New York City HRA Commissioner Robert Doar explores the secrets of getting buy-in from players across a human services agency. For New York's HHS-Connect, the main ingredient to cooperation is having "a strong deputy mayor." Strategic governance is also key, says Doar, and demanding accountability. Having a strong and savvy "technologist" is the third part of the mix.
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Key Ingredients: Leadership, Agency Collaboration and Organization Structure
New York City HRA Commissioner Robert Doar explores the secrets of getting buy-in from players across a human services agency. For New York's HHS-Connect, the main ingredient to cooperation is having "a strong deputy mayor." Strategic governance is also key, says Doar, and demanding accountability. Having a strong and savvy "technologist" is the third part of the mix. |
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Data Sharing: To Share More and Still Comply with Regulatory Requirements
Human services agencies around the country face the dilemma of wanting to share client data without violating sensitive privacy and confidentiality restrictions. They must weigh the benefits of sharing data (more efficient, effective, accurate and timely service) against the risks (client complaints or lawsuits, for example). This podcast explores options for creating momentum and measuring progress in sharing data, laying out a detailed process and lessons learned. |
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Connect Workers, Connect Data
New York City's Health and Human Services department has benefitted greatly from "Worker Connect," a program that allows agencies across the department to look at each others' data. Thanks to this innovative program, interoperating agencies can avoid seeing "contradictory data" or confusing information, says HRA's Robert Doar. Workers can better communicate and exchange key information accurately, effectively and quickly. Furthermore, clients can check their eligibility for certain programs online and get access to benefits. |
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Building a Model That Works
In this video, Harvard Professor Jerry Mechling questions Commissioner Robert Doar to further describe the decision process and governance model that helped form and build HHS-Connect. It started as a top-down decision from the deputy mayor, became a collaborative process and involved tough decisions both on a personnel level and on a technological level as well. |
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Overcoming Technology Challenges
HRA's Robert Doar discusses the challenges of migrating to a new way of doing work for the agency and new ways of meeting goals as well as getting the buy-in necessary to execute the new technology involved. Doar says part of the success of HHS-Connect was allowing people to explore it and even push back a bit and "say no" to some of its features. But, most importantly, giving people a chance to accept it and "reach their own conclusion" played a key role in the program's success. |
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HHS-Connect: How Technology Can Improve the Client (and Worker) Experience
New York City's deputy mayor overseeing the city's health and human services division has been instrumental in creating HHS-Connect. This modernized program is responsible for breaking down silos and bettering both caseworkers' and clients' lives by using flexible technology to increase and manage accessibility to information and improve accountability. Linking more than 10 New York City health and human service agencies, HHS-Connect helps serve more than 2.5 million city residents. |