How to Use Automation in Case Management

In the realm of human services, case managers play a pivotal role in coordinating and delivering vital services to vulnerable populations. As technology advances and more human services organizations come to understand and utilize the tools available, teams are able to provide more effective services faster than ever before. Technology and automation serve as force multipliers for case managers, enabling them to streamline administrative tasks, enhance communication, and focus more of their time and energy on providing personalized care and support.

Whether your organization works with unhoused populations, individuals struggling with employment, single-parent families, aging populations, or any other marginalized or underserved communities in need of support, automation can save your team time and money so you can help more people — without sacrificing the human touch.

In this blog, we’ll explain what automation is, how it can help, and which processes can be automated to assist your organization in serving those in need.

What Constitutes Automation?

“Automation” generally refers to the use of technology and software to complete tasks that would otherwise have to be completed manually. Case management typically involves handling various tasks, documents, and information associated with specific cases or projects, and automation can help ensure that these tasks happen quickly.

Automation should not be confused with artificial intelligence (AI), which involves software and technology programmed to automatically understand, learn, and make decisions based on user input and interactions. Humans program AI to understand certain stimuli and make decisions, but after the initial implementation, AI does not require input or monitoring by a human.

If a live chat window on your website automatically notifies a human so they can respond when a user submits a message, that’s automation. If a live chat window uses a “chat bot” programmed to respond to the user’s message without any human input, that is artificial intelligence. Automation, as opposed to AI, retains the humanity that so many software solutions today lack.

Why Automation Matters in Case Management

One thing CaseWorthy has in common with the human services organizations we serve is our desire to do good. Nonprofits, government agencies, and other human services organizations — like any other business — often struggle to meet demand for their services. Automation can help the same team with the same resources do more good for more people.

Without hiring any new staff, automation can serve as the best administrative assistant you could ask for, delivering results instantly with zero errors: Communicate with all of your clients instantaneously, or contact specific segments of your clientele as needed. With automated case management workflows, you can capture, track, and report on data with just a few clicks. Send approvals based on automatic approvals for cases that meet predetermined criteria.

Change takes time and energy. When processes are updated, new programs are launched, and staff members are onboarded, automations can help reduce friction and errors throughout the process. In case management, each case file must receive constant individual attention to keep them up to date. By leveraging automation wherever possible, case management software can reduce the burden on case managers and supporting staff by grabbing and storing data as it comes to light without time and energy spent on tedious data entry.

CaseWorthy was built to do everything for its end-users with less time and energy required. Our out-of-the-box automations are designed to help organizations with some of the most common (and time-consuming) tasks, but we have also kept customization and interoperability at the forefront of our development plans.

Out-of-the-Box Automations

There are certain tasks and processes that every organization must complete to serve its clients while meeting compliance and reporting standards. We’ve made sure that anyone can navigate our user-friendly case management software to complete these processes the moment they sign in.

Auto-Populate Data

Make your programs more effective and accessible by auto-populating client data in your system. Rather than having your organization’s staff or volunteers manually enter client data into your system, CaseWorthy can accommodate a variety of data formats that will port directly into the CaseWorthy system. Clients can fill out assessments, upload documents, and submit communications and requests from their own devices, and that information will automatically land where it needs to go: into their private and protected case file for review by staff.

Automated Exports

Any human services organization that relies on grants and donations is held to an exceptional standard for transparency, which requires quick, frequent, and accurate reporting. CaseWorthy’s reporting capabilities can intake a plethora of data in many formats and automatically generate clear, insightful reports and data visualizations for both internal and external use. Our reports are completely customizable, automatically updated when connected to live data streams, and always ready for review within seconds. Don’t let your reporting system define your value. Use your value to customize your reports.

Automated Alerts and Communication

CaseWorthy can be configured to automatically send text alerts or emails to clients if they meet certain criteria. We can specify which clients should receive what communication and when. Once a specific client meets your predetermined criteria, they will automatically receive a templatized but personalized email containing the information they need, so they no longer need to wait for a case manager to be available to receive, review, and respond to their updates or questions.

Task and Service Tracking

Almost as important as knowing what tasks have been completed is knowing when they occurred. CaseWorthy will automatically time-stamp and track which system users were involved in any interaction or change within the system, so all team members know where every client and case stand. Using a system that collects this data as it’s generated reduces the need for individual staff members to document executed changes, tasks completed, services rendered, time spent with the client, and more, so they can focus more on providing services and less time on administrative upkeep.

