HARTFORD, CT and BALTIMORE, MD--(Marketwire - December 4, 2008) - Mayor Eddie A. Perez is
proud to announce that the City of Hartford and Social Solutions have
formed a groundbreaking collaboration. Through the use of special
software, government, schools, funders, and social service providers are
better connected so that they can better serve Hartford's children, youth,
and families. The collaboration enables point-of-service workers to share
information, track their outcomes and measure their effectiveness. What is
even more special is that Hartford and its Office of Youth Services is the
first to achieve this.
Social Solutions is the leading provider of performance management software
for the human services sector. Its ETO Software®, a technology platform
that facilitates sharing of resources and information across participating
organizations, is a key component to the stronger link and enhanced
services.
As an ETO City, Hartford is expanding upon the 2001 launch of its Phase I
collaborative effort to better link social services citywide. The initial
implementation connected the Office for Youth Services and Capitol
Workforce Partners, the City's regional workforce investment board, as well
as nine community nonprofit organizations. Phase II will connect several
city departments including Health and Human Services and the Office of
Young Children, and incorporate a number of additional youth development
programs including eight Boys and Girls Clubs and a new community schools
partnership between funders, Hartford Public Schools and youth programs and
the City's Juvenile Review Board.
In addition to expanding the number of organizations and programs involved
in the effort, the second phase of collaboration provides deeper
integration of data, activities and reporting across the various
participating agencies. For example, information from the central database
for the Hartford Public School system, called SASI, will be linked in to
the central Hartford ETO platform. This will enable a better coordination
of services and interventions for children and youth in Hartford as
employees across different departments and programs will be able to see
what services individuals are receiving, which other departments are
assisting the family, and assess how these services are impacting the
social and academic success of the individual youth.
Mayor Perez says, "It is essential that these crucial departments are 'on
the same page' in regards to services and solutions. Communication is key
and this system will enable that communication to happen and more
importantly, Hartford families will be better served."
"Integrating SASI means social service workers across the city will have
visibility into key pieces of information about students -- such as their
attendance records, after-school activities and grades. This will greatly
enhance the interactions and positive impacts on students and their
families," said Enid Rey, the Director of the Office of Youth Services for
the City of Hartford.
The ETO Software® facilitates easy and convenient access to many
different resources and information so that social service workers can:
-- Monitor and asses background information of people in need of care;
-- Input information to manage cases shared across all organizations
involved;
-- Assess efforts, and improve service quality by documenting connections
between activities and outcomes.
"As the first ETO City, Hartford is leading the way in offering the highest
quality social services to its community. We are pleased to be part of this
effort," said Steve Butz, founder and president of Social Solutions. "We
expect Hartford's innovative and strategic approach will serve as a model
for other cities across the country. We look forward to working with other
cities to help them foster greater collaboration and in turn enhance
service for their citizens."
Founded by human service workers, Social Solutions seeks to revolutionize
the effectiveness of human service, social service, and other nonprofit
organizations by helping them align their missions, funders' expectations,
and the daily work of their staffs. ETO Software is currently in place in
several thousand organizations across the United States.
About Social Solutions and ETO Software®
Social Solutions challenges and equips human service providers and their
funders to turn good intent into measurable change by relating efforts to
outcomes. The company's ETO (Efforts to Outcomes) reporting software
replaces one-size-fits-all data tracking with a reporting system tailored
to the unique mission of each nonprofit organization. ETO Software®
generates a clear and accurate measure of impact to improve service
delivery, earn more funding, and reduce the time and resources dedicated to
tracking performance.
Contact Information: Media Contact:
Melissa Chotiner
DBC PR+New Media
(202) 292-4572
melissa@dbcpr.com