Policy and Practice | December 2022

Throughout the bot lifecycle, the DAS coordinates closely with ODMand JFS to evaluate and assess the automation potential for each identified use case. In addition, every automation is developed and implemented with the county user in mind. County users are often leveraged as subject matter experts to evaluate the effectiveness of a proposed automation during the design phase. This allows for a constant feedback mechanism and provides an opportunity to address any concerns prior to deployment. “This award recognizes the great value of teamwork,” said Kristina Hagberg, Deputy State Chief Information Officer for the State of Ohio. “While AI technology is impressive, the true success story for the Ohio Benefits Program lies in the team’s collaboration to address a major systemic challenge to improve Ohioans’ ability to receive assis tance in a time of great need. I am so proud of what we achieved together.” Best Use of Technology for Customers (External Focus) T he Commonwealth of Kentucky’s Cabinet for Health and Family Services’ Office of Application Technology Services was recog nized for Best Use of Technology for Customers (External Focus). Two years ago, the Commonwealth of Kentucky transformed the online experience for the members they serve by launching a new cloud-based self service platform called “kynect,” which provides Kentucky families with access to a multitude of public assistance benefits. The kynect platform, with three separate resident-facing portals, was designed to be a “one-stop shop” for Kentuckians to learn about, apply for, and manage their benefits. The Commonwealth also transitioned from the federal marketplace to a State BasedMarketplace so Kentuckians could shop for health coverage on kynect, requiring Kentuckians to learn and adopt several new policies and systems over the past two years, all while navigating the COVID-19 pandemic. The Commonwealth acknowledged the challenges this created for their residents and made it their mission to ensure Kentuckians understood how to use the digital tools available to them. The result of this expanded use of tech nology has been measurable results

from automating customer engagement and providing personalized content at scale across email, web, and mobile. The Best Use of Technology for Customers (External Focus) awards innovative technology usage that enhances and expands external service delivery. Robert Hobbelman, Vice Chair of the ISMExecutive Advisory Council shared, “Health and human services are being delivered in nontraditional places and by nontraditional methods, and these new approaches would not be possible without the thoughtful and stra tegic use of IT innovations.” Platforms that interact with users where they are, and when they are ready and available to respond, allow for increased response rates and improved service delivery— the Office of Application Technology Services’ use of the Salesforce Marketing Cloud is a perfect example. Collaboration Across Boundaries The California Statewide Automated Welfare System (CalSAWS) received the Collaboration Across Boundaries award for developing the CalSAWS Innovation Program. Using a Shark Tank model of ideation, the massive undertaking works to provide California’s 58 counties with a range of ideas on how best to use tech nology to serve Californians. This dynamic, complex, and mission driven ecosystemwas challenged to harness the creativity and innovative ideas of all individuals within their eco system. Today, the CalSAWS Innovation Program functions as an innovation idea-generating machine by leveraging the best thinking across the CalSAWS ecosystem to create impactful solutions for the people who need themmost. Duane Fontenot explains, “The CalSAWS Innovation Program brought a collection of consortium members, counties, vendors, and other stake holders to generate ideas using technology to best address customer service. For example, from over 80 ideas, one was selected and imple mented in just six weeks to address the automation of replacement EBT cards.” The Collaboration Across Boundaries award recognizes the use of tech nology to support collaboration and/ or integration that crosses traditional program or organizational bound aries—the CalSAWS Innovation

Program is unique and effective in doing so. It has transformed the culture of CalSAWS and created a sustainable way to address urgent business chal lenges while changing the culture to one of engagement and delivering unprecedented value to their county stakeholders and residents. NSDTA Recognizes Excellence E very year, APHSA’s affinity group, the National Staff Development and Training Association (NSDTA) recognizes excellence in training and organizational effectiveness during their Annual Education Conference. This year’s award winners epitomize quality, and we celebrate their accomplishments. The Quality Training Program Award recognizes the development and implementation of a cutting-edge, inno vative, training approach or a variation of a traditional practice. NSDTA awarded the Office of Training andWorkforce Development (OTWD) at the New York City Department of Social Services (NYC DSS) for their exceptional leadership and educational contributions to the field of health and human services. This recognition is for the Anti-Bias Trauma-Informed (ABTI) training ini tiative created in partnership with the City University of New York’s School of Professional Studies (CUNY SPS). This coordinated effort between OTWD and local and CUNY SPS, focused on Equity, the fourth pillar of OTWD’s Foundations of Training (Curriculum Development, Technology Solutions, Evaluation Practice, and Equity) by providing mandated agency wide Anti Bias training. Together, the partners developed and implemented the Dignity-Centered Service: Racial Equity, Anti-Bias, Trauma-Informed Care Social Service Delivery training initia tive. The program started as in-person training but was quickly modified due to the COVID-19 pandemic to a virtual instructor-led delivery with an eLearning component. In-person facilitation resumed in August 2022. During this one-day training, learners are made keenly aware of how uncon scious bias can manifest itself in work interactions. Results showed

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December 2022 Policy&Practice 31