P&P April Issue 2018

Traditional Case Management Is a Commodity To say traditional case manage- ment is a commodity does not mean it is unimportant. Traditional case management systems were designed to standardize and automate func- tions previously performed by hand, such as eligibility determination and risk assessments, to improve efficiency and consistency across an agency. Historically, when we thought of “better” case management systems, we thought in terms like “easier to use,” “more functionality,” “lower cost,” and “reduced maintenance.” Of course, those are still important and worthwhile attributes. Modern case management systems should be stable, well-designed, flexible, and

their circumstances across the H/HS enterprise, so human services pro- fessionals have a more holistic understanding of their client. It also draws relevant information from non- traditional sources, like police systems or weather records, to provide impor- tant contextual data—for example, the police may receive a report of domestic violence that alerts a child welfare caseworker that a related child welfare case requires imme- diate attention. It allows clients to share information, based on informed consent, with agencies and providers safely and securely. The County of San Diego has adopted this approach and it is making a difference. The county is focufo- cused on delivering person-centered service, which requires the integra- tion of services and information from child welfare, social services, mental health, probation, substance abuse, and others. The solution is designed to help the county fight recidivism by providing incarcerated persons with the services they need to succeed in the community, support individuals with multiple needs access the services available to them, and strengthen- services for kids by providing a more complete understanding of the child and the family. The County of San Diego did not start with technology. Instead, the county began by analyzing business needs and building relationships across service areas. It had a vision, developed supporting use cases, and obtained buy-in from stakeholders. Technology simply provides a scalable collaboration environment for the service providers to engage with their customers. Using sophisticated matching algorithms and an intuitive portal, staff get a holistic view of each individual and family from a life- style, social, and clinical perspective. Caseworkers are able to make more informed decisions, include the family in tracking those decisions, and more easily collaborate across agencies. An analytical H/HS system not only collects client and case data; it uses the data to provide actionable insights to clients and workers. Today, most

easy to use. But those attributes are table stakes—every case management system should have them—and none of those things has a direct impact on improving client outcomes. While case management systems are great at collecting information and applying rules, they are historically weak at providing H/HS agencies and human services professionals with meaningful, actionable insight to improve client outcomes in real time. Yet that is exactly what a modern and responsive H/HS system requires. It is not enough to collect client and case data for a year, analyze it for another six months, then issue a report describing or even explaining what happened a year and a half ago. Human services professionals need information at the point of service to support data-driven decisions about what to do here and now for this client. Toward Modern, Responsive Human Services Platforms To improve client outcomes, clients and human services professionals need insights appropriate to their immediate circumstances, gleaned from multiple sources, and delivered when and where they are needed. To that end, modern and responsive H/HS systems must have three strategic capabilities. They must be: „ „ Interoperable —providing a clear view of clients and their circum- stances across the H/HS enterprise and beyond, rather than relying on client data siloed in a multitude of disparate systems. „ „ Analytical —providing ongoing, meaningful analysis not just at the aggregate or program level, but also at the client level, to provide actionable insights that inform deci- sion-making by clients and human services professionals. „ „ Mobile —equipping and empow- ering both clients and human services professionals to be more efficient, more effective, and more responsive. An interoperable H/HS system breaks down the traditional siloed approach to delivering services. It provides a clear view of clients and

Stuart Venzke is a U.S. State and Local Health and Human Services Leader at IBM.

Mary-Sara Jones is a U.S. State and Local Health and Human Services Leader at IBM.

Paul Dommel is the Global Leader for Government Health and Human Services at IBM.

See Case Management on page 32

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Policy&Practice April 2018