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The people behind CaseWorthy and the real-world experience shaping our platform.
This Work is Personal
At CaseWorthy, many of the people building our human services software platform started in direct service. They have supported families, navigated complex systems, and worked through the same challenges our customers face every day.
We do not claim to have all the answers. But we understand the work, and we care deeply about getting it right. That perspective shapes everything we build.
In honor of Social Work Month, we wanted to do more than say “thank you.” We wanted to tell a story. Not just about social workers, but about how their impact continues to evolve far beyond the front lines.
Because at CaseWorthy, this is part of what makes us different. Our platform is purpose-built by people who understand the purpose. Not from the outside looking in, but from lived experience. We are mission-aligned with the organizations we serve because we have faced many of the same challenges and share the same commitment to impact.
Across CaseWorthy, individuals with social work backgrounds contribute in roles from product and operations to delivery and customer engagement, grounding our work in real-world experience. Meet four of them:
Sara Nagel, Solutions Consultant
Stefanie Lopez, Product Manager
Brett Rawl, Community Operations Manager
Tabinda Ghani, Project Manager
Different roles. Different paths. One shared foundation: social work.
Every Story Begins with People
Before working in technology, each of them spent years in direct service, supporting individuals and families through complex, often fragmented systems. The settings were different, from schools to housing programs to refugee and senior services, but the experience was shared.
Across the United States, more than 715,000 social workers support communities across healthcare, housing, education, and social services.
They were navigating real-life challenges alongside the people they served. Connecting individuals to the right resources. Working across systems that did not always connect. Balancing urgency, empathy, and limited time.
As Stefanie described it, the work often felt like solving a puzzle—understanding each person’s situation and figuring out how to connect them to the support that would make the biggest difference. It is an experience that now shapes how she approaches her work today, helping design systems that make that process easier.
“I love getting to meet and talk to all kinds of people trying to improve their lives, and I love the puzzle of figuring out how to connect people to the resources that would best meet their needs.”
– Stefanie Lopez, Product Manager
For others, it meant stepping into critical moments. Supporting students and families in underserved communities. Helping find safe placements for children in state custody. Coordinating care and housing for individuals experiencing homelessness. Ensuring older adults and newly arrived families had access not just to services, but to stability and quality of life.
Different environments, but a shared reality.
The work is complex. The stakes are high. And getting it right matters.
Those experiences did more than shape careers. They shaped perspective—a deep understanding of how systems function in practice, where they fall short, and what it takes to truly support people.
Technology Impacted by Perspective
Stepping into technology does not mean leaving social work behind. If anything, it expands it.
The environment may change, but the mindset stays the same. The work is still rooted in understanding people, navigating complexity, and focusing on outcomes that matter.
That perspective now shows up in different ways. Bringing people together to build shared understanding and making sure the right problems are being solved. As Stefanie shared, her work today is centered on aligning stakeholders and defining solutions that truly reflect the needs of the field.
It also shows up in how problems are approached, grounded in listening, empathy, and practical problem solving. As Sara often says, strong problem solving in this space comes down to the same fundamentals—understanding people and helping identify the best path forward.
“A phenomenal salesperson is nothing more than a half decent social worker.”
– Sara Nagel, Solutions Consultant
For many, it means shifting from individual impact to systems-level change. Looking at how processes, data, and technology can remove barriers and improve outcomes not just for one person, but for entire communities. Brett has always been drawn to this broader view, focusing on how breaking down system-level barriers can create meaningful impact at scale.
And through it all, the social work lens remains—a constant focus on equity, real-world impact, and making decisions that stay grounded in the people behind the data. As Tabinda described, that lens does not go away. It continues to shape how you think about problem solving and impact in every role.
The core skills do not change: listening, problem solving, navigating complexity, and staying focused on outcomes.
They simply show up in new ways.
Outcomes That Matter
Human services organizations are navigating increasing complexity.
Data lives in multiple systems. Reporting requirements continue to grow. Administrative work competes with time spent serving individuals and families.
And yet, organizations continue to show up every day to do this work.
As Stefanie shared, organizations are often required to navigate complex rules, data requirements, and systems simply to deliver services that impact lives. That reality makes it even more important that the systems supporting them are built with intention.
Technology should support that effort, not add to the burden.
That is why the perspective of people who have worked in the field is so important.
Not because it provides all the answers, but because it keeps the focus where it belongs.
On outcomes. On people. On impact.
Social Work Engrained
Social work does not stop when someone leaves direct practice.
It evolves.
As Brett noted, social work is far broader than many people realize, and there are many different ways to create meaningful impact.
It shows up in how problems are defined.
In how solutions are designed.
In how success is measured.
“I’ve always felt I can make a bigger impact on the community level by helping to break barriers and fix systems to improve the lives of everyone.”
– Brett Rawl, Community Operations Manager
And as Tabinda shared, in a technology environment, staying connected to the human impact requires intention. That perspective is what keeps the work grounded.
