FootNotes - September 2016

In this issue:

FootholdConnect Events
What's New in AWARDS
This Month in HMIS
Tip of the Month - Sub-Folders in the Messages Module Inbox
Foothold News & Blog

FootholdConnect Events

For more information on upcoming FootholdConnect events, please go to the FootholdConnect button on the AWARDS Opening Menu page, or visit the Upcoming Events page of the Foothold Technology web site.

And don't forget... If you've missed any recent FootholdConnect events, you can access the recordings for those in Online Help here!

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What's New in AWARDS

As we have done in previous months, we are continuing to make available a new set of useful features and functions to users of AWARDS. As always, this round of upgrades is provided free of charge to all AWARDS users and is described below. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask your local Help Desk or your Foothold Client Services representative. We hope these enhancements improve the way you use AWARDS and provide services!

Deployment: September 21, 2016

BillingBuilder - Procedures Screen Label Changes

In an effort to make the Billing Procedures Setup screen more transparent, many of the billing procedure setup field/option labels have been updated to reflect terms that are more recognizable. Refer to the updated Configuring Procedures page in Online Help to see the new labels.

BillingBuilder - Provider ID Field Label Change

The Edit Billing Types field labeled Provider ID for organizations in New York state has been relabeled Agency Tax ID. This change is to help clarify that data entered into this field is pulled into corresponding fields labeled Agency Tax ID in the Program Billing Groups and Program Billing Info sections of billing configuration.

BillingBuilder - Reading Eligibility Response Files

We have made eligibility response files easier to identify and read in AWARDS!

Specifically, the eligibility response files were previously listed on the Read Eligibility Response page by name only. Now the files are listed with the payer and the eligibility date associated with each file and the date upon which the file was uploaded into AWARDS. The files will be listed in the order in which they were uploaded to AWARDS, and 25 files will be displayed at a time.

Additionally, previously when reading a response file all of the response detail displayed in one column. Now the response information is divided into 6 columns labeled:

- Benefit Info
- Message
- Plan Name/Contact Info
- Plan/Coverage Info
- Active/Inactive Service(s)
- Other Insurance Info

These columns will display the response from the insurance company, sorted by client for the eligibility date indicated.

Diagnosis Types

Diagnosis types can now be added or hidden for your database. This new setting can allow agencies to hide DSM-IV and other Axis types as desired. Additionally, a new "Other" diagnosis type has been added.

To make changes to the diagnosis types/categories, contact the Help Desk.

Diet Information - New Design Applied / New "Pending" Option

The optional Diet Information feature within the AWARDS Medical module now has a new look as we continue to develop the new navigation and usability of AWARDS. Changes to the feature include:

Program and Client drop-downs - New Program and Client drop-downs have been added to the index page, allowing users to make these selections right on the index. Once a client is selected, the index will refresh and display records for that individual. These drop-downs will be in read-only mode while data entry is occurring within a record (either editing or creating a new record).
Link to ReportBuilder - A link to the Diet Information ReportBuilder has been added to the index page, on the left-hand menu bar.
Action icons moved - The Edit, View, Delete and Add New icons/link have been moved to an action bar that appears above the index. Radio buttons appear next to each diet information record in the index to allow users to select which record they would like to take action on. Clicking on an individual record from the index will also open the record in data entry/edit mode.
Search field added - A new Search field also appears on the action bar, which allows users to quickly search the contents of the index. A Filter By drop-down list compliments the Search field, allowing users to search the contents of "All Columns" (the default), or a specific diet information column.
New Pending Option Available - A new Pending check box can be added to the diet information data entry process, which allows users to record future diet plans that are not yet in effect. When this option is checked off, the Start Date field accepts today’s date or future dates; otherwise, the diet records start date must be today's date or earlier. When this option is turned on a Pending variable is also available on the Diet Information ReportBuilder that displays "Yes" or "No" to reflect whether each diet record is pending or not. If you're interested in having this option turned on in data entry and report modes, please contact the Help Desk for assistance. (When turned on, it is available to all programs.)

