1. Kristin Blair Nichols
Professional
Dossier

2. Contents:
 Resume
 DCS HotlineTraining
 DCS Hotline Cohort Training
 DCS HotlineManual
 Planning and Organization
 Team Building
 DCS HotlineFuture

3. Kristin Blair Nichols
4614 Turfway Court
Greenwood, Indiana 46143
Phone: 317-270-7290 Email: kristinblairnichols@hotmail.com
EDUCATION
Indiana University - Bloomington,Indiana
Bachelor ofArts: May 2008
Major: Communication and Culture Minor: Political Science
Relevant Coursework – Business and Professional Communication, Speech Writing, Economics
City College ofSan Francisco - San Francisco, CA
Attended 2004-2006
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Indiana Department of Child Services Hotline, Indianapolis, IN June 2013- Currently Employed
Family Case Manager Supervisor
 Supervised the professional performances of a team of 9 Family Case Managers
 Managed operations of the DCS Hotline including crisis intervention, customer service affairs, and
workflow
 Reviewed and approved preliminary reports of child abuse and neglect
 Directed and managed the DCS Hotline Training Team
 Created and managed a yearly calendar for the 17 Family Case Manager Supervisors at the DCS Hotline
 Delegated and assigned daily responsibilities to Family Case Manager Supervisors at the DCS Hotline
 Mentored and trained more than 55 Family Case Managers and Family Case Manager Supervisors
 Created and executed training programs for Family Case Managers and Family Case Manager Supervisors
Indiana Department of Child Services Hotline, Indianapolis, IN January 2010- June 2013
Family Case Manager
 Created and presented training curriculum for newly hired candidates and visiting trainees
 Constructed materials and reference guides for new hires and visiting trainees
 Composed a comprehensive manual for staff entailing policies, processes,and human resources topics
 Lectured,mentored, and trained new hires and visiting trainees
 Received and documented reports of child abuse and neglect
 Determined legal sufficiency of allegations of child abuse and neglect with application of state laws
Barnes and Noble Booksellers, El Cerrito, CA - Bloomington, IN June 2002 – June 2008
Lead Bookseller / Bookseller
 Trained and taught new employees company programs and register operations
 Delegated tasks to other employees
 Answered phone calls and relayed messages to managers
Albany-Berkeley Optometry, Albany, CA June 2001-December 2002
Assistant / Secretary
 Organized office and paperwork, issued insurance claims online, managed office files
 Performed minor optical tests with patients
ORGANIZATIONS AND ACTIVITIES
Big Brother and Big Sisters of Central Indiana June 2011- May 2012
“Big sister”

4. Training
My largest contribution to the DCS Hotline has been the advancement of the DCS
Hotline’s training program. The DCS Hotline’s training curriculum, tools, and
materials were completely overhauled during my process to create a more
comprehensive, approachable program. In January 2010, when I started at the
DCS Hotline, the training to prepare Intake Specialists for their duties was lacking
and I believed that it could be improved. I reached out to my supervisor and
suggested ideas to advance the program. I reconstructed the training schedule,
added additional lectures, and created brand new training materials including the
DCS Hotline Training Manual. These changes created incredible results including
better prepared Intake Specialists who were knowledgeable, excited, and practiced
for their position.
Training is one of the most crucial areas at the DCS Hotline, and is one area that is
often overlooked. Educating our employees of new policies and procedures is
imperative for the DCS Hotline’s success. In addition to the initial training that
DCS Hotline employees receive, it is vital that we continue to educate the DCS
Hotline team of the most current information regarding policy, procedures, and
relative topics.

