Multi-Step Intake/Admission

Updated April 09, 2025 20:42

There are a few different ways to process an intake in AWARDS. One way is called Multi-Step Intake/Admission. This method requires staff to complete multiple steps between an applicant's screening and their admission. These steps include: 1) Creating a Referral Record, 2) Processing an Intake, and 3) Processing an Admission.

Permissions Required

The Multi-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 (only required to complete data entry for former clients or current clients without recent admission dates)
Discharged Application Evaluation Editing (only required to update the "Application Evaluation" portion of the intake/admission form after a client is discharged)

Step-By-Step Guide

Follow the guide below to learn how to process a Multi-Step Intake/Admission.

Creating a Referral Record

The first step in the Multi-Step Admission 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.

Client Search Functionality.png

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.

Intake Admission Menu Button.png

Image: Intake/Admission Menu button

Select the Program from the Program drop-down menu.

Intake Admission Search2.png

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.

Intake Admission Create New Application Button.png

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.

Intake Admission Update Referral Source.png

Image: Referral Information Form page

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

Intake Admission Referral Source Selection Settings.png

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.

Census - Intake Admission.png

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.

Intake Admission Search3.png

Image: Intake/Admission Search Criteria page

Click Continue. The Referral Search Results page will display.

Intake Admission Search Results Click Applicant.png

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.

Intake Admission Referral Form to Update.png

Image: Client's Referral Information Form

Make updates as needed.

Processing a Client Intake

The second step in the Multi-Step Admission process is to Process a Client/Consumer Intake. Follow the steps below.

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

Census - Intake Admission.png

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. Click Continue. The Referral Search Results will display.
Click the hyperlinked Client's Name in the Applicant column. The Referral Information Form page will display.
Review the referral and verify the following:
- - The referral source information has been entered
  - The correct referral status has been selected
Click Process Intake. The Process Intake page will display.
Configure the fields and options as needed.
Click Update. The Intake will be processed. The page that will display depends on how the program is configured:
- - Entitlements Collection - If the program is set to collect entitlements information at admission, you will be taken to the page to enter entitlements information.
  - Household Composition - If the program is set to collect household information, you will be taken to the page where you can place the client into a new or existing household.
  - Face Sheet - If entitlements or household are not configured for this program, you'll be taken to the client's face sheet.

Re-Processing a Client Intake

Sometimes it is necessary to re-process a client's intake; for example, if an intake date was entered incorrectly and needs to be corrected. To re-process an intake, follow the steps below:

Click Census>Intake/Admission from the left-side global navigation menu. The Intake/Admission Search page will display.
Select the Program from the Program drop-down menu.
Enter the First Name and/or Last Name of the client. Click Continue. The Referral Search Results will display.
Click the hyperlinked Client's Name in the Applicant column. The Referral Information Form page will display.
Click Re-Process Intake. The Process Intake page will display.
Configure and make changes as needed. Click Update.

Processing a Client Admission

The third step in the Multi-Step Admission process is to Process a Client/Consumer Admission. Follow the steps below.

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

Census - Intake Admission.png

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. Click Continue. The Referral Search Results will display.
Click the hyperlinked Client's Name in the Applicant column. The Referral Information Form page will display.
Review the referral and verify the following:
- - The referral source information has been entered
  - The correct referral status has been selected
Click Process Admission. The Process Admission page will display.
Configure the fields and options as needed.
Click Update. The Admission will be processed. The page that will display depends on how the program is configured:
Entitlements Collection - If the program is set to collect entitlements information at admission, you will be taken to the page to enter entitlements information.
Household Composition - If the program is set to collect household information, you will be taken to the page where you can place the client into a new or existing household.
Face Sheet - If entitlements or household are not configured for this program, you'll be taken to the client's face sheet.

