Analyzing and Reporting on Tribal Program Data
If you didn’t have a chance to catch the webcast live, you can register to view a recording here.
In today’s world we have more data available to than ever before. Yet, few organizations truly understand how to harness this data and turn it into information and knowledge. During this webcast, we will define and explore how data analytics transforms data into meaningful information. We will also examine how Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) can be applied to inform and improve services for families and children.
We examined the increase in the amount of data being stored over the last decades and the trajectory of the rise of data in our lives today. Even with data all around us it may not be collected accurately or in a consistent manner. Analytics and CQI depend upon quality data, and it is essential that leadership supports the collection and use of data with a sense of purpose and a vision of goals and benchmarks to measure. We will discuss reporting and information systems which may be used to collect data, as well as other sources of information available from Federal and State governments.
So how can Tribes make use of this practical information?

Using analytics changes this abundance of data into digestible information that can be used for many meaningful purposes. Comparative spreadsheets with raw data are one of the simplest ways of modeling data. Taking raw data and creating charts and graphs to provide useful visual methods of viewing and analyzing data and can be achieved with commonly used programs.
During this part of the process is where you create descriptive information using the data, then predictive intelligence, which leads to prescriptive knowledge that can be used to inform decisions and changes to improve services and outcomes. The philosophy of Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) can be used to both ensure that data is accurately and consistently collected and as a method to analyze and react to the data. We will review in detail the cycle of CQI.
Register to watch here and email or call us with any questions.
Yurok Tribe Names RiteTrack as Supporting Piece in Grant Award
The Yurok Tribe was awarded a portion of the FY 2018 Enhancing Community Responses to the Opioid Crisis grant. This is a grant intended to provide additional support for the youngest members of their community who are affected by the opioid crisis with a program that will use evidence-based and culturally appropriate tactics. In this grant submission they identify their integrated RiteTrack database system as integral to managing data from multiple departments involved in these cases which they will use to create a feedback system for continued assessment. The programs/departments included on this system are:
- Tribal/local superior courts
- Law enforcement
- Indian Child Welfare (ICW) services
- Child protective services (CPS)
- Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
- The schools
We are honored to partner with the Yurok Tribe on this initiative to improve the lives of some of their most vulnerable citizens.
Read here for additional information about Yurok’s award and program here.

Tribal Enrollment and Membership Management Software
The RiteTrack Enrollment Module provides a web-based, secure means of managing and reporting on the demographics and enrollment statistics of your citizens. From blood quantum calculations to tribal ID cards, RiteTrack manages tribal enrollment from start to determination and beyond.
During this webcast we reviewed:
- Demographics and Contact Information
- Family Tree Diagram
- Enrollment Process and Automatic Calculations
- Tribal ID Cards and CDIB
- Demographic Reporting

The customizable platform and unrivaled customer support are certain to benefit any Tribe’s Enrollment Department with its powerful functionality, intuitive interface, and project management availability.
This module also serves as the foundation for other tribal services.
Register to watch today and email or call us if you have any questions or would like further information.
Handel’s Vice President to Facilitate Workshops at NICWA’s 36th Annual Conference
Handel’s Vice President of Sales was selected to speak at the National Indian Child Welfare Association (NICWA) 36th Annual Protecting Our Children National American Indian Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect. This marks the fifth time Casey Bader was chosen to facilitate workshops at NICWA’s annual conference.
His session, “Stop! Hey, What’s that Sound? Everybody Look What’s Going Down,” will examine how to effectively share information about tribal social service programs. Many Tribes have invested in programs to improve services and outcomes, and during this session attendees will see how to get that message out to clients and members after the internal work has been completed. He will highlight principles of marketing and how to apply those principles to Indian Child Welfare, Protective Services, and Foster Care Programs.