Other updates to the design include improved navigation tools, such as clickable breadcrumbs at the top of the page, an action bar on data entry pages, and improved index pagination.

For more information on working with Diet Information records, please click here.

HMIS Intake ReportBuilder

A new HMIS Intake ReportBuilder has been added to the Intake/Admission module when viewed in report mode for HMIS projects. This ReportBuilder allows users to report out on all clients, including admitted clients, pending/intaked clients, and referrals. It includes all of the HMIS Data Elements from Intake/Admission, the HMIS Info section of the face sheet, and the referral form. Additional fields which are added by preference to the HMIS ReportBuilder will also be visible on the HMIS Intake ReportBuilder.

Medication and MAR Enhancements

Several changes have been made to how medications and MAR records work in order to make the functionality more comprehensive and user-friendly. Specifically:

Automatic Refresh of MAR Display Upon Saving an Administration Record - After an administration record has been created using the Administration icon, the MAR report page will refresh and all fields related to the administration record will update accordingly.
Medication Administration Window - When creating an administration record using the Medication Administration icon in the MAR or Medications ReportBuilder, the page will now open in the current window, not in a separate window as it had done previously.
New Return to MAR and Return to Medications ReportBuilder button - When an administration record is created using the Administration icon on the MAR or Medications ReportBuilder, a new Return to MAR /Return to Medications ReportBuilder button now displays at the bottom of the Medication Administration page. When a saved report format has been used, the button label will display the saved format name. Clicking this button will return the user to the previous view (acting as a jump back), and the administration data entry page may be abandoned without saving.
Reordered MAR Settings Fields and Date Range - The Display Format section has been moved directly below the Program selection field. And when the table format is selected, the date range will now default to today's date in both fields. Calendar format will continue to default to a one month date range.

NYSCRI Version 3 Updates

The New York State Clinical Records Initiative (NYSCRI) released Version 3 updates to its form set this summer. The five newly-released NYSCRI Version 3 forms are now available in AWARDS:

- Evaluation & Management Note
- Complex Care / Crisis Intervention / Contact Note
- Psychotherapy / Contact Note
- Health Monitoring / Injectable Psychotropic Medication Administration / with Monitoring and Education
- Health Screen

In addition to the new forms, Version 3 updates to the following Version 2 forms are now available:

- Relapse Prevention Plan
- Substance Use/Addictive Behavior Assessment
- Military Screen
- Self Assessment Sample
- Suicide and Self-Harm Screen/Assessment
- Pre-Admission Note
- Discharge Summary/Plan - Part A
- Comprehensive Assessment

To request these or any other NYSCRI forms be transferred to your database, complete the NYSCRI Optional Enhancements Request Form and return it to [email protected]

Referral Agencies - New Location

For easier access, the Referral Agencies feature will soon be moved out of the System Setup module. It will be placed, instead, as a new button on the Administration page of the Home screen. To access the Referral Agencies feature, users will only need to be assigned the "Referral Agencies Data Entry" permission. No additional permissions or requirements will be needed.

This move will allow workers to manage Referral Agencies information, without also having access to features located within the System Setup module (which may not be appropriate).

ReportBuilder Enhancements

The following enhancements have been made to various ReportBuilders throughout AWARDS to make them more comprehensive and user-friendly:

Grouping for Multiple Value Fields - With this update, comma delimited fields like Diagnoses (and other ReportBuilder fields that are listed with an asterisk) are now selectable for the "grouped by" option for summary tables. When a comma delimited field is selected, values will display with distinct counts. For example, if a consumer has diagnosis A and diagnosis B, the field will display at A, B. But when the grouped by summary table option is used, it will show as A: 1; B: 1 and not A, B: 1.
ReportBuilder Settings Reordered Fields - For ReportBuilders with the "Display One Row Per" option on the settings page (BillingBuilder, Contacts, Employees, Employer Information, Group Notes, Group Schedules, Incidents, MAR, Medications, Referral Agencies, Service Referrals, Staff Training), this option now displays below Program, followed by Roster Date Range.

