FootNotes - September 2019







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In this issue:

FootholdConnect Events
Highlights from the Project Pipeline
What's New in AWARDS
This Month in HMIS
Tip of the Month - Build Up Your ReportBuilders by Adding Data Variables
Foothold News & Blog

FootholdConnect Events

For more information on upcoming FootholdConnect events, please go to FootholdConnect on the AWARDS Home screen's navigation bar, 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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Highlights from the Project Pipeline

Coming Soon!  OMH PCS Practice Platform

We are excited to announce that the New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH) Patient Characteristics Survey (PCS) 2019 Practice Platform will open on September 19, 2019 and AWARDS PCS data will be ready for export testing by this date.

As in previous years, users can test the export file in the Practice Platform prior to the official survey submission period. The export file generated from AWARDS can be used as many times as needed in the Practice Platform, and then again for your live submission. Please contact OMH directly with all technical questions regarding the Practice Platform.

This year's PCS 2019 survey week is October 21 - October 27, 2019. The PCS 2019 survey tool in AWARDS will function as the 2017 survey did, and will be updated to reflect all the changes to the 2019 version released by OMH.

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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 reach out to the Help Desk. We hope these enhancements improve the way you use AWARDS and provide services!

Deployment Date:  9/4/19

BillingBuilder - Easier 835 / Remittance Worksheet Processing

IMPORTANT! The enhancements described below will only affect new 835 files uploaded, not 835 files that were uploaded prior to the September 2019 enhancement deployment. Additionally, responses returned in an 835 file that DO NOT include an AWARDS invoice ID will be ignored and the payment/denial data will not be shown on the View Remittances/Responses screen. The non-AWARDS invoice IDs responded to will be listed in an error message at the top of the screen when viewing an 835 file.

To make the 835/remittance worksheet processing easier in AWARDS, we have made a number of changes, including:

  An invoice can now be brought back into a remittance worksheet when it has a balance of $0.00 as long as the 835 file that has been uploaded includes a new response for that invoice. This will allow payment reversal and new payment posting within remittance worksheets.

  When creating a remittance worksheet from an 835 file, only AWARDS invoice IDs responded to in that 835 file are included in the remittance worksheet. This will stop other invoices that have an 835 response from the same batches from being included.

  An invoice that has more than one response in the same 835 file now shows all responses within the remittance worksheet that is created from the 835 file. This allows all 835 responses received from the payer in a single 835 file to be posted.

  When an 835 file contains responses linked to multiple AWARDS payers, all payer responses can be processed in the same remittance worksheet. It is no longer necessary to create a separate remittance worksheet for each payer included in the single 835 file.

  The View Remittances/Responses Information page now includes an 835 remittance data color key to help identify the status of an invoice when the 835 file is uploaded and viewed prior to posting.

  The Remittance Worksheet page now includes a data color key to better understand what sort of response was returned from the payer.

  For AWARDS databases that have divisions created, a division is also assigned to the response data based on the invoice IDs responded to in the 835 file. If the user is not assigned to the division, they will not see the 835 file in the listing on the View Remittances/Responses Information page. Users assigned the Continuum status will continue to see all 835 files as they do today.

  AWARDS now blocks the ability to upload the same 835 file more than once. This blocking is based on the file name of the 835 file being uploaded. Please note that previously uploaded files will not be displayed on the View Remittances/Response page; they will be displayed under a new button labeled Old Remittance/Response Files in read-only form on the Remittance/Response Information page. Only newly uploaded 835 files will be displayed, as the structure of that screen has changed to support the new model.

  We have also made a number of small additional edits to make the processing screens more intuitive.

BillingBuilder - New Program Drop-down Available on Client's Manual Payments/Adjustments Page

When entering manual payments/adjustments for a client, a new Program drop-down selection list is now available on the client's Payments/Adjustments page. This drop-down is used to assign a program to a payment or adjustment that is being posted as unapplied (i.e. not to an invoice). We have also made a few additional changes to the screen layout to make it more intuitive.

