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What's New in AWARDS
Connect With Us!
A Look at What's Ahead
Exploring the Options - ReportBuilder Summary Tables & Group Percentages
Security Notes - Essential Security Tools for AWARDS Administrators!
Tip of the Month - Group Schedules for Individual Clients
Blog of the Month - Staying Connected During COVID
Customer News & Testimonials - AWARDS Creating Efficiencies!
News from the Field - With Foothold Senior Advisor David Bucciferro
The following new features, enhancements, and updates will be available in your AWARDS database beginning on Wednesday, February 24th.
Calendar - New Display and Field Options
E-Signatures - "Worker" Selection List Logic Improvement
File Cabinets - Various Enhancements
Incidents - Internal Audit Message Enhancement
Providers - Search Practice/Agency by Speciality
ReportBuilders - Various Enhancements
Calendar - New Display and Field Options
We're excited to release another round of Calendar enhancements this month, based on your feedback!
Program Appointment Previews - Program appointments on the Client History Report now include a link to a preview page, which opens in a new window. A preview icon has also been added to program appointment pop-ups on the Calendar, which opens the preview page.
Editing Recurring Events - When editing fields in recurring program appointments and staff events, you can now choose whether the updates apply to "This event" or "This and following events." This allows more flexibility and an easier workflow when rescheduling events in a series. (Note that updates to an appointment/event's Status is exempted from this enhancement, as those edits will always only be saved for the single event being updated.)
Recurrence Information Added to Event Pop-ups - When clicking on program appointments and staff events on the Calendar, the event pop-ups now display a new Recurrence section containing any recurrence information associated with the event. As a result you will no longer need to open the event form in data entry to see this information.
List Formatting Available for Day, Week, and Month - Previously, the List format only allowed for viewing a week of events. Now, whether you have Day, Week, or Month selected as the viewing time frame, you'll be able to toggle between the calendar format or the list format using new format icons in the top left of the Calendar.
Default Start Time Update - When adding a new program appointment or staff event using the + icon, the Start Time is now blank rather than defaulting to the current time. (When adding a new appointment or event by clicking on an hour increment, the Start Time will continue to default to the selected hour.)
New Time Picker Tool - The existing clock interface used to select appointment/event times has been changed to allow you to manually enter the time or select time values from corresponding drop-downs.
Calendar Events ReportBuilder Button - Need to jump from the calendar to the Calendar Events ReportBuilder? A new button has been added to the left menu of the Calendar that will allow you to go directly to the ReportBuilder with a single click.
New Calendar Events ReportBuilder Data Variables - This ReportBuilder now includes data variables for the inclusion of recurring event information.
New "Telehealth" Method - When working with program appointments, "Telehealth" is now available as a selection in the Method drop-down list.
E-Signatures - "Worker" Selection List Logic Improvement
Previously the Worker selection list available as part of e-signature settings was populated with members of the "Direct Care Staff" user group and staff assigned the "Include in Direct Care Staff Lists" permission. To make the content of this list more intuitive, a user's inclusion is now based solely on program chart access to the relevant program. Note that this enhancement applies to the Worker selection list for e-signatures in the following locations ONLY:
FormBuilder Forms
Plans and Reviews
Progress Notes (for agencies set to use E-Signatures Configurations)
File Cabinets - Various Enhancements
This month, as part of our ongoing efforts to make AWARDS file cabinet functionality more comprehensive and user-friendly, we're introducing the following:
All File Cabinets - MP4 file format now accepted - The list of acceptable file formats for the agency, client, and employee file cabinets has been expanded to include MP4 files. We recommend using caution when uploading files of these types which are typically very large in size, as they will have the potential to use up your file cabinet storage space if you have not upgraded it. (If you are interested in increasing your storage space, please refer to the File Cabinet - Additional Storage Space Information & Pricing Guide).
Client File Cabinet - New "Sharing" Option - When adding or editing a client file cabinet record you will now see a Share File Only with [Program Name] toggle. In the event that the client whose file cabinet is being worked with is (or has been) enrolled in more than one program, this new option allows you to upload and share a file ONLY with the program through which the file cabinet has been accessed. To do so, make sure that the toggle is set to "Yes." If a program has been configured under System Setup > Agency Program Information > Add/Edit Entire Program to use "No Sharing," the sharing toggle will default to "Yes" automatically; otherwise it will default to "No." To have the default value adjusted for a particular program, please contact the Help Desk.
