FootNotes - February 2022

What's New in AWARDS

The following new features, enhancements, and updates will be available in your AWARDS database beginning on Wednesday, February 23rd. Once you’ve had a chance to try these new features out, please let us know how they work for you. We welcome your feedback!

February 2022 Enhancements (38 min)

CSV Uploads ReportBuilder - New Data Variables

Imported Clients, Imported Enrollments, and Source Database have been added as data variables within the General section of the CSV Uploads ReportBuilder. These fields will pull in the total number of clients imported per program, total number of program episodes imported per program, and the source database name, respectively. Users should now be able to use this ReportBuilder, which provides much more reporting flexibility, in place of the CSV Uploads Report.

Demographics ReportBuilder - Residential Program Street Address

When a client is in both a residential and non-residential program in AWARDS, the residential program address will now display as their street address in a consistent manner in the Demographics ReportBuilder. The Apt Bed/Unit will no longer appear under Street Address but will instead be available under the Street Address: Bed/Unit field.

Medications - Button Added to Sync Data Between Medications and MedSupport

A Sync button has been added to the toolbar in the Medications index. If the data on the Medications screen in AWARDS does not match the data in MedSupport, click the new Sync button to force an update between the two systems and ensure that you are seeing the most recent changes.

Pronouns and Preferred Name - Now Available in AWARDS

Pronouns and Preferred Name are new data elements that can be collected for clients in the following locations in AWARDS:

• single-step admission form
• multi-step admission form
• face sheet

The Pronouns and Preferred Name field labels can be customized per the agency’s preference and both data elements are available in the Demographics section of all client-centric ReportBuilders. Configuration for these fields can be requested through the AWARDS Help Desk.

• Pronouns - The Pronoun field is a drop-down selection list with a default set of options that can be customized in our new Pronouns ListBuilder list by users with access to ListBuilder (This ListBuilder list exists automatically and does NOT need to be created first.)

• Preferred Name - The Preferred Name field is a data entry field that can also now be used as a search parameter in the Client Search feature once the Preferred Name field is turned on for an agency. The Client Search Results page will display the preferred name in parenthesis next to the client’s name.

Providers - Now Available in All AWARDS Databases!

Previously, Providers functionality was an optional alternative to the existing Support Services Contacts feature within the Medical module, and was not automatically available in all AWARDS databases (with the exception of agencies who are newer to AWARDS). However, in preparation to transition databases still currently using Support Services Contacts to solely use our more robust Providers functionality, the Providers module will now be available under Charts > Medical for  ALL AWARDS databases, and the Providers Directory is available to collect provider information. If your agency is in the process of transitioning from Support Services Contacts to the new Providers features, you can now give users permission to transition clients on an individual basis. When a user has the permission granted, s/he will have a toggle under Support Service Contacts for a client to enable that client's Provider records in place of the Support Services Contacts records. Once this switch is made for a client, it cannot be retracted to go back to using the Support Services Contact records. If your agency is still using Support Services contacts and needs to upgrade to Providers, you should attend our Providers Transition webinar on March 22nd @ 3:00 PM ET. 

ReportBuilders - Demographics Available for Two Additional ReportBuilders

As part of our ongoing efforts to make the ReportBuilders across AWARDS more comprehensive and user-friendly, we've added an exciting new enhancement:

Previously, Demographics ReportBuilder data variables could be pulled in as extra fields for a variety of ReportBuilders such as: Calendar Events ReportBuilder, Diagnoses, ReportBuilder, FormBuilder ReportBuilder, HMIS ReportBuilder, Service Contacts ReportBuilder, and more. Now, those data variables can be added to two more ReportBuilders upon request:

• Hospital Episodes ReportBuilder

• Providers ReportBuilder

 To request such an addition, 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.

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A Look at What's Ahead...

E-Signature Enhancements

Our team is constantly working to improve AWARDS based on feedback we hear from our customers. Two exciting feature enhancements many of you have asked for related to E-Signatures are getting their turn on the development calendar!

• Progress Notes - Edits after E-Signatures - We have received many requests to allow corrections to be applied to progress notes without removing e-signatures. Often, a supervisor will review a note and ask the note writer to make certain modifications or corrections, but want the e-signature to remain intact and reflected as the signature is required “contemporaneously.” We are excited to let you know we will be working on this feature for release in Q2!

• Remote Signing - We are also planning work for Remote Signing features to allow sending requests and links to clients or contacts for an e-signature on a note/form that won’t require an AWARDS login or being in-person with an employee logged in.

ReportBuilder/ExportBuilder Automatic Scheduling

We are excited to announce that the development of a scheduler feature for ReportBuilder and ExportBuilder is underway! This feature will allow you to schedule saved reports or export formats to be run automatically and arrive in your AWARDS messages. We anticipate the release of this feature at the beginning of Q2!

Future Enhancement Release Dates

Here are the dates for the next couple of AWARDS product releases so that you can keep them on your radar:

• April 6, 2022
• May 18, 2022

All deployments (subject to change) are scheduled for the evenings prior to the dates listed here, making the new features and functionality they provide available to users bright and early on release days.

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Connect With Us!

To see which training sessions and webinars are coming soon, check out the Upcoming Events in FootholdConnect (accessible from your AWARDS navigation bar). You can also see a current calendar of upcoming events here in the Resource Center. See something you're interested in? Register today!

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News You Can Use!

