Single-Step Intake/Admission

The Single-Step Intake/Admission process in AWARDS includes an intake form, followed by a determination of whether or not a client should be admitted. 

Permissions Required

• The Single-Step Intake/Admission functionality is available to users with the following permissions:
• Program Chart Access
• Display Any Chart Records Buttons
• Display Chart Records Intake/Admission Button
• Admissions Referrals Data Entry
• Program Admission/Discharge
• Startup Period Backdating (required only to complete data entry for former clients or current clients without recent admission dates)

Creating a Referral Record

The first step in the process is to create a referral record. Follow the steps below. 

• Use the Search Client functionality to search for the client you're admitting. Click Search. The Consumer Results Search page will display.

Image: Search Client window

• If there is an existing record for the client being admitted, take note of how the name, date of birth, and SSN are recorded. This information will need to be entered in the exact same manner when creating the referral so that a duplicate program record is not created.
• Click the Intake/Admission Menu button. The Intake/Admission Search page will display. 

Image: Intake/Admission Menu button  

• Select the Program from the Program drop-down menu. 

Image: Intake/Admission Search page

• Enter the client's Fist Name and Last Name. Click Continue. The Referral Search Results page will display.
• Based on your search results, follow the guidance below:
  • • If the client has an existing referral with an admission date but NO discharge date, they are currently already on the program's roster and a new admission should not be processed. 
    • If the client has an existing referral with NO admission date but screening and status date for this program admission, use that information to process the client's admission. Skip the rest of the Referral Creation process to prevent a duplicate record from being created. Instead, continue with Processing a Consumer Intake or Processing a Consumer Admission.
    • If the client does NOT have an existing referral record, continue the steps below.
• Click Create New Application. The Referral Information Form page will display.

Image: Create New Application button

• Complete the application evaluation portion of the referral form.
• Click Create Referral. The application evaluation will save and a read-only report version will display. 

Image: Referral Information Form page

• Click Update Referral Source. The Referral Source Selection Settings page will display. 

Image: Referral Source Selection Settings page

• Select the appropriate Referred By option and record the associated data. 
• Click Continue. The Referral Information Form page will display again with the updated information.
• Make additional changes as needed in the Application Evaluation section or the Demographic Data section. Click the corresponding Update button. 

 

Updating a Referral Record

• Click Census>Intake/Admission from the left-side global navigation menu. The Intake/Admission Search page will display.

Image: Census > Intake/Admission Menu

• Select the Program from the Program drop-down menu. 
• Enter the First Name and/or Last Name of the client.

Image: Intake/Admission Search Criteria page

• Click Continue. The Referral Search Results page will display.

Image: Intake/Admission Search Results Page - Click Client's Name

• Click the client's name in the Applicant column. Their Referral Information Form will display. 

Image: Client's Referral Information Form

• Make updates as needed. 

 

Single-Step Intake/Admission FAQs

Q. Can a program status record be created automatically when a client is admitted?

A. Yes. For agencies configured to use the Program Status feature, there is a behind-the-scenes option that can be turned on to capture program status information at admission. If this option is set and a program status is selected on the admission form, a program status record is created at the time the admission is processed. That record, the start date of which will reflect the client's admission date into the program, is then available within the Program Status feature where it can be updated or deleted as needed.

Q. Can children under the age of 18 be designated as the primary client and have parent information entered in the household as well?

A. Yes, there is no age restriction for the primary client. When you admit a new household with this scenario into the program, be sure to admit the CHILD first. This is because the first client placed in the household will be set as the primary client. Then, enter the parents as household members (if desired). Once the parents are added as household members, you can then designed whether to also admit the parents as full clients in the program (possibly at a later date).

Q. Can FormBuilder forms be placed on the single step admission page?

A. Yes, there are two form locations that can be utilized with the single step admission process:

• Intake/Admission - as a linked form on the Intake/Admission form - Displays a link to the form on the intake/admission form after intake or admission is processed.
• Admission - as an embedded form in the single-step admission form - Integrates your form into the admission form, where it will be accessible at the bottom of the page under a heading labeled with the form's name.

Q. Can I change a client's screening date after intake/admission?

A. No. When using the single-step intake process, the screening date cannot be changed after the client's intake has been processed.

Q. How do I access / update referral source information?

A. The referral source is not available for data entry until after the admission has been processed. After you process the admission, you will be taken to the Household Composition page. After joining the client to a household, you will be shown a list of all household members who have been admitted into the program. Each household member will have a green check mark next to his/her name, which will take you back to the admission form for that client. From that form you can make changes to the referral source information as needed. Alternatively, you can always access the completed admission forms from the Intake/Admission module for this purpose.

