Nightly Absences

The Housing module Nightly Absences feature is an optional database enhancement that is used to track consumers' nights away from an agency program.

Permissions Required

Because the Nightly Absences feature is optional, it is not automatically available in all databases. When requested, it is turned on behind-the-scenes by Foothold Technology for all programs. (Contact the Help Desk if this feature is not currently turned on in your AWARDS database and you would like it to be.)

When turned on, the Nightly Absences feature is available for use by staff with the following permissions:

• Program Chart Access
• Display Any Chart Records Buttons
• Display Chart Records Housing Button

Working with Nightly Absences Records

• Click Census > Housing > Nightly Absences. The Nightly Absences Settings selection page will display. 
• Select the client from the Client drop-down menu. 
• Select the month and year for the nightly absences record you want to update. 
• Click Continue. The Nightly Absences Calendar page will display.
• Use the drop-down menu to select the reason code for the record being updated. Codes include:
  • • P - Present
    • A/H - Absent hospitalized
    • A/V - Absent vacation
    • A/O - Absent other
• Click Update. 

Viewing a Basic Nightly Absences Report

• Click the Reports icon. The Reports Index will display.
• Select the program from the Program drop-down menu. You can also select "All" or "Custom Grouping" to view more than one together. 
• Search for the Nightly Absences Report and click on the report's name. The Nightly Absences Settings page will display. 
• Select the client from the Client drop-down menu. 
• Select the date range. 
• Click Continue. The report will display. 

Using the Nightly Status ReportBuilder

The Nightly Status ReportBuilder generates custom reports of nightly status information and basic client demographics. 

• Click the Reports icon. The Reports Index will display. 
• Select the program from the Program drop-down menu. You can also select "All" or "Custom Grouping" to view more than one together. 
• Search for the Nightly Status ReportBuilder and click on the report's name. The Nightly Status ReportBuilder Settings page will display. 
• Select the grouping of clients to be included using the Roster Date Range drop-down menu. Available groupings include:
  • • In Program - clients with program history records indicating they were enrolled at any point in the specified date range.
    • In Program Including Pending Clients - Pending clients are clients in a multi-step intake program who have had an intake processed but who are not yet fully admitted - or clients for whom a room reservation has been made. Programs using Drop In functionality also create clients designated as pending. 
    • Admitted - Clients with program history records indicating they were admitted to the program at some point during the specified date range.
    • Admitted or Transferred In - For databases that use the Transfers module. This is clients with program history records indicating they were admitted to the program or transferred into the program (with the Transfers module) at any point in the specified date range.
    • Discharged - Clients who were discharged from the program at any point in the specified date range.
    • Discharged or Transferred Out - For databases that use the Transfers module. This is clients with program history records indicating they were discharged to the program or transferred out of the program (with the Transfers module) at any point in the specified date range.
• Adjust the date range as needed. Keep in mind that a 2-year period is the maximum length of time allowed. 
• By default the report includes all clients with records matching the report settings; any client without records matching those settings is excluded. If necessary, click one of the other Client radio buttons to make an adjustment to the included clients. Available selections are:
  • • Clients with Records
    • All Clients
    • Select Client
• For clients included in the report, contents are limited to nightly status records for dates during the date range specified using the Nightly Status Dates fields on this page. By default, that date range is set to report on nightly status records for the past 30 days. If necessary, make changes to that default date range. Keep in mind that a two year period of your choosing is the maximum length of time. 
• Leave the Provide ExportBuilder Options box unchecked. It is not relevant to report generation.
• Click the Send in AWARDS Messages option if you'd like the report (content and Excel file) to be sent to your AWARDS Messages inbox. 
• Use the Select a saved report format option to indicate if you will be generating a report from scratch or using a previously saved report format. 
• Click Continue. 
• If you are creating a report from scratch, you'll be taken to the Options page. This page includes a list of demographic and nightly status-related variables, grouped by information type. These variables represent data collected on the consumer face sheet, intake forms, and nightly status records. Select any variables you need. 
• Click Continue. The Options - Continued page will display.
• Configure the options in the "Filter Options" portion of the page as necessary to adjust the scope of the report contents. Set the "Show Individual Detail" and/or "Summary Tables" options to adjust the way in which the contents are displayed.
• To save the report settings so that this report can easily be re-run in the future, click Save Report Format.
• Configure the fields and options on this dialog box to indicate the specifics of how the format should be saved.
• Click Save Report Format. The report format is saved and the Report Options - Continued page is re-displayed.
• Click Display Report. The report is generated and displayed on the ReportBuilder page.