Re-Processing a Client Admission

Sometimes it is necessary to re-process a client's admission; for example, if an admission date was entered incorrectly and needs to be corrected. To re-process an admission, follow the steps below:

Click Census>Intake/Admission from the left-side global navigation menu. The Intake/Admission Search page will display.
Select the Program from the Program drop-down menu.
Enter the First Name and/or Last Name of the client. Click Continue. The Referral Search Results will display.
Click the hyperlinked Client's Name in the Applicant column. The Referral Information Form page will display.
Click Re-Process Admission. The Process Admission page will display.
Configure and make changes as needed. Click Update.

Deleting an Unprocessed Referral Record

To delete a referral record that has not been used to process an intake or admission, complete the following steps:

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

Census - Intake Admission.png

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. Click Continue. The Referral Search Results will display.

Intake Admission Search Criteria.png

Image: Intake/Admission Search Criteria

Click the hyperlinked Client's Name in the Applicant column. The Referral Information Form page will display.

Intake Admission Name.png

Image: Intake/Admission Search Results - Click Name

Review the record and ensure it is the correct referral record to be deleted.

Intake Admission Delete Referral.png

Image: Intake/Admission Delete Referral Button

Scroll to the bottom of the page and click Delete Referral. The Delete Referral page will display.

Intake Admission Delete Confirmation.png

Image: Intake/Admission Confirm Delete

Click Confirm Delete.

Multi-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.

Please contact the Help Desk if your agency does not have the program status at admission option turned on and would like it turned on.

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 decide whether to also admit the parents as full clients in the program (possibly at a later date).

Please Note: For HMIS programs, a minor cannot be designated as the Head of Household/Primary Client if there is an adult in the household.

Q. Can the Process Intake button be removed from the referral form if our program only uses the Process Admission feature, never Process Intake?

A. Yes. To do so, please contact the Help Desk.

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

A. If the client is in a program that uses the multi-step intake process, the residence unit can be corrected by re-processing their admission.

Alternately, or if you are unable to re-process the admission for any reason, 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 program, client name, correct room assignments, and the corresponding move in dates.

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

A. Programs using the multi-step intake process can change a client's intake and admission dates using the re-processing features located on that client's referral form. Note that in the event that an incorrect date is not in the current calendar month, the "Startup Period Backdating" permission will be required in order to complete the date change.

Q. How do I change demographic data that was collected at intake/admission in a multi-step program?

A. Demographics data can always be modified by going to the Intake/Admission module and searching for the client. Click on the client's name to be taken to their referral form. If the client has already been discharged you'll be presented with a warning message letting you know that the "application evaluation" section of the form cannot be edited; however, that message does not apply to demographics data. Once you are on the referral form you can click Update Demographic Data to make changes to the demographics section of the client's referral form.

Q. How do I change which program an un-processed referral was created for?

A. For programs using the multi-step intake process, program placement within a referral can be changed in un-processed referrals using the process detailed under Updating a Referral Record. The Program Placement option is located in the "Application Evaluation" portion of the form.

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, they indicate 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 close out a "pending" client who is not going to be admitted to the program after all?

A. Because pending clients were never fully admitted to the program, they are not available for selection within the Discharge module where you would typically close out their program history if they were no longer in a program. Instead, to close out a pending client navigate to their referral form in the Intake/Admission module and change the Intake Status to one of the "Withdrawn" or "Rejected" status selections, as appropriate. Update the page to save your change and complete the closure process.

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 has not yet been admitted, do so from within their 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 multi-step intake process, the admission to the incorrect program must first be undone, using one of two methods noted below. Once that is complete, the program placement can be changed using the Program Placement option on the "Application Evaluation" portion of the referral form. When the referral has been saved with the correct program placement, it is necessary to re-open the referral through the new program before processing admission. To do so, return to the intake menu, select the correct program, enter the client's initials, and click SEARCH/CREATE. From the search results, open the referral to be processed, then click Process Admission and complete the admissions process as usual.