Client File Cabinet - New ImportTool Allows for Bulk Category Updates - A new Client File Cabinet ImportTool will now allow users to complete bulk updates to the Client File Name, Description, and Category for existing files. A new Client File Cabinet Update template will be available for this purpose for those with permission to access the ImportTools functionality. Please keep in mind that this tool cannot be used to add new files into the file cabinet; it is only intended to make bulk changes to previously uploaded files.
Incidents - Internal Audit Message Enhancement
Previously users with the "Incident Data Entry Notification" permission who received an internal audit message about an incident had to manually navigate to that incident to view it. Now those internal audit messages will include a hyperlink to directly access the relevant incident report in AWARDS.
Providers - Search Practice/Agency by Speciality
Previously the searchable Practice/Agency field available during Providers data entry allowed you to type the first few letters of the name of a practice/agency, automatically displaying relevant results from which you could make a selection. Now this search has been expanded, allowing you to make a selection not only by name, but by specialty as well.
ReportBuilders - Various Enhancements
This month, as part of our ongoing efforts to make the ReportBuilders across AWARDS (and their equivalent ExportBuilders) more comprehensive and user-friendly, we're introducing the following:
All ReportBuilders - Description Field for Saved Formats - When saving a report or export format users will now have the ability to record a description along with the format's title. At present any descriptions entered using this new field will be for reference purposes in the individual ReportBuilder or ExportBuilder only; however, in the future this data will be a valuable component of the highly anticipated Saved Report Format ReportBuilder to be made available in a future product release.
Demographics ReportBuilder - Adjustment to "Last Contact Date" Data Variable - The types of contacts used to determine the "Last Contact Date" have been expanded to include records from group activities, reception desk (either program log book or program attendance), and transportation (when the client is marked as a transported passenger for a ride). This expansion is intended to reflect a more accurate date of last contact for the client. Important note for agencies set to use the auto-discharge feature: Because Last Contact date is used as a determining factor for this functionality, this enhancement will increase the accuracy of the clients being discharged.
Demographics ReportBuilder - New "Intake/Admission Processed by" and "Discharge Processed by" Data Variables - Two new sections of data variables are now available for the Demographics ReportBuilder, enabling the inclusion of data about workers who admitted and/or discharged a client, respectively.
Diagnosis ReportBuilder - New "Diagnosed by" and "Created by" Data Variables - Two new sections of data variables are now available for the Diagnosis ReportBuilder, enabling the inclusion of data about workers who diagnosed and/or created the diagnosis record for a client, respectively.
FormBuilder ReportBuilder - New "Created by Information" Data Variables - A new section of data variables is now available for the FormBuilder ReportBuilder, enabling the inclusion of data about workers who created and completed each form for a client.
Household Program Enrollments ReportBuilder - Date Part Data Variable Changes - When run for "One Row per Global Household Member" or "One Row per Household Program Enrollment," this ReportBuilder had been incorrectly offering "Date Part" data variables relating to admission and discharge dates. As a result, reports were reporting blanks when these variables were included. These incorrect/not-applicable data variables have been removed and will no longer be available moving forward; however, if you have saved report formats for this ReportBuilder, please be aware of this change. You may need to rework saved formats that included admission and discharge dates to instead be saved for "Display One Row per Household Member Program Enrollment."
Reachout ReportBuilder - NEW! - Available to agencies utilizing our optional reachout functionality. Can be used to generate customized reports of basic client demographics along with detailed reachout record information.
Various ReportBuilders - Employee Information Data Variables Added - A variety of new data variables have been added to the Diagnoses, FormBuilder, and Demographics ReportBuilders to provide additional detail related to the employees who have worked with related records and/or data, and most notably will allow for exports which include the Employee ID. The full scope of available data variables is based on those included in the Employee ReportBuilder. If you don't have access to that ReportBuilder, your options will be limited accordingly.
Learn more about AWARDS and connect with others in the Foothold community during the following upcoming events. Not able to attend? Recordings of events are typically posted in Online Help within a week of the event date. Bookmark our FootholdConnect Event Recordings page for easy access!