Note that some AWARDS databases are configured to enable users to update referral source information directly from client face sheets. In those instances clicking Update Referral Source from the appropriate face sheet is a quicker and easier way to make corrections. If you do not currently see the Update Referral Source button on client face sheets and would like to, please reach out to the Help Desk for assistance.

Q. How do I change a client's residence unit if the wrong one was selected during the admissions process?

A. Use the Program History Corrections feature to correct the client's record. If you don't have access to Program History Corrections, please contact the Help Desk for assistance and provide them with the client and program names, as well as the admission date and correct residence unit.

Q. How do I change an intake or admission date?

A. The process for changing an intake or admission date depends on the type program in question:

Residential Programs - Residential programs that use the single-step intake process cannot change intake dates on the client's intake form. In the event that an intake date change is required, use the Program History Corrections feature. If you don't have access to Program History Corrections, please contact the Help Desk for assistance. Be sure to provide them with the client and program names, the incorrect date, and the correct date.

Non-Residential Programs - Non-residential programs that use the single-step intake process can change an intake date by opening the client's intake form, changing the date, and updating. Note that if the incorrect date is not in the current calendar month, the "Startup Period Backdating" permission is required in order to complete this process.

Q. How do I change which version of the referral form or intake process my program uses?

A. When a program is added to the AWARDS system, the person completing the program setup specifies whether it uses a single- or multi-step intake process. Additionally, he or she indicates whether or not the program submits the HUD APR. Both of those selections are used to determine which version of the referral form is used by the program.

After program setup is complete, it is possible to change a program from single- to multi-step intake or vice versa; however, such a change is best made prior to completion of any client data entry in that program. If such a change is required, please contact the Help Desk for assistance.

If it is necessary to change the setting used to indicate whether or not a program submits the APR, a user with the appropriate level of access can use the System Setup module, Agency Program Information, Add/Edit Entire Program feature to do so.

Q. How do I correct a reversed client name?

A. To correct the name of a client who has been admitted, use the Demographics Data portion of the face sheet. Adjust the name order as necessary, and then update. When name corrections are made in this way they will impact the data on the intake form for that client as well.

To correct the name of a client who was not admitted, do so from within his or her intake form by first correcting the first name, updating, and then correcting the last name. AWARDS will not allow changes to be made to both names at once from this location, so it must be done using a two-step process.

Q. How do I correct client admission into the wrong program?

A. When a program uses the single-step intake process, the admission to the incorrect program must be undone, and a new intake form must be filled out for the correct program. If no services have been entered for the client in the program, use the Program History Corrections feature to remove the admission date. If you don't have access to Program History Corrections, or if services have already been entered for the client in the wrong program, please contact the Help Desk for assistance in undoing the incorrect admission.

Q. How do I correct the referral source of an admitted client?

A. By default databases are configured so that referral source information is accessible via the Intake/Admission module after admission has been processed. To do so, it requires opening the client's referral record, clicking Update Referral Source, and then making the necessary changes.

Some databases though are configured to enable users to update referral source information directly from client face sheets. In those instances clicking Update Referral Source from the appropriate face sheet is a quicker and easier way to make corrections. If you do not currently see the Update Referral Source button on client face sheets and would like to, please reach out to the Help Desk for assistance.

Q. How do I edit the Intake/Admission date on the intake form for a client in a Nightly Emergency Shelter program?

A. In the Intake/Admission module, search for the client and click his/her name to open the Shelter Bed Placement Form. Change the date as needed and the screen will refresh; the form will then be populated with the data you had previously entered on the form for that day, including the bed the client was in.

Q. How do I enter a returning client into the system?

A. Each time a client is admitted to a program, whether or not he or she was in that program previously, a new referral must be created.

In the event that this is not the client's first admission to the program, and the optional Intake/Admission Cloning functionality is available in the database (on in HMIS databases by default), you can choose to enter only the client's unique identifying information during the referral creation process (on the Intake Records Search page), and previously entered information for that client will drop into portions of the referral form. Note that in this context identifying information includes the client's full (case sensitive) first name, last name, social security number, and alias (if applicable).

Q. How do I get a wider range of intake/admission dates to choose from?

A. In order to backdate intake or admission, the "Startup Period Backdating" permission is required. This permission, which is assigned using the System Setup module Permissions Maintenance feature, enables the user to type in an intake or admission date rather than select one from a list of recent dates.

Q. How do I process admission for a client who has already been discharged when someone else is currently living in his/her residence unit?

A. The residence units available for selection when processing admission are those units that are currently available, not those available as of the admission date. (Run a housing report in Housing module with the "Residence History" option selected to check unit availability as of particular dates.) As a result, admissions must be processed in order.

