About our project

The problem we solve: The power of social work lies in connections and in learning from others. Currently, social workers don't have their own presence online. There are other places around the web where we can connect with each other, such as Twitter, Facebook or even LinkedIn. But these networks are not meant for collaboration and they do not offer one network where social workers can all come together. I believe in the power of collaboration and groups. Too often, social workers operate in isolation. For example, many social work students begin school not knowing much about the school, their internships or the social work community. Many students also move from other states to begin their studies and don't know all the local resources and agencies that can best help clients. Once out of school, social workers are left out on their own and have trouble connecting with like-minded people, or those working in related fields of work. SocialWorkr aims to bridge that gap and create communities of information.

Currently have a beta website where social workers can go and register to become a member and collaborate with others. Inviting friends, colleagues and other social work technology professionals to use the platform and discuss  

About Our Company

How We Help Patients

While SocialWorkr is a professional social network for social workers, the ultimate beneficiaries are our clients. Social workers abide by a professional code of ethics that embody competence, integrity and service to clients who may be vulnerable and needing help. Social workers' primary responsibility is to respect the well-being of clients" and to "promote the right of clients to self-determination and assist clients in their efforts to identify and clarify their goals". By bringing social workers together to collaborate across multiple disciplines, like homelessness, child welfare, mental health, addiction, LGBTQI, social justice and elder care, we can promote better outcomes for all. 

How We Help Physicians

SocialWorkr provides a social network so social workers can connect with each other professionally and solve problems. It will consist of a website and mobile application so that social workers can be connected and in touch with colleagues and share resources in real time. Currently, social workers may be connected via Facebook or LinkedIn, but they are not connected geographically or across interest groups. There is also limited functionality on Facebook. The network will encourage social workers to create groups and share information from different locations (country-wide, major cities), various topics (mental health, homelessness, foster care, etc.) and organizations (schools, organizations, agencies, etc.). The site will also have news and events that are critical to the success of social workers all over the U.S. Users will also be able to earn CE credits online and track their credits on the platform. For macro social workers, they can use SocialWorkr to publish their own blog posts and share their experiences. Social work students can collaborate as huge cohorts across classes, social work topics and other interests. In the future, SocialWorkr will also have a dedicated job board which will make it easy to upload resumes, apply for jobs and network across organizations and get recommendations. 

How We Help Hospitals

Hospitals and other large institutions can benefit from SocialWorkr because social workers will be collaborating and sharing resources to improve the outcomes of their clients. If a social worker has a question about a referral, for example, they can ask others in the community or look for published resources that have already been shared online.  Social workers will be able to collect, publish and organize all kinds of referral information, community resources and other events that benefit clients and their families. 

How We Help Partners

Social service organizations, hospitals and other agencies can use SocialWorkr to create regional directories so that social workers better understand all resources available in a certain geographic area. Partnerships can be beneficial for clients so that they get the best services and outcomes possible. Social workers will be able to better identify partner agencies and referrals. An online referral system can also be generated by social workers. 

Challenge Mission

Innovation Details

Intellectual Property Summary

Currently filing for trademark for the name SocialWorkr and for the idea of a social network for social workers, which will include website and mobile platforms. 

Clinical Information

Clinical efficiency is not needed for this project because it is business to business. 

Regulatory Status

Not needed for this project

How we will use the funds raised

The funding will be used for existing expenses such as web hosting and design. As more users are added to the network, the traffic and bandwidth needs will also increase so hosting fees will be a primary factor. Rolling out new functionality, such as online CE training, paid jobs boards and then licensing this model to social work universities to their students and alumni networks. Development of mobile applications is also a priority with funding.  

Thank You

I hope you vote for my project because this is a labor of love started while I am working full-time as a social worker with vulnerable populations. As a social worker myself, I understand that the profession needs more collaboration and more useful technologies so we can do our jobs better. My ultimate goal is to help the profession of social work while also helping our clients who are not always getting the best outcomes because of a lack of information and need for improved collaboration. 

Supporters

• 
  Sean (#ExtendCHIP) Erreger, LCSW
  11/12/2017 - Liked the project.
• 
  Ben Berlin
  11/09/2017 - Liked the project.
• 
  Karen Zgoda
  10/28/2017 - Liked the project.
• 
  Roxanne Di Bosco
  10/25/2017 - Liked the project.
• 
  Danielle Painter
  10/23/2017 - Backed the project for $50
• 
  Danielle Painter
  10/23/2017 - Followed the project.
• 
  Danielle Painter
  10/23/2017 - Liked the project.
• 
  Sharad Mishra
  10/18/2017 - Liked the project.
• 
  Alex Fair, MS
  10/16/2017 - Liked the project.
• 
  Mr. Jose Alvear, LMSW, MSW
  10/16/2017 - Liked the project.

Comments

Updates

No updates found .