Northwoods has announced a strategic partnership with Concord Counseling Services and The Ohio State University to pilot Case Aide Services in the behavioral health field, marking a significant expansion beyond child welfare applications. This 12-month research project, funded by a SOAR Network Innovation Grant from the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (OhioMHAS), will explore how technology-enabled case aide support can reduce burnout, increase staff satisfaction, and improve service delivery in behavioral health settings.
The project builds on Northwoods' proven Case Aide Services, which have demonstrated substantial impact in child welfare by returning valuable time to caseworkers, improving compliance, and boosting retention. The new initiative will evaluate whether these results can be replicated in behavioral health agencies by streamlining workflows and enabling AI-driven operational efficiencies utilizing AWS technologies. Linda Jakes, Executive Director at Concord Counseling Services, stated that the partnership will provide new tools for their workforce that improve client services while reducing staff burnout.
The project will be evaluated by Tom Gregoire, Associate Professor at The Ohio State University College of Social Work, who will assess organizational performance before and after implementation. Key metrics include staff satisfaction, turnover rates, and financial impact. The grant awarded to Concord Counseling through the SOAR (Supporting Outreach, Access, and Resiliency) Network Innovation Funds supports technology innovations that advance mental health and addiction recovery services. For more information about the SOAR Network Innovation Grants, visit https://mha.ohio.gov.
Richie Diers, Chief Advisor at Northwoods, emphasized that this partnership reflects what can happen when teams are empowered by technology to rethink work processes. The project aligns with OhioMHAS' vision to support transformational innovation in behavioral health through people-centered, tech-enabled solutions, potentially setting a new standard for operational efficiency and staff support in the behavioral health sector.