New! Monthly AWARDS Trainings - Every 3rd Thursday @ 1PM ET
We are excited to announce our new Monthly AWARDS Training offerings! Each month we will host a 3.5 hour training session on a different critical AWARDS feature set. Come learn how to use ReportBuilders more efficiently, track data faster, correct data entry errors, and more! These trainings will be held on the 3rd Thursday of the month at 1:00PM ET, with FormBuilder first up on the list for February 18th.
FormBuilder - February 18th - FormBuilder is a highly customizable tool that enables users to build their own forms and assessment instruments for data collection and reporting. In this session we will learn:
- How to utilize the different field types when creating a form, including adding dynamic fields that pull data from other parts of AWARDS
- About creating custom schedules for completing forms based on demographic or date requirements
- Where are the best places to locate your form for optimal use
- How to create reporting fields on a form
Administrative Functions - March 18th - Administrative Functions are the areas of AWARDS that System Administrators and AWARDS Team leads use to manage the agencies overall access to and use of the database. In this session we will:
- Review the Human Resources module to learn how to create and terminate staff records, and keep your employee census up to date
- Cover managing internal and external notifications so your team is always ahead of due dates and changes to client records
- Do a deep dive into the work role layer of Permissions
- Look at using ListBuilder with the Calendar, Employee, Agency and Client File Cabinets
- Use Agency Program Information to create, edit and discontinue programs
- Run specific ReportBuilders to track staff productivity, client engagement and build more robust reports
PlanBuilder - April 15th - PlanBuilder is used to design customized service/treatment plans based on a standard set of pre-made templates that reflect common plan configurations. In this session we will:
- See what goes on under the surface of a treatment plan
- Define the different field types, structure of the plan and how to build your plans to see what makes a plan work
- Learn how to build a plan, for reporting and workflow
- Review the Plans and Reviews ReportBuilder to create custom outcomes reports
Each session costs $350 per person, with discounts available for Certification graduates at $280, and a bundled registration option for 3 attendees priced at $900. Pricing questions for differently sized groups can be sent to Natalie at [email protected].
To submit your registration request and invoice authorization details for the FormBuilder session on February 18th, click here!
AWARDS Certification Program - Apply for the Spring Session Now!
AWARDS Certification is a rigorous training program for agencies aiming to turn staff members into true AWARDS experts! These experts can then provide invaluable support to all AWARDS users within your agency. New to our program in 2021:
Newly developed curriculum allows for flexibility based on interest and role in your organization through customized tracks.
Certification can now be paired with one of our Administrative Services packages for an even larger impact for your agency.
Certification applications are due March 12th, and courses begin in April - we can't wait to see you then! Click here to fill out your application today, or contact [email protected] for more information.
In case you missed it... check out last month’s Look at What's Ahead to read about the "Big Rocks" on our 2021 development calendar. We also invite you to register for the upcoming AWARDS Enhancements webinar on March 2nd, where our Product & Engineering project team members will be stepping out from behind the computer and walking you through the exciting new features they have been working on!
This section of FootNotes is dedicated to bringing you up to speed on great AWARDS add-ons, as well as documentation and reporting features you may not be aware of! In this month's installment, we take a deeper dive into AWARDS ReportBuilders and their summary tables.
ReportBuilders - Summary Tables and Group Percentages
While the summary tables in ReportBuilders are valuable tools in AWARDS reporting, they have historically been limited when it comes to seeing percentages split out by the groupings in the tables. As such, we are excited to share more details with you regarding last month's enhancement that allows for more robust reporting when using summary tables by including percentages for groupings. Specifically, a new option called Show Each Value's Percentage of Group Total is now available when grouping in a summary table.
When using this feature the summary table contents will include not just the values themselves, but also the percentage of the total represented by each value. Some examples of how this feature may enhance the quality of your reporting include:
Progress Notes ReportBuilder - The report below allows you to view goal progress based on ratings from the daily checklist. Previously, summary tables would limit percentage reporting to total fields or columns. With this enhancement, you are now able to see a percentage of ratings per goal. This allows you to easily track goal progress over time.
Demographics ReportBuilder - Previously, if you wanted to run a report to look at the percent of reasons for discharge by program you would have to run that report for each program. In the example below, we are able to look at the percentages of specific discharge reasons based on any program groupings.