5. Above: Kristin delivering the Practice Model training to DCS Hotline employees
DCS Hotline Cohort Training
In addition to internal trainings, I was one of three employees that created the
Indiana DCS Hotline Cohort Training curriculum and presentation that is still
given to DCS’s Cohorts today. My focus on this project was the comprehensive
packet provided to each cohort visitor. The packet contains basic information
regarding the DCS Hotline including: statistics, history, Magik Intake, and how the
DCS Hotline works with the field.
Prior to becoming a supervisor at the DCS Hotline, I was paired with a colleague
to present this information to Cohorts every other Friday during each Cohort’s visit
to the DCS Hotline. The feedback received from these DCS Cohorts was
astonishing. So many cohortmembers commented that the presentation had opened
their eyes to the importance of the DCS Hotline within the child safety pyramid.
Some even noted how they were interested in joining the DCS Hotline team.
Educating our new DCS employees of the DCS Hotline’s processes and its place
within the DCS system will always be an ongoing priority at the DCS Hotline.

6. Above: The DCS Hotline Cohort Packet title page and sample page
DCS Hotline Training Manual
In 2012 after identifying the need, I drafted the DCS Hotline Training Manual. My
vision for the DCS Hotline Training Manual was to bring together all the scattered
information distributed to employees since the DCS Hotline’s creation, weed out
all the policies that were void, and create one centralized resource that could be
efficiently and effectively utilized. The digital guide is easily updated and
distributed to reflect changes quickly. This tool encompasses every aspect of an
Intake Specialists’ position including: Human Resources information, report
format, different types of reports, the Intake Guidance Tool, Magik Intake, CISCO
functions, customer service, contacts, and resources. Since the DCS Hotline
Training Manual’s beginning, many employees have openly applauded this
resource as the one that they use daily. The DCS Hotline training curriculum
corresponds to the DCS Hotline Training Manual to ensure no information is
skipped during the training process. Newly hired Intake Specialists are also given
one hard copy of the DCS Hotline Training Manual on which they are free to take
notes and review information. The DCS Hotline is always evolving and it is a goal
of mine to ensure that this crucial resource continues to progress with the DCS

7. Hotline. Furthermore, it is one of my personal goals for 2014 to create a similar
DCS Hotline Training Manual for the DCS Hotline supervisors where all the
various procedures, policies, and resources are consolidated into one document for
review.
Planning and Organization
Planning and Organization are important to the success of the DCS Hotline. I
continuously develop plans, resources, and materials to better assist staff. I also
maintain a series of detailed calendars including my own personal calendar, the
Supervisor Calendar, and the DCS Hotline Training Calendar.
The Supervisor Calendar
The Supervisor Calendar, which I created, ensures a smooth workflow keeping
everyone on the supervisory team aware of schedule changes, time off, and needs.
The Supervisor Calendar allows me to create daily assignments for all the
supervisors and delegate daily responsibilities to those scheduled to work each day.
My Supervisor Calendar and subsequent daily assignments have made the entire
supervisor workforce more efficient. Now no one needs to guess what their focus
for the day should be. It’s also easy to communicate changes during the day that
are visible to the supervisory team, no matter where they may be located.

8. Above: The DCS Hotline Supervisor Calendar and Daily Assignments
The Adverse Weather Plan
I created the Adverse Weather Plan this past winter after two incidents of poor
weather resulted in multiple call offs and travel hazards. This plan was approved
by the DCS Hotline’s upper management team to serve as a go to guide when
adverse weather is predicted so the upper management and supervisory staff can
prepare to properly staff and maintain incoming calls. The goal is to always keep
the DCS Hotline running smoothly regardless of the environmental variables that
may exist so it is imperative that management plan for these inevitable incidents.

9. Team Building
Strengthening teams within the DCS Hotline is always a challenge as the
environment is not always conducive to team activities and discussions. Although
there may be challenges, I find that there are multiple opportunities to encourage
team building and maintaining good rapport with our staff. Positive fact files are
small gestures that can create a strong impact on an employee. Identifying an
exceptional report, receiving feedback of excellent customer service, and
exhibiting flexibility to better assist the DCS Hotline are all great opportunities to
praise an employee for their service and should be utilized more frequently. Our

