Empowering Change: A Conversation with Commissioner Jennifer Jones on Using AI To Improve Agency Efficiency and Effectiveness

TipCo Automated Systems is proud to partner with a group of visionary leaders in the health and human services (HHS) sector, particularly focusing on women who are spearheading change in their communities. These leaders recognize the pressing challenges faced by their county departments, including critical worker shortages and increasing demand for programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Moreover, they identify the need for more efficient and supportive technology to address these issues effectively. 

Among these distinguished leaders stands Commissioner Jennifer Jones, a believer in using new technology to help agency staff members get time back and return to what brought them to the field in the first place... the people they serve.

Interview with Commissioner Jennifer Jones 

Join us as we delve into Commissioner Jones’s dedication to embracing technology in Lewis County Department of Social Services (DSS) in New York to meet the new expectations of the workforce and improve interactions residents have with the agency and its staff. 

What inspired you to pursue a career in social services, and what motivated you to take on leadership roles within your county? 

I started working at social services after a move to the North Country for my husband’s career. In the beginning, I didn’t know everything that social services did, but after serving as a caseworker, I learned the many components of the work and loved the fact it changed daily. I became interested in leadership roles after my first commissioner gave me special assignments, including budgeting, starting new programs, working on grants, and planning for program transitions and transportation projects.

What strategies have you employed to address challenges such as staffing shortages, budget constraints, or unexpected crises like the COVID-19 pandemic? 

  Strategies to address challenges vary by challenge. For example: during COVID, it was about constant communication with my team. DSS became the most relied upon agency in our county. I, along with another DSS leader, was the first to deliver an isolation order in the county, and we stood up food deliveries for senior citizens within days of shutdowns. We had a lot of pep rallies, reminding staff that our community needs us, we could do this, and we are good at what we do. Other unexpected crises might be about identifying who can do what, drawing on the expertise that already exists, and asking for help. My team has learned that I am an out-loud thinker, so we brainstorm a lot to get to the best answers together. 

With your extensive experience in the field, what do you consider to be the most pressing issue facing social services today, and how do you propose addressing it?  

I believe homelessness and lack of affordable housing is the most pressing issue facing social services today. People living on the lower end of the economic scale are in survival mode. Families are paying too high a percentage of their income for rent, making other necessities unaffordable and niceties impossible. Addressing this issue is multi-faceted and takes a public health approach. We could begin working with our County Planning Department to find grants for redevelopment of vacant properties, surveying our community on housing concerns, working with agencies funded by the Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and making sure data for homeless Point-In-Time counts are completed. Creating a position to case manage those who are homeless, searching for funding to assist with rent, and volunteering for community action agencies that have housing, manage housing, do housing renovations, provide subsidies, and keep the topic at the forefront of conversations. 

In what ways do you believe technology and innovation can further enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of social services delivery in your county?  

Over the past 35 years, social services has been behind in technology changes, but when I look back to paper charts, file cabinets, and manual counts, we have embraced technology. DSS must be good stewards of public funds and using technology to have answers at your fingertips is efficient and effective. Social services needs our employees to interact with humans; we spend too much time documenting and need more time with people. The more we embrace technology, the more time we have to spend with people. Making the work easier and more intuitive also keeps employees happy.   

As you are one of the first leaders in the health and human services (HHS) realm to embrace AI, what made you decide this was a solution for your agency and community?   

I decided that AI was a good option to embrace to help reduce the repetitive activities that take time away from dealing directly with people. We, like many others, have staffing shortages and new and younger staff who want technology solutions. AI can speed up decision-making with data just a click away instead of waiting for monthly or year-end reports. Our community expects us to provide excellent customer service with a personal touch; they are our neighbors. AI will give us more time to do that.

What specific challenges or opportunities within the realm of HHS prompted you to consider integrating AI?  

Our challenges are staffing and turnover. We have lost decades of institutional knowledge and need help replacing that with technological tools. AI will help with consistency, especially when training new staff. Because we are human services, we need to learn to use technology to enhance the human experience for our clients.  

What legacy do you hope to leave behind in terms of your impact on the community and the social services sector?  

The legacy I want to leave is that workers know that social services are essential to human services, that my agency knows that our community relies on us to be the experts in what we do. I have often told people you don’t know you need DSS until you do. DSS has incredibly committed and talented people who want to make our community better by helping people where they are, with what they need.

Conclusion 

As we conclude our time with Commissioner Jennifer Jones, it’s clear that her willingness to embrace technology to modernize operations at Lewis County DSS has uniquely positioned them to better serve their residents and continue to meet the needs of incoming workers.