Social workers do vital work of serving children and families, mental health patients, unhoused individuals, and more. While many people get into social work out of a passion for helping others, it can be difficult to engage as much as they want to due to the massive amounts of paperwork. The BASW found that 65% of a social worker's week is spent on paperwork.
Social workers often face challenges with the usual documentation methods, which are time-consuming, riddled with errors, and involve overwhelming paperwork. Social work documentation software offers a transformative solution, enhancing efficiency, accuracy, and compliance. In this blog post, we'll explore the importance of documentation in social work, the challenges with traditional methods, and how the right software can streamline these processes.
What is Documentation in Social Work?
Documentation in social work involves maintaining detailed records of client interactions, assessments, service plans, and follow-ups. Its main purpose is to keep accurate record-keeping, legal compliance, and effective communication among team members and external agencies. Social work documentation software simplifies this process by automating data entry and ensuring adherence to compliance standards.
Documentation in social work typically includes:
- An assessment of what the client needs, based upon facts and professional observations.
- Intervention strategy that outlines the services and programs the client needs.
- A termination plan that assesses what benchmarks are required for a client to no longer need services.
- On-going records and documentation of the services provided.
- Any critical document related to the case, including case notes, court orders, and intake forms.
As a best practice, store social work documentation for a minimum of seven to ten years from the last date of entry. When working with children, this rule of thumb applies when they turn 18. Before that, all documentation should be saved.
Why is Documentation Important in Social Work?
Documentation is vital in social work because it:
- Ensures compliance with legal and funding requirements. It protects everyone involved, including clients and practitioners. Having a detailed record safeguards organizations in case of legal scrutiny, grievances, or subpoenas.
- Provides accurate and timely information for service delivery. It ensures that the client can get what they need when they need it--particularly for high-stakes cases, such as housing-insecure individuals.
- Facilitates effective communication within teams and with external partners. When everything important is documented, the professionals involved make fewer errors and improve outcomes.
- Promotes accountability and ethical practice. Proper documentation ensures that the NASW code of ethics has been followed.
- Helps identify areas of improvement. When social workers can document what works, it allows them to create new approaches to complex issues.
Using social work documentation software enhances accuracy, efficiency, and compliance, enabling social workers to focus more on client care.
What Are Challenges in Traditional Social Work Documentation?
Even with technological advances, many organizations still use traditional social work documentation, including paper files. Paper has been proven to be an inefficient workflow, with the average American employee spending an average of 2 hours a day just looking for documents.
Some challenges with using paper systems include:
- Inefficiencies and Time-Consuming Processes: Manual documentation and data entry require significant time for writing, organizing, and retrieving information.
- Compliance and Accuracy Risks: Difficulty in maintaining HUD compliance and accurate records.
- Impact on Service Delivery: More time is spent on paperwork than on client interaction.
- Limited Accessibility: Paper documents are only available in one place, making it hard for groups to share information.
Additionally, documentation requirements can feel like too much for one person to handle. Social Documentation Software automates administrative tasks and creates documents that match certain needs (such as HUD). This lets social workers focus on interventions or additional clients.
How to Improve Social Work Documentation Efficiency
One of the best ways to improve social work documentation efficiency is through software. A robust social work documentation software helps agencies adopt digital documentation tools like customizable templates, automated workflows, and digital storage. Additionally, teams can leverage automation to cut down on time-consuming administrative tasks.
Other ways to improve social work documentation efficiency include:
- Develop a routine: Set aside a dedicated time after speaking with a client to document key points.
- Standardize documentation practices: Implement standardized templates across assessments, program notes, and treatment plants.
- Focus on keeping notes short: Write concise, non-biased case notes using conversational language that avoids jargon or too many details.
Key Features of Social Work Documentation Software
Social work documentation software offers helpful features to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of daily social work. Case management software like PlanStreet offers specialized features to make the workday easier for social workers. Here are six key features of social work documentation software.
1. Automated Case Notes and Assessments with Customizable Forms
Case notes are detailed, chronological records of interactions, observations, and actions related to a specific client or case. They serve as a critical tool for documenting the work done with clients and ensuring continuity of care. Case notes include observations about the client, details of interactions with family members, and progress toward treatment goals.