10. employees create great work and they should be reminded of their
accomplishments.
Fact files are not the only means of imposing positive reinforcement; this past
holiday seasonmy team and I sponsored a surprise hot chocolate bar for the staff at
the 132 E. Washington office. This small gesture was a raving success. It uplifted
spirits of those at the office and made them feel appreciated.
One of the most effective ways to strengthen teams is by addressing team members
individually to remind them that they have value and are a strong support to the
greater DCS Hotline team. Connecting with individuals regularly and conversing
with them is vital to the success and growth of each team member. By habitually
checking in with my team members I show a genuine interest in the success of
each employee. I like to think of myself as a coach rather than a supervisor.
Coaching focuses on the team member and their success and how their success
contributes to the success of the entire team. As a coach, I am the facilitator for
change by encouraging strengths, recognizing deficits, and providing guidance in
an open constructive format. I approach each member of my team with openness
and make it clear to each employee that their achievements are a top priority. I

11. believe that having an open line of communication creates a positive environment
where ideas can freely flow for constructive results. Additionally, I encourage my
team to contact me at any time with questions, concerns, or ideas. This type of
unrestrictive environment creates positive relationships, creativity, and self-value.
Above: Kristin meeting with a team member regarding her monthly performance
DCS Hotline Future
The DCS Hotline faces a series of challenges including: efficiency, retention,
recruitment, wait times, customer service, and vision alignment. These obstacles
will require creative ideas and a fresh perspective which I provide.
Vision alignment is one of my top priorities. If supervisors were more consistent
in decision making this would result in less frustration from Intake Specialists and
thus would result in fewer turnovers. Education is a great way to re-align the
vision of the team and this can be accomplished through regular trainings and more
consistent communication. The goal of completing a DCS Hotline Supervisor

12. Manual will also help guide the reader towards consistent answers to common
questions and situations.
Retention can also be achieved with minor changes at the DCS Hotline. It is my
belief that along with creating a more consistent vision, we can improve retention
by improving communication to Intake Specialists. This can be accomplished by
sending out mass emails with detailed information to all staff rather than relying on
the current practices of the trickledown method where supervisors are responsible
for delegating information to their teams. Quarterly trainings would also refresh
staff of our core responsibilities. These quarterly trainings would include yearly
refreshers on the following topics: the SDM, Customer Service, Report Format and
Narrative Writing, and Other Department Updates (ex: Collaborative Care, Family
Evaluations, Institutional Unit, etc.). Most importantly, remembering to recognize
good work or an employee’s accomplishment takes little time but has a great
impact on the employee’s esteem.
Efficiency among Intake Specialists has improved greatly, but has declined within
the supervisor tier. Reports are being entered at an extremely efficient rate but the
approval rates by supervisors are staggering. The largest culprit is the extreme
imbalance in the supervisory schedule. Attached you can see that the distribution
of labor hours worked by supervisors between the hours of 7am and 11pm is
concerning when considering the consistent patterns of report/call volume.

13. Above: The current distribution of labor hours. Below: My proposed schedule of labor hours

14. Monday is consistently the busiest day of the week, yet currently only enlists 70
labor hours while Saturday, traditionally one of the slowest days of the week,
currently enlists 65 labor hours worked. It is imperative that we re-distribute our
staff to reflect the need based on the years of data we have supporting where
supervisors are needed the most. Attached is one of my ideas to better distribute
the labor hours in the work week so that the DCS Hotline can maximize efficiency
while keeping everyone’s schedule within only a few hours of what they currently
work. Here, the labor hours are more evenly distributed among our busiest days of
the week to ensure that reports are approved in a timely fashion. We have been
given funds to properly staff the DCS Hotline with additional Intake Specialists
and supervisors, but they are only effective if placed strategically.
The above are just a small sample of the ideas I’ve created for the DCS Hotline. I
often refer to myself as an innovator and a strong creative force at the DCS
Hotline. I am constantly thinking about how to solve problems that face the DCS
Hotline and frequently my ideas are utilized by the upper management. I want to
continue to support this agency and the DCS Hotline with my skills and abilities
and look forward to be able to pursue these goals through advancement at the DCS
Hotline.