In the event that admissions have been processed out of order and it is necessary to "backfill" a record for a former client, the following steps must be completed:

1. Admit the client into a temporary residence unit in the program using the correct admission date. If no residence units are currently available, you (or another user with the required level of authority) will need to create a temporary unit in the program using the System Setup module Residence Units feature.
2. Once the client has been admitted into the temporary unit, enter any other client records as needed (progress notes, contacts log entries, etc.), then discharge him or her using the correct discharge date.
3. Upon completion of step 2, contact the Help Desk. Be sure to provide them with the name of the client and program, the correct residence unit assignment for the client, and his or her admission and discharge dates. They will make corrections to the client's residence history so that it reflects that he or she stayed in the correct unit, and inform you when those changes are complete.
4. If a temporary unit was created in step 1, it should be closed out at this point in the process using the System Setup module Residence Units feature. When doing so, enter a last available date that is the same as the first available date so that the unit will be deleted rather than archived.

If a temporary unit was not completed, no further action is required.

Q. How do I undo an accidentally processed admission?

A. If it is necessary to undo an admission to a program that uses the single-step intake process, use Program History Corrections to remove the admission date (keeping in mind that the intake form information cannot be retained when the admission record is removed). If you don't have access to Program History Corrections, or if services have already been entered for the client in the wrong program, please contact the Help Desk for assistance in undoing the incorrect admission.

Q. How does "Disabling Condition" auto-calculate in HMIS programs?

A. AWARDS calculates "Disabling Condition" at Intake/Admission based on the answers to the Special Needs questions and the Income Sources. If a client has answered "Yes" to the first follow-up question next to any Special Need, or the client has any income sources related to disability (SSI/SSDI/VA Disability), then AWARDS changes the Disabling Condition value to "Yes." Note however, that Disabling Condition can be overwritten by a worker, in which case the edited value will be saved, replacing what was auto-calculated. if the edited value is inconsistent with the answers that have been provided under Special Needs and/or Disability Income, AWARDS will suggest that the worker re-examine the Disabling Condition value.

Q. How is the "days open" information calculated on the Referral Search Results page?

A. The days open count on the search results page is the number of days, excluding weekends, between the forms received date for the referral and the admission date (for consumers who have been admitted), the disposition date (if the referral's screening status is a resolved outcome other than admission), or today's date (if the referral's screening status is unresolved). If no forms received date has been entered the days open value will be blank. If the disposition date is before the forms received date, the days open value will be "Disposition Date Before Forms Received."

Q. Our program serves children. What should we do when required admission fields do not apply to them?

A. If the program is set up to submit the HUD APR, is set up to submit data to a CoC, or is part of an HMIS database, the admission form adjusts when a minor is being admitted into the program. These adjustments are based on the HMIS Data Standards which specifies which Universal and Program-Specific Data Elements must be collected for All Clients, Only Adults, or Only Adults and Unaccompanied Youth. If the minor being admitted is a member of a household that has an adult admitted into the program, only the Universal and Program-Specific Data Elements that apply to "All Clients" will appear on the minor's admission form. If the minor is unaccompanied and no adult in the household is admitted into the program, only the Universal and Program-Specific Data Elements that apply to "All Clients" and "Unaccompanied Youth" will appear on the minor's admission form.

If the program is NOT set up to submit the HUD APR or to a CoC, you may want to revisit the configuration of your admission forms, adjusting required fields and drop-down lists where appropriate.

Q. We are a HUD program that reports to the Continuum of Care. Should we be admitting household members as clients and/or documenting individual services for them?

A. Whether or not you should be admitting household members and/or documenting services for them is a programmatic decision. It depends on your contract requirements and reporting needs. Please discuss the options with your Senior Project Manager if you need assistance.

Q. What are the "Add to Waiting List" and "Place Clients From Waiting Lists" options I see for some programs used for?

A. The AWARDS Waiting Lists feature enables users to place clients from a source program onto a customized waiting list if they meet a set of agency-specified criteria. From a waiting list clients can then be placed into destination programs. These tasks can be performed from a variety of locations in the Intake/Admission and Profile modules.

Q. What does the warning "Are you sure that this is the correct spelling..." mean?

A. This warning message indicates that AWARDS has found a possible duplicate client record with either the same Social Security number as the client whose intake/admission is being processed, or a matching name and birth date. When this message is received, we recommend using Client Search to search for the client's name and/or Social Security number to confirm whether or not he/she is already in the system. This can help in preventing duplicate client records.

