In this high-tech environment, we must all manage large amounts of information and keep up with technological improvements, and Family Services is no exception. Family Services is a leader among nonprofits in the information systems field and has kept the pace with technology. All Family Services staff is equipped with computers as well as Internet access to do work more efficiently. Thanks to a generous donation from ExxonMobil, Family Services has 60 new computers.

Family Services tracks data and information through a sophisticated database, Raiser’s Edge, and Family Services' dataTRAQ. Supported in part by a generous grant from Rockwell Fund, Inc., Family Services developed this proprietary web-based system to track and analyze client and employee data. Called dataTRAQ (Data Tracking & Reporting for Accountability & Quality), this software has helped make Family Services a more efficient nonprofit.

Family Services' staff can enter client information onto dataTRAQ from any computer with Internet access. All client information, from the initial client phone inquiry through case closing documentation, is accessible to relevant care providers within the organization, yet securely stored to protect confidentiality.This centralization of data enables clients to receive seamless service from multiple program areas.

Employees also use dataTRAQ to document their daily work. All staff members enter their hours and activities into the system on a daily basis. Supervisors use this information to monitor staff productivity, assess employee workload, and make appropriate staffing adjustments to better meet the needs of clients.

After using dataTRAQ for three years, Family Services has reaped positive rewards. Direct service staff spend less time on paperwork, allowing more time for service delivery. Managers are able to quantify exactly how many clients are served and what outcomes they have achieved.

For the past six years, Family Services has hired a summer intern to assist with its Information Technology Department through the ExxonMobil Community Summer Jobs Program. The interns have worked on several projects ranging from maintaining databases to updating Family Services’ Web site. This past summer, the agency welcomed Sean Biefeld, a senior at Baylor University.

Sean spent nine weeks with Family Services as an Information Technology Systems Specialist. He worked closely with the Information Technology team and the Senior Vice President of Behavioral Health Services to program clinical forms into the organization's internet-based data collection and analysis system, dataTRAQ.

"I was able to learn a lot about Family Services while working with the IT team to improve clinical forms, which will help the staff better serve our clients," Sean said.