Policy and Practice June 2017

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Policy&Practice June 2017 22
from the field
By Sixto Cancel
Thirteen was the age I woke up.
I realized I had spent 13 years
being abused by a racist, adoptive
woman. I was couch surfing and
was not allowed to be in the house
most days. I want to say I was “hard”
enough to hold my own but that is a
lie. I was smart enough to run when I
needed to, and to talk my way out of
situations. After having to record my
abuse and countless investigations
that resulted in nothing but therapy
sessions, police reports, and other
services, I had re-entered foster care
at 15. Fast forward 10 years. I am now
the CEO of a tech nonprofit— Think
of Us—that leverages data and tech
to disrupt how we empower people to
be at the center of their involvement
with the foster care system. In the last
18 months, I have made the Forbes
“30 under 30” list, the White House
Campaign of Change, and earned
various other awards. I share this to
make the point that something about
being in foster care worked for me.
I can point to a few things but one
major reason was the staff.
Front-line staff is the core of the
foster care system. When it came to
helping 15-year-old me heal, develop,
and thrive, it was the people from
the system, nonprofit programs, and
personal supportive adults who were
the most effective.
Case management systems and
software are the biggest influences
on front-line staff. Many systems
utilize severely outdated case man-
agement software systems that easily
surpass my age. Software that was
built and delivered in the 80s, 90s,
and early 2000s is not equipped to
handle modern complex situations.
Technology is a constant in life that
has changed how humans interact.
Therefore, up-to-date technology is
necessary when handling any case.
Front-line staff is expected to provide
concrete support in times of need
without the tools to do so. This is the
equivalent of asking staff to build a
modern skyscraper without electricity
or mechanics.
It is vital that we ask ourselves if
current case management systems are
the right tool front-line workers need.
In the three years that Think of Us
has existed, we offer this vital insight:
real-time data analytic software is
needed to provide staff with real-time
decision-making that is accessible at
See Case Management on page 30
Illustration via Shutterstock
Is the Case Management System
Hindering Young People?