Vital Signs - Dynamic Section Update

The Modify Fields link used within the Vitals Signs dynamic section of the FormBuilder now contains all fields set to display on the vital signs form. Those completing form configuration can select which fields to show or hide on the form view, as well as rename fields, if necessary.

Waiting Lists - NEW!

New optional functionality is being deployed to allow administrators to design and implement configurable waiting lists. These waiting lists can be used for a single program or for a group of programs, within one agency or across multiple agencies. In HMIS databases this will help expand the flexibility of Coordinated Entry Systems. Waiting List functionality is not limited to just HMIS programs; however, when setting up a new Waiting List you will see HMIS data elements that can simply be ignored.

This functionality is different from the existing optional Program Waiting List functionality that allows a multi-step program to run a report showing all clients with a Referral Status of Wait List. This old Waiting List report will be renamed the "Referral Status Waiting List."

Highlights of the new Waiting Lists functionality include:

A new permission and system setup feature - A new Waiting List Configuration feature is being added to System Setup that will allow users who have the new Waiting List Configuration permission (assigned using System Setup > Permissions Maintenance) to create and edit waiting lists.

If you do not see the Waiting List Configuration permission, please contact the Help Desk and ask for this functionality to be turned on.

Within the Waiting List Configuration feature administrators will specify the requirements for each waiting list (e.g., one waiting list may be just for veterans over the age of 40, and another waiting list may be for chronically homeless families). They will also specify exactly how the waiting list will be sorted (e.g., the waiting list might be sorted by age range, followed by monthly income). Fields from FormBuilder forms which are located at Intake or on the Face Sheet can also be used as requirements and/or sorting options. Finally, the administrator will specify exactly which programs can add people to a waiting list (Source programs) and which programs can remove (or place) people from a waiting list (Destination programs).

Multiple ways to add clients to a waiting list - Clients can be added to waiting lists in several different ways, including from the face sheet, Intake/Admission, and Outreach. New clients, active clients, discharged clients, rejected clients, and open referrals can all be added to waiting lists as long as they meet all the requirements set for a particular list. A new optional "Waiting List" section can also be added to the face sheet which will display all of the waiting lists that a client has been added to from that particular program.
Easy client placements from waiting lists into destination programs - A new View Waiting List button will be found on the Intake/Admission menu for any program set as a "Destination" program under Waiting List Configuration. This allows users to view a waiting list, take clients off of that list, and place them into a new project. Another View Waiting List button will be found on the Profile menu for any program set as a "Source" program, so that users can see which clients are still on a waiting list.
Optional Internal Audit messages - These messages are available for assignment within Permission Maintenance to let users know when clients have been added to waiting lists, or when clients have been removed from a waiting list and placed into a new program.
A new ReportBuilder - A new Waiting List Clients ReportBuilder is available within the Waiting List Configuration feature, to allow historical reporting on one or all waiting lists.

A preview training video that explains the Waiting List features can be found here.

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This Month in HMIS

Lots of exciting changes are happening in HMIS - so many that we don't know where to begin! The CoC NOFA Application process has wrapped up so now focus is shifting from System Performance Measures and NOFA over to the Data Standards changes, Coordinated Entry, and preparing for AHAR.

Coordinated Entry and Waiting Lists

Our work on Coordinated Entry continues to move along at a steady pace. This month we are releasing the brand new Waiting List functionality that will become a cornerstone of many Coordinated Entry systems. You can read about this project above in the What's New section. Next we will be working on improving the Central Intake functionality to make it even more flexible and robust.