The process of undoing the admission can be completed in two ways - using the Undo Admission feature, or Program History Corrections. When turned on, the Undo Admission feature is located on client referrals beneath the Application Evaluation information; however, this feature is only available upon request and may not be turned on for your program. If Undo Admission is not available, use the Program History Corrections feature instead. If you do not have access to Program History Corrections, please contact the Help Desk for assistance.

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 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 delete a duplicate referral?

A. If the duplicate referral has not been used to process intake or admission, it can be deleted by using the Delete Referral button at the bottom of the referral page.

Q. How do I delete a referral tracking note?

A. To delete a referral tracking note, open the client's referral record and click Update Application Evaluation. The tracking note will then be available in data entry mode. Delete the note date and text (leaving the disposition status as is), and then click UPDATE. The note is then deleted.

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

A. Each time a client is admitted to a program, whether or not they were 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:

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.
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 them using the correct discharge date.
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 their admission and discharge dates. They will make corrections to the client's residence history so that it reflects that they stayed in the correct unit, and inform you when those changes are complete.
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. The process for undoing an admission depends on the type program in question:

Residential Programs - If it is necessary to undo an admission to a residential program that uses the multi-step intake process, complete the undo admission process using the Program History Corrections feature. If you do not have access to Program History Corrections, please contact the Help Desk for assistance. Be sure to provide them with the name of the client and program, as well as the admission date.
Non-Residential Programs - If it is necessary to undo an admission to a non-residential program that uses the multi-step intake process, If it is necessary to undo an admission to a residential program that uses the multi-step intake process, complete the undo admission process using the Program History Corrections feature. Alternately, when working with non-residential programs the Undo Admission feature can be used. This feature, which is located on client referrals beneath the application evaluation information, is only available upon request and may not be turned on for your program. To determine whether or not it is right for your program, please contact the Help Desk.

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 Success 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 determines which locations I see in the location selection list when scheduling an interview?

A. The locations available for selection are those that have been configured using the System Setup module, Agency Program Information, Configure Locations feature. If that feature has been used to create agency-wide locations, they are always included in the location drop-down list. You will also see in that list any locations configured for the specific program you are working with.

Q. What does it mean when a client is "*pending?"

A. Clients are marked as "*pending" when intake has been processed for them, but not admission - indicating that they are not officially on the roster of the program but that some data entry can be completed for them outside of the referral form. Specifically, once a client is pending they are available for data entry in several areas: face sheet, reception desk, charting timetable, service plans, plans and reviews, and the Calendar (for individual client events). Group notes and progress notes may also be written for a pending client if an option has been set behind-the-scenes in AWARDS to allow for it. Keep in mind that while pending clients are available for data entry in several areas, they are not included in all reports; for example, the Program Profile Report excludes pending clients.

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 they are 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 Primary Client. 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 Primary client 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 Primary Client 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 is the difference between Process Intake and Process Admission when using the multi-step intake process?

A. Process Intake is an optional and intermediate step in the admissions process. It places the client into a program as "*pending" to enable users to begin entering data for the client outside of the referral record prior to their admission, but the client is not officially added to the roster of the program or placed within a residence unit at the program (if applicable).

Process Admission fully places the client into the program. Once admission is processed the client is included on the current roster for that program, is placed into a residence unit (if applicable), and data entry can be completed in all portions of their records. They will also appear on reports throughout the system.

Q. What is the standard date window for intake/admission processing?

A. The admission date drop-down will go back 14 days, unless the user has the "Startup Period Backdating" permission, in which case they can type in a date rather than select one. The backdating window is adjustable (it's automatically set at 10000 days), but the default date list cannot be adjusted.

Q. What should the "move in date" field in the intake form's demographics section contain?

A. The address and move in date information on the referral form is meant to capture where the client was living at the time of admission and the date on which they moved into that residence. As a result, the move in date should always be prior to the client's program admission date.

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 can make corrections to the "Application Evaluation" portion of a discharged client's intake form?