Service Contacts ReportBuilder - Have you ever wanted to see percentages of services provided across programs over a period of time? Using this new feature in the Service Contact ReportBuilder can allow you, at a glance, to see trends in your service provision.
Incidents ReportBuilder - This enhancement enables you to view trends in incidents across all programs while also providing insight into incidents in each program.
Security Notes - Essential Security Tools for AWARDS Administrators!
Tip of the Month - Group Schedules for Individual Clients
Blog of the Month - Staying Connected During COVID
Customer News & Testimonials - AWARDS Creating Efficiencies!
News from the Field - With Foothold Senior Advisor David Bucciferro
Security Notes - Essential Security Tools for AWARDS Administrators!
Keeping your AWARDS database secure is Foothold's top priority. Not only have we done a lot of work to keep your data safe behind-the-scenes, we've also provided AWARDS administrators with a variety of essential security tools for use on the front end. What's important to recognize is that as with most every software application available today, administrators have to actively choose to take advantage of many of the AWARDS security tools and, unfortunately, not everyone does. Today we're highlighting a handful of the tools we've identified as being particularly invaluable to the safety and security of your data, and we encourage you to make sure they're in use in your AWARDS database. Read on to learn how you can put these tools to work for you today!
Two-Factor Authentication
Two-factor authentication adds an additional layer of security to complex passwords and good user behavior by creating a token on a personal iOS or Android mobile device that must be used to log in. If a password is compromised and an attacker attempts to log in, they will be unable to do so without access to the user's mobile device to get a code. Two-factor authentication greatly decreases the success rate of brute force and phishing attacks on a database making its use a key protection measure against some of the most common intrusion vectors in use today.
Your call to Action! If two-factor authentication is not already turned on for your AWARDS database, click here to learn more and consider enabling it today! Note that, at present, two-factor authentication requires use of an iOS or Android mobile device by each user with a login. As we understand that not all staff have personal or agency-supplied devices of these kinds, we will be working to make our two factor functionality even more flexible in the future. If you can implement two-factor as it currently exists, we strongly recommend you do so.
Password Policies
The AWARDS System Setup module's Business Rules feature allows for the setting of agency-wide password rules. These rules include password expiration settings, requirements for password changes after having a password reset, password composition requirements, and lockout rules. At a minimum we recommend that you set these rules as follows to ensure a basic level of security:
Require password change on first login - Set to "Do" so that the first time a new user logs into the system using a temporary password that individual is forced to set a new private password for ongoing use.
Require password change following admin password reset - Set to "Do" so that users will be prompted to update their passwords after it has been reset by a system admin or supervisor.
Require both upper and lower case letters - Set to "Do" so that passwords are required to contain both upper and lower case letters.
TIP: By default, AWARDS passwords must be between eight and twelve characters long and contain both letters and numbers. They are case sensitive and may contain special characters. However, they may not contain the user's login ID or the agency name (in a multi-agency database). Special characters include: ! @ # $ % ^ & * ( ) _ + = | < > ? : ;
User must change password at least every __ days - Recommendations regarding the frequency of how often passwords should be changed varies from source to source. Foothold Technology recommends using 180 days as a benchmark unless your agency's security rules dictate otherwise.
New password must be different than previous __ passwords - Set to a value on the higher end of the available options; for example, 3 or 4. This will prevent users from reusing passwords on a frequent basis.
Lockout user after __ failed attempts for __ minutes - By default, AWARDS locks out a user after 10 failed attempts for 10 minutes. We recommend lowering the first of these two values to 5 failed attempts.
Your call to Action! Review your AWARDS database's password policies today and tighten them up if needed, implementing at least the minimums recommended above.
Audit Reports
A key part of any AWARDS administrator's responsibilities (especially if that person is also the agency's HIPAA security officer) is to enforce - or aid those who enforce - the agency's policies around who has access to what client information in AWARDS. There are several key system features that can help make this process easier.
