WHAT IS DARK DATA?

Find out why child welfare agencies that

regularly make extremely difficult decisions need to surface “dark data”—critical, but hidden information—to

make informed, confident decisions and reduce trauma to kids.

Dark data: Information collected from numerous sources over a long period of time that becomes hidden or virtually impossible to retrieve when making decisions to protect children and strengthen families.

SO, WHAT DOES THAT

REALLY MEAN?

You have thousands of pictures on your phone. Know where to find each one? Who’s in them? What’s in the background? This is how easy it is for data to get buried.

THINK ABOUT IT THIS WAY:

LET’S LOOK CLOSER THROUGH A CHILD WELFARE LENS:

How about the report buried in 232 pages of medical information? Would you be able to find the one line of text saying a child with severe mental health issues that just came into your care has previously spent time in a behavioral health hospital that could provide past insight?

Would you be able to find one sentence hiding on one page of a lengthy court document that mentions who would be willing and able to raise or care for a child your agency needs to place? If it was one of 432 documents related to the case, would you even know where to start?

The more you know, the more informed decision you can make. That’s where dark data makes a difference.

WHY DOES DARK DATA EXIST?

The digital age has dramatically increased the volume of information, which is coming at social workers faster than they can manage.

The average caseload is between 24 and 31 cases.ii

Due to the sheer volume, breadth, and complexity of a case file, it can take a child welfare worker upwards of 12 hours to review the history of just one case.iii

A typical child welfare case file contains over 1,000 documents, or approximately 4,000-5,000 pages of information.i

In some jurisdictions, worker turnover is as high as 90 percent per year…v - Child Welfare Information Gateway

As a result, an estimated 80% of case content

is considered dark data and cannot be utilized by an agency when

making critical decisions.

Turnover compoundsthe problem, often causing workers to recollect information that already exists.

80% OF CASE CONTENT

Behavioral Health RecordsCourt RecordsDrug ScreensEmailsLaw Enforcement ReportsMedical RecordsSchool RecordsSocial MediaPhotosPhysical Health Records

WHY IS ACCESSING DARK DATA CRITICAL?

SHINING LIGHT ON DARK DATA IN CHILD WELFARE

If an agency can capture, process, and analyze dark data in real time, many things can happen:

BUILD TRUST: Spare families from repeating information and re-living traumatic experiences

REDUCE TRAUMA TO KIDS: Make the best decision for a child at every step

MINIMIZE DELAYS: Quickly understand case themes or topics of concern in order to apply critical thinking to major decisions

MAKE CONFIDENT DECISIONS: Use intimate, detailed knowledge about the case, family, and child to support major decisions

“Her mother explained that she was admitted to Belmore Tress Behavioral Health Hospital for excessive sedation a couple of years ago.”

“This GAL also spoke with Rita Smith, maternal grandmother to JE.A., Ju.A. and J.C. during this visit. Rita Smith stated that she has a friend living out of state, named Jess Johnson, who is able and willing to care for the children in case things don't work out in her home.”

Download our eBook for answers to more common questions around dark data in child welfare:

teamnorthwoods.com/darkdata

Sources i. Jacob Meetze, Intake Investigator, Beaufort County Department of Social Services ii. Interviews with child welfare workers iii. “If You’re Right for the Job, It’s the Best Job in the World,” National Association of

Social Workers, June 2004 at p. 15. iv. “Worker Turnover,” Child Welfare Information Gateway, https://www.childwelfare.

gov/topics/management/workforce/retention/workforce-retention/turnover/teamnorthwoods.com

DARK DATA

Found on page 12 of 232

Found in document 121 of 432, page 9 of 56