Tribal Government Archives | Page 13 of 15 | Handel Information Technologies

“Who is Going to Do My Data Entry?” -Real-Time Data Entry in RiteTrack

April 15, 2016/in Juvenile Justice, Tribal Government /by Even Brande

Do you ever find yourself asking “I don’t have time to use social media because I can’t find anyone to do the data entry for me” ? Probably not. Most of us post on social media such as Twitter, FaceBook, and Instagram when the mood strikes us. We do it real-time as events in our lives unfold. We take a picture and we post it. We see a post we like and we click “like”. Social media platforms are so easy to use that it has almost become an extension of ourselves.

Why then is it that most government case management software is still looked upon as a burden, something we have to enter data into? Here at Handel we often hear objections from prospective clients like “who is going to enter the data for us” or “our staff is so busy we can’t burden them with any more work”. Fortunately, we rarely hear these complaints from our customers who have already implemented RiteTrack. When correctly implemented a system like RiteTrack can become an extension of the work you do. You don’t need additional staff to do your data entry. Rather than going back to your office to “catch up on paperwork” the paperwork is generated as you do your work. Rather than being a burden to your staff, it empowers them to do their job better. In fact, the majority of our customers will claim that RiteTrack enables their employees to spend more time with the clients that they serve and less time doing paperwork. As a system generates better data and frees up staff time, this ultimately leads to better services for the people that you serve. Better data leads to better information, which in turn informs better decisions. Everyone wins.

So how is this possible? I believe there are four areas in particular that contributes to how RiteTrack succeeds in this area.

Distributed data-entry
Relational data
Intuitive user interfaces
Web-based software

Distributed Data-Entry

RiteTrack is a role-based system. This means each user has a role and they enter the data relevant to their specific job. This reduces the “data-entry” burden because it is not one person’s responsibility to enter all data relative to a specific client. Each person has a little piece of the software in which they do their work. An admissions manager at a juvenile facility does the intake. A caseworker establishes a treatment plan. A counselor enters a progress note after providing services. Over time, different people contribute different pieces of information which gradually builds the case, improves communication, provides better information, and creates better outcomes.

Relational Data

All data in RiteTrack is related in one way or another. RiteTrack uses a highly relational database that reduces the need for re-typing data. For example, in a traditional database, you may need to enter a clients name, phone number, address, parent information each time they come in. Let’s say that a client is entered into RiteTrack. This client has a sibling who was previously entered in the system. Through RiteTrack’s relationship module, it becomes easy to “inherit” select information from the sibling such as parents names, addresses, phone numbers. This reduces the data entry burden on your staff and provides better information across the board. Let’s say during intake it is established that the client has a new address. The old address is archived, the new address is entered, and now everyone have access to the latest address information.

Intuitive User Interfaces

Frequently, traditional “data entry systems” were difficult to use because they were poorly designed and/or built on old technology platforms. Anyone remembering having systems where you had to click 5 or more times to get to the screen you needed? RiteTrack was built from the ground up to optimize the work-flow and minimize the number of clicks or keyboard strokes that a user have to execute. With frequent use of customizable drop-down boxes and hyper links, navigation and data entry is optimized to be as efficient as possible. This allows the user to focus on entering information, not looking up or navigating.

RiteTrack facilitates easy navigation through hyperlinks.

Web-Based Software

Because RiteTrack is web-based you can access your information from anywhere you have an internet connection. This means you can enter data while in the field, while in a court-room, or even in your office. You enter data as events happen, not afterwards.

We hope to have an opportunity to help your organization transition to an information solution where data entry is no longer viewed as a burden but rather a process that is built in to and aligned with your daily activities. That has been our mission since day 1 and continues to become easier as technology evolves, as broadband expands, and as we all become more used to technology being part of our daily lives.

Season’s Greetings from All of Us

December 18, 2015/in Handel News, Juvenile Justice, Tribal Government /by Even Brande

As we approach the end of another year, I want to thank you for being our customer and for choosing RiteTrack for your information management needs. This has been our 18th year in business and it is because of customers like you that we can continue to thrive and grow. As we approach the end of another year I am reflecting back on some of the things that I am most thankful for in 2016. For me, I am hard pressed to come up with anything that rivals the one thing that is most important to me here at Handel: Knowing that each and every day RiteTrack makes a difference in the lives of the clients that you serve. That each and every day a family gets their welfare check on time. That a youth in a juvenile detention facility is being assessed correctly and that the road back on the right path is being made a little bit shorter due to more efficient information-flow. That a tribe can submit their TANF data free of errors and get their funding in an timely fashion. These are but a few of the stories that we hear on a regular basis that justifies why we exist as a business. Creating technology that helps make the lives easier for our customers and the people that they serve was my mission when I started Handel in 1997. It is still what we live for today, almost 20 years later. As we exit 2015, I want to wish you a wonderful Holiday Season and a Happy New Year.

Even Brande

President and CEO

Handel Information Technologies, Inc.

