Using Exxat STEPS(now part of Exxat Prism), The College of St. Scholastica's Social Work program placed students with 70% less administrative work.

Placement Challenges in Social Work Programs

In any Social Work Program, organizing data is a crucial aspect in the placement process. The sheer amount of information that flows between the students, the field instructors, and the university can be overwhelming for the Field Director and administrative staff. A paper-based system or even a system that relies on spreadsheets is prone to errors and makes it difficult for the Field Director to make program-level decisions, especially during a pandemic.

“For allowing one person to run a program of 60 students, Exxat is a game changer!”

- Nicholas Navarro, MSW, LICSW
Field Director, The College of St. Scholastica Master of Social Work Program

In such a scenario, a system with a centralized database that communicates with the university, the agencies/sites, and the students is pertinent. For this reason, the Social Work Program at the College of St. Scholastica opted for STEPS(now part of Exxat Prism) by Exxat.

Streamlining the Social Work Program Placement Process

Having used Exxat for over a year, Nicholas Navarro, the Field Director of program, has benefitted greatly in terms of communication, transparency, time savings, and decision making. By using Exxat STEPS(now part of Exxat Prism) for their placement process, the Social Work program at the College of St. Scholastica has seen:

• Several hours saved weekly in communicating with the students, fieldwork instructors, and agencies

• Greater transparency of the students’ progress

• A one-stop shop for evaluating the program and making decisions
• An adaptable solution that evolves as the program changes

The onboarding of STEPS(now part of Exxat Prism) at The College of St. Scholastica allowed the program to cope with certain challenges of the pandemic, such as streamlining the communication with the fieldwork instructors and eliminating the need of printed paper forms. The program relied on the “My Request” feature which allowed students to find agencies and submit their requests directly to their Field Director. Navarro would then check if the agency met the requirements and manually connect the agency with the student. With slots changing daily due to COVID-19, Navarro was able to see cancellations or changes in availability, and he could edit his placements as needed.

Quantitative and Qualitative Outcomes

With Exxat, the administrative time and effort involved in the placement process was almost down to half. This allowed for the administrative staff and the Field Director to focus on other aspects of the program more effectively. Further, it allowed the Field Director to dedicate more time to teaching his students without having to hire an adjunct professor that would increase the program costs.

Exxat also enabled effective communication between the program and the agencies/sites, which allowed for a more nurtured relationship. As fieldwork instructors found it easy to complete their tasks, their relationship with the program also improved.

Key Takeaways:

• The Social Work Program at The College of St. Scholastica used STEPS(now part of Exxat Prism) to reduce the staff needed to manage their program.

• The administrative time and effort involved in the placement process was almost down to half.

• The Exxat team has been quick to respond and support Navarro and his team throughout the implementation and use of the system.

“The ability to do everything without having to rely on paper-based systems during COVID has been extremely helpful."

- Nicholas Navarro, MSW, LICSW
Field Director, The College of St. Scholastica Master of Social Work Program

With Exxat, the Social Work Program achieved:

• Increased transparency

• Customizable automated workflows

• Substantial time savings

• Continued operational support

What makes Exxat unique?

While there are many other automated systems out there to solve specific problems, Exxat offered a one-stop solution to address many challenges faced by the program. Navarro could make tweaks in the system that suited specifically to the Social Work Program needs.

The Exxat team also held weekly meetings with The College of St. Scholastica team, explaining the various aspects of the system through mock databases and recordings that helped Navarro implement Exxat easily. Even after onboarding, the Exxat team is quick to respond on any issues or requests Navarro has had.

All in all, the adaptability of the system, the level of transparency and convenience offered and the post-implementation support made STEPS by Exxat(now part of Exxat Prism) “an indispensable tool” for the Field Director