Transitioning to CCWIS:
More Moments of Engagement
With the Comprehensive Child Welfare Information System (CCWIS) transition deadline fast approaching on August 1, 2018, the good news is that organizations do not need to finish the transition by that date to be a CCWIS. There’s still time to obtain the 50% federal financial participation (FFP), which is a key purpose of the rule. Another key purpose of the rule is to drive innovation, and organizations can still achieve this goal if they act fast and pursue the right solution.
CCWIS removes the requirement for states to procure and build a single comprehensive system and allows for the use of improved technology to better support current child welfare practice. In other words, CCWIS codifies what has always been the desire and mantra of all child welfare organizations—to provide tech that supports practice, not have practice modified because of tech. One such tech is systems of engagement.
Moving Away from the Monoliths
The Administration of Children and Families, with CCWIS, is following the same trend of all other human services organizations in the US. It is moving away from monolithic IT systems and moving towards an agile and modular approach to system development. CCWIS provides the flexibility to identify technology solutions that support workers. Whether this includes systems of engagement that integrate with the state's system of record or digital tools that can record audio and script at the same time, the emphasis is now on providing technology that will allow workers to do their jobs efficiently and effectively.
And Moving Towards the Modular
CCWIS promotes a "data maintenance" (versus “data capture”) model. In other words, data doesn't have to be captured and entered directly into the system of record. It can now be accessed and entered via other systems of engagement (e.g. a mobile solution being used by a private contract organization). Organizations have the flexibility to implement a solution that provides a better system of engagement for their workers or clients. Organizations can use tools that help workers in the field to expedite the capture of important moments—while in the moment.
Watch this 2-minute video on Arizona Department of Child Safety’s mobile solution
Making Moments of Engagement Count
How does one identify the right engagement solution? It starts by identifying workers’ key moments of engagement, such as:
“I need to access the “Consent for Release” form and have my client sign it.”
“During my next visit, I need to remind myself that we talked about the child’s tendency to withdraw the last time we met.”
“I need to take a picture of the child’s house, but I don’t want to keep the photo on my phone."
Moments like these help clarify the requirements needed for selecting the optimal mobile solution—one that will provide workers the tools they need to do their job effectively, efficiently and (possibly) enjoyably.
Watch this 2-minute video on North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services’ mobile solution
Consideration of moments of engagement in the field while conducting an assessment, evaluating the safety of a child or simply documenting interactions with others involved in the well-being of a child in care will quickly identify opportunities to implement mobility solutions that can enhance the quality of service delivery. The right systems of engagement can provide very concrete and practical solutions... solutions that will help organizations leverage the flexibility CCWIS provides by using the new standards and exchanges to improve data quality and promote the safety and well-being of children.