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.

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted our nationwide educational system. Closures rattled public confidence in local schools. Familiar routines were shattered. Interest in home schooling and other alternatives exploded. All of this loosened the status quo's grip on school norms, parental expectations, and the public imagination. Until March 2020, American schooling looked much like it had in 1920. Students set out from their homes to school in the early morning, sat in front of a teacher in primary school or a series of teachers in secondary school, sporadically used the latest technologies, and then headed home. Dress codes, popular pedagogies, the number of adults in the building, and the technology may have changed, but what students and teachers did each day did not.

Organizations all over the world have been pushed to embrace digital transformation in recent years. From multinational corporations and the corporate sector to non-profit human services, every enterprise has embraced one or more forms of technology.
While some organizations are heavily investing in cloud computing and data analytics, others, such as social services, are taking baby steps in this direction. However, due to a lack of strategy reported by 50% of non-profits, fully adopting digital solutions has been difficult.
Still, if your NGO is interested in adopting technology such as the cloud or data analytics, this is the right decision. After all, today's digitization will help your social service thrive in the future.

Before you and your team commence your digital journey, here are some things to consider. 

The pandemic significantly affected all of us in one way or another but decimated our senior population. Social workers report that elderly survivors have been left with lingering feelings of dread and abandonment that continue to affect the quality of the little life they have left.

Total Number of COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. 

1,101,953

85 and older - 295,010

75-84 ---          287,729

65-74 ---          248,635

Total Over 65          831,374 (75%)