Welcome, new readers! The Compass is a compilation of our latest customer stories, news, resources, and events. We'll deliver the goods four times a year to help you improve productivity and make the most of your software. (Note: New customers are automatically subscribed. Not your cup of tea? You can opt-out and manage your email preferences here.) 

Answering Your Commonly Asked Cloud Questions

Not so sure about the cloud? You’re not alone. There are plenty of counties, and even some states, still in the process of wrapping their heads around what—if any—cloud-based technologies are right for their needs. However, the benefits of the cloud, like reduced ongoing costs and automatic upgrades, are worth the conversation. 

If you have questions or concerns about the cloud, this post will help address them. Read the blog for a high-level overview of:

• Benefits of a cloud-based, software as a service (SaaS) solution
• Commonly asked cloud questions we hear from human services agencies
• Additional resources to help you learn more
• A quick overview of Northwoods’ cloud-based solutions

Touch Up on 10 Compass® Pilot Skills in Less Than Eight Minutes

Sometimes we all need a little refresher! 

Be sure to check out our Back to School video series for quick Compass Pilot tips that’ll save you time and increase your productivity on topics including: 

• Using Form Favorites 
• Connecting a Member to a Form 
• Using Task Views 
• Selecting Autofill Sources
• Using the Help System

To subscribe to even more learning opportunities, log in to Northwoods University and navigate to the Course Catalog from the main menu.

Northwoods Support Alert: Member Notes Functionality Removed

If you’re a Compass® CoPilot customer and missed the previous support alert, Northwoods has discontinued CoPilot member notes. The removal of member notes and shift to case narratives helps prevent sensitive information from being viewed by other program areas. Any unsynced member notes will automatically sync during the next sync.

As always, please reach out to the NSC if you have questions.

How Can the Northwoods Foundation Help Your Community?

Our drive to support the underserved is more than a mission statement, it’s our passion. That’s why we’re so deeply committed to giving back to the same communities your agency is serving every day.

The Northwoods Foundation seeks to provide assistance to help those that are actively seeking to improve their own lives or the lives of others. Check out our newly updated website to learn more.

The Northwoods Foundation fulfills requests for assistance submitted by employees, partners, families, and friends. If your agency has a program that needs support, we’d love to hear about it. Just email foundation@teamnorthwoods.com!  

Transform Your Human Services Lobby from Chaos to Calm [Webinar]

Many agencies are looking to reduce wait times, improve lobby management and scheduling, increase appointment productivity, and boost client and caseworker satisfaction.

If that's you, watch our on-demand webinar and demo to learn how you can use Compass® Appointments, Northwoods’ appointment and lobby management software to achieve these goals. Northwoods customer, Josh Belmonte, also shares how Appointments has positively impacted Chemung County Department of Social Services in New York.

Northwoods Makes Sense of Dark Data with AWS [Video]

Got a minute (and 19 seconds)? Check out this quick video to hear from Chris McConnell, our chief business development officer, on how Northwoods is able to quickly release new software, like Traverse®, after migrating to Amazon Web Services. With the help of AWS, Traverse helps surface dark data to empower child welfare and adult & aging caseworkers to make informed, confident decisions about safety.

You Can't Automate Compassion

You can automate processes all day long, but you can’t automate compassion. And as you know, that’s where the real difference is made.

Here is one story  from Northwoods’ Greg Tipping, a former job and family services worker in Ohio, that serves as a reminder that efficiency is not the end-state goal. He shares why this story still resonates with him today and what all human services agencies can learn from it.

5 Ideas to Create Meaningful Change in Child Welfare

We know it pays off to take risks to advance our professional and personal lives, so why aren’t we doing the same for the children who rely on us? Why are we so hesitant to take bold action on behalf of innocent kids enduring some of life’s most horrific atrocities? The quick answer is fear.

Rich Bowlen, our child welfare evangelist, explains why now is the time to embrace risk and face our fears. It’s time to leave our comfort zones and take the first step to give vulnerable children, adults, and families the innovation and change they deserve.

Read the full blog here.

Total Integration of Human Services: Does Child Support Hold the Key?

“Child support is for the child. To do right by the child, sometimes you have to make sure the parents are okay.”

This quote, shared at the National Child Support Enforcement Association (NCSEA) Leadership Symposium, is important because it underscores how all areas of human services are connected.

Breaking down silos to integrate services and systems is a key area of focus for all of human services right now in moving toward an integrated, whole-family model of service delivery. 

Read more to learn some opportunities child support has to lead the charge, plus other key takeaways from NCSEA.