Casey Bader has presented at numerous conferences previously including:
- 2017, 2015, 2014, and 2013 NICWA’s National American Indian Conferences on Child Abuse and Neglect
- 2017 and 2016 National Indian and Native American Employment and Training Conference (NINAETC)
- 2017 WIOA Employment and Training Conference
- 2015 National Tribal Child Support Association Conference
- 2013 and 2012 United South and Eastern Tribes (USET) Annual Meetings
- 2013 and 2012 TribalNet Conferences
- 2013 Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians (ATNI) Convention
Casey has over 15 years of experience identifying barriers to evaluating and implementing complex software solutions for social service organizations. Past conference workshop topics have included engaging membership through technology, the White Earth Nation WE CARE service delivery model, and best practices for enterprise-wide software implementations.
Looking for a speaker on topics of Tribes and technology? Casey is available to present at conferences or trainings on a wide variety of topics including program and data integration, enterprise-wide software implementations, systems-of-care, case management models, social services marketing, and digital security and compliance, among others.
RiteTrack for Tribal Treatment and Wellness Programs
You can view a recording of our webinar that examined how RiteTrack is used for Tribal Treatment and Wellness Programs here.
The Treatment Services module is used by counseling, substance abuse, mental health, and similar tribal programs. During this recording you can see the functionality available for treatment and recovery support services.
This module was built with direction from recognized mental health best practices and offers a wealth of standard functionality. Handel also allows for extensive configuration options to ensure the system reflects the Tribe’s cultural values for mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being.
Functionality illustrated in the recording includes:
- Admissions
- Treatment Plans
- Progress Notes
- Individual and Group Counseling
- Clinical Information
- Substance Abuse
- Lab Tests
- Mental Health History
- Family History
- Trauma History
These modules can be paired with other RiteTrack modules to incorporate the directives of Tribal Healing to Wellness Programs.
Handel Vice President to Present at NICWA’s 35th Annual Conference
Handel’s Vice President of Sales was selected to speak at this year’s National Indian Child Welfare Association (NICWA) 35th Annual Protecting Our Children National American Indian Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect. Casey Bader will present to conference attendees on “Promoting Your Program—Marketing for Tribal Social Services.”
The presentation will focus on principles of marketing and applying those principles to tribal social services, avenues for promoting services, identifying the appropriate audience, evaluating promotion efforts, and creating a marketing plan for promoting services.
This year’s NICWA Conference workshop will explore how a common business tactic can be applied to highlight tribal social services for members, clients, volunteers, and funding sources and nonprofits. Participants will have the opportunity to develop a marketing template that they can take back and adjust to fit their Tribe’s needs.
Vice President Casey Bader has presented at numerous conferences including:
- 2016 National Indian and Native American Employment and Training Conference (NINAETC)
- 2013, 2014, and 2015 NICWA’s National American Indian Conferences on Child Abuse and Neglect
- 2015 National Tribal Child Support Association Conference (NTCSA)
- 2012 and 2013 United South and Eastern Tribes (USET) Annual Meetings
- 2012 and 2013 TribalNet Conferences
- 2013 Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians (ATNI) Convention
Casey has over 15 years of experience identifying barriers to evaluating and implementing complex software solutions for social service organizations. Past conference workshop topics have included engaging membership through technology, the White Earth Nation WE CARE service delivery model, and best practices for enterprise-wide software implementations.
Looking for a speaker on topics of Tribes and technology? Casey is available to present at conferences or trainings on a wide variety of topics including enterprise-wide software implementations, systems-of-care, case management models, and integrating data, among others.
White Earth Nation WE CARE system of care model run on RiteTrack
Since 2013 White Earth Nation has transferred human service cases for tribal members and their families from delivery by Minnesota counties. In order to provide the best services the Tribe developed the White Earth Coordination, Assessment, Resource and Education (WE CARE) case management model. This system of care model is a client-focused, client-driven model that requires client input and involvement. WE CARE focuses on program collaboration and communication to develop and execute an interdisciplinary plan based on the goals that the client wants to work on. WE CARE utilizes RiteTrack to enable assessment, collaboration, plan development, and outcome tracking.
