It’s no secret that the human service workforce is stretch thin. Staff shortages and increased caseloads have case managers taking on more work with the same number of hours in the day.

Finding ways to reduce the administrative burden of managing a case load and compliance by building efficiencies into routine processes is critical to keeping pace with the demand for services.

To ensure there’s adequate time to help families and case managers don’t burn-out, organizations must build capacity and the implementation of technology is the best solution.

TuaPath is a mobile friendly technology platform specifically designed for human services programs.It offers a comprehensive set of tools that create efficiencies in most every aspect of your program including powerful nudges and reminders to drive participant behavior that is predictable so case managers can work smarter and more productively.

Work Activity Compliance Reminders

When case managers are asked how much time they spend chasing participants to turn in their work participation hours and verification documentation, they will tell you, it’s a lot!

TuaPath’s nudge engine automatically sends out email/text messages to encourage on-time compliance. Without case managers having to lift a finger, a series of messages, each with different verbiage, can be sent based on whether the participant has taken action and turned in their hours, or not.

The first couple of reminders sent are typically friendly, sent on behalf of the coach (to build rapport) and are designed to encourage timely submission.  If the participant ignores the nudges and has not turned in hours past a certain date (let’s say the 15th of the month), a subsequent message, sent by “the program” or “system” contains stricter language, perhaps a warning of the consequences of lost benefits, and the need for immediate action.

The graph below shows actual reporting data for a county administered TANF program in Colorado where all timesheets must be approved, and the data reported by the end of the following month.

The report illustrates the percentage of participants who submit timesheets each day in the reporting period and the positive impact of friendly nudges sent on the first, third and thirteenth of every month.

Another way to view the data is to look at the total percentage of timesheets submitted by day. As both reports illustrate, 90% of participants have submitted their timesheets within the first two weeks of the reporting period.

With the bulk of hours submitted early, case managers are no longer stressed chasing compliance. Instead of blocking off time at the end of the reporting period to get the paperwork work finished before the deadline, they now have the flexibility to review and approve hours when it’s convenient for them, whether that’s when the hours are first submitted or few days later.

Automated Meeting Reminders

Check-in meetings are an essential tool in helping families get the resources and economic support they need and as such, it’s vital that participants show up to their meetings, whether in person or virtually. However, we know that participants often are no-shows as everyday challenges from living in poverty, even for those with the best intentions, compromise planning and time management executive functioning skills.  No shows are detrimental to not only participants and their forward progress, but for the case manager as well, as time is lost waiting for the participant to show up, reviewing notes and preparing for the meeting, which cannot be recuperated.

To reduce no-shows and time lost, sending timely reminders is hugely important, however most case managers just don’t have the extra time in their day to send one-on-one follow-up messages.

TuaPath’s nudge engine makes it extremely easy and efficient to communicate with participants on a timely and ongoing basis about their scheduled meetings, as the entire process is automated.

• Automated confirmation email/ text messages sent include a link to add the meeting to a personal calendar (Google, Outlook, etc.)
• Automated reminder emails are sent 24/48 hours prior
• Upcoming meeting dates and times are predominately displayed on the dashboard, so every time they log in, they are reminded of the upcoming meeting.
• Case managers and participants receive separate notifications through their TuaPath dashboard

Between emails, text messages, notifications and the meeting date and time displayed on their TuaPath dashboard, there is no reason for a participant to miss a meeting.

Case managers save countless hours a week, hours that instead of being spent on administrative tasks, can be focused instead on helping families in need. Some even report that because of nudges received, participants are reaching to say “Hey, I scheduled this time with you, but that time doesn’t work with me. Can I reschedule?”

Notifications

When it comes to day-to-day administrative tasks, TuaPath makes many processes more efficient.

As is often the case, case managers are waiting on a participant to provide them with verification documentation or a signed copy of a form. Instead of continually checking email or even snail mail, TuaPath sends an automated alert (notification) when the participant file is uploaded, as well as notifies case managers of upcoming meetings, completed forms ready for review and more. Case managers can focus on the tasks at hand and be assured they will be notified when the file is available.

Nudges: A Two-Part Series

This blog is part one of a two-part series that talks about the impact of TuaPath’s nudge engine for helping both case managers and participants to be the best productive selves they can be. To learn about the effect that nudges have on driving positive participant behavior, read the blog “Nudges: The Impact of Small Interventiions on Participant Engagement & Compliance.”

Interested in learning more? Give us a call at (970) 628-0220 or click to schedule a 30-minute demonstration.