Is your agency outgrowing your current systems? Wondering whether it’s time to ditch the spreadsheets and invest in software?
Many organizations including foster care and adoption agencies use spreadsheets and paper files when first starting out. This can be a good solution while your agency is just starting out as spreadsheets are inexpensive, easy to learn and use. As your agency grows (or if you want to grow) spreadsheets can quickly become the problem instead of the solution.
Lack of data security and accurate backups, lack of consistency, as well as only one person being able to access the data at a time are just a few of the reasons why spreadsheets are not a good long term solution for managing your case files.
In addition, agencies who are looking to move case management and home study requirement collection online are stuck with back and forth emails and snail mail. Upgrading to a web-based database system allows you to engage with families online from anywhere with an internet connection.
Is your agency ready for new software?
We’ve put together a worksheet of questions that you can download for free to review with your team to determine whether it’s time for your organization to invest in or upgrade to new software.
Although this might feel a bit overwhelming at first, don’t worry, you’ve actually done this before! If you’re reading this, chances are that you’re a social worker, administrator, and/or case manager who has been trained in creating assessments and treatment plans.
There are a variety of tools and procedures in social work for assessments. Determining whether your organization is in need of software is a similar process.
For example, collecting data from all involved, applying your professional knowledge, and making an assessment (judgment) are a few of the steps in both areas.
Whether you’re still using spreadsheets or have a software system that doesn’t quite work for your agency, answering the questions in the worksheet will provided clarity and help evaluate your current systems including things that are going well and where improvements can be made. Use your findings to communicate with your director(s) and/or team members as well as in your software vendor search.
If you’d like to learn more about how SAM can help your agency grow through improving your systems and connecting with families online, schedule a demo with us! We’d love to connect.