ExportBuilders - Enhancements

  Phone Data Option - A new Phone data option is now available on all ExportBuilder Options - Continued pages. Previously, all phone number data appeared on ExportBuilder output in a single format, for example (212) 555-1212. With the Phone data option, users may customize their own phone number formats on ExportBuilder outputs - such as 2125551212 or 212-555-1212 - according to preference or funder requirements.

  Pre-Selected Data Mapping Field Types - Previously, all fields included in ExportBuilder reports defaulted to the "Text" field type option when mapping fields on the ExportBuilder Options - Continued page.  With this enhancement, data variables that contain the words "date" or "phone" will now default to "Date" and "Phone" field type options, respectively.  For example, if Admission Date is included in an ExportBuilder report, this field will automatically map to the custom date format the user created, rather than the user having to manually select that the field type should appear as a date instead of text.

Face Sheet Photo - Now Available on ReportBuilders and FormBuilder Forms

We are excited to announce that a client’s face sheet photo can now be displayed when running a ReportBuilder or when completing a FormBuilder form for a client.

  ReportBuilders - All client-based ReportBuilders now include a new Photo data variable located in the Demographics section on the ReportBuilder Options page. When selected, a client's face sheet photo will display next to his or her records in the report. If a client does not have a face sheet photo, the report displays "No photo on file."

  FormBuilder - For users with access to the FormBuilder configuration tool, when creating or editing a FormBuilder form and selecting the "Dynamic Text Field (read only)" field type, the Select from the following selection list drop-down now displays a "Photo" option. When selected, the client's face sheet photo displays on the client's form.

Household Enhancements

This month we are making available a series of enhancements to the Household functionality. These changes allow you to have different households for each program enrollment, which will allow you to meet HMIS requirements, and will mean greater flexibility in the use of households for all users of this feature. Changes also include the following:

  During data entry, all programs that use Household functionality will be impacted with slightly changed workflows, field labels, and the labels of the Household Composition tabs. 

  The Households ReportBuilder is being replaced with a new Household Program Enrollments ReportBuilder.  

  It will now be possible to configure the list of relationships for your agency. Just contact the Help Desk or your Foothold Senior Project Manager with any requests.

For comprehensive documentation about the new features, the existing Working with Family / Household Info section of AWARDS Online Help has been revised, with edits to the existing content, new FAQs, and more.

Meaningful Use Objectives Report Update

With this month's round of Meaningful Use updates, we have changed the threshold percentages for Objective 6 - View, Download, Transmit and Secure Messaging in order to comply with changes in the 2019 Promoting Interoperability release.  For both measures the thresholds have been updated to reflect a 5% adherence rate.

Online Help - New E-Signatures Configurations Recording Available

The E-Signatures Configurations tool within the Builders and Tools module in AWARDS is designed to allow users to create custom signature sets for the purpose of designating who should electronically sign records, and which options they will have in the signing interface when doing so. A new recording will walk you through the process of editing signature sets for Progress Notes, Monthly Checklist, and PlanBuilder. To view the recording, click here.

ReportBuilder Updates

  Audit Trail ReportBuilder - Deleted Group Notes Captured - To allow for more thorough audit reports, the action of deleting group notes is now included when running the Audit Trail ReportBuilder. Details displayed in the report include the program, group name, date and time, the worker who deleted the note, and when the deletion occurred. 

  E-Signable Records ReportBuilder - Monthly Checklist Records Now Included - For reporting purposes, a Monthly Checklist record type has been added to the E-Signable Records ReportBuilder for programs using electronic signatures with the Res/Day Hab Daily Checklist (as configured under Builders & Tools > E-Signatures Configurations > Monthly Checklist). When including the Monthly Checklist record type on the report, please note the Record Date data variable always populates with the first date of the month for the monthly checklist being included. For example, if the monthly checklist was completed for July 2019, the Record Date will display 07/01/2019 on the report.

Res/Day Hab Daily Checklist - Progress Notes Access and E-Signing Enhancement

To improve the navigation experience of accessing progress notes from the daily or weekly view of the Res/Day Hab Daily Checklist, located under Services - Individual, we have added two new features:

  NOTE: These features are only available when using the daily or weekly view of the Res/Day Hab Daily Checklist; they are not available when using the monthly view.

