New York, NY – August 19, 2024 – As schools and support organizations prepare for students to return to school, Casebook PBC, the innovator of human services software, is helping nonprofits that serve students in need by improving access to information and streamlining operations. The Book Works is a Louisville, Kentucky-based organization that helps middle and high school students who are not in school due to suspension, chronic absences, gaps in enrollment, or online learning with programming and case management services. Casebook’s platform provides The Book Works team with the data they need to track outcomes and secure funding, allowing them to quadruple their reach.
“Before Casebook, we were spending hours searching for critical information because we didn’t have a formal record-keeping system in place,” said Elizabeth Senn-Alvey, Executive Director of The Book Works. “With the new school season approaching, Casebook’s technology keeps us organized, maintains critical details about our learners’ needs and progress, and allows us to analyze and prove the outcomes of our programming. With better intel, we’ve actually identified new opportunities to serve our community, including driving the decision to launch two new locations.”
On September 3, The Book Works is launching two Education Engagement Hubs with Neighborhood House and Americana World Community Center to provide a neighborhood-based safe space and supportive services for middle and high school students on school days when they are not attending. The Hubs are also in partnership with Kentucky Youth Advocates, YMCA Safe Place, and 2Not1. Casebook’s platform is fully customizable, allowing organizations to conduct intake and track case management, communicate, and collaborate, leading to better outcomes. The collected data also helps organizations track program effectiveness and secure more funding. A recent survey showed that Casebook software reduced the time spent on program audits by 66%, allowing staff to focus on other critical aspects of their roles.
“At Casebook, our goal is to help the helpers – and The Book Works is an incredible example of how technology leads to more successful outcomes,” said Tristan Louis, president and CEO of Casebook PBC. “Their expansion of services and client growth alone is impressive, but leveraging their success to multiply the impact with community partners is even more commendable and will have a ripple effect in Louisville.”
To support other organizations, Casebook compiled best practices aimed at helping nonprofits improve operations and serve more students:
- Communication is Critical: Institute a process for your team to follow to ensure communication consistency – templates can be an important first step. Beyond that, consider your demographics and who you serve, and ensure your organization is prepared. If many families/guardians and students do not speak English as a first language, create documents in additional languages and ideally have staff or volunteers who are fluent in the most common languages within your community.
- Prioritize Partnerships: Establish good communication channels with all stakeholders, including school administrators and teachers, other community support agencies, families/guardians, and students. Meet regularly to establish strong relationships, trust, and increase collaboration. Prioritizing networking within your community allows you to expand your partnerships and community support to better serve students and ensures that stakeholders refer students to your organization.
- Assess and Assist: Upon intake, assess the student’s needs and determine where your agency can assist, placing them in the appropriate programs you offer. Determine if a student is unhoused, needs social or emotional competency support, requires homework or educational support, and any other areas that hinder learning or academic success. If a student’s needs exceed your organization’s capabilities, refer them to an organization in your network to provide further wraparound support. Lean on your network to create the best possible outcomes for students.
- Tap Technology: Many organizations still rely on paper files, but this creates inefficiencies in recordkeeping and can lead to gaps in service. Wherever possible, move to digital tools and eliminate paper files to increase efficiency and consistent record-keeping. Ensure you have proper data security in place to protect student information and create workflows that encourage collaboration within your team. If your budget allows, institute customizable SaaS to provide case management tracking, streamline stakeholder communications, manage programs and track their effectiveness, and extract data for grant or funding applications to increase your organization’s reach.
Casebook has helped nearly 400 organizations serve over 250,000 individuals. For more information about the company’s approach, visit https://www.casebook.net/.
About Casebook PBC
Casebook PBC is the innovator of human services software, improving outcomes for organizations and the people they serve. With its configurable, easy-to-use SaaS solution, Casebook PBC empowers government agencies and nonprofits of all sizes by providing them with the tools to control everything from intake to case management while delivering reliable data about the effectiveness of their programs. By centralizing tracking, communication, and faster reporting, Casebook PBC reduces operational costs, fosters internal collaboration, and helps the helpers accelerate an end to poverty.