There are roughly 650,000 social workers in the United States – and the job outlook is expected to grow by 25 percent from 2010-2020, faster than average for most occupations. This need is based on a national demand for health care and social services.
Social workers encounter any number of sensitive, complex cases daily – all with dramatically different details and needs. Keeping all the case particulars and information straight – all while ensuring confidentiality – can be challenging, but it’s necessary. And that’s where Olympus Digital Voice Recorders come in.
Digital Voice Recorders for Social Workers
Digital voice recorders, like the DS-7000 and DS-3500 Professional Dictation Systems, vastly simplify the note-taking process. By recording conversations and interviews with clients, social workers can essentially eliminate inaccuracies in their records, and provide superior care faster, and more efficiently.
Beyond the capabilities of a typical consumer-recording device, Olympus Dictation Management System (ODMS) software which comes with the DS-7000 or DS-3500, enables social workers to share information quickly and easily on a health network EHR, giving access to fellow colleagues working on the case. Thanks to the encryption features on models like the DS-7000 and the DS-3500, sensitive recordings are password protected – a necessity for social workers dealing with clients in high-risk situations.
Take, for example, one social worker that is assigned to oversee the case of an at-risk teen whose truancy is preventing him from advancing to the next grade level.
In the counseling session, the teen reveals a number of reasons for his absence. He has three younger siblings under the age of 5 who have no supervision during the day. He says his mother has been picking up extra shifts at work, often putting in 16-hour workdays.
Aside from caring for his siblings, the teen is tasked with nearly all of the household responsibilities, including cooking, cleaning and grocery shopping. Since his father isn’t present in the children’s lives and his mother can’t afford daycare, he is the only one available to take on these responsibilities – and as a result, his attendance at school has suffered significantly.
The social worker must document all of this complex information in her case notes, investigate the situation further and explore possible solutions. But it’s often difficult to take down every detail when a counseling session is as emotionally trying as this one; note-taking takes a backseat to listening and providing support.
Luckily, the social worker was using an Olympus DS-3500 digital voice recorder during the counseling session. Instead of struggling to keep up with her notes, she was able to give her undivided attention to her client. In turn, her client trusts her with sensitive information that helps her do her job – and ultimately helps improve the lives of her client’s entire family.
Olympus’ revolutionary voice system not only ensured the social worker had more detailed case notes, it minimized the amount of time spent writing the notes so she could focus on her most important tasks at hand, such as connecting a family in need with the resources they required – quickly and efficiently.
Why Olympus Revolutionary Voice Systems?
Reliability is everything when choosing a digital voice recorder for social work. Olympus Professional Dictation devices are the gold standard in recording and file management – you simply won’t find a higher quality digital dictation device.
• Superior audio quality: The DS-7000 and DS-3500 feature advanced internal microphones with dedicated settings for individual dictation and multi-user conferences/interviews. External Olympus microphones – and even phone recording equipment – can be attached in seconds.
• Industry-leading software: The highly configurable ODMS software allows recordings to be automatically stored and routed as soon as a recorder is attached to a PC.
• Voice recognition integration: Olympus Professional Dictation devices are fully compatible with Dragon NaturallySpeaking voice recognition software, easing the burden of transcription and ensuring accurate data throughput.
• Reliability: Olympus Professional Dictation devices are painstakingly constructed from advanced plastics and lightweight metals, allowing for consistent operation and durability in nearly any situation.
• Intuitive controls: On-device controls on Olympus Professional Dictation devices are easily learned and used. In particular, the slide switch operation built into the DS-7000 allows users to start, stop and rewind recording instantly, without even looking at the device.