Challenging Environment

Virginia was experiencing a spike in turnover among entry and intermediate level caseworkers, largely driven by the lack of technology support they needed to protect children and strengthen families. The Virginia Department of Social Services (VDSS) recognized immediate action was required to help staff, strengthen families, and protect children.  The facts were startling:

– 29% Turnover amongst entry level family services specialists

– 20% Turnover for intermediate level family services specialists

– 11% Increase from four years earlier

– Lack of technology support and work flexibility were the biggest complaint among front line workers

Solution

In less than 12 months, Virginia implemented RedMane’s mCase Child Welfare on mobile devices and the web for 3000+ local and state caseworkers so they could spend more time with children and families in the community. The solution helped Virginia to:

– Give staff flexibility in how, when, and where they completed their work, therefore reducing stress.

– Reduce caseworker time spent on paperwork.

– Increase the efficiency, completeness, and accuracy of case documentation.

– Increase caseworker satisfaction, which can lead to better outcomes, especially around safety.

Approach

Virginia rapidly implemented mCase with both mobile and web features so staff could equally be effective in the office, at home, or in the community.  Key elements of the approach included:

– Incrementally modernizing to speed benefits and reduce project risk. Executing collaborative design      sessions with staff to tailor the solution to real needs and obtain buy-in.

– Integrating mCase into Virginia’s 1990’s legacy system

– Implementing the first release within 12 months of project start.

– Providing workers iPads with mCase able to work online and offline (disconnected) modes.

– Enabling key features, including case note capture and readback (both written and spoken), SDM                    assessments, service and safety plans, form generation, COVID information capture, Genograms,   route guidance, and emergency alerts.

Results Achieved

The implementation delivered real results.  Data quality, timeliness of entry, and time savings all showed improvements.  Highlights included:

– 50% Increase in same day recording of face-to-face contacts

– 25% Time savings on documentation from visits

–  30% More timely entry of case and visit data

– 22% Time savings in completing intakes and investigations

– 27% Increase in case narrative length

With the solution in place, Virginia is looking to add even more features to the platform to help caseworkers help families.