Tip of the Month - Bookmarking the Resource Center

By now we hope you’ve had a chance to explore the new AWARDS Resource Center! But did you know that the Resource Center is not just accessible from within AWARDS? It can also be bookmarked in your browser for quick and easy direct access! The bookmarking process varies a bit from browser to browser, so we’ve got you covered. Check out the following resources for bookmarking instructions in a few of the most commonly used browsers:

• Google Chrome
• Microsoft Edge
• Firefox

Got 90 Minutes? - We’ve Got a Great Training Option for You!

90 minutes to win it! - Purchase training in 90-minute blocks so you can hone in on the content that your staff need and nothing else! Wonder what 90 minutes of training can get you? How about a team review of how to complete treatment plans? Or do you need to build a form and not know where to begin? We can help with that! Plus, all sessions will be recorded so you can have them in your training library. Click here to check out some other ways to win in just 90 minutes! Sessions are $300 each and can be purchased now for later use. To purchase training, contact your Foothold Customer Experience representative today!

Blog of the Month - Trends in Human Services

In this month’s blog, we take a look at how understanding and building components of the care economy within your organization can enhance organizational culture, provide benefits to the organization and staff, and improve organizational alignment. Read our blog to learn about four concepts that organizations can consider in their efforts towards becoming a “caring company”.

Social Media Push - Follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook

We’re working to expand the influence of our social media, and we need your help! Please make sure to follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook. Also, we want to celebrate all the amazing work you do, so tag us in your posts or email [e-mail] and we’ll make sure we help spread the word.

Our Podcast Continues - Sharing In Our Caring

If you haven’t taken the leap yet, Foothold Technology launched a podcast, Sharing In Our Caring, last year! Click here to check it out, or you can search for it on your preferred podcast platform (you can find it on most podcast platforms.) We can't wait to hear what you think! If you're a podcast listener, please subscribe, rate, review, and help us spread the word!

We’re working on our next episode and have more episodes planned. If there is a particular topic that you think we should cover, or if you want to be a guest on our podcast, please email [e-mail]. We’ll review your suggestions and see if we can work them into the programming.

Foothold Gives Back - Meet Project Night Night and Knock Knock Give a Sock

In 2019, Foothold joined the Pledge 1% movement, which commits us to donate 1% of our profits back to the community each year. At the end of the year, the Foothold team nominates and votes on organizations (non-Foothold customers) they think should receive a portion of our 1% donation, and in 2021 we’re thrilled to have selected the following organizations whose missions and values are consistent with ours:

• Project Night Night - This non-profit organization donates over 30,000 Night Night Packages per year to homeless children 12 and under, with the goal of providing these children a predictable source of security and high-quality reading materials during their time of upheaval. Night Night Packages include a security blanket, an age-appropriate children’s book, and a stuffed animal.

• Knock Knock Give a Sock - This non-profit organization works to humanize homelessness by providing homeless individuals with fresh socks, as well as hosting events and dinners that connect donors with the homeless community their donations support.

News From the Field - With Radicle Health Board Member David Bucciferro

For nine years now, Foothold has been lucky to have the experience and expertise of David Bucciferro at our fingertips as Senior Advisor. With the development of Radicle Health last year, we began to explore ways in which our sister companies could also leverage David’s insights, and we are thrilled to announce that that exploration has evolved into a new role for David. Effective this month, David has moved from being Foothold-exclusive into a cross-company role as a member of Radicle’s Advisory Board! In this new position, he’ll be helping shape the direction for all of the companies within Radicle, and we can’t wait to see what that looks like! In addition to this new role, David is beginning to offer private consulting services to customers across Radicle and beyond. Read on to learn more from David about this change and the services he’ll be providing.

In addition to the new role I will be playing at Radicle Health, I will also be available to provide private consultation services to providers and government entities throughout the country. Utilizing the experience I’ve obtained from my 30+ years at the New York State Office of Mental Health, my 9+ years at Foothold Technology, and my involvement as a leader in the Electronic Health Record Association, I hope to bring a unique perspective to issues facing the Behavioral Health Industry today.

Consulting Offerings

• Documentation Streamlining - Documentation is one of the most critical but time-consuming and costly activities clinicians and supervisors at all levels of an organization have to deal with. Learning how to streamline documentation can be important to your success as a practitioner, program, and agency. Technical assistance in this area will cover improved clinical success, regulatory compliance, documentation to support value-based care, and other areas of documentation issues facing providers and government organizations. 

• Info Blocking Rule Navigation and Compliance - Another area of compliance that providers have to be concerned with is the final rules released by the Federal Government regarding interoperability, information blocking, and the health information technology (IT) certification program. These rules lay out a vision where a patient’s health information can move seamlessly between health plans and providers and where every American can see and use electronic health information through common technologies such as smartphones, home computers, laptops, and tablets. Patients will be able to access their full claims history, encounter data, and health information to support the advancement of high-quality health care. Organizations must prepare to meet these new expectations. Consultation in this area focuses on collaborative steps to make sure you are compliant - understanding the complex rules, identification and prioritization of key focus areas, development of standardized policies and procedures, and tracking information requests.

• Data Collection Assessment for Internal and External Accountability - As an agency, you spend a significant amount of money collecting information, and utilizing that information externally and internally. But are you collecting the information you really need? Are you meeting your reporting needs in the most efficient way, and are you using the wealth of data you own to improve and grow your agency? We will take a step-by-step approach to determine the real information you need for external and internal accountability and responsibility.

• Ad Hoc Assistance - Also available will be ad hoc consulting to provide support and troubleshooting in various operational and organizational functions, such as RFP assistance, service delivery design, compliance assistance, and other areas related to SDoH and integrating services with primary care.

If you’re interested in discussing these offerings in further detail, please contact me at [e-mail] and we’ll set up a call to discuss your needs!