CASE MANAGEMENT AND STATISTICAL REPORTING- “TELL IT LIKE IT IS”

Presenters: Frank S. Cantrell, Rita Gibson Rayford

Session Description

Case file management in a legal aid setting has at least two major, interrelated, components. The first and by far the most important, is creating an environment and requirement of excellence in advocacy. This includes training, mentoring, observing, and guiding the members of your organization in building and utilizing their skills as advocates. The second is to design and administer a system for efficiently tracking all cases, to quickly identify those that need your attention. The high volume and other challenges inherent in a legal aid office add a degree of difficulty; but even that can be managed and overcome. Through the use of an carefully designed case management system, data can be used to tell the story of just how well cases are being managed.

The ability to collect, synthesize and translate complex data sets is also essential to effective storytelling and fundraising. Legal aid organizations are keenly aware of the legal needs of clients and how best to meet those needs. However, the ability to track and measure successful legal interventions is the foundation for transforming statistics into compelling stories that further organizational objectives and create opportunities for developing community partnerships and attracting new supporters.

You want to “Tell It Like It Is” to the world; but first you need to write and capture those compelling stories in the real world. We will examine the many tools at your disposal to accomplish your goals.

CASE FILE MANAGEMENT

Synopsis

Good case file management, like all management, is impacted by everything you do as a manager. It involves hiring the right people, getting them started on the right foot, etc. But, to look specifically at what promotes good case file management, we should really dig in at the point of setting the expectations for advocates, maximizing available tools, identifying and tracking indicators of cases needing management attention, and using and developing the reports that will allow these goals to be accomplished in a high volume environment.

Outline

Creating the environment:

  • Hiring
  • Orientation
  • Training
  • Setting clear expectations
  • Practice standards
  • Preparation with a purpose
  • Maximizing familiar tools to promote advocacy
  • Three ways that every file should tell the full story
  • Critical/Tickle dates
  • Timekeeping
  • File maintenance
  • Observation
  • Observation by advocate
  • Observation of advocate
  • Electronic document management
  • Paper file maintenance
  • File reviews
  • Performance reviews
  • Effective employee counseling
  • Moot arguments in major cases
  • Case closure reviews

Tracking progress:

  • Indicators
  • Absence of meaningful critical/tickle dates
  • Cases more than X days without time entry
  • Cases open more than X days
  • Number of cases completed
  • Ratio of extended to limited service case closures
  • Rate of cases opened vs. cases closed
  • Number of open cases
  • Amount of time entered per case completed
  • Cases deselected with reasons
  • Use of existing reports
  • System reports
  • Creation of reports
  • Custom dashboards
  • Custom combined reports
  • File review checklists
  • Prompt feedback

CASE STATISTICAL REPORTING

Outline

Using Data to Assess the Needs of communities:

  • Data and technology tools to assess community needs -- Identification of issues that impact clients and those in the community that don't seek our services
  • Social​
  • Economic​
  • Legal​
  • Defining how legal issues are correlated to other issues
  • Determining appropriate program choices using data
  • What types of legal advocacy or legal interventions can create changes in systems that will have positive impacts for groups​

Program Development, Data and Technology:

  • Creating a nexus between programs and technology
  • Developing programs that can be enhanced by technology and proven by data
  • ​Stand-alone technology projects that augment other programs
  • Evaluation methods

Funding by the Numbers:

  • Harnessing data to tell compelling stories to funders and other key stakeholders
  • Communicating effectively with data
  • ​Proving your program successes through data