We like to celebrate a New Year when the calendar turns its annual page. We believe that a “new” year offers us another chance to turn the bad into the good. However, case workers who work with the most vulnerable among us know that a “new year” is simply an artifice. Every day that case workers go into the office they believe they have an opportunity to turn the bad into the better. Every day is New Year’s Day for case workers.

Recent estimates place the number of social workers in the US at around 700,000. Social workers in the US have a lot on their plates working for a variety of social services, such as child welfare, senior services, veteran services, and juvenile justice.
Casework in US social services is difficult, whether it is tending to family services difficulties or making sure that foster children have enough support. Fortunately, we have some advice to assist you manage your caseload more effectively while constantly taking care of your mental and physical well-being.

Check out these four case management ideas for 2023 to assist you in managing your workload and taking better care of yourself as a caseworker.

Suddenly, we have reached the final blog of 2222. What a year it was! The lingering effects of the COVID pandemic continued to impact the elderly and the homeless and shrink the assets available to nonprofits that support them. Rampant inflation started pushing marginalized families over the poverty line and increasing rents rendered many elderly homeless. The disintegration of governments in Central and South America spilled refugees over our southern border into the lap of social services. Child welfare case workers were swamped with children endangered by families disintegrating from financial problems, drug addiction, and stress related mental illness.

According to the statistics, the need for cloud-based case management and other technologies for legal/social organizations has escalated by 40% in the last few years.

More social workers, case managers, lawyers, and NGO executives are interested in implementing cutting-edge case management software tools to maximize efficiency and professionalism. However, many people in the industry are still unaware of how cloud-based software apps are more beneficial than traditional software.

If you’re currently using Google Drive or DropBox to store your case files, you’re already in the world of cloud storage. In this article, you will learn how cloud-based case management software can take your organizational performance to the next level!

The social work community must put the political debate aside and confront the moral and ethical questions that illegal immigration imposes on the profession.

The Situation

“It is not our job or responsibility to determine how to control our borders,” one experienced social worker said. “The fact is that millions of immigrants have gotten into our country without legal status and have brought little children with them. They may not be U.S. citizens and are not entitled to citizen’s benefits, but they are human beings and are entitled to humane treatment and that is where social work comes in. Social workers have sworn to protect and support the vulnerable and at the same time uphold and defend the laws of the United States.  It’s easy to see how well-meaning social workers might struggle with the moral and ethical dilemma presented by illegal immigrants.”

Working in juvenile justice is a difficult task. Case managers in juvenile justice frequently face unfathomable work pressure, a plethora of children's criminal justice guidelines to follow, and a harsh system to deal with.
To compound matters, juvenile justice agencies are frequently scrutinized due to their close proximity to children subjected to criminal justice. As a result, for juvenile justice agencies to function effectively, a proper protocol combined with technology is required.
Here are some suggestions for improving your services if you work for a juvenile justice non-profit organization. Take a look and start the journey towards betterment today.

Given the benefits, cost-effectiveness, and scalability, it's no surprise that corporate cloud investment has skyrocketed in recent years. Currently, more than 90% of businesses are using the cloud.
While the corporate sector thrives on the cloud, it's only natural for non-profits to follow suit. In recent years, many social services, including child welfare, senior citizen care, and juvenile justice, have moved to the cloud to take advantage of this technology.

If there is one thing that all non-profit organizations will agree on, it is that donors are the backbone of any successful social service organization. Donors enable human services to turn ideas into reality, achieve goals, and work for various societal causes.

However, in recent years, NGOs have faced numerous challenges in attracting and retaining donors. This is due in part to the changing dynamics of the world. And, most importantly, donors are more conscious, aware, and thoughtful of the social services they fund.

The truth is that loyal donors give 42 percent more funds in a year than one-time donors. As a result, it is critical for social services to maintain their recurring donors while seeking new ones.  

With this blog we hope to help the reader learn more about donor management and how a strong donor engagement strategy can help you retain donors. Begin right away to learn what you need to know to ensure the prosperity of your NGO.  

Social work is an evolving profession and every year new challenges emerge. When December rolls around it is our custom to interview three experienced social workers (one from the East Coast-one from the West Coast-and one from Nebraska) and ask them to share any new themes that may have emerged in their practices.

Today's blog is written by guest blogger, Sharon Wagner, from Senior Friendly.  We truly appreciate her for sharing these wonderful insights for social workers to help avoid burnout.  

As a social worker, you’re dedicated to your job. You’ve chosen the path that God meant for you, and you truly love what you do. Yet it can be hard for you to set boundaries between your work and your life, which can quickly lead to burnout. If you’re struggling in your career, Global Vision Technologies has some tips to help you avoid stress and heal from burnout.