  New Navigation Buttons - Currently, when writing a progress note linked to a goal/service on the Res/Day Hab Daily Checklist, you are immediately returned to the checklist upon saving the note. Now, a progress note confirmation page displays upon saving the note and two new navigation buttons are available:

  Return to Res/Day Hab Daily Checklist - Clicking this button takes you directly back to the client's checklist from where you initially accessed the progress note.

  Note Index - Clicking this button takes you directly to the client's Progress Notes Editing Index page, which also displays under Services - Individual > Progress Notes.

  Access to E-Signed Progress Notes - Currently, if you click on a progress note that has been electronically signed from the daily or weekly view of the Res/Day Hab Daily Checklist, a pop-up message displays indicating the note has been locked and can no longer be edited. Now, when clicking on a progress note that has already been electronically signed, you are taken to the note confirmation page where you have the option to apply additional signatures (if you are eligible to sign it), as well as using the two new navigation buttons described above.

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This Month in HMIS

IMPORTANT! CSV version 6.11 will stop working on September 30, 2019. SSVF grantees should download their September SSVF export file on Monday, September 30th to avoid interruption. CSV version FY2020 will go live in early October. The new CSV version has many additional tables.

The FY2020 HMIS Data Standards changes are coming October 1, 2019. Full details will be shared in the October 2019 Footnotes newsletter, but here's a brief overview of the changes you can expect:

  Several of the data elements related to project setup are being changed and System Administrators may need to update Agency Program InformationContinuum Provider Agency Information, and HMIS Bed Inventory.

  The Entitlement Filter can no longer be used to separate out homeless clients. Projects which currently serve both homeless and non-homeless clients will need to be split into two projects. Contact your Foothold Senior Project Manager for assistance in this process.

  The changes to Intake/Admission are relatively minor, including some new list options in Previous Residence, fewer Special Needs follow-up questions, and an "Other/Specify" option for Sexual Orientation.

  A new Current Living Situation section is being added to Outreach, SSO, and Coordinated Entry projects. This section will be filled out each time you have an encounter with a client.

  Two new Coordinated Entry Data Elements are being added to track assessments and referrals. HMIS administrators will work with us to configure these forms and implement them into the Coordinated Entry process over the next 6 months.

  The CoC APR and ESG CAPER reports are both being updated.

A webinar reviewing all changes will be offered on Thursday, September 26, 2019 at 1:00 PM Eastern. To register, please see the FootholdConnect Events section above. The webinar will be recorded and made available for those who are unable to attend.

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Tip of the Month - Build Up Your ReportBuilders by Adding Data Variables

AWARDS ReportBuilders are powerful reporting tools that can be used to generate customized data reports to meet your unique reporting needs. Each ReportBuilder contains a variety of data variables relevant to the portion of AWARDS in which that ReportBuilder resides, but did you know you can actually add data variables to ReportBuilders?

Fields available for inclusion on the Demographics ReportBuilder (including FormBuilder fields) can be pulled into the HMIS ReportBuilder, Service Contacts ReportBuilder, and FormBuilder ReportBuilder.

Do you want to add Admission Date and Discharge Date to the Service Contacts ReportBuilder? We've got you covered. Need Primary Worker added to the FormBuilder ReportBuilder? We can do that too.

To request additional fields, contact the Help Desk for assistance. Be sure to list the exact field names to be pulled from the Demographics ReportBuilder, and specify which report they should be placed onto.

Bonus Tip!

If you want to use a custom field that doesn't already exist on the Demographics ReportBuilder, you can add it by using the FormBuilder tool to create a form with that field. On the Add New Field or Update Form Field page, click the Available on Related ReportBuilders checkbox to include the field as a variable for relevant ReportBuilders and enter the report label you want to use in the Report Field Label field. Doing this will place the custom field on the Demographics ReportBuilder (with the exception of fields from employee, incident, or group note forms).

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Foothold News & Blog

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

  We love showcasing how our client community is using AWARDS to make a difference in the lives of those they serve. Check out our recent blog highlighting our 2019 Impact Prize winners.

  Did you attend User's Conference this past July? Be sure to check out the photos we posted on the User's Conference web page. And don't forget - if you attended this year's User's Conference (in-person or virtually), you can access exclusive video recordings of all the sessions.

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