White Earth Coordination, Assessment, Resource and Education (WE CARE) is a coordinated and holistic case management approach seeking to assure the long-term well-being of children, families and communities. WE CARE’s goals are to
- decrease duplication while increasing access to services
- increase client referrals
- enhance access to resources for clients
- increase communication and coordination between tribal programs through innovative technology
A primary goal of WE CARE is for services to be client-driven, and success is defined by the client as well.
White Earth Nation recognized that while there were services available to clients, the administration of these services was often ineffective and inefficient. Programs did not communicate and services were not prioritized. Clients could be left feeling confused and overwhelmed, and while a program may claim “success,” the client did not feel successful. The WE CARE model seeks to enhance collaboration between tribal programs, non-tribal programs, community and family in order to address the physical, mental, spiritual and emotional needs of clients. WE CARE relies on client input to direct outcomes, define goals , and determine how success will be defined. The WE CARE Plan, developed with the client, may include services from Child Protection, Child Care/Early Childhood, Head Start, Employment, Education, Mental Health, Substance Abuse, and more.
WE CARE leverages RiteTrack in order to enable collaboration, communication and outcome reporting for this interdisciplinary approach. The process begins with the client signing a Universal Release giving permission allowing data entry of a Universal Intake form into the database system. The Universal Intake is completed in RiteTrack and automatic notifications are sent to programs which are identified as applicable to the needs of the client. These are delivered via secure email with a live link to the record in RiteTrack. Identified programs then individually call the client to offer services, which the client can accept or deny. Any program whose services the client accepts will become a part of the WE CARE team for that client. All team members sign a Legal Confidentiality Form defining responsibilities for sharing information about the client and plan. The WE CARE team and client then develop a WE CARE plan based upon the needs identified in the Universal Intake Form. This WE CARE plan is defined in RiteTrack and includes detailed views of goals, strategies, staff assistance, notes and assigned programs. The WE CARE plan is printed and shared with the client for review and sign-off on the goals and empowerment strategies developed. The plan is updated in RiteTrack throughout service provision and outcomes are tracked. Information reported from the system is then used for federal and state grants as well as communication of outcomes to Tribal Council and the community.
The WE CARE model was developed by a specially chosen development team that created the process and model. Included in this development was the creation of a Universal Intake form, confidentiality form, and WE CARE plan. Additionally, an educational curriculum for staff regarding WE CARE was created to ensure the model was understood and administered effectively. The development team proposed recommendations for the WE CARE Advisory Board, an entity that works to support the program for both staff and clients. Then a public relations campaign was initiated to inform the White Earth Nation about WE CARE and the services it offered. Because of comprehensive and thoughtful planning, the WE CARE model was given the best chance for a successful implementation.
A WE CARE Advisory Board was established based on the Development Team’s recommendations to support and strengthen case management teams. The Advisory Board is comprised of division managers, not WE CARE team staff, and represents WE CARE on several fronts. It acts as a liaison with WE CARE clients and other constituents using this communication to monitor and strengthen services provided.It also provides feedback to Tribal Council and ensure adequate financial resources to support the program.
Through thoughtful, interdisciplinary planning, careful execution and comprehensive support, the WE CARE program has become an exceptional model for comprehensive service delivery to children and families in Indian Country. The WE CARE model uses best practices and collaboration between programs and clients to ensure the best outcomes. The program has developed innovative ways of utilizing technology to enhance collaboration, communication and reporting and to safeguard funding while providing sustainability for the program.
Jennifer Stevens, RN, PHN, White Earth Nation Home Health Agency Manager and Casey Bader, Vice President at Handel IT, will be presenting on the WE CARE model at the upcoming NICWA Conference, April 19 – 22, in Portland, OR.
Problem Solved: A Story of Vanquishing Risk and Complexity
I was told growing up that when you experience success you should act like you’ve experienced it before. Don’t flaunt your touchdown reception or first place finish; act like you’ve been there before. However, I quickly realized that there is a huge difference between simply acting like one has done something and actually having done it.
