3/10/25
Missed the National SIL Summit? The Short Version of our AI Workshop.
For anyone who missed our workshop (or just wants a recap): AI and the Way Forward for Disability Professionals, this is for you.
We shared our workshop for providers at Tania Gomez's National RESOLV SIL Summit. If you couldn’t make it, here’s a recap you can read between emails. (There may be some homework, but don’t worry, this won’t be on the exam!)
First things first: what is AI Automation?
Automation is the use of computers and systems to complete a task without any human involvement. It is a workflow that runs by itself once set up. Think: moving data, creating records, naming and filing documents, and sending the right notifications without someone retyping the same details.
AI (Artificial Intelligence) is the ability of computer systems to perform tasks that typically require human intelligence. A large part of AI we have been introduced to recently is in the form of LLMs.
LLMs (large language models) are the language part of AI. They learn from huge amounts of data and predict the next likely response, which powers many of AI’s language abilities.
However, since 2020 AI can not only read text, but even images, digest audios, and screen share and turn information into usable data. It’s the difference between digging through PDFs manually and instantly pulling the three fields you need, neatly labelled.
AI Automation blends the two: the workflow handles the plumbing, while AI makes small decisions when inputs are imperfect. Example: “This looks like a new participant enquiry! Extract the details and add them to the CRM with said details. It combines the flexibility and language understanding of AI with the structured reliability of automation.
Strict vs Dynamic Automation
Static: A strict, rule-based workflow that’s fast and auditable, great for compliance and simple tasks because it does exactly what it’s built to do. The trade-off: it only follows the rules. If something is even slightly off, it falls out of the workflow.
Dynamic: More AI-driven steps with a forgiving attitude toward messy forms and imperfect data. It understands human language, spots patterns, and keeps the workflow going even when inputs aren’t perfect.
A Practical Use-case of AI Automations: Participant Onboarding
Most providers burn time on three things: pulling details from emails and forms, checking what’s missing, and creating consistent records.
What can be automated : take the referral form → extract the details → prefill the required documents → push the data into your preferred database/CRM.
Result: onboarding a participant without the hours/stress of manual data entry.
Your homework (quick & practical)
The focus isn’t chasing a perfect flowchart. We’re just finding the admin that steals your time.
Step 1: Map what you do (10 mins):
Choose one workflow: intake, onboarding, invoicing, or any process you run. Write the steps as you actually do them, not how you wish they ran. Note the systems you touch along the way, rostering, CRM, email, JotForm's, etc.
Circle the moments that feel repetitive, manual, or tedious. Those are your starters.
Step 2: Spot the hand-offs:
Look at each circled step and ask: Would automating this reduce after-hours checks, double-handling, or unnecessary time/stress? If yes, it’s a strong candidate.
Pick one or two you’d happily never do by hand again. That’s your first win.
Step 3: Run the Admin ROI Calculator:
Add your team size and rough time per task. You’ll see hours back each week and dollars saved each year.
Run the calculator: optieaseai.com/for-you
If you want a second set of eyes or aren’t sure what the next steps are, we run a simple Process Mapping Session. We’ll walk through your results and processes, outline the first few automations, and show how they’ll work with your other systems.
P.S. If you know someone who might be drowning in admin, share this. One good automation buys back the time to build the next one, the only snowball we like ! 🙂
For the full video click STREAM 1: Leveraging Technology
