By streamlining operations to advance coordination and delivery of community-based services, Summit County's NEXT program is freeing up hundreds of staff hours, boosting efficiency, and paving the way for substantial long-term cost reductions.
A compelling new case study highlights the remarkable success of Summit County, Ohio's Benefit Bridge program, known as NEXT, an initiative dedicated to supporting working families on their path to self-sufficiency, run by the Department of Job and Family Services (DJFS). The NEXT program's partnership with Unite Us, the nation's trusted technology partner for integrating health and community-based care, has proven instrumental in achieving this success.
Using Unite Us’ platform, the department has implemented strategic operational improvements projected to deliver significant financial benefits for Summit County, including up to $21 million in projected taxpayer savings over the next decade. It also demonstrates the potential to generate up to $6.8 million in additional lifetime tax revenue for the State of Ohio for each annual Summit County cohort served. With 88 counties in Ohio, this program represents a major potential source of added tax revenue if scaled across additional counties.
County Executive Ilene Shapiro and Summit County DJFS launched the NEXT program to support working families as they increase their wages and transition off public assistance. Recognizing the challenges of coordinating services and managing data across multiple partners through manual processes like phone calls, emails, and spreadsheets, the county implemented Unite Us’ platform in August 2023.
The results have been transformative. Having a secure, centralized system for client data sharing, closed-loop referrals, invoice tracking, payment distribution, and detailed reporting, the department has directly addressed previous inefficiencies that resulted in delays of critical assistance to program recipients and distributed nearly $200K to community organizations for delivering services to participants. It has also empowered the staff, demonstrably reducing staff administrative burdens to free up nearly 600 hours of valuable work time. Surveys reveal reductions in stress related to documentation and a marked increase in confidence in connecting clients to vital resources through transparency and accountability. This newfound efficiency translates to a greater capacity to serve more individuals more effectively.
“Unite Us offered a solution for online collaboration among agencies, allowing them to share client data and track outcomes,” said Terri Burns, director, SCDJFS. “It also provided a platform and process for us to easily determine incentive structures and payment amounts to assist and pay our clients.”
Key findings from the case study underscore the impressive gains in efficiency and cost savings:
- Significant Time Savings: The implementation of Unite Us has dramatically reduced the time spent on administrative tasks by 591 hours, particularly in processing client payments, allowing program staff to dedicate more time to direct client support and engagement.
- Increased Productivity: 88% of Summit County end users reported that Unite Us improved program capacity through operational efficiency gains. The platform increased the team’s productivity by streamlining workflows and improving communication.
- Streamlined Billing Workflows: Using Unite Us’ billing solution, the department distributed $190K to community-based organizations that are delivering critical workforce development services.
- Projected Cost Savings: Through reduced administrative overhead and decreased reliance on public benefits, the partnership between NEXT and Unite Us is projected to save Ohio taxpayers an estimated $9.2 million over the next three years, $12.5 million over the next five years, and $21 million over the next 10 years.
- Increased Tax Revenue: Realized through increased wages and associated increased state taxes, the NEXT program and Unite Us are projected to generate an additional $6.8 million in lifetime tax revenue for the State of Ohio, for each annual cohort served.
“In today’s environment, maximizing every taxpayer dollar and ensuring our dedicated public servants can work as efficiently as possible is paramount,” said County Executive Shapiro. “The success of the NEXT program, powered by Unite Us, demonstrates how strategic investments in technology can lead to significant cost savings, boost staff productivity, and ultimately deliver better outcomes for our community.”
This case study serves as a compelling example of how technology can be a powerful tool for government agencies seeking to enhance efficiency, reduce costs, and improve the lives of the people they serve. Summit County’s experience offers valuable insights for other jurisdictions looking to optimize their social service programs.
“At Unite Us, we believe in building sustainable solutions that deliver real results, said Taylor Justice, co-founder and president at Unite Us. “The success of the Ohio NEXT program in Summit County demonstrates how our technology enables efficient resource allocation and generates significant long-term cost savings. More importantly, it’s about creating a streamlined system that effectively supports individuals in achieving self-sufficiency, fostering stronger and more resilient communities.
Lessons Learned:
The success of Summit County's NEXT program provides important guidance for communities seeking to improve social service delivery and maximize their investments. A key takeaway is the effectiveness of a centralized, collaborative technology platform in addressing fragmented service systems. By implementing Unite Us’ platform, the sharing of data, management of cases, and processing of payments became seamless, significantly reducing administrative tasks and expediting support for individuals.
Key Takeaways:
- Data-Driven Approach Enables Accountability: Utilizing technology to track key outcomes is essential for demonstrating program effectiveness and identifying areas for improvement.
- Strategic Technology Drives Significant ROI: Investing in the right technology can lead to substantial long-term cost savings and improved resource allocation.
- Efficiency Gains Free Up Valuable Staff Time: Automating administrative tasks allows caseworkers to dedicate more time to direct client support and engagement.
- Collaboration is Key to Improved Outcomes: A shared technology platform fosters better communication and coordination among partner agencies, leading to enhanced client outcomes and pathways to self-sufficiency.
All non-profit community-based organizations can use Unite Us’ platform free of charge. Contact us to learn more: uniteus.com/contact/.
About Unite Us
Unite Us is the nation’s premier technology provider for integrating health and community-based care. Our advanced product suite is used to proactively coordinate services using data-driven insights, streamline referral and case management, and facilitate eligibility assessments and reimbursements across government, healthcare, health plans, and community organizations. The first of its kind, our closed-loop referral system prioritizes privacy and dignity and has integrated data and analytics tools used to measure impact, optimize programs, and shape policy. With over 1.7M services, we host the nation’s largest network of community-based health and economic services dedicated to improving whole-person health. Learn more at UniteUs.com and LinkedIn.
About Summit County
Summit County is the fourth-largest county in Ohio and home to over 540,000 residents. County Executive Ilene Shapiro is serving her third term as Summit County Executive. As Executive, she leads ten unique departments and serves as the chief fiduciary officer for the County. In holding this office, Executive Shapiro strives to make a positive impact on the lives of all Summit County residents. She is the first woman in Ohio to serve as county executive. Learn more at co.summitoh.net/Executive.
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Contacts
Unite Us: communications@uniteus.com
Summit County: executivepress@summitoh.net