Arizona Department of Child Safety Empowers Caseworkers with Diona
Mobile First Strategy Brings Insight, Productivity and Efficiency to Workers in the Field
Austin, TX, May 22, 2018
Diona, a global provider of enterprise mobility software for government Health and Human Services agencies, today announced the results of its CIO 100 award-winning work with the Arizona Department of Child Safety (DCS) to integrate Diona into its case management system. DCS deployed a “mobile first” strategy based on Diona solutions that has improved caseworker efficiency by 20 percent and is projected to save $18.7 million annually, allowing more than 1,400 caseworkers to access real-time data and information in the field.
The case study shows the immense benefits the platform has brought to thousands of Arizona children and families, helping DCS better fulfill its commitment to helping children thrive in family environments, free from abuse and neglect. “Diona improves how employees work and collaborate by extending organizational systems and delivering real-time data directly into the field,” said Linda Jewell, Chief Information Officer (CIO) at DCS.
“Caseworkers’ ability to serve children and families was impaired by information inaccessibility, a time-lag in updates, and reliance on paper files that were vulnerable to loss or theft.”
— Graham Stubbs, CEO, Diona
Embracing a Mobile-first Future in Child Welfare and Social Work
“Arizona DCS—an agency with more than 2,700 employees serving more than 15,000 children—operates on a 20-year-old Statewide Automated Child Welfare Information System (SACWIS), which prior to the implementation of Diona left staff spending valuable time wrangling technology and paperwork, instead of engaging families,” said Graham Stubbs, CEO, Diona. “Caseworkers’ ability to serve children and families was impaired by information inaccessibility, a time-lag in updates, and reliance on paper files that were vulnerable to loss or theft.”
DCS took an innovative approach to digital transformation by pursuing a modular, “mobile first” strategy to implementing the new Comprehensive Child Welfare Information System (CCWIS) requirements and using the Diona Visits and Diona Investigations solutions. Integrated with DCS’ existing SACWIS and deployed onto 1,400 tablets in only eight months, the mobile solutions have delivered vital benefits to caseworkers, children, and families, as well as provided several important advantages:
Staff can access powerful agency system data—anytime, anywhere—through a government cloud-based platform that is secure, robust, scalable, and reliable.
Mobile solutions on tablet devices are continually updated with real-time data. Caseworkers in the field have online, as well as offline, access to case files, appointments, maps, GPS, communications, notes, histories, and audio/video recordings, and can input critical data such as interviews, signatures, documents, and photos.
Universal access to all forms is provided electronically, and service delivery is accelerated with electronic signatures, eliminating paper-based processes.
Client data is encrypted and stored securely and privately in the cloud, with the ability to instantly “brick” or erase a lost or stolen device.
“Diona has delivered the kind of extreme mobility we require and has been a game-changer for child welfare and social work.”
— Linda Jewell, Chief Information Officer (CIO) DCS
With Diona , DCS has boosted field access to its information system to 100 percent, increased caseworker time spent with children and families, enhanced service quality and case outcomes, and improved the quality of all data collected. “Caseworkers operate mostly in the field, conducting in-person visits with children and families,” said Jewell. “They must intervene quickly in a crisis and need instant access to critical information to assess risks. Diona has delivered the kind of extreme mobility we require and has been a game-changer for child welfare and social work.”