Policy & Practice | Fall 2025

The Future of Workforce Development in Human Services AI shouldn’t replace human super vision or front-line caseworkers using their unique training and best judgment—however, it can enhance both. Strategically incorporating AI can lighten the administrative load on providers while enabling more acces sible, meaningful, actionable, and evidence-based feedback delivered in a compassionate, empowering format. “As we, at the Center for Excellence, support the work of New York’s Office of Children and Family Services, we know that across every state, there’s a crisis in staffing in human services. AI has helped us address this staffing issue by increasing caseworkers’ efficiency and providing them with MI coaching and practice to improve their job per formance. State and local governments are limited in their capacity to provide this individualized support, which is where an AI tool—such as Lyssn—can fill the gap.” — GREGORY KWACZALA, VP OF STRATEGY AT YOUTH RESEARCH INC. Organizations leveraging these technologies can then free up supervi sors to focus more on direct coaching and connection, ensuring their staff feel supported and valued. This shift mirrors a broader evolution across child welfare—from compliance-focused checklists to a culture of continuous improvement and collaborative support. With the right tools, agencies can build stronger teams, deliver more consistent care, and sustain long-term excellence for all constituents. From Midwestern counties to complex Northeast systems, child welfare agencies are redefining quality care—and proving AI can make it scalable. Their commitment to sup porting providers while creating measurable impact for families dem onstrates how targeted innovation delivers transformational results. These advances remind us that when technology serves human connection rather than replacing it, we don’t just improve our work—we rediscover what it means to serve with both preci sion and heart.

Example supervisor dashboard of user training activity.

Example supervisor dashboard of user training completion and scoring

The platform also includes a user-friendly Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) tool that evaluates role plays or real-world sessions for quality care. Not only are supervisors able to make data-informed decisions on how to best help their team improve, but they can also easily measure Federal Family First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA) fidelity requirements. To learn more, head over to Lyssn.io

About Lyssn Lyssn provides innovative AI-powered tools to help you scale training and workforce development across your entire team on demand. Our AI models are trained specifically for child welfare and HHS agencies to provide feedback on using evidence-based practices within a social work context. The Lyssn platform enables state, county, and community agencies to scale Motivational Interviewing (MI) training and fidelity monitoring efficiently, offering unlimited practice opportunities with mock clients and precise, immediate feedback.

Jenny Cheng , MSW, is the Family First Coordinator and Public Sector Solutions Lead at Lyssn.

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