The National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) has awarded Indiana Department of Child Services Chief Information Officer, Kevin Jones, with the association’s 2020 Technology Champion Award. Kevin’s nomination submission described him as the “epitome of CIO as problem solver with a personal leadership style grounded in empathy for the 25,000 children in his care and the 4,000 family case workers who support them.”
Indiana Child Welfare is currently undergoing massive transformation and Kevin is leading a holistic approach to change that focuses on people, process and tools. He is leveraging innovations like virtual reality training that simulates a home visit with a vulnerable family. This technology, steeping in immersive learning, is better preparing caseworkers for the field. It is also being used in hiring to determine whether a candidate is a good fit for child welfare. The agency has already seen an 18% reduction in turnover resulting in a cost savings to the state.