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Ohio Statewide Automated Child Welfare Information
System (SACWIS)
Challenges
Federal and state mandates required Ohio
to implement significant improvements in its child welfare
system. Today's family-centered, outcome-based practices
call for state agencies to share information and promote
collaboration. These public program demands combined with
increased strain on the state's already limited resources
resulted in a critical need to integrate child protection
services. A new system was needed that would provide timely
and consistent information to all state workers as they
strive to support and improve the safety, permanency and
well-being of children and families.
Many of Ohio's 88 counties employed
different approaches in managing computerized case
management information. The requirements and effort needed
to transition from a county's current environment to the
integrated SACWIS implementation were large.
Solutions
Applying DRC's proven business
transformation methods and practices, DRC delivered a SACWIS
solution that provided Ohio with the benefits of custom
development without the risks and longer timelines normally
associated with large-scale development. Our solution
features the reuse of existing best-of-breed operational
SACWIS functional, data, and workflow models to generate the
executable code. Leveraging our proven Iterative Development
Methodology (IDM), DRC's SACWIS solution adheres to Software
Engineering Institute (SEI) Capability Maturity Model Level
3 industry best practices, and implements a Model Driven
Architecture (MDA) approach through the Rational Unified
Process (RUP) and Compuware OptimalJ tools.
Our methods ensured that county
children's services agencies across the state were actively
involved with the SACWIS design and user acceptance testing.
System workflow directly mirrors Ohio's revised business
processes. One-time data entry populates system views and is
used to compile documents and reports needed to support case
activities and program accountability and management
statistics. System alerts and ticklers keep workers and
supervisors abreast of the activities associated with each
case.
Following DRC's rapid two-year
development effort, which included several functional
enhancements to the original scope, in August 2006 the
program began Pilot Operations in Muskingum County. Rollout
to the remaining 87 counties was completed in mid-2007.
Benefits/Achievements
- Supports on-going funding, policy,
organizational, and legislative changes by operating in
a model-based, service oriented environment that is
flexible, extensible, and based on industry and state
architectural standards.
- The most capable web-based statewide
child welfare system in use today: effectively supports
cases from intake to closure and will be accessible to
workers any where there is Internet access.
- Access to information across county
lines will help local and state administrators make
informed decisions about the services provided to
families.
- Offers a reusable model based case
management framework that can be used for other case
management needs (e.g., adult protection, child care,
juvenile justice) in any state.
Interested in more information?
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