Cumberland County Puts in Self-Service Kiosks for County Benefits, Information

Cumberland County is installing self-service stations to speed up social services access. Four machines will sit inside the Department of Social Services. Four more info stations will stand outside county buildings. The project costs $182,000.

"The kiosks, once established, will help streamline the intake and follow-up process by automating data entry, reducing the need for staff to manually input the information," said Brenda Jackson, director of the Cumberland County Department of Social Services, to CityView.

Inside stations cost $9,978 each. They'll handle Medicaid and food aid sign-ups without staff help. The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 funds these machines.

According to CityView, the outdoor units cost $43,000 each. They'll stand at the courthouse, health office, and social services building. These screens will show county info, office details, and meeting times.

Each outdoor unit shows info on both sides with 55-inch touch screens. Two people can check different things at once. Built-in speakers and Wi-Fi come standard. The units measure 90 inches tall, 32 inches wide, and 14 inches deep.

The machines aim to cut wait times and will work for everyone. They include braille text, spots to plug in headphones, and help buttons for quick assistance. While kiosks handle simple tasks, workers can focus on tricky cases that need more attention.

Adding the kiosks is part of the CumberlandONE program and aims to improve residents' access to essential services and digital government services.