Keeping children safe and in the homes of their families is a passion for Family Support Services of Suncoast president and CEO Jenn Petion and her team.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Next month, the child welfare agency will start to implement a nationally-recognized software company\u2019s Service Referral Management module. Binti has partnered with more than 550 agencies in 36 states and in Washington, D.C. \u2013 serving 47 percent of children in care around the country.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Service Referral platform will allow FSS\u2019s team to more efficiently collaborate with community resources and providers.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cOne of the most important things we do when we have to remove children from a home is to provide the family services to address whatever the safety issue was,\u201d Petion said.\u00a0\u201cWe want to make sure that we can connect families with the appropriate service and the right provider that\u2019s a fit for them as quickly as possible.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
This, she explained, helps families get reunified with their children faster.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Often these safety issues are related to substance abuse and can co-occur with mental health disorders. Domestic violence is another common challenge, Petion added.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She believes the Service Referral platform will help create a \u201cstreamlined\u201d approach for FSS. Petion spoke about how case managers once had to be service array experts.\u00a0<\/p>\n
They had to be knowledgeable about different behavior health services, what providers were available and determine if these providers met FSS\u2019s standards.\u00a0<\/p>\n
With the new technology, case managers only have to reach out to FSS\u2019s service team and share what they believe the need is. The team will then use the platform to access the company\u2019s network of approved service providers to find a fit for the family, Petion explained.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A lot of providers have to have special credentials to offer specific services. \u201cIt keeps a case manager from having to have that knowledge or do that vetting process themselves,\u201d she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The partnership with Binti began multiple years ago. Petion, who learned about the company in a previous role, thought its platforms could improve efficiency at FSS.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The organization began to utilize Binti\u2019s licensing module, which allows agencies to approve resource families (foster care, et cetera) more quickly. After seeing success with the module, Petion and her team decided to explore more of the company\u2019s products.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cOur partnership with Binti reflects one of our organization\u2019s guiding principles of continuing to innovate within the child welfare space,\u201d Petion said.<\/p>\n
\u00a0\u201cWe will always challenge ourselves to do better for the children and families we serve, and this is one of those ways that we\u2019re doing that and making that investment.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n