Use Microsoft Copilot to Manage Your Email Workload

What This Does

Copilot in Outlook drafts email replies for you, summarizes long email threads, and suggests responses, so you can handle client, provider, and supervisor emails faster without starting from a blank page every time.

Before You Start

• You have Outlook open on your work computer or browser
• Your agency uses Microsoft 365 (most county agencies do)
• Look for a small Copilot icon (sparkle/star shape) in the Outlook toolbar or message compose window. If it's there, you have access

Steps

1. Find Copilot in Outlook

Open Outlook. When composing a new email, look for the Copilot icon (looks like a small star or sparkle) in the toolbar above the message body. You can also find it when reading an email. Look for "Summarize" near the top of the message pane.

What you should see: A small colored star icon near the formatting toolbar. If you don't see it, your agency may not have the Copilot license enabled. Check with your IT department.

2. Draft a Reply with Copilot

Open an email you need to respond to. Click the Reply button, then click the Copilot icon in the compose window. Select Draft with Copilot. Type a brief instruction: a sentence or two describing what you want to say.

What to type: "Acknowledge receipt of the referral, let them know I'll be in contact within 48 hours, and ask them to send the intake form."

What you should see: A full drafted reply appears in your compose window. Review it, edit anything that doesn't sound right, and add your name.

3. Summarize a Long Email Thread

When you have a long back-and-forth thread with a provider, attorney, or client's family, open the thread and click Summarize (appears at the top of the thread in the reading pane). Copilot will produce a bullet-point summary of the conversation.

What you should see: A 3-6 bullet summary of the thread's key points, decisions made, and outstanding items.

4. Copy the Summary to Your Case Notes

Select the summary text, copy it, and paste it into your case note in the state system. Edit as needed to match your agency's documentation style.

Real Example

Scenario: You receive a 12-email thread between a foster parent, a school counselor, and your supervisor about a child's school placement issue. You need to document the outcome.

What you do: Open the thread → click Summarize → Copilot produces: "Foster parent reported child struggling in current school. School counselor recommended evaluation. Supervisor approved referral to Special Education. Worker to schedule evaluation by 4/5."

What you get: A documentation-ready summary in 10 seconds instead of 20 minutes of re-reading.

Tips

• Use "Draft with Copilot" for routine emails (acknowledgment, scheduling, referral follow-up). Save your own writing energy for high-stakes communications.
• When drafting, be specific about tone: "Write in a warm but professional tone" or "Be brief and direct."
• Summarize threads before supervisory conferences so you have a quick record of key communications. Paste into your conference prep notes.

Tool interfaces change. If a button has moved, look for similar AI/magic/smart options in the same menu area.