Best Human Services Software

What is Human Services Software?

Why Use Human Services Software?

Who Uses Human Services Software?

Human Services Software Features

Human services software offers a range of features to help nonprofits improve operational efficiency, maintain compliance, and deliver positive client engagement.

Documentation — Agencies can upload and manage documents such as surveys, intake and release forms, case notes, and digital signatures. Human services software enables staff to build form and survey templates directly in the system, allowing staff to capture client details digitally from any location. This information covers a client’s first communication with an agency until their discharge or program completion, and all authorized staff can access these details at any time.

Case management — It’s important for nonprofits to record ongoing communication with clients, assess service enrollments, identify referrals, and monitor client progress towards established goals. For clinical staff, these products capture client involvement with external parties such as law enforcement and the justice system.

Scheduling — Program staff have the ability to schedule and manage client sessions, program cycles, interdepartmental supervision, meetings, and related events. Some human service platforms possess the functionality to send email and SMS reminders to clients about upcoming sessions, further reducing administrative burden.

Billing — Users can create invoices for client payments and record billable hours for Medicaid, insurance claims, and grant funding. Some platforms may help monitor grant allotments as well.

Workflow automation — Nonprofits can enable features such as digital signatures, alerts, and task assignments, to ensure efficiency. Appropriate staff are flagged to complete the next step in a client’s care cycle.

Compliance and security— This software ensures compliance with regulatory policies at the local, state, and federal level, a necessary feature for any nonprofits providing social work services. Human service platforms provide compliance integration for common regulatory legislation such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), and others as they pertain to a nonprofit’s service area. HIPAA protects sensitive health information, while FERPA protects educational records. Additionally, nonprofits can configure permissions for viewing specific documents, and ensure no duplicate records are made for preexisting clients. These systems flag users when violations are made, such as trying to approve client documents lacking signatures.

Reporting — Organizations can run reports for a range of data, including client demographics, number of service delivery hours, client outcomes, referrals, and billing. These inform internal reviews and provide funders with all the required information about program progress.

Dashboards — Agencies can gain insight on all program and service deliverables. They can visualize client data to identify areas for achievement and improvement. Program and service staff assess historical client data to identify opportunities for internal and external referrals, and inspire changes in program and service delivery design.

Additional Human Services Software Features

Cloud hosting— Organizations might establish additional security through encryption and constant back-up creation compared to on-premises solutions. When staff travel offsite, they still have access to client data. Behavioral health and crisis intervention therapists benefit from this feature, given the unpredictable nature of client incidents.

Client portal — Social services might engage clients in their program and service enrollment plan through a client portal. This feature is typically only included in robust human services platforms. Client portals allow clients access to their records, and enable communication with their service providers. Clients can create profiles to track progress, receive updates, and check their balance.

Trends Related to Human Services Software

Predictive analytics — Nonprofits often use data for reporting or to catch compliance errors after the fact. Social service agencies can leverage technology in a proactive way, analyzing data to target their resources strategically using predictive analytics. Predictive analytics enable agencies to see which programs and services are effective, and develop preventive approaches before clients worsen. Predictive analytics build smarter programs that serve high-need communities.

Conversational intelligence — Tools such as bot platforms improve client experience when navigating websites and client portals. When dealing with at-risk populations, trust correlates to successful outcomes. Therefore, agencies need to prioritize the client experience. Conversational intelligence provides automated customer support without adding administrative burden to nonprofits operating on limited resources.

Geospatial intelligence— Similar to predictive analytics, geospatial intelligence informs agencies about location-specific trends within the communities they serve. Armed with this knowledge, agencies can tailor specific interventions to address root issues. These trends can range from addiction, to violence and crime rates, to food insecurity. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to interventions; different localities need different services to address their specific risk factors.

Potential Issues with Human Services Software

Cost — Although these solutions are designed with nonprofit budgetary limitations in mind, many agencies still struggle to afford a product that fits all their needs. Instead, agencies often skimp on features and purchase products that add more administrative burden to staff. Additionally, cheaper products often lack all compliance integrations that ensure agencies are administering programs and services in accordance with regulations. Some solutions lack billing integration, creating more administrative work and potential for human error. Incorrect billing submission delays reimbursement or sometimes results in no reimbursement at all.

Interoperability— Unlike some of their health care counterparts, human services software can leave client data siloed, unable to be shared with all ancillary care providers. If clients need referrals to external services, most human services platforms do not have the capability to transmit client data to other agency systems. For social workers, this often requires extra communication to external parties to talk through a client’s history. Interoperabile systems can circumvent tedious communication issues.

Software and Services Related to Human Services Software

Medical practice management — Human services software offers much of the same functionality as medical practice management software. Both solutions serve as agency-wide operational management tools, handling administrative workflow such as scheduling and billing while also storing client information and performing analytics on captured data.

Patient case management — Like patient case management software, human services platforms allow quick access to client data across clients’ entire engagement period. These solutions track and monitor client performance, and store relevant documentation and scheduling records. These solutions improve interdepartmental communication to ensure clients receive the full spectrum of care that they need.

Electronic health record (EHR) — For social services agencies invested in mental health services, EHR solutions might be considered over human services platforms. EHRs allow for real-time access to client data. They facilitate sharing that data with all relevant providers, including hospitals, psych wards, laboratories, and pharmacies. These solutions create a holistic picture of a client, no matter where they are accessing care. Human services software shares the real-time data access functionality, but EHRs excel at allowing all care providers to access a client’s record, allowing highly informed decisions to be made with regard to treatment.

Medical billing — Most human services platforms have medical billing integration to streamline claim processes, monitor grants, and create invoices for clients. Not all human services solutions have the ability to verify a client’s insurance coverage; this is when integration or interoperability between human services systems and medical billing systems is helpful.