It is no secret that the pandemic has affected the entire world in one way or another. This includes not just individuals, but entire countries, economies, industries and systems.

The virus has helped put things in perspective for many of us, it has also managed to completely wreck the lives of others. While many people were laid off, others spent months working from home, but for social workers, the pandemic brought huge, unprecedented challenges that went beyond just the struggles associated with remote work.

The Massive Increase in Caseload

For starters, there was a massive increase in the influx of cases right after the start of the pandemic, and it has continued to worsen.

From an increase in homelessness to the rising cases of unemployment and domestic abuse, social workers have had their hands full. This has been true for social workers globally, as well as across practice areas. For child and family caseworkers and those dealing with senior services, mental health, and homeless cases, case management during and post-COVID era has been quite a challenge.

How Can Social Workers Manage These Tough Times?

While much of the world went into lockdown and worked from home, a lot of social workers didn’t have this luxury. Not only because of the increase in cases, but also a lot of aspects of casework can’t be dealt with remotely.

Post pandemic, social workers are still struggling to manage their caseloads, but here are some ways the most experienced ones are managing things.

Prioritizing And Redirecting Cases

When it comes to casework, nothing is set in concrete. Every person and their situation are different. This is why it is important for caseworkers to identify early on which cases are relevant to their practice and which ones need to be redirected to a different department or agency. Moreover, with the huge influx of new cases every day and the paperwork associated with it, it’s important for caseworkers to mark and prioritize their work based on urgency.

Taking Care Of Themselves to Take Care of Others

COVID-19 has been hard on everyone, especially caseworkers. Given the fact that social workers have been so exhausted, it is important for them to take a break every now and then to recharge. By taking care of themselves, they can be more productive, which will make it easier for them to manage cases more efficiently.

Embrasing Modern Technology

One of the best ways to improve case management is by embracing modern technology, including case management software designed for human services. 

Social services software is specifically designed for social work.  It includes data collection forms and a workflow designed to optimize how the caseworker handles their daily caseloads.  Social Services software saves time, makes important information more easily accesible, and streamlines your processes.  

Global Vision Technologies, the developers of FAMCare, is an industry leader for non-profit case management software. If you would like to learn more about how we can help you modernize how your agency works, please click the link below and let's have a conversation.