Transform

1. Adversarial, Inconsistent & Traumatic data collection and referrals 

   1. Current systems focus on funders, client deficiencies & safeguarding resources.

   2. They do not focus on client assets, goals, referrals, dreams.

2. Data Collection is a Chore

   1. Data collection doesn’t benefit frontline workers. 

   2. Data hygiene is low. 

   3. Data isn’t mobile.  

3. Missed Opportunities

   1. Intake & assessment hasn’t been optimized for referrals & building relationships with clients.  

IBM Research shows that the average social worker only spends 20% of their time on client interaction. More than 50% is spent on administrative work. We want to triple the amount of time staff spend with clients and support them to help clients achieve transformative goals through a system that encompasses behavioral science, training, modern methods of communication and digital tools. Regular text messages from a social worker are the most effective method of suicide deterrence according to the US Department of Defense, and 0% of current tools capture and organize different communication funnels like WhatsApp, SMS, Voice, etc.

Transform was conceived during one of our listening sessions with our community. When conducting a survey with newcomers, refugees and asylum seekers about their previous experiences with data-intake, it was made clear that the process often was long, anxiety-inducing, and stressful. Often the process suffered from historical and cultural structural barriers to data-intake and would therefore lack an appropriate, client-oriented, cultural, and linguistic approach. 

Our findings entailed that intake systems can have a significant impact on mental health — both for the highly marginalized and vulnerable clients agencies see, as well as the frontline workers who engage in mentally taxing & draining conversations that inflict vicarious trauma. Moreover, intake systems reinforce unconscious and explicit bias. They are difficult to monitor, are prone to shortcuts, and are hard to evaluate. Introducing Machine Learning offers an opportunity to constructively expose bias as well as a systematic approach that reinforces integrity, equalizes referrals and improves access. 

Social workers would also face clear barriers to their ability to help due to the increased administrative burdens they would be tasked to handle. As a result, Transform was built with the community in mind; a modern rethinking that offers much needed cultural, mental and linguistic sensitivity to a fundamental process within our sector. Our community was crucial in helping develop a cultural, and emotionally-sensitive, accessible data intake experience, which we’ve made available in 4 languages.

Our innovative platform will break the cycle of inequity built into our systems. It is built with social workers who deeply understand the complex needs of people seeking help. It reverses traditional software patterns that prioritize assessing eligibility, funder criteria, and report on efforts. Instead it focuses on building relationships, needs of people seeking help, and intended outcomes. 

Traditional intake systems reinforce unconscious and explicit bias. They are difficult to monitor, are prone to shortcuts, and hard to evaluate. Transform offers an opportunity to constructively expose bias as well as a systematic approach that reinforces integrity, equalizes referrals and improves access. By using machine learning, we are able to develop a system that alleviates pressure on social workers, reducing burnout, stress, and tasking administrative responsibilities. 

The average intake systems can have a significant impact on mental health — both for the highly marginalized and vulnerable clients agencies see, as well as the frontline workers who engage in mentally taxing & draining conversations that inflict vicarious trauma. Machine learning can help us design a better process by comparing the efficacy of different approaches in a systematic and rigorous way. The same tools that let us test the effectiveness of an email campaign, A/B testing, psychological nudges, etc, can also help to make intake a better process. 

Transform builds communication infrastructure to reach and support the most marginalized and underserved in the community. It enables social service providers to safeguard client data, reassuring clients that their information is in the right hands.  It also includes a referral system which will enable cross-organization collaboration, reduce data collection and optimize client flow while dramatically increasing awareness of services available for clients. Transform will allow social workers to spend more time with clients, give clients autonomy of their data and simplify the entire intake process. 

In conclusion, Transform will create a modernized realm of exceptional social services, in which individuals feel welcomed and adequately cared for through tailored interactions, ongoing follow-ups, and concise referrals should the need arise. 

Transform is a web-based application we’ve developed that helps social service agencies do client-centered and data-informed intake, assessment, and referrals. Our goal is to dramatically increase impact & efficiency in the social services sector through a modern rethinking of client driven social work. All of our current tools were designed for a world before smartphones, they were designed for reporting not engagement. Transform is a fundamental rethink of UX, meaningful measurement and communication for social services.

Transform builds culturally-sensitive, accessible communication infrastructure to reach and support the most marginalized, isolated, and underserved members in the community. In doing so it enables new modalities of enhancing safety, as data-intake can often be stressful, anxiety inducing and can evoke trauma especially among marginalized clients. Transform offers an opportunity to constructively expose bias as well as a systematic approach that reinforces integrity, equalizes referrals and improves access. It enables social service providers to safeguard client data, reassuring clients that their information is in the right hands. 

Finally, Transform has an integrated referral system which enables cross-organization collaboration, reduces data collection and optimizes client flow. Our referral system enables clients to be informed of what services are available, and gives clients autonomy of their data while also allowing social workers to spend more time with clients, and simplify the entire intake process.

