NJAMHAA News - October 2021

October 2021 5 Elimination of Language Barriers Another different type of technology that has brought great benefits to CC-Trenton’s clients is Boostlingo, particularly in community services, which help individuals who are homeless and hungry, have no clothing and commonly have mental illness. Boostlingo is an app installed on the laptops of CC-Trenton staff who work in community mental health and SU services. All languages are available. Many CC-Trenton clients speak Spanish and very few staff do. Other clients speak Mandarin, Portuguese and Brazilian, according to Arnold Valentin, Jr., BA, Service Area Director for Community Services. “Boostlingo is an important tool for precisely explaining consumers’ rights and responsibilities, and getting their signatures on documents,” Valentin said. He added that CC-Trenton recently began using other technologies, including electronic signature software and jet packs, which provide mobile hotspots on phones to ensure Internet connections from all locations. Special Events Due to the pandemic, many agencies had to pivot from hosting live events to virtual events. CC-Trenton partnered with a video production company and combined their event planning skills with technology. Jennifer Leip, InterimDirector of Development and Marketing, shared details on the agency’s virtual gala that was held in 2020. The event was a huge success, largely because of the services of a celebrity emcee, Joe Piscopo. They are hoping this year’s event is as successful because they are using a very appropriate and meaningful theme: Mission: Possible. “In a time when everything seemed impossible, CC-Trenton is going to show everyone how they kept moving forward to serve those in need,” Leip said. “Virtual lends itself to themes more than in person and it enables us to reach a limitless audience – ultimately, we can spread the word about the great work we do to so many more people,” Despite the decision to make attendance free of charge, CC-Trenton exceeded its fundraising goals. The virtual event had 521 attendees, compared to 400 to 450 at in-person galas, plus the video was viewed by 1,500 people following the event. Virtual and in-person events require the same amount of work—for example, sponsors and advertisers need to be secured, the events need to be promoted and 50-50 tickets need to be sold. However, in some ways, virtual events can be more intense, according to Leip. “We did five run-throughs of the video before the event to ensure it would be seamless. And there was a learning curve working with the company that provided the virtual platform because they were new to virtual events, as well. In addition, when it comes to technology, there are just things that can go wrong that you have no control over, such as a power outage. “To mitigate the possibility of those unknowns, we pre-recorded 90% of the program. Only our Executive Director was live, and we had far less stress on the day of the event, Leip shared. Ocean Partnership for Children The entire staff at Ocean Partnership for Children (OPC) has embraced technology to improve the quality of services they provide for children and their families. “We’re looking at service delivery, meeting Medicaid contractual obligations, as well as our obligations to kids and families, and outcomes, to determine if we are making a difference,” said Mary Jo Buchanan, LCSW, MPA, Chief Executive Officer, who was recently elected as NJAMHAA’s Board Secretary. “We adjust each child’s plan as needed and we measure change using technology. This enables us to help them cope with trauma.” “We jumped in with both feet with Power BI,” Buchanan added. Power BI is a Microsoft program that enables providers to “connect to and visualize any data using the unified, scalable platform for self-service and enterprise business intelligence [BI],” as described on the Power BI website. Technology is also used to measure satisfaction. Surveys are conducted regularly with youth and families served, other community providers OPC works with and the agency’s staff and Board. “We learn from feedback, such as families’ transitions to different care managers, and learn how to address that better, and we use information to make changes in practice and training,” Buchanan explained. Proactive and Improve Services [continued on page 6]

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