Audit Trail ReportBuilder - Used to monitor staff activity in AWARDS such as when certain data entry or report viewing tasks were performed over a specified period of time, by which workers, and when applicable, for which clients. A regular review of this report should be at the top of your AWARDS audit list. In particular we encourage you to be on the on the lookout for access that is out of the norm; for example, if the login of someone who doesn't usually run reports has recently been used to generate and download massive amounts of data that could be a red flag, and so too could access at unusual hours. This is not to say that the worker associated with the login in these cases is always acting maliciously, but it may be a sign that their AWARDS login has been compromised so it's worth checking out.
User Login ReportBuilder - A quick and easy way to see the last date on which each of your AWARDS users logged into the system. See someone on there who hasn't logged in in quite a few months? That's a flag to see if they still need access to the system, so check in with the individual's supervisor to make sure that access is still warranted.
Employees ReportBuilder - As with the User Login ReportBuilder, the Employees ReportBuilder is a great way to keep track of staff in AWARDS and, beyond that, to determine whether or not their records there are up to date. Have new staff been entered into AWARDS? Have old staff been closed out? Generating reports here is a quick way to find the answers to these questions. Based on what you find, clean up may be required within the Staff Information feature.
Permissions Reports - A great HIPAA best practice is implementing a standard of minimum necessary access, and the permissions functionality in AWARDS can help you maintain this standard. Periodically run (or have supervisors do so) reports on which staff have access to which programs and which advanced features. Does anyone have more access than they need based on their roles and responsibilities? If so, it might mean some updates are needed to their records under permissions data entry.
Your call to Action! Review the contents of this "audit reports toolbox," paying particular attention to any of the tools you're not yet using on a regular basis. Follow up by creating a reminder for yourself to put these tools into use on a set schedule that meets the requirements established in your agency's security policies and procedures. Let your calendar be your support system!
Tip of the Month - Group Schedules for Individual Clients
Did you know... that the Individual Client Schedule feature allows you to enroll an individual client in multiple scheduled groups all at once? If you need to batch update a single group's membership list, the Group Member Status feature is the way to go, but if you have a single client who needs to be enrolled in multiple groups (for example someone who is newly admitted), Individual Client Schedule is your better bet. This great tool lets you do the work on a single page, saving time and clicks!
Blog of the Month - Staying Connected During COVID
When local governments asked day programs to close in-person services for COVID-19, many were wondering what the future would hold for these programs and the individuals they serve. Click here to read how one AWARDS customer agency - ESCNJ - moved to a successful and engaging virtual format for their participants.
Customer News & Testimonials - AWARDS Creating Efficiencies!
Toomey Residential and Community Services is a not-for-profit organization that provides residential and clinical services for residents in the Central New York region. The organization serves approximately 150 persons annually, including children and adults with intellectual/developmental disabilities, children experiencing mental health issues, children who cannot remain at home and require foster care placement, and children who are Unaccompanied Refugee Minors.
This past January, Toomey went live with the Property Maintenance module in AWARDS to track the many work orders they manage throughout all of their residential programs, and has immediately seen tremendous improvements and efficiencies. Prior to switching to AWARDS, all work orders were completed using triplicate carbon copy forms via a process that involved hand-written forms that were challenging to read, duplicate data entry in an Excel spreadsheet, and hard copies in binders and mailboxes that required staff to come to the main office building. This process often resulted in service delays, difficulties getting clarity on the requested needs, and time wasted on duplicated efforts.
With the move to AWARDS, all paper and Excel spreadsheets have been eliminated, resulting in clear and timely data being easily tracked for all orders. Thanks to the automated messages and external notifications functionality in AWARDS, staff are immediately alerted when an order is entered and have all the information they need at their fingertips whenever they need it. Reporting and historical data tracking has been greatly improved as well. Administrators are now able to run clean reports that show patterns and trends in work order requests across their buildings and technicians, and can easily look back through old records without having to dig out the right binder.
Program Administrator Tara Raker-Grant notes that the move to AWARDS has "streamlined our work order process, eliminated duplicate data entry, and increased accuracy and efficiency agency-wide." Nothing makes us happier here at Foothold than knowing that moving a process to AWARDS has helped create efficiencies and improved an agency's ability to manage critical data! To learn more about Property Maintenance and Work Orders in AWARDS, click here.
News From The Field - With Foothold Senior Advisor David Bucciferro
I am excited to share a new White Paper just released by ECRI and EHRA addressing the importance of Health IT in integrating Behavioral Health and Primary Care. As Vice Chair and workgroup co-chair at EHRA, it was an honor for me to contribute to this important work and I’m thrilled to share it here with you. You can jump right to the press release, access the White Paper, or read on for a teaser to learn more!
