Download Importance of Information Management in Human Services

Importance of
Information Management
in Human Services
How is information management
critical to human service
organizations?
IT’S USED TO…
Communicate with client-customers
 Follow-up and check-ins
 Scheduling appointments
 Billing
 Responding to questions and concerns
 Technology
◦ Emails
◦ Phone systems
◦ Web portals
Promote services to service populations
How do we make those who need our services aware of
our existence and what we can provide?
 Communications media
◦
◦
◦
◦
Print
Television and radio
Web-based media
Phone apps
Increase awareness of human
services related information
 How do we provide quality, research-based
information to the general public and stakeholders?
 How do we engage in advocacy and public awareness
of societal issues?
 Gathering information (information literacy)
◦ Research
◦ Data mining
 Organizing information for effective and efficient use
 Targeting information to the intended audience
Assist in program evaluation, improvement planning,
and making decisions about human service programs
 How do we know what we are doing is working?
 How can we make data-driven decisions to improve?
 What data should we be collecting?
 Human services vs. manufacturing
◦ Harder to evaluate effectiveness
◦ Dealing with complex human and societal issues
Facilitate collaboration amongst human
service organizations
 How can we partner with organizations who have similar
goals and missions?
 What technology is available to facilitate collaboration?
 How can information be shared and what information
can be shared?
 Technology
◦ Virtual meeting platforms
◦ Email
◦ Google docs
◦ Secure file trans
Store information and data
 Documentation and audits
◦ Legal and regulatory compliance
◦ Quality assurance
 Case management and tracking
◦ Preventing someone from “falling through the cracks”
 Report to constituencies and stakeholders
◦
◦
◦
◦
General public
Legislative and administrative authorities
Board of directors
Sponsors and financers
 Heritage preservation
◦ Tracking organizational history
◦ Where have we come from? What’s changed?
Review
Information management is used in human services to…
 Communicate with client-customers
 Promote services to service populations
 Increase awareness of human services related information
 Assist in program evaluation, improvement planning, and making
decisions about human service programs
 Facilitate collaboration amongst human service organizations
 Store information and data for a variety of purposes