Case management software offers automated case notes through customizable social work documentation forms. A social worker can create the format that works best for them, such as SOAP or BIRP. Additionally, data is saved from client intake forms so that common information such as name, DOB, or contact information can automatically be populated. Additionally, social worker assessments can be created with customizable forms, assessing their clients with a mix of their own preferences and legal protocol.
2. Secure Data Management
While many associate a data breach with digital tools, 40% of all data breaches are paper-based. Digitization of data and switching to secure data management like case management software is oftentimes safer for your clients. Work with a FedRAMP ready social work software so that your client's sensitive data is safe. Other benchmarks your team may need to adhere to for data security include HIPAA compliance, NIST 800-53 compliance, and FIPS 140-3 encryption.
3. Mobile Accessibility
Social workers can now write case notes on the go with mobile accessibility for social work software. This means they can access their case management tools straight from their phone. They can take notes, plan services, or delegate tasks while a client's needs are fresh in their mind.
4. Integration Capabilities
Social work software solutions like PlanStreet offer integrations for software your team already uses. This way, the learning curve for adopting new social work documentation software is much lower. PlanStreet offers integrations with everyday applications, including:
- Elation Health
- MRI Housing Software
- Google Drive, Calendar, and Gmail
- Google SSO and Office 365 SSO
- Payment platforms like Stripe, Paypal, and Square
5. Reporting and Analytics
Constant tinkering and changing to services are critical to elevate client outcomes. That's why organizations should implement social work software with advanced reporting tools. With PlanStreet, teams can generate relevant reports that are easy to read in one click and glean insights from comprehensive case data.. When social workers can see what worked best in the past, they can create new solutions for the future.
Additionally, these reports make it easy to show funders and donors the important work that you're doing. This can help your team earn more grants and successfully implement the funds you have for the right purposes.
6. Task Management
Figuring out who needs to do what can be difficult amongst social workers and other relevant parties working with one client. Task management features in social work documentation software allow organizations to assign people to certain tasks, and that person can check off once the work is completed. This helps teams see bottlenecks and ensures that no time is wasted by two people doing the same work.
Benefits of Social Work Documentation Software for Social Workers and Agencies
The benefits of social work documentation software for social workers and agencies are enhanced efficiency, improved compliance, data-driven insights, and centralized data storage. When routine tasks such as scheduling, invoicing, and payments can be streamlined, social workers have more time to focus on creative solutions.
Additionally, social work case management tools can ensure that your team remains compliant with the latest standards in your field. For example, nonprofits working with HUD must follow the Standards for Success. Software can help ensure that all paperwork meets these demands.
Having data in one place allows organizations to glean important insights, removing data silos with robust analytics that helps each stakeholder connect.
How to Choose the Right Social Work Documentation Software
There are many options for social work documentation software. To choose the right one for your organization, consider the following:
- Assess your needs: Think about what your agency requires most. Some of the most common tools that organizations look for include reporting capabilities, customizable templates and forms, and mobile access.
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Check for compliance: Depending on who your organization serves and other agencies you work with, you'll have different compliance requirements. Three of the most common compliance requirements include:
- FedRAMP Ready Social Work Software: Required for cloud service providers, federal agencies, and companies that handle certain types of federal data.
- NIST 800-53 Compliance for Social Work Software: Required for all government agencies and their contractors.
- FIPS 140-3 Encryption for Social Work Data: Hardware or software used for encryption with government and regulated agencies (such as legal, finance, and healthcare).
- Schedule a demo: This can help you get a first-hand look at the software, ask any questions you may have, and see if it's user-friendly enough for your organization.
Streamline Social Work Documentation With PlanStreet
Adopting the right social work documentation software revamps your agency's efficiency and compliance standards. With automated processes, top-of-the-line security, and easy integration, PlanStreet's solution makes the everyday life of a social worker better.
PlanStreet's comprehensive case management software offers:
- Customizable documents with conditional fields.
- eSignatures for seamless approvals.
- Offline mode to access important data anywhere.
- A user-friendly interface that's easy to learn for quick adoption.
- Power BI analytics to amplify the value of your data.
Ready to streamline your documentation process? Request a live demo today and learn how PlanStreet's Social Work Documentation Software can help your team thrive.