Accenture Virtual Experience Solution
The Accenture Virtual Experience Solution (AVEnueS) is a virtual reality (VR) training experience that makes the unknown familiar in human services.
2022 Anthem Awards
Advancing Race Equity in VR (Tory's Home Visit) has been named Best Special Projects (Gold award) and Innovation (Silver award) Responsible Technology in the Inaugural Anthem Awards.
Helping caseworkers see more with virtual reality
Human services workers make important decisions every day that have significant impacts on people’s lives. It is a responsibility that demands certain skills and experience in understanding human dynamics. That’s why Accenture developed a virtual reality training experience, known as the Accenture Virtual Experience Solution (AVEnueS). It not only accelerates the pace of learning, but it also enhances the scope of awareness.
AVEnueS speeds up this process, helping caseworkers refine their skills and become more alert and cognizant of the many signals and safety indicators they observe. It uses immersive storytelling and interactive voice-based scenarios to completely transform how caseworkers hone their data-gathering and decision-making skills. AVEnueS creates the foundation for a highly skilled workforce that can rapidly discuss the decision points all practiced caseworkers face.
Making the unknown familiar
Developing the skills caseworkers need typically takes years. Using AVEnueS for caseworker training is only the beginning. It offers unlimited possibilities for the entire field of human services.
Engage
AVEnueS uses virtual reality (VR) technology to transport trainees into simulated environments and engage them with realistic scenarios.
Observe
AVEnueS uses an immersive 360⁰ headset to help trainees develop observation skills to identify important decision points.
Decide
AVEnueS creates the foundation for a highly skilled workforce who can rapidly discuss the decision points all practiced caseworkers face.
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AVEnueS offers four scenarios designed to enable real-world practice without real-world risk. What might you learn?
Assessing what’s best for Sophia
Sophia
Sophia’s story invites the user to practice the universal skills needed in human services. Here you step into 7-year-old Sophia’s home following a report of neglect. Your task is to interview each member of the family and develop an opinion about her safety. This experience provides an opportunity to observe, engage and interpret human behavior in complex families.
Monica
Monica’s story invites the user back into Sophia’s home to develop a deeper understanding of the intersection of domestic violence and child protection. Here you spend time with Sophia’s mom, Monica, and her mom’s boyfriend, Lance. Your task is to negotiate a plan that will enable Sophia to stay safely at home. This experience provides an opportunity to experience the risk and power dynamics at play when domestic violence may be present.
Supporting teens in turmoil
Tory
Tory’s story is a unique opportunity to understand how race bias affects decision making. Here you spend time with 15-year-old Tory, who is experiencing conflict at home. Visit him and his family at home and decide if it’s safe for Tory to stay there. Would your answer change based on Tory’s race? This experience provides an opportunity to reflect on behaviors that could increase race equity in our day-to-day lives.
Alayna
Alayna’s story invites the user to develop a deeper understanding of how trauma affects young people. Here the user meets a 15-year-old girl who is entangled in a conflictual and dysfunctional family dynamic. The ability to engage with her over time gives a window into the impact of intergenerational trauma and how it presents itself in adolescent behavior. This experience provides an opportunity to practice promoting a culture of safety, empowerment and healing.
Benefits of learning in virtual reality
31%
reduction in caseworker turnover.
75%
trainees feel more prepared to succeed as a caseworker.
69%
of experienced workers report improved observation, inquiry and interpretation skills.
40%
reduction in training time compared to traditional training.
75%
reduction in training resource costs.
40%
fewer mistakes made compared to conventional training methods.
Applying a race equity lens
Research consistently reveals overrepresentation of certain racial and ethnic populations in the child welfare system when compared to the general population. Racial disparities occur at various decision points in the lifecycle of a child welfare intervention.
The U.S. is now ready to take up this cause at the conceptual level. Government leaders are ready to take up this cause at the policy level. We must also take it up at the practice level – giving front-line child welfare workers an opportunity to hone approaches, cultural competencies and decision-making skills that might move the needle on this complex and systemic issue.
PODCAST
Racial bias and caseworker training
VIDEO
Taking on racial bias in child welfare
Awards and recognition
2022 Anthem Awards -- Advancing Race Equity in VR (Tory's Home Visit) has been awarded GOLD for Best Special Projects, which recognizes projects that raise awareness via Responsible Technology. The same project also received a SILVER award in the Innovation category, which identifies new and innovative techniques that are advancing and improving the community.
VR Social Impact Award - AVEnueS – Race Equity in Child Welfare was recognized by AIXR (The Academy of International Extended Reality) in 2021 for achievements in human services.
GSMA GLOMO Awards - AVEnueS was the recipient of “Best Mobile VR or AR” in 2019. The GLOMOs are a testament to the incredible innovation and ingenuity shaping our industry.
SXSW Interactive Innovations - AVEnueS was a finalist in the 2019 SXSW Interactive Innovation Awards, which recognizes the most exciting tech developments in the connected world.
State of Georgia: VR for child welfare
The Georgia Division of Family & Children Services (DFCS) sought to accelerate the pace with which their child welfare caseworkers could build the experience and confidence to make the tough decisions faced daily.
Solution
Georgia DFCS partnered with Accenture to pilot AVEnueS as supplemental training for their child welfare workers. Through VR, users are transported into real-world scenarios where they practice making tough decisions in stressful situations. Followed by a carefully curated seminar, users work together to evaluate their approach and increase their ability to observe and interpret human behavior.
Result
During the initial phase, approximately 250 DFCS caseworkers and supervisors (15% of frontline staff) completed the learning cycle. Preliminary feedback suggests the training should be incorporated into the new case manager training academy in the future. The State of Georgia sees much promise in this training platform as a way to improve decision making and child safety.
What we think
Accenture identified two important opportunities to help child welfare organizations practice racial justice in everything they do.
Early adopters are uncovering innovative child welfare use cases for the Accenture Virtual Experience Solution.
How can we reduce the number of kids in foster care without putting them at risk? Molly Tierney explains.
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AVEnueS in the news
Using VR to improve child welfare services
Facing a high turnover rate, Indiana's Child Services Department used VR to better prepare family case workers for a tough job. Read more.
Virtual reality can improve employee retention
Indiana Department of Child Services decreased staff turnover by 31% and laid the foundation for a data-centric transformation. Read more.
Accenture wins GLOMO award for VR mobile app
The Accenture Virtual Experience Solutions (AVEnueS) has won “Best Mobile VR or AR” at the GSMA GLOMO Awards 2019. Read more.
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Our leaders
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Molly Tierney
Managing Director – Public Service, Child Welfare, North America
Molly has spent 25+ years improving outcomes for vulnerable citizens, most recently as the Director for Baltimore Department of Social Services.
Dan Buie
Senior Manager – Health and Human Services, North America
Dan combines expertise in business, technology, and design to help organizations achieve their strategic objectives through digital transformation.
Nancy Blackwell
Manager – Health and Human Services, North America
Nancy is a human services professional experienced in local and state agencies, domestic/international nonprofits and most recently on Capitol Hill.
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