CASE STUDY:
New Jersey Children's Alliance (NJCA)
New Jersey Children's Alliance promotes hope, healing, and justice for child abuse victims in New Jersey with PlanStreet Case Management Software.
Organization Overview
The New Jersey Children's Alliance (NJCA) is a state-wide organization dedicated to ensuring effective specialized care coordination (SCC) for children across the state. The members of the New Jersey Children's Alliance are the state's 21 Child Advocacy Centers (CAC) and multidisciplinary teams (MDTS). NJCA manages sensitive cases involving guidance for addressing problematic sexual behaviors, preventing and responding to child abuse. To streamline these operations, NJCA implemented PlanStreet Case Management software to manage SCC referrals, track cases, and coordinate multi-agency interactions securely.
Challenges
Prior to implementing PlanStreet, NJCA faced several operational challenges:
- Fragmented Case Management: Each county had different systems for tracking SCC referrals, leading to inconsistent processes and data silos.
- Multi-Agency Coordination: Coordinating cases across health providers, social services, and law enforcement was inefficient due to disparate systems.
- Data Privacy and Segregation: Sensitive case data needed strict access controls to ensure that county-specific information was only accessible to authorized personnel.
- Reporting and Tracking: Generating consolidated reports across counties was time-consuming and prone to errors.
Solution
NJCA implemented PlanStreet Case Management software, which offered the following key capabilities:
- Centralized Referral Management: All SCC referrals, including those to MDT and law enforcement, are logged & tracked within a single platform.
- County-Level Data Segregation: Users can access only the data specific to their SCC, maintaining strict data privacy across counties.
- Multi-Agency Collaboration: Authorized users from different agencies can collaborate on cases without compromising sensitive information.
- Real-Time Case Monitoring and Reporting: NJCA leadership can track the progress of referrals and generate accurate, timely reports for all 21 counties.
The Child Advocacy Centers (CAC) and multidisciplinary teams (MDT) included in the NJCA setup are in these counties:
- Atlantic County
- Bergen County
- Burlington County
- Camden County
- Cape May County
- Cumberland County
- Essex County
- Gloucester County
- Hudson County
- Hunterdon County
- Mercer County
- Middlesex County
- Monmouth County
- Morris County
- Ocean County
- Passaic County
- Salem County
- Somerset County
- Sussex County
- Union County
- Warren County
Implementation
Step 1:
Data Migration
Historical SCC case data from multiple systems was securely migrated into PlanStreet.
Step 2:
User Access Configuration
County-specific access controls were configured to ensure proper segregation of sensitive data.
Step 3:
Training & Adoption
NJCA conducted comprehensive training sessions for users from all 21 counties, emphasizing multi-agency collaboration.
Step 4:
Go-Live & Support
NJCA launched the platform with ongoing support from PlanStreet to ensure smooth adoption and address any technical challenges.
Results
After implementing PlanStreet, NJCA observed:
- Enhanced Efficiency: Case processing time decreased by 30%, enabling faster response to critical child welfare referrals.
- Improved Data Security: County-specific data segregation prevented unauthorized access while supporting multi-agency collaboration.
- Better Collaboration: Agencies reported smoother communication and coordination on SCC cases.
- Accurate Reporting: NJCA leadership gained the ability to generate real-time reports and analytics across all counties.