A. In programs that use multi-step intake/admission there is a general rule that users cannot update the application evaluation portion of an intake form after a client is discharged. An exception is granted for users with the Discharged Application Evaluation Editing permission.

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. Who is included in the "Screeners" and "Interviewers" selection lists on the referral form?

A. The Screeners and Interviewers selection lists are comprised of:

The user doing the referral record data entry.
Anyone in the "Intake Staff" user group.
Anyone with the "Referral Data Entry" permission and chart access to the selected program (or at least one of the programs if a group of programs has been selected).
Anyone who has been selected as a screener or interviewer for the selected program, or anyone who has entered a referral tracking note for a referral with a screening date in the past 90 days for the selected program (or any of the programs in a group of programs).
Anyone who has the "Include in Direct Care Staff Lists" permission and chart access to the program for which the referral was created.

Q. Why am I no longer able to update a referral tracking note that I entered?

A. The following rules must be observed when working with referral tracking notes:

Notes can only be updated by the original writer.
Notes can only be edited within 90 days of the note date.
Note writers cannot create new notes using the same status and date as an existing note they previously wrote.
Note dates must be dated with the screening date or later, and cannot be post-dated later than next year.

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 their 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 am I unable to update all of the referral tracking notes on a client's referral record?

A. The following rules must be observed when working with referral tracking notes:

Notes can only be updated by the original writer.
Notes can only be edited within 90 days of the note date.
Note writers cannot create new notes using the same status and date as an existing note they previously wrote.
Note dates must be dated with the screening date or later, and cannot be post-dated later than next year.

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 can I access the face sheet of some clients whose intake has been processed but not others?

A. Clients with an intake status of "On-Hold" are not available for face sheet data entry.

Q. Why can't I change a client's program status when re-processing an admission?

A. If your AWARDS database was configured to capture program status information at admission, any changes made to a client's admission record will, by design, not impact the program status record that was created when the admission was originally processed. As a result, the program status selection on the re-process admission form is read-only and cannot be changed. If a corresponding program status correction is necessary, it must be made manually using the Program Status feature within the Services - Individual module.

Q. Why can't I change the status of a "withdrawn" or "rejected" referral?

A. Once a referral for a pending client has been set to "Withdrawn" or "Rejected" changes can no longer be made to the status of that referral. If such a change is required, please contact the Help Desk for assistance. Help Desk users with access to the Program History Corrections feature can open the necessary field by following the Changing a "Withdrawn" or "Rejected" Intake Status procedure. Be sure to provide the Help Desk with the name of the client and program in question, the date on the referral you are working with, as well as the status to which the referral should be changed.

Q. Why can't I find a referral I created for a client in a program grouping like "All Housing Programs" or "All Employment Programs?"

A. Only users who have chart access to all of the programs in a particular program grouping can see referrals to the program grouping. Therefore, it is recommended that all referrals be made for specific programs.

Q. Why does a client who only had intake processed and was then withdrawn/rejected have a discharge date in the Intake/Admission module?

A. If a client had intake processed for them but was later withdrawn or rejected rather than admitted, the discharge date represents the date on which they were withdrawn or rejected. That is also the date on which the client ceased to be "pending" in the system. The discharge date in the Intake/Admission module only represents an actual discharge date if the client was fully admitted into the program and then discharged using the Discharge module's Process Discharge feature.

Q. Why don't I see the Delete Referral button for a referral I want to delete?

A. The Delete Referral button is only available on referral forms for which neither intake nor admission has been processed. If you are not seeing the button, one or both of these steps have been completed for the referral. To verify whether that is the case you can:

Check the other options on the referral - If you see a "Re-Process Intake," "Re-Process Admission," or "Undo Admission" button on the referral form, it is an indication that intake and/or admission has been processed using the referral, and as a result it cannot be deleted.
Check consumer Search - Search for the client using consumer Search to check their status in the program. "In Program Since ?" under consumer Search indicates that intake was processed. "In Program Since" followed by a date indicates that admission was processed.