Q. What if we don't know during the primary client's admission process if other household members should be admitted? Can we process their individual admissions later?

A. You can always opt to not admit certain household members when admitting the primary client. If you decide later that a household member should be admitted, you can either:

Process a fresh admission for them in the Intake/Admission module. If the admission is processed with the same First Name, Last Name, DOB and SSN, AWARDS will recognize that the client is already assigned to a household.

- OR -

Access the household composition form for the primary client (or any other admitted household member) and click the "Create Admission" link that displays on the Household Composition tab for the unadmitted household member. Clicking this link redirects you to a pre-populated admission form (for single-step programs) or referral form (for multi-step programs) for the selected program.

Q. What is the correct process for adding to a household?

A. If you're admitting a new household in its entirety - Begin in the Intake/Admission module and admit the client who will be labeled as the Head of Household. After the admission is complete, use the Household Composition button on the face sheet of that client to continue adding household members, and follow the prompts on that page to admit them. If you're unable to admit the entire household at once and you need to add another household member at a later date, see the next two bullets.

If you're adding or admitting new household members to an existing household -

• HMIS Programs - Begin on the face sheet of the Head of Household of the household to which the new members are being added. Use the Household Composition button there to continue adding household members, and follow the prompts on that page to admit them, if needed. Do not admit the new household members by starting at the Intake/Admission module and then linking them to the household, as that may cause more data to be captured for the new members than necessary.
• Non-HMIS programs - Begin on the face sheet of the Head of Household of the household to which the new members are being added. Use the Household Composition button there to continue adding household members, and follow the prompts on that page to admit them. Alternatively, you can begin at the Intake/Admission module and admit the household member, then follow the prompts to add them to the existing household.

Q. What types of dates is an intake records search looking at when the date range option is used on the Intake Records Search/Create page?

A. The intake records search looks at the screening date entered within each client's intake/referral record.

Q. Who can enter information into the Banned List on the Intake/Admission search results page in AWARDS?

A. Anyone with chart access to a particular program can add clients to the Banned List for that program. Staff designated as the program's Director or Deputy Director (via System Setup > Agency Program Information > Configure Administration) can enter ban end dates and revoke dates, and delete banned list records.

Q. Who is included in the "Primary Worker" selection list when processing intake/admission?

A. The staff in the primary worker selection list is limited to those who have chart access to the program AND either:

the "include in direct care staff lists" permission

- OR -

a user group assignment that places them in one of the following groups: Direct Care Program Director, Direct Care Staff, Intake Staff, Housing Reception Desk Staff, Entitlements Staff, CoC Executive Officer, Executive Officer, or Agency Executive Officer

Q. Why am I receiving an error that the residence unit I've selected during the admissions process is unavailable? I chose one that is vacant.

A. The residence units available for selection when processing admission are those units that are currently available, not those available as of the admission date. If the residence unit in which the client should be placed is not available as of his or her admission date, it indicates that at some point another client was incorrectly placed into that unit and that residence history records will need to be corrected before you can proceed.

Check for residence unit conflicts by going into the Housing module and running a report using the "Residence History" option. The report results will show you who has resided in that unit over the period of time specified with the residence history date range. If the residence history is incorrect, use the Program History Corrections feature to make the necessary corrections. If you do not have access to Program History Corrections, please contact the Help Desk for assistance. Be sure to provide them with a complete list of any changes that need to be made. For each change include the name of the client and program, the correct residence unit assignment, and the dates on which the client resided in that unit.

Q. Why are referrals missing from the results when I search by date range?

A. When you search with a date range, the system sorts the matches alphabetically, but the records are not retrieved by name. Instead, it is looking for the X most recent referrals (where X is the number of matches you have elected to display) with screening dates between the start and end date you set in the date range. As a result, if the number of matches is not set high enough, some older referrals may be left off the search results even if they fall within the set date range and the client names are early in the alphabet. To ensure that the search results include all applicable referrals, select a high value for the "Limit Search Results to" option on the Intake Records Search page.

Q. Why wasn't the date range applied when I searched for referrals?

A. The intake search uses either a name OR a date range, not both. If both are entered, the date range will be ignored.

Q. Why do I see a number instead of a name in the primary worker field on the intake form?

A. The number you are seeing in the Primary Worker field is the Employee ID of a terminated employee. When an employee is terminated and his/her caseload is not re-assigned, the information in this field changes from the employee's name to their ID number.

Q. Why, when attempting to process a client's admission, do I receive an "intake date before referral screening date" error?

A. A client's screening date must be the same as, or prior to, a client's intake date. In the event that the intake date is set to something before the screening date, an error message will be generated prompting the user to make a correction.