Alaska partnered with CGI to build the Online Resource for the Children of Alaska (ORCA)

The mission of the Alaska Office of Children's Services (OCS) is to efficiently deliver responsive and accountable services sensitive to the special needs of the children in its charge. OCS protects the safety of children throughout Alaska; places children in stable, permanent homes; and helps vulnerable families maintain and resume the care of their children.

The Challenge
OCS sought a best-in-class State-wide Automated Child Welfare Information System (SACWIS) solution to help the agency effectively achieve its mission. With 231 federally recognized tribes and native Alaskan communities, the state faced complex case management issues to ensure that children in its custody continued to participate in their cultural traditions. OCS also required an automated system that could meet its logistical challenges, enabling staff to monitor and communicate with clients throughout its vast geographical territory, from cities to extreme remote locations.

How CGI Helped
Alaska partnered with CGI to build the Online Resource for the Children of Alaska (ORCA). The web-based SACWIS solution connects geographically dispersed staff and provides access to the tools and resources needed to deliver end-to-end child welfare services, which include child protection, case management, out-of-home care, reunification and adoption. Additionally, the ORCA system’s financial module provides accurate rate setting and payments for providers based on geographical location.   

Results
ORCA consolidated seven legacy databases into a single, integrated system, achieving operational efficiencies for the state's processing services and automating virtually every aspect of casework and reporting. The system provides the state’s 450+ social workers with:

• Instant access to up-to-date client and provider data
• Significant time savings and more efficient paperless operations
• Timely, culturally competent child-focused and family-centered services

In 2009, ORCA achieved Tier 2 SACWIS compliance with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration for Children and Families (ACF). This status designates successful acceptance by ACF that ORCA meets federal SACWIS-required functionality. Alaska joins Wisconsin as the only other web-based SACWIS to achieve compliance. CGI also implemented Wisconsin’s system, eWiSACWIS.

The bottom line: CGI’s SACWIS solution helps Alaska accomplish its child welfare mission of effectively delivering services to families, children, and the community across the largest and most culturally diverse U.S. state.

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