Behavioral health issues are seen and treated by different types of clinicians, including those in behavioral health as well as those in primary care settings. According to Mental Health America's "The 2021 State of Mental Health in America," data has shown that the prevalence of behavioral health issues has been increasing. Key Findings of the report indicate that youth mental health is worsening, the prevalence among adults has been increasing even before COVID-19, suicidal ideation has been increasing, and the number of people looking for behavioral help has increased.
Recent research has also highlighted the importance of social determinants of health - conditions in the environments in which people are born, live, learn, work, play, worship, and age - and how they affect a wide range of health, functioning, and quality-of-life outcomes and risks. For years behavioral health providers have worked to help people address these issues through individualized goals. Further complicating their efforts is the fact that we know more than half of the people diagnosed with a mental health disorder also have at least one general medical disorder.
It has also become evident over the years that the codependent nature of success in one area of care is highly dependent upon quality information about care in the other. For instance, a person with mental illness who is not identified by their medical provider as needing assistance from a behavioral health professional, can develop more serious mental health conditions. Similarly, we know that individuals being served in the behavioral health system and not identified as needing treatment from primary care practitioners, can and most likely will have additional obstacles to their recovery. The two services areas must inform each other to ensure comprehensive care.
Unfortunately, however, behavioral health providers and primary care providers have worked in their own silos for many years, oftentimes not communicating with each other and rarely sharing pertinent information in a timely manner. As EHRs have become more prevalent and interoperability and health information exchanges have developed, there has been a gradual improvement in sharing, no one would say it is as robust as it could or should be.
In January 2020, as part of my role as Vice-Chair of the Electronic Health Record Association (EHRA), I was asked to co-chair, with representation from ECRI, a workgroup charged with identifying an area of study regarding patient safety, with the goal of recommending immediate and long term improvements to the healthcare system, with a focus on the exchange of health information. From an initial list of 20 identified topics, the group decided to look at the issue of information sharing between Primary Care Providers and Behavioral Health providers. In particular, we wanted to see what current obstacles prohibit the beneficial exchange of information.
The workgroup learned early on that despite the enormous efforts to improve electronic health information technology, and in particular interoperability, effective communication between primary care providers and the behavioral health system is still systematically lagging behind the rest of health care. We know that behavioral health issues are seen and treated by different types of clinicians, including those in behavioral health programs, private practices and primary care. As such, the group decided the report would not focus on identifying one single best practice or setting of care, but rather would honor the fact that there are various approaches that have proven to successfully treat individuals and aim to facilitate information exchange among clinicians providing care.
From a position that health IT is a necessary foundation for improving health care, the workgroup focused on ways to utilize health information technology to safely improve the care for individuals who are treated or in need of treatment by both domains. We focused on three particular areas: screening, documentation, and sharing (exchange of information), and identified the need to work with a vocabulary that could be understood by both systems of care and could help foster the exchange of information. The workgroup's overall conclusion was that health information and health information technology developers play a key role in better integrating critical information in a consumable and usable way for both domains of care.
I hope you will find this paper to be thought-provoking and provide a stimulus for ideas regarding how you may be able to better incorporate physical health information into your practices, as well as become more closely aligned with physical health providers. The paper provides recommendations on tools for screening and behavioral health elements that can be used to determine what would be beneficial to data exchanges. There is much to do and we recognize that accomplishing the goal of improved information exchange will take efforts to push for changes like HIPAA/42CFE Part 2 and funding opportunities that have been available to other parts of the healthcare system. As a group, EHRA will continue to monitor opportunities, advocate for additional funding opportunities and participate in state and Federal conversations to make these recommendations a reality. The full White Paper can be found here.
Stay Tuned - 2021 AWARDS Impact Prize Submissions Open Soon!
The 2021 AWARDS Impact Prize is coming! We can't wait to hear from you about the most impactful, creative and inspirational achievements your team has realized through the use of AWARDS. The most innovative accomplishments will be rewarded with a prize package and tickets to our 2021 User's Conference! Stay tuned for submission instructions to be shared next month.
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