So, what does this all have to do with software implementations and case management? The simple answer is that there is a large collection of companies out there that claim to be able to take on massive projects to design, develop, and implement a large enterprise-level software solution. How should project leaders with large and complex projects choose a vendor from the plethora of options available to them?
Most people know that in enterprise-level software implementations, risk is proportionally tied to the complexity of the project. If the complexity goes up the risk does as well. With that in mind, what are we to think of projects on the extreme end of complexity? What if we are taking multiple legacy systems and want to put them into one single and comprehensive system? What if we also want to bring multiple departments together onto one single system in that same project? What if there are federal and state reports that must justify from the moment the system goes live? What if we need to integrate with other systems at the same time that everything else is happening? If risk of failure is directly proportional to the complexity of a project, should we even bother attempting such bold initiatives?
The answer to that final question is a resounding ‘yes’. It is worth pursuing because of the benefits that it can lead to. Bringing multiple systems together reduces complexity and duplication of data entry which, in turn, reduces errors. Having multiple departments or facilities operate on one common platform increases communication and improves outcomes for clients. The risk, in other words, is worth the potential rewards that a system that can do all of those things could bring. However, that one question still lingers… What if it fails?
This is where proven success comes into play. It is not enough to know that a company could potentially complete a project. These projects need a company that has been there before. The type of system described above with multiple data conversions, bringing previously disparate departments together on one system, reporting to federal and state agencies accurately from day one, and integrating with other software systems describes most of Handel’s customers. We have proven success on every single one of our solutions, from unifying government agencies of a Tribe to providing a system that unifies detention and residential facilities for a county.
Large and complex projects require the devoted attention of software professionals who have repeated success and a strong, standard solution. We have devoted countless hours to designing, testing, and refining each of our solutions to meet the needs of our clients with our standard functionality, whether it is for a CPS Department, Juvenile Detention Facility, TANF Department, or a multitude of other systems. This standard functionality not only brings down cost, it also lessens risk.
While most systems require small changes, we have found that our standard platform will accomplish most of the needed functionality within the markets that we serve. Completely custom solutions that are built from the ground up may sound wonderful at the beginning of a project. However, these projects are the most likely to end up over budget, behind schedule, and outside of scope. We at Handel know this because that is how we used to build software solutions. We built our latest version of RiteTrack to combat all of those things; we provide a common framework to all of our customers, thoroughly test and refine each one of our software modules, and send updates to all of our systems whenever we make something better or fix the rare bug we run into. This means that not only is your project more likely to be successful on the front end, but also that our customers never have to worry about having a system that nobody knows how to fix or update five or ten years down the road.
And what of those things that will always be custom to an individual software solution? We handle (yes, pun is intended here) data conversions, systems integration, custom reporting, attaching custom modules to our standard framework, training and system documentation, and everything else imaginable on a regular basis. All of our staff, from our sales personnel to our project management staff to our software developers, are trained to create custom alterations and additions to make our software work for you in the most optimal way possible.
This combination of our standard software offering and our staff’s familiarity with providing insightful and accurate consulting creates a unique environment where we can reduce the risks imposed by time, cost, and scope of a project as a whole while also building a software solution that keeps your legacy data, communicates with other systems, and improves upon your organization’s reporting abilities. Handel’s ability to accomplish all of these extremely complex things comes from our more than 17 years of corporate experience and our tireless efforts to make the best standard software for each industry we serve. Our experience and work makes it possible for organizations to dream big about what their case management software can do for them.
Though these types of projects are large, complex, and sometimes even scary, Handel can help mitigate all of that. We have been there before and our customers have experienced great success using our system. Our track record shows that our methodologies, standard software offerings, and innovative technologies work. So, go ahead and dream big and know that if Handel is your partner your project, no matter how big, will be a success.