IslamicFamily has been working within the social services sector for over 30 years, and we have been driven to disrupt systemic inequity and to serve with excellence. We are an Imagine Canada accredited charity, the winner of the Government of Alberta’s Inspiration Award for its work combating domestic violence (2020) and the Canadian Mental Health Associations Professional Service Award (2020). Islamic Family is a BIPOC run and led organization, with the vast majority of its leadership positions run by women of color.

IslamicFamily is based on its connection to its community, and its representation of their unique needs. Therefore, Transform was built with equity and inclusion in mind, which is crucial to empowering, engaging, and strengthening both our communities and the ability for the social services sector to collaborate better. Our Team Lead, and our representatives, alongside our community partners are deeply committed to empowering, and properly presenting our diverse communities.

Furthermore, IslamicFamily has already set out to develop crucial partnerships for the program, with over 20 confirmed partners including UnitedWay BC, CMHA, MacEwan and more, and another 20+ organizations already using the program to further develop our referral, facilitating crucial cross-organization collaboration. IslamicFamily will continue to utilize its position, connections, and reach to develop further partnerships, and opportunities to include organizations to ensure representation, efficiency, and empowerment.

With Transform becoming available, and it continues building traction, developing over 30 active organizational users, we believe we’re in the right place to scale the program further.

Transform primarily serves equity-deserving communities across Alberta, focusing on equity-deserving populations, newcomers, refugees, Indigenous peoples, and other underserved groups. Our efforts extend beyond geographical boundaries, with a growing presence in Quebec, British Columbia and Ontario. The beneficiaries of our work include both community members seeking support and social service organizations striving to enhance their service delivery.

As we expand into Quebec, British Columbia and Ontario, our commitment to building similar connections with communities nationwide continues to grow. While our presence may be more nascent, our approach remains rooted in inclusivity and collaboration, building a clear framework for scalability, and expansion. 

Our goal is to empower communities by providing them with the tools, resources, and support they need to thrive. We primarily target social service charities with the goal of increasing their impact, improving their relationships with clients, and decreasing time consuming office work. Various limitations in the social services sector have hampered charities to have adequate interaction with their targeted demographics, due to time-consuming, inefficient, and overwhelming workload imposed on social workers, such as being intensively overwhelmed with data collection. 

Therefore, as strain on organizations nation-wide continues to grow, our ability to tackle that, and provide a ready service, built on communication and collaboration is needed more than ever. Transform being in the process of scaling provides ample opportunities to meet our development trajectory. 

Transform is built on the belief that access to services should be available and easy for everyone, to make referrals that are specific, and helpful, yet remain convenient. Our application to Solve is to innovate further, connect Transform with more specialised organizations, and partners, nationally and internationally to best tailor support to the needs of equity-deserving groups. Through Solve, we wish to improve Transform, and be able to bring about further partners, ensuring equity in healthcare, and social services. Isolation, rural and vulnerable communities can be provided the needed support through our collaboration with Solve, as we bridge the gap between individuals and appropriate care. 

Our innovative platform will break the cycle of inequity built into our systems. It is built with social workers who deeply understand the complex needs of people seeking help. It reverses traditional software patterns that prioritize assessing eligibility, funder criteria, and report on efforts. Instead it focuses on building relationships, needs of people seeking help, and intended outcomes.

Traditional intake systems reinforce unconscious and explicit bias. They are difficult to monitor, are prone to shortcuts, and hard to evaluate. Transform offers an opportunity to constructively expose bias as well as a systematic approach that reinforces integrity, equalizes referrals and improves access.

The average intake systems can have a significant impact on mental health — both for the highly marginalized and vulnerable clients agencies see, as well as the frontline workers who engage in mentally taxing & draining conversations that inflict vicarious trauma. Machine learning can help us design a better process by comparing the efficacy of different approaches in a systematic and rigorous way. The same tools that let us test the effectiveness of an email campaign, A/B testing, psychological nudges, etc, can also help to make intake a better process.

In conclusion, Transform will create a modernized realm of exceptional social services, in which individuals feel welcomed and adequately cared for through tailored interactions, ongoing follow-ups, and concise referrals should the need arise.

We track metrics like:

• Number of clients subscribed to the platform
• Community impact: the number of people impacted and adequately served throughout the platform
• Number of social service organizations implementing Transform in Canada, the USA, and internationally.
• Social media metrics: visits, in kind donations, and engagements
• Enhanced social services impact and performance: measured by feedback and surveys filled by the beneficiaries, their family and coworkers, as well as members of the general public
• Through using the LifeWorks Self Sufficiency Matrix, we can measure the impact of organizations that help clients that go from 1 out of 5 to a 3 out of 5.

