Three barriers human services organizations encounter are trying to stay organized as a whole, the lack of transportation clients has access to, keeping track of clients, and ensuring that all potential clients are reached. Ms. Powers will provide examples of specific technologies to overcome the three barriers listed above.
The nonprofit organization Ms. Powers is employed by is titled Rockingham Community Action, a nonprofit organization located in Rockingham County in the state of New Hampshire. “The mission of Rockingham Community Action (RCA), which was founded in 1965, is to prevent, reduce, and work towards the elimination of poverty” (Rockingham Community Action, 2007). RCA accomplishes this mission through programs offered at centers, offices, clinics and intake sites located in over half of the county’s 37 communities. Organizing the many satellite offices of this organization requires the use of technology.
“Today a company cannot succeed without incorporating into its strategy the astonishing technologies that exist and continue to evolve” (Bateman, 2007) Technology has enabled RCA to be more productive and organized. RCA is a nonprofit organization that depends on many grants monies to fund their multiple programs. Each grant requires a separate account for the monies allocated in order to make sure the monies are spent as proposed. All budgeting and accounting is done with software and online banking. This enables the entire agency to be on the same page and to know where RCA stands financially at all times. Technology has enabled RCA to be more financially organized, effective, and efficient.
RCA has one main office and several satellite offices throughout the state of New Hampshire. Satellite offices allow more easy access for service users but technology keeps the organization whole. RCA’s management uses technology to organize meetings and daily communications. Management sends mass emails each day updating the employees of RCA and informing the staff of project updates, upcoming meetings, meeting notes, and concerns. This allows everyone to be on the same page and this gives the agency direction. Technology enables RCA to communicate well and share ideas, problems, and concerns no matter where staff members are physically.
The writer uses technology in RCA to organize meetings with service users, schedule appointments with other sister agencies, oversee volunteers, apply for grants, report to federal agencies regarding our success, lobby for laws supporting RCA, and to keep in contact with the main office. Technology has allowed the writer to develop programs and spread sheets to organize data, create word documents, design outreach materials, and update data. Technology also allows the writer to be in contact with the agency even if she is at home. This is just one of the barriers that RCA and other human services organizations can encounter.
Transportation is another barrier because not all active and potential clients have access to regular transportation. Transportation is a struggle for many citizens because the United States does not have an extensive transportation infrastructure like trains systems or buses. A great deal of rural areas does not have bus or taxi service so clients whom are in need are often trapped at home. Technology can help human services organizations by utilizing the internet. Human services organizations can send clients PowerPoint presentations to help them learn new things, organizations can send Microsoft Word documents with information regarding services, or send active links that instruct clients to watch educational videos online. Word documents can also be sent out as applications or as documents that ask the client to verify information. The internet can bring the world to a client and client to the world. The internet far out reaches the limits of transportation and can be so environmentally and financially beneficial for all parties involved! Human Services can use the internet to advertise on the internet, communicate using email or webcams with clients, keep in contact with clients, send important documents via email, and talk on the phone. A monthly payment of 30 dollars per month (Comcast, 2009) is a great deal cheaper than a car payment for most clients. The internet enables clients and human services organizations to stay in contact and continue to provide and receive assistance.
Many of the human services organizations make contact with a great deal of people daily, including active clients. Keeping proper records, collecting information, and keeping track of clients can be a daunting task. One of the key elements of technology is to make life easier. “Historically, these IT systems have used database software for collection, storage, retrieval, and reporting purposes” (Patterson, 2000, p. 21). Databases are a way organizations can keep track of clients, donations, potential clients, mailing lists, and the list of possibilities are endless. If an organization takes the time and money and invests in a database it can foster a more productive work environment. Rockingham Community Action utilizes databases to keep track of clients, donors, and organize mailing lists. Keeping the database updated is important so that the information reflected is accurate. Databases are only one tool organizations take advantage of, technology has endless possibilities.
Keeping track of clients is a large task but ensuring that a human services organization is reaching all the potential populations can be difficult. “The ability to organize and summarize information in the creation of reports from data accumulated in a database is a critical function” (Patterson, 2000, p. 152). Report generating applications can allow human services organizations report statistics and other material to assist in understanding how well their organization is performing, what areas the organization may want to improve, develop a picture to capture their client base, and determine what gaps in the service exist; the possibilities are endless.
Technology offers a gateway to endless possibilities for human services. In this paper Ms. Powers has explored how technology can be used to organize organizations, reach out to clients, keep track of clients, and ways to ensure all potential clients are being reached. Technology does not have to end there and this is just a sampling of the possibilities. Technology does have limitations and problems, nothing is perfect. Breaking barriers is a way to ensure that all the people in the World have the services he or she needs to succeed. Using the internet, databases, reporting applications, Microsoft Word, PowerPoint are ways to start the process of breaking barriers and creating technological solutions for human services.
References
Bateman, Thomas A., & Snell, Scott A. (2007). Management: Leading and
Collaborating in a Competitive World (7th
ed.). , : McGraw-Hill Publishers.
Comcast. (2009). Comcast Services. Retrieved April 30, 2009, from www.comcast.com
Patterson, David A. (2000). Personal Computer Applications in the Social Services . , : Allyan & Bacon.
Rockingham Community Action. (2009) Retrieved April 30, 2009, from www.rcaction.org
