Services.”
The Ohio counties involved in Collabor8 are Wood, Delaware, Hancock, Marion, Morrow, Sandusky and Knox.