While doing some spring cleaning on the FAMCare Blog, I stumbled across this brief but excellent blog article from one of our team members posted in 2018.    

This TED Talk features, Dr. Anna Scheyett, PhD, and makes a very compelling case for social workers. Dr. Scheyett's research, which she conducts as a professor at The University of Georgia, has focused on the needs of vulnerable populations. In this Ted Talk, she gives a succinct 7-minute summary of why social workers are superhumans. It's reassuring to know that some people recognized social workers as superheroes even before the pandemic that rocked social services to its core.

So Happy Social Worker Month.  Please enjoy this reposted TED Talk! 

Like all industries, the nonprofit sector is trying to put the pandemic behind them. During and immediately after the height of the pandemic government subsidies buoyed up many nonprofits through programs like the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF), Employee Retention Credit (ERC), and Shuttered Venue Operators Grant (SVOG). When asked about their organization’s financial position as the pandemic began to wane in the fall of 2022, 49% reported being somewhat or very concerned about their financial condition. In a recent follow-up survey, however, overall satisfaction in the past three months has increased considerably (by 64%), while those who are somewhat or very concerned has remained nearly the same (48.71%).

In the United States, there are over 1.5 million non-profit organizations. And, in recent years, the vast majority of them have realized the importance of digitization. Today, more than 90% of social services use the cloud, and more than 56% have considered using multiple cloud-based solutions to improve case management.

This blog is for you if your social service organization hasn't started the digitization process or has had trouble with a slow acceptance. We're going to share some tried-and-true tactics with you today that corporations have used in the past to quicken the adoption of new technology, and your nonprofit organization may now take use of them as well.

So, let's discover how to quicken the digitization process in your nonprofit.  But first, let us first discuss the advantages of doing so.

Educators, who are some of the likeliest professionals to report child abuse, are encountering youth who have faced abuse in isolation throughout the pandemic. During 2020, the proportion of mental health-related emergency department (ED) visits among adolescents aged 12-17 years increased 31% compared to 2019. Suspected suicide attempt ED visits were 50.6% higher among girls aged 12-17 (CDC, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 6/18/21). These stats indicate an increase in child abuse as children were confined to the home during the pandemic.

As stated in Article 40 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child:

"Every child in conflict with the law has the right to be treated in a manner that takes into account “the desirability of promoting [his/her] reintegration and [his/her] assuming a constructive role in society.”

Known as the “Cures Rule,” this national policy requires healthcare providers to give patients access to all of the health information in their electronic medical records “without delay” and without charge. It mandates that patients have rapid, free, and full access upon request to test results, medication lists, referral information, and clinical notes, all in electronic formats. Some refer to the Cures Act Final Rule as the “Open Notes Rule.” This “Final” Rule supports seamless and secure access, exchange, and use of electronic health information. The rule is designed to give patients and their healthcare providers secure access to health information.

NGOs all over the world have experienced rapid growth in recent years, thanks to increased fundraising and better case management. For many, the size of the pie is only growing as more NGOs establish themselves across the US and abroad.

Whether you're a case manager or the owner of a social service organization, chances are you've considered growth and expansion. Indeed, given the non-profit sector's upward trajectory, it's only natural that NGOs of all sizes and causes are eager to expand this year and benefit from the world's rising charity spending.

The task, while possible, is not easy to complete. As a result, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) all over the world are thinking of novel ways to help.

So, if you want to expand your NGO, expand abroad, or add new donors to your donor base, this blog is for you. Take a look to find out how your non-profit can grow bigger, better, and stronger in 2023.

Human trafficking is one of the darkest yet most undeniable realities of today's world.  According to the Human Trafficking Institute, there are 25 million victims of human trafficking worldwide, many of whom never receive the assistance they require.

Social service organizations assisting human trafficking victims have recently joined forces with federal, state, and local agencies, technology companies, and the Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief System Group to emphasize not only the use of technology in human trafficking prevention, but also the better use of information gathered through technology.  The team compiled their findings into a guide for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security recent counter-trafficking strategy.  

However, the question is how NGOs can use technology in their daily case management to improve outcomes for the vulnerable human trafficking victims they serve.

The Evolution of Social Services

• The history of public welfare in the United States has been one of continuing change and growth. Prior to the 1900’s local governments collaborated with private charitable organizations to share responsibility for public assistance.
• But, as the nation’s economy became more industrial and the population more concentrated in urban areas, the need for social services grew beyond the means of local public and private authorities. State governments began to assume more responsibility for helping the needy, and by 1926 forty states had established some type of public relief program for mothers with dependent children. A few states also provided cash assistance to needy elderly residents through old-age pensions and a more complex social services collaboration began to evolve.
  

According to U.S. Census Bureau estimates, there are over 56 million Americans over the age of 65 living in the country. This represents more than 16% of the total US population of people in their golden years.

Contrary to popular belief, the elderly are not physically unfit or unequipped to participate in societal affairs. In fact, this group of people is one of our most valuable assets. Senior citizens in the United States can become active members of society with the right support, upskilling in accordance with changing societal dynamics, and with the assistance of agencies for the elderly.

We'll look at how senior service organizations improve the lives of the elderly in their communities.