Critical Data Standards Changes

Earlier this summer HUD released the Critical Data Standards Changes. All of the changes can be found in Version 5.1 of the HMIS Data Standards Manual and HMIS Data Dictionary found here. Most of the changes are fairly minor, however the Extent of Homelessness section and the Residence Prior to Program Entry question are being combined into one new section with conditionally displayed fields that may be new to some users. SSVF and HUD VASH projects will also spot two new sections labeled "HP Targeting Criteria" and "Use of Other Crisis Services."

A training video has been created that goes over all the changes; you can view it here. In addition, a live webinar is being offered on Friday, September 30th at 2:00 PM ET (see the FootholdConnect Events section above). There is a good chance that this event will sell out fast, so attendees from the same agency are encouraged to double-up wherever possible. If you're unable to attend the live webinar, the recorded video covers all the same material.

Users are not expected to have to update most client's existing data - and many of the data elements are being mapped automatically by AWARDS; however, it is recommend that staff update the admission forms for youth under age 18 to answer the "Disabling Condition" question. This question was previously only asked of adults, but is now required for all persons.

CSV 5.0

With the change in Data Standards, there is of course a new version of CSV that will be coming out. CSV 4.1 will stop working on September 30th, and CSV 5.0 will be available in early October. (The exact release date is still unknown, but will be shared with HMIS database administrators once it has been finalized.) As a result of this, SSVF projects must complete their September exports on September 30th so that they can upload to the VA Repository.

AHAR

This year's AHAR report will not be undergoing any major changes; however, some of the questions are being renumbered. The updated AHAR report will be available before the first draft is due, though communities can already begin looking at their AHAR data.

System Performance Measures

One final word on System Performance Measures. HUD has announced that the resubmission period for this year's SysPM data will actually not occur until next summer. Communities have all year to clean up and review data, and in 2017 they will be asked to resubmit the data for FY15 along with the new data from FY16.

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Tip of the Month - Sub-Folders in the Messages Module Inbox

To help you keep your communication organized, it’s easy to create sub-folders in the AWARDS Messages module and to sort your messages into them for easy reference in the future.

Creating Sub-Folders

To create an inbox sub-folder, complete the following steps:

1. In Messages, on the folders portion of the page on the left side, right-click the folder to which a sub-folder is to be added. (The first time you use this feature, your only choice will be to right-click on the Inbox folder.) A folders menu will display.

2. Select Add new folder. A folder name dialog box is displayed.

3. Enter the name of the new folder, and then click OK.

A plus/minus icon will now appear next to the Inbox, allowing you to collapse and expand the folder in which the sub-folder has been created.

BONUS TIP! You can even follow these same steps to create sub-folders in your sub-folders! For instance:

- Inbox
- AWARDS Tips
- Messages module
- Services - Group module
- Services - Individual module

Moving Messages Into Sub-Folders

Once sub-folders have been created they are automatically added to the "Move to Folder" list within the Select Action drop-down, and you can move messages into them in a couple of different ways:

While a messages folder (like the Inbox or Trash) is displayed - Select the message you want to move to that folder by clicking the check box to the left of the message. Next, click the Select Action drop-down arrow at the bottom of the page, choose your sub-folder, and then click Go.
While a specific message is open and displayed - Click the Select Action drop-down arrow at the bottom of the page, choose your sub-folder, and then click Go.

Editing Sub-Folder Names / Deleting Sub-Folders

Sub-folder names can be edited by right-clicking on the folder name, and then selecting Edit folder name from the menu that is displayed.

Right-clicking the folder name will also give you an option to delete a sub-folder. AWARDS will show a warning that messages in a deleted folder will all be moved to the Trash.

Want to Learn More About Messages?

For more information about the Messages module, click here to access the corresponding portion of AWARDS Online Help.

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Foothold News & Blog

Check out the latest in Foothold news and recent entries from the Foothold blog!

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https://demodb.footholdtechnology.com/help/?11678 - September 2016