Technological Changes Impact On Social Welfare

Abstract

The use of technology in developing and delivering social welfare services creates competencies, improves operations and develops collaboration channels. In determining the significance of technology to social welfare institutions and functions, services, professionals and collaborations were evaluated. The study concludes that there is significant evidence that in general, the use of technology has enhanced the effectiveness end efficiency of social welfare in delivering services to the public. However, this has required that welfare institutions develop the competencies to maximize informational and network infrastructures, redefine professional and service standards and develop collaborations to coordinate technology interfaces. Upon evaluation, every effort should be made to incorporate technology in welfare services considering it as a necessity if it is continue to serve the public and its purpose as social institution

Introduction

The use of technology can develop new competencies, improve operations and develop collaboration channels. Considering s demands for social welfare services, it has become a priority to develop service infrastructures that maximize the use of technology (Dennis, 2006), Harlow (2003) points out that the use of technology has also can create significant potential for development not only within social services institutions but also cooperation between them. The objective of this paper is to determine the impact of technology to social welfare by analyzing its how technology has changed social welfare. Methods or modes of impact will be evaluated based functional and institutional changes attributed to technology while the actors for assessment will focus on welfare services, professionals and collaborations.

Impact Assessment

            According to Elwood (2007), there is a need for social services to keep pace, if not anticipate, the tempo of social changes in community. Moon and DeWeaver (2005), point that one of the most effective strategies to accomplish this is in employing developing competencies such as technology, particular those that can enhance information and education. The use of technology in social welfare has been used to improve its social functions and its institutional development. For the purpose of this paper, the former will pertain to the purpose and utility of social welfare services while the latter will pertain to professional and service standards, access and collaborations in services and the welfare infrastructures.

            According to Dennis, the enhancement of social service functions can be traced to technology improvements to social welfare institutions. Pahwa (2003) cites the incorporation of technology tools has increased the competence of social service professionals to deliver service. In her study of the use school-based mental health services, she points that the use of technology such as internet and multimedia, has improved the responsiveness of student-clients to intervention. This highlights the impact of technology in developing communication and intervention. On the hand, Kinney (2003) points out social welfare institutions have also develop public sensitivity channels through information and communication technology. She cites as an example the appeals system for Medicare that is aiming to streamline assessment and appeal procedures electronically.  In this case, the creation of communication channels is redefining the level of public participation to welfare administration.

In a study conducted regarding effective strategies in community health response teams (CHRT), it was concluded that the use of technology increased the efficiency of programs to provide their functions (Gay et al, 2006). The study points out that the CHRT’s digital information database was critical in the assessment of welfare needs, creating community profiles and correlating welfare information to other services such as health and security. In a similar study, Vernon (2007) attributes the effectiveness of social welfare programs to the increase efficiency and access to service providers with the publication of information on digital media. In such scenarios, the application of technology has changed the standards for information management and utility: it must subscribe the language and format need by information database management systems (DBMS) so that they can be used to develop strategies.

Based on Torfing’s (2001) study, reforms to the Danish welfare services have utilized technology to develop a national social services database: collecting information form various public agencies, they were able to construct profiles and determine future welfare scenarios. This in turn has been used to streamline services and identify welfare priorities as well as allocate resources effectively. Another application of technology to improve services has been in the development of community health services. In the providing social support for testing, education and home care, there has been significant improvement in the home based care for children with special health needs (Johnson et al, 2005).

Conclusion

            Undoubtedly the use of technology has enhanced the effectiveness end efficiency of social institutions in delivering services to the public. However, Suter (2007) points out that this has also increased pressures to develop the capacity to maximize technology and network infrastructures, develop new applications and developing insights from existing technology. At the same time, this has raised competency requirements for welfare professionals: technical competencies have now included the use of electronic information systems, communication and information technologies an proficiency in the use of technology tools (Gay et al, 2006; Moon & DeWeaver, 2005). Thus, technology should be utilized to create services to create platform to develop community and professional collaborations which in turn can improve technology application yield.

References

Dennis, Michael Robert (2006). Proletarian or Promethean?: Impacts of Automation and Program Integration on Social Service Workers and Their Clients. Journal of Contemporary Ethnography, October 35: 552 – 582.

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Gay, Shirley E,  Hansen, Anne,  Hunter, Helen,  Sauvé, Carolyne (2006). Nurse Response Team: A Success Story, The AAACN Viewpoint,  January-February.  Retrieved October 31, 2007, from http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa4022/is_200601/ai_n16107318

Harlow, Elizabeth, Ed. (2003). Information and Communication Technologies in the Welfare Services. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers

Johnson, Chris Plauché, Kastner, Theodore A. and the Committee/Section on Children With Disabilities (2005). Helping Families Raise Children With Special Health Care Needs at Home. Pediatrics, February 115: 507 – 511

Kinney, Eleanor D (2003). Medicare Coverage Decision-Making and Appeal Procedures: Can Process Meet the Challenge of New Medical Technology?Washington and Lee Law Review,  Fall. 552-582

Moon, Sung Seek and DeWeaver, Kevin L. (2005) Electronic Advocacy and Social Welfare Policy Education. Journal of Teaching in Social Work, Volume 25, Numbers 1-2. pp. 57-68(12)

Pahwa, Bhavana A. (2003). Technology-Assisted Delivery of School Based Mental Health Services: Defining School Social Work for the 21st Century. Chicago: Haworth Press

Suter, R. (2007). Securing strategic benefit from enterprise architectures. Defense AT&L,  January-February. Retrieved October 31, 2007, from http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0QMG/is_1_36/ai_n18630058

Torfing, Jacob (2001). Workfare with welfare: Recent reforms of the Danish welfare state. The Scandinavian Studies Track. Danemarca: Roskilde University,