API Integrations

Your data doesn’t have to be siloed. Application programming interfaces (APIs) allow separate software systems to “talk” to one another. With our pre-configured API integrations, CaseWorthy can speak the language of your other software systems, allowing for true interoperability. Without APIs, data from external sources and other software used by your team would need to be manually ported into your client database.

Our REST-based API framework offers 30+ out-of-the-box API endpoints that customers can use to move data in and out of CaseWorthy. Our API framework is also used to trigger system alerts as new data comes in from external systems.

CaseWorthy’s case management platform can connect with many powerful digital tools, including:

Microsoft Power BI: Data visualization
DUO Security: Two-factor authentication
Exago: Reporting engine for enterprise-wide reporting
Flexmonster: Reporting engine for spreadsheet style Pivot/Analytic reports
LIHEAP State Systems: Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program
Tiny MCE: Enables the creation of dynamic case note, email, and HTML templates
SAML/LDAP: Active Directory and LDAP SSO integrations
Pay Fabric: Electronic payment processing
Medical billing CMS 1500 Form: Exporting/mapping of data
Medical Billing Ansi Codes: Translating medical services into bills
Credco: Securely retrieve credit scores/reports
Scout: Now Workday Strategic Sourcing, it helps with developing RFPs, RFQs, and RFIs
Indeed: Job match/application integration
Housing and Urban Development: Connection to HUD databases
Google Maps: Address lookup and verification
Atlas: Research and data analysis
Docusign: Schedule/manage document signatures
Velsoft LMS: Training Course modules
CaraSolva MedSupport – eMAR Medication Administration integration

DialogTech: In-app calling
Resume Maker: Helping people list out marketable skills and experience to apply for jobs
Tiny MCE: Rich text editor
MailChimp/Active Campaign: Email campaigns and CRM
Twilio/Vonage: Communication Hub and/or texting (Licensing and per transaction fees, i.e. Twilio)
Several External Data Repositories and Warehouses: MS SQL DB Licenses
Voice-to-Text: (Supported in Chrome Browser) Google API to dictate case notes
YouTube Channel: Post and monitor videos online
jQuery Full Calendar: Calendar control
Adobe, PDF Pro, Html2PDF, and ExpertPDF: PDF exporting
Spreadsheet Gear: Export spreadsheets to Excel
Zoom: Video teleconferencing software
WordPress: Open-source website creation platform
State of Georgia Gateway
CAIR: California Immunizations
Inspire Diagnostics: COVID testing
Several Private Drug Test Result Systems
Goodwill Industries International API
HMIS Standardized API
Automated EDI Billing Engine: Proprietary platform service for billing EDI claims to payers and state Medicaid systems
Auth0 – Identity Management solution for the CaseWorthy platform

Eligibility and Authorizations

When providing assistance on a case-by-case basis, determining what resources, programs, and services are available is a delicate and complex process. Eligibility requirements and clients’ entitlement to assistance varies from program to program and person to person.

CaseWorthy’s built-in eligibility engine can automatically evaluate and flag client files that meet criteria for eligibility and track their service plan participation and limits. With this automated tracking, any case manager viewing the file can see where clients stand at a glance, and help them manage their situation with the available resources.

Build Your Own Custom Automations and Integrations

We understand that you deserve a system that’s as unique as your organization and the people you serve. If you have an idea for more or better automations to boost your organization’s efficiency, we want to hear about it. Our development team is ready to listen to your needs and create a plan to automate any process your team completes regularly.

Our data experts can help you build the data models you describe and work with your other vendors to understand how data should flow, when it should be sent or received, and more. We strive to understand what exactly you need, build a solution that works for your team, and test our developments to ensure our custom automations meet your expectations. And the whole process can be completed within weeks, not months.

CaseWorthy Can Help You Build Your Perfect System

At CaseWorthy, we’re always looking to improve the way we work for the good of our clients and the people they serve. While we can’t share too much of what we’ve got up our sleeves, trust us when we say, the best is yet to come. But one thing will never change: our desire to foster connections between people and the resources and services they need.

If your team is struggling to keep up with demand, or you see big changes and growth on the horizon, CaseWorthy’s human services experts are here to get you wherever you’re going. We feel confident that our system can equip your team with the tools they need to do more good, and we want to learn and work with you on your journey to success.

If you want to learn more about how we can customize our system to your needs, let us know. We’re always here to help you help others.

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