TLDR: Nava Labs is piloting an AI-powered referral tool with Goodwill partners in Central Texas and Keystone Area (Pennsylvania) to streamline client connections to health and social services. This initiative, funded by a grant from the Gates Foundation, aims to reduce administrative burdens for caseworkers and enhance the efficiency of referrals.
Nava Labs, the philanthropically funded arm of Nava Public Benefit Corporation, has announced the launch of a pilot program for an innovative AI-powered referral tool. This tool is being tested in collaboration with Goodwill Central Texas and Goodwill Keystone Area in Pennsylvania, with the primary goal of more efficiently connecting clients with essential health and social services. The initiative is supported by a significant grant from the Gates Foundation, which is part of a broader $3.6 million grant awarded to Nava Labs and two partner organizations to pilot AI-powered tools for benefit navigators.
The AI-powered referral tool is designed to integrate seamlessly into existing case management workflows, allowing caseworkers to utilize it in their daily interactions with clients. A key objective of the pilot is to reduce the administrative burden on caseworkers, thereby enabling them to make more and better-tailored referrals. Genevieve Gaudet, Director of Nava Labs, emphasized the potential impact, stating, “This AI-powered referral tool has the opportunity to reduce administrative burden for caseworkers, enabling more and better tailored referrals for clients.” She added that testing the tool with two distinct Goodwill partners will provide valuable insights into scaling the solution across diverse operational environments and existing technologies.
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Nava Labs will actively gather user feedback and other relevant data throughout the pilot to evaluate the tool’s effectiveness in reducing administrative tasks. This project builds on Nava Labs’ previous work, which includes piloting an AI-powered assistive chatbot that supports Los Angeles county caseworkers in helping families understand program eligibility and enrollment requirements. The organization’s broader mission, as outlined by Martelle Esposito, Nava Labs’ Partnerships and Evaluation Manager, is to “enhance benefit navigators’ capacity to help people navigate complex public benefit programs more efficiently and effectively, ultimately improving the lives of thousands of low-income families.” The pilot program is crucial for refining and validating these AI-powered tools, ensuring they are adaptable, scalable, and human-centered for widespread adoption across various organizations.