Nightly Absences FAQs

Q. Is nightly absences data entry and report viewing captured in the audit trail?

A. Yes. Using the Audit Trail ReportBuilder users can see a record of when data entry and report viewing was done and by whom. The audit content for nightly absences data entry will reflect the worker, consumer, program, and month for which data entry was done, along with the date and time of that data entry. (Note that all data entry activity is captured, regardless of whether any actual data changes were made prior to the Nightly Absences update button being clicked.) Similar content is also recorded for report viewing.

Q. Is the nightly absences code list configurable?

A. Yes, the default list of codes can be adjusted for all programs or by program type.

NOTE: Completion of this process requires the ListBuilder permission, assigned under Permissions Maintenance.

To make adjustments to the default codes list, complete the following steps from the AWARDS Home screen:

From the left-hand menu bar, click Administration, click Builders & Tools, and then click ListBuilder.
Click Nightly Statuses List from the lists index to open it in data entry mode.
Add to the list so that it is inclusive of every code needed by any and all program types.

IMPORTANT! Existing values should NOT be deleted from this list; doing so can have unexpected results in existing Nightly Absences records, as well as within the BillingBuilder.

Save your changes.
Contact the Help Desk to complete the configuration process. Please include the following in your request:

The complete list of statuses by program type.

A list of which statuses should be considered "Present," and of those which should be the default for nightly absences data entry.

A list of those statuses that should be considered "Hospital," and of those which should be the default for nightly absences data entry when there is a hospitalization record present.

The requested configuration will be put into place, and you will be notified when changes are complete.

Why are some nightly absence records locked from editing? Can I unlock them?

If your agency uses the BillingBuilder, nightly absences records become locked once an invoice has been generated for them; as a result, no edits can be made to those records. If it's necessary to unlock a specific record so that corrections can be made, all related batches must be deleted, keeping in mind that the invoice could potentially be attached to more than one.

Q. Why can't I change an "A/H" value to something else?

A. If a multi-day hospitalization episode has been entered for a consumer for the month and year selected during nightly absences data entry, the dates on which the consumer was in the hospital overnight automatically populate with "A/H" on the absences calendar If that information is incorrect, you cannot change the code on the nightly absences record; instead, you will need to make the change to the consumer's hospitalization record itself. The nightly absences record will then be automatically updated to reflect that change.

Q. Why do some nightly absences records automatically populate with "A/H"?

A. If a multi-day hospitalization episode has been entered for a consumer for the month and year selected during nightly absences data entry, the dates on which the consumer was in the hospital overnight automatically populate with "A/H" on the absences calendar (A "merged with hospitalization episodes data" message is displayed on the bottom of the page in these instances to help you identify the reason for the "A/H" values.)

For example, if a consumer was admitted to the hospital on 4/1/16 and discharged on 4/3/16 and that hospitalization was recorded in AWARDS, both 4/1 and 4/2 would be populated with "A/H" on the nightly absences calendar for that consumer, while 4/3 would default to "P." If the consumer was admitted to and discharged from the hospital on the same day, that date would also default to "P" because there was not an overnight hospital stay.

Q. Why don't I see the Nightly Absences feature in the Housing module?

A. The Nightly Absences feature is an optional database enhancement, and is not turned on by default. If you do not see the Nightly Absences feature in the Housing menu fly-out and would like it to be turned on in your AWARDS database, please contact the Help Desk for assistance.