Q. Why is a client who was admitted not on the program's current roster?

A. If it appears that a client whose admission has been processed is not on the current roster of their program, first check that client's status using the Client Search feature on the AWARDS Home screen. An admitted client will show as being in the program since a specific date. If that is the case and there is also no discharge date on that record in Client Search, please contact the Help Desk for assistance.

If the client shows up in the Client Search results as only having an "Accepted-Admission" referral for the program in question, it is an indication that the admissions process was not completed. Without a complete admission, a client will not be included on the current roster for the program. Open the client's referral record from within the Intake module and click Process Admission to admit them into the program.

Q. Why is a client whose status is "accepted-admission" not on the program's current roster?

A. There are three possible reasons a client whose referral is set to "Accepted-Admission" may not be appearing on the current roster for the program:

The client has already been discharged - Once a referral has been processed using the Process Admission feature, the status of that referral does not change from "Accepted-Admission," even after the client is discharged. To determine whether or not the client has been discharged, check for a date in the "Discharge Date" column on the Referral Search Results page in the Intake/Admission module, or use the Consumer Search feature on the AWARDS Home screen.
The admission was not processed - Setting the status of a referral to "Accepted-Admission" is required in order to process a client's admission; however, setting the status does not complete the admissions process. The user must click Process Admission on the Referral Information Form page and enter the required admission information before the client will be added to the roster of the program. To determine whether or not the client has been fully admitted, check for a date in the "Admission Date" column on the Referral Search Results page in the Intake/Admission module, or use the Consumer Search feature on the AWARDS Home screen. Within the Client Search results, an admitted client will show as being in the program since a specific date, while an unadmitted client will only show as having an "Accepted-Admission" referral to the program.
The client's name was entered in reverse order - In some instances a client cannot be located because their name was reversed during the admissions process. If you can locate the client by looking for their first name as the last name and a correction needs to be made, that can be done from within the client's face sheet in the Profile module.

Q. Why is a referral whose status was set to "Psychosocial Screening" keep changing to a status of "1st intake interview?"

A. If the referral contains information on one or more intake interviews that have dates in the past, the referral status cannot be set to "Psychosocial Screening." In such cases the system will automatically correct the status for you, and will set it to "1st Intake Interview" by default.

Q. Why isn't an agency name displayed for some referral sources? I'm only seeing an individual's name or "New Contact Person" listed.

A. There is an option we can turn on behind-the-scenes to add an "Other" option for Referral Source, in addition to the default "Self" and "Agency" selections. In the event that this option has been turned on, choosing "Other" will enable you to collect just the name and phone number of a referral, without specifying an agency. When viewing a Referral Information Report in these cases, the source column displays the name entered. If you choose "Other" but do not enter a name and phone number, the referral source displays as "New Contact Person" on both the Referral Information form and the Referral Information Report.

Q. Why isn't gender a required field on the intake form for programs using multi-step intake?

A. When a program is set up to use the single-step intake process, gender is required at the time the intake form is completed. When a program is set up to use the multi-step intake process intake is also required; however, it is required at a different point in the process. Specifically, it is not required when the intake record is initially created, but it is required once the user chooses to "Process Intake" or "Process Admission." At that time the process intake/admission page has "Gender" as a required field.

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 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.

Q. Why when attempting to re-process a client's admission do I receive a "re-do admission disallowed for prior months" error?

A. This error is received when, during re-processing, you change an incorrect intake or admission date that is not in the current calendar month without having the "Startup Period Backdating" permission. Users with that permission can make this type of adjustment without error.

Q. Will deleting an unprocessed referral record affect any of the consumer's other referrals or program history records?

A. No. When the Delete Referral button at the bottom of the Referral Information Form page is used to delete an unprocessed referral, it will not affect any other records for that client. Only when Delete Consumer is used to remove the records for admitted clients is there the potential to affect multiple records.