“That lens really sticks with you. It shapes how I think about equity, problem-solving, and impact.”
– Tabinda Ghani
When that mindset is embedded into the systems that support human services, it creates something more aligned, more thoughtful, and more effective.
A Defining Moment for Human Services
As the conversation shifts toward the future of human services, there is a growing recognition that this moment is bigger than technology alone.
“AI is here. The question is no longer whether it will reshape human services, but how. With Cara, CaseWorthy is inviting the people who know this work best to help define what AI looks like in practice. That is a rare and consequential opportunity. We are at a threshold moment. The tools are arriving whether we are ready or not. The only question is who gets to define how they are used. With CaseWorthy, AI will not replace what makes this work meaningful. It will protect it.”
– Sara Nagel, Solutions Consultant.
It is not just about adopting new tools. It is about shaping how they are used.
What’s Coming and What It Means for Social Workers
When asked about the future of social work, Sara shared that in many ways, the work is getting harder. There is more to do, with fewer resources and fewer people to do it.
But there is also reason for optimism.
What she sees now are tools that are finally starting to catch up to the reality of the work.
Stefanie echoed that sentiment, pointing to the momentum building across human services technology. There is a growing sense that social workers will have better support through systems designed to reflect how the work actually happens.
Innovations like Cara are part of that shift. Not replacing the work, but supporting it. Amplifying it. Helping surface the right information so social workers can focus on where they make the greatest difference.
That is where the opportunity is.
To reduce friction.
To connect the dots faster.
To give time and energy back to the people doing the work.
Because when technology is shaped by lived experience, it does not just function better.
It supports people better.
From Your World to Our Team
Stefanie Lopez, Product Manager
Stefanie has spent the past four years at CaseWorthy, holding roles across Professional Services, Solutions Consulting, and Product. As a Group Product Manager, she partners across teams to shape the vision and strategy for CaseWorthy’s applications, including ClientTrack, ServTracker, and MediSked Coordinate.
Prior to joining CaseWorthy, Stefanie worked in the nonprofit sector in Houston, Texas, leading programs focused on helping individuals and families achieve financial stability through sustainable employment.
She holds a Master of Social Work from The Ohio State University and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Birmingham-Southern College. Stefanie currently lives outside Hartford, Connecticut with her family.
Sara Nagel, Solutions Consultant
Sara has been with CaseWorthy since 2019 and currently serves as a Solutions Consultant, partnering with organizations to help them better leverage data to support their work.
Before joining CaseWorthy, Sara spent more than 15 years in human services, leading quality improvement and compliance initiatives. Her work focused heavily on database administration and data utilization, and she was recognized by the Council on Accreditation for her leadership in using data to drive operational and performance outcomes.
Sara holds a Master of Social Welfare Administration and Management and is passionate about putting meaningful, actionable data into the hands of human service professionals.
Brett Rawl, Community Operations Manager
Brett serves as a Community Operations Manager at CaseWorthy, supporting organizations across the country in optimizing their use of ClientTrack.
He earned his Bachelor of Social Work from Winthrop University in 2017, where he interned with the Midlands Continuum of Care in Columbia, South Carolina, working closely with HMIS and Coordinated Entry. After graduating, he relocated to Greenville, South Carolina and joined the Upstate Continuum of Care, where he advanced from a Coordinated Entry role to HMIS Administrator.
Brett brings a strong systems perspective to his work and is driven by helping communities improve access, coordination, and outcomes through better technology.
Tabinda Ghani, Project Manager
Tabinda is a Project Manager at CaseWorthy, where she leads cross-functional initiatives that support organizations in implementing and optimizing technology to better serve their communities.
Prior to joining CaseWorthy, Tabinda worked in both refugee resettlement and senior services, providing case management, conducting needs assessments, and connecting individuals to essential resources. She later transitioned into program management, where she focused on data collection, reporting, and demonstrating program impact.
Her background in direct service and data-driven program oversight continues to shape her approach today, ensuring that projects stay grounded in real-world outcomes and meaningful impact.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is technology changing social work?
Technology is helping reduce administrative work, improve data visibility, and support better decision-making across human services organizations. Technology in human services is helping organizations:
- Reduce administrative burden
- Connect data across programs
- Improve reporting and compliance
- Surface insights to support better decisions
- Give social workers more time to focus on people
What is human services software?
Human services software helps organizations manage programs, track outcomes, and connect data across services to better support individuals and communities.
For many organizations, this includes case management systems, reporting tools, and data platforms designed to improve coordination, compliance, and outcomes.
How is AI used in human services?
Artificial intelligence is beginning to play a meaningful role in human services. AI is used to surface insights, automate administrative tasks, and help social workers access the information they need more quickly.
Tools like Cara are designed to support social workers by surfacing relevant information, reducing time spent searching for data, and helping teams make more informed decisions.
The goal is not to replace human judgment, but to support it.