We also use the Common Outcomes Reporting (COR) initiative to voluntarily bring performance merits into all aspects of its programming. COR incorporates a number of quantitative and qualitative measures specific to measuring feelings of support, self-confidence, increase in knowledge, and more. Islamic Family will evaluate the program’s performance by observation,  post questionnaires as well as personal interviews with outreach clients towards the end of the year. All groups will include facilitator’s evaluations. We will use pre-post questionnaires for educational workshops, groups, and counseling clients.

Islamic Family will showcase outcomes and initiatives by publishing a community report at the end of the 2022 fiscal year showcasing the program’s successes, data, support group, services and partnerships. Islamic Family has been doing internal evaluation and is working with professional evaluators from the City of Edmonton and the United Ways. 

Islamic Family is the first organisation to incorporate COR reporting organisation-wide. As well as we use client feedback, research and gap analysis, community needs assessment to guide program design, and inform overall training plans of our frontline staff and managers.

Finally, we publish regular project updates, success stories, and any associated metrics with the general public and our community partners via social media platforms, our website, and overall project promotion.

Transform's technologies include SMS systems for more direct tailored communications, and enhances quality of data collections. This allows a clear back and forth between clients, and our chat-AI to ensure accurate information exchanged in the client's native language. 

Finally, Machine Learning offers an opportunity to constructively expose bias as well as a systematic approach that reinforces integrity, equalizes referrals and improves access. By using machine learning, we are able to develop a system that alleviates pressure on social workers, reducing burnout, stress, and tasking administrative responsibilities. It can also help us design a better process by comparing the efficacy of different approaches in a systematic and rigorous way. The same tools that let us test the effectiveness of an email campaign, A/B testing, psychological nudges, etc, can also help to make intake a better process. 

Transform has been in close to full capacity use for over a year, with 20+ active organizations that are actively utilizing its services. Transform continues to garner positive reviews for its ease of use, accessibility, and producing appropriate referrals. 

The following is a link to Transform, detailing testimonials, updates, further information and development journey:
https://transform-islamicfamil...

FTE 3
PTE 2
Contractors 2
Other workers and support from partners varies, however we remain in consistent communications with our partners, such as City of Edmonton Purppl, StartUp Edmonton, Data for Good, and MetaLab

We have been working on Transform for 3 years.

Within our agency, we have implemented various policies, processes, and practices related to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion to foster an environment that values and celebrates diversity. Firstly, we provide mandatory training sessions for all staff members to raise awareness about DEI issues, promote understanding of unconscious bias, and build skills for creating inclusive environments. Our recruitment and hiring practices are guided by policies to ensure fairness, transparency, and inclusivity, actively seeking diverse candidates, and implementing strategies to reduce biases in the selection process. We support the formation of employee resource groups (ERGs) to provide a platform for staff members from diverse backgrounds to come together, share experiences, and advocate for further inclusion within the organization. Additionally, we offer ongoing cultural competency training and resources to help staff members better understand and respect the cultural differences of colleagues and clients.

Our programs and services are designed to reflect the diverse needs and backgrounds of the communities we serve, incorporating culturally relevant programming and seeking input from community members to inform our initiatives. We maintain open communication channels to discuss DEI-related issues, encourage feedback from staff and community members, and hold leadership accountable for advancing DEI goals. These efforts are continuously evaluated and refined to ensure our organization remains committed to promoting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in all aspects of our work.

Transform’s business model is based on a software-as-a-service monthly subscription model. We have three tiers to our pricing model:

Tier 1: Client focussed Goals & Targeted Communication,

The first tier is priced at $60/month per social worker for an organisation. The service includes business workflow automation, intake and assessment, referrals, analytics and reporting, data export, and comprehensive scheduling.

Tier 2: Deep Engagement & Analytics, &

The second tier includes all from the basic tier as well as the omni-channel communication upgrade which enables organisations to engage their clients on an ongoing basis via SMS, WhatsApp, phone, which are all tracked into a log per client. In addition, you can send targeted messaging (audio, video, or text) to client cohorts based on ethnicity, language, age, need, etc.

Tier 3: Learning & Insights

The top tier includes all from the basic and premium tiers but also enables the ability to move client data from organisation to organisation, not having to redo intakes when a client is new to an organisation. This saves time, cost and resources through this efficiency.

Transform is being developed as a social enterprise model, within a registered charity, with all profits redirected immediately back into the charity’s primary mission and programs, as well as further developing and constantly updating the Platform. Sustainability is a key driver in our work. The technology solution has been developed in a measured way, with decisions being made based on both user needs and beneficiary impact. The software will meet customer needs, with a robust and sustainable business model. Its sustainability is based on long term customer relationships, meaning future reliance on grants and donations disappears.

However, for the time being, IslamicFamily continues to actively apply for grants and funding for Transform, having received support from:
- Twillio for 100k
- Stollery Foundation 50k
- IRP 70k
- Community Services Recovery Fund 200k
- Community Safety & Wellness Accelerator 75k