It’s the Team that Makes the Difference

November 25, 2015/in Handel News, Juvenile Justice, Tribal Government /by Even Brande

Those of you who know me have heard me say this before: when it comes to large-scale IT projects it is people, not technology, that makes the difference between success and failure. In the almost 20 years since Handel was founded I have been involved in well over 100 major software projects. Add in the projects from my pre-Handel days and that number grows to about 150. Sure, technology itself is key to success in any technology project. However, from my experience, technology never stands in the way of making a project a success or failure. If you have the right people involved, the technology part will work itself out. Likewise, if you have the wrong people involved, great technology is not going to save the project. Year after year, I credit the Handel team and our customers for the long string of successful RiteTrack projects. This year has been no different. In fact, this past year has seen some of the most complex projects in the history of Handel and in each and every instance, the projects have been very successful. As with most IT projects, there is a positive correlation between the amount of complexity and the number of people involved. The more complexity and the more people involved, the greater the risk and thus the greater the possibility for failure.

This past week has been quite eventful. Tuesday I attended the annual Wyoming Business Forum. Keynote speaker for this event was Rob O’Neill, best known as “the man who killed Osama Bin Laden”. Hearing his story first hand was spell binding. The conclusion: In spite of him being the one who pulled the trigger, taking out Bin Laden was very much a team effort of the most elite navy seals, SEAL Team Six. If you have not seen the Fox News Special on this, I suggest visiting Rob’s web site. http://www.robertjoneill.com/ Rob very much credits the team, not the individuals, of their success.

This weekend I was California attending the Big Game between Stanford and Cal Berkley. While there I had the opportunity visit Apple’s campus in Cupertino as well as Google’s campus in Mountain View. Getting behind the scenes at these two high-tech companies was a great experience. Perhaps the thing that struck me most was that none of the employees I encountered there looked any different than the employees I know at other companies. I am not sure what I had expected? Super-humans perhaps? Nope, didn’t see anyone who appeared to have super-human characteristics. Then what is the difference? What is the secret to the success of these companies? I believe the difference is the team and the team culture that these companies have created. Bringing the right people together on a team is what ultimately creates success. Whether SEAL Team Six, Apple, Google, or Handel, having the right people in the right place for the right project is what I believe makes the difference between failure and success.

As we enter this holiday season, one of the things I am the most thankful for is the amazing group of people we have here at Handel. Perhaps more than any other accomplishment, having helped assemble this world class team we have here, is one of the things I am the most proud of. When you put the three ingredients together, our team, our customer’s team, and the RiteTrack platform, success is close at hand!

Handel Vice President Presents at NTCSA Conference

October 1, 2015/in News, Tribal Government /by Tracey Rosenlund

Handel’s Vice President was selected to speak at this year’s National Tribal Child Support Association (NTCSA) Conference and presented to conference attendees on integrating data for tribal social service departments.

The presentation focused on exploring the best practices and principles a tribal organization should evaluate when considering implementing an integrated, centralized database system.

Vice president Casey Bader has presented at numerous conferences including the:

2013, 2014, and 2015 National Indian Child Welfare Association (NICWA) National American Indian Conferences on Child Abuse and Neglect
2012 and 2013 United South and Eastern Tribes (USET) Annual Meetings
2012 and 2013 TribalNet Conferences

Bader is available to present at conferences on a wide array of technology and tribal topics including enterprise-wide software implementations; system-of-care, case management models; and integrating data from multiple departments onto a centralized database; among other topics.

This most recent workshop addressed the issues of “data silos” that are created from developed separate databases to track client and benefit information for a wide variety of programs such as ICW/CPS, TANF Services, Enrollment, Financial Assistance, and Treatment Services. Data silos are often created in part because of data security concerns and also because service applications have been developed under the supervision of different departments and administrators. In many Tribes this has resulted in disassociated applications that do not share data.

The implications of data silos are many: data in any given department may be erroneous and/or out of date; necessary and relevant updates to data (e.g., contact information, household changes, employment changes, etc.) are not shared across departments; reports are difficult and time-consuming to produce; supporting data for grant applications can be difficult to develop and show justification for; information for Tribal Council needs may be incomplete or erroneous; evaluation of long-term program efficacy cannot be reliably evaluated; members may be unaware of other available services that could benefit them; and evidence of the depth and breadth to which the Tribe is serving its members is unavailable.

Enrollment services can be considered the gateway to access of services for members, and it is the department in which base-level demographic data is collected and verified. Much of this same enrollment data is collected by other service departments for verification of benefits as well. An integrated solution provides the ability to have member data collected and verified in one place, shared with other departments (defined by security parameters) and updated by other departments that have security access to the shared data points.

Indian Child Welfare and Support services and programs may be especially impacted by the lack of integration of Tribal data. Causing it to be difficult to identify children in need of services or families in need of assistance; to identify potential foster families; protective services may lag; proactive preventive programs may be difficult to implement for children or families; court orders or other court documents may not be served in a timely manner; cases may not be adequately documented or updated; or relevant documents may not be associated with a case.

Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe Talks About RiteTrack TANF Solution

July 10, 2015/in Tribal Government, Tribal TANF /by Even Brande

Michael Kafka, Executive Director, Department of Labor at Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe talks about RiteTrack and how it supports their Tribal TANF program.

Packing Up and Moving Your Data

May 27, 2015/in Juvenile Facilities, Juvenile Justice, Tribal Government, Tribal TANF /by Ben McKay

In our age of technology and communication it is common that our customers are adopting RiteTrack after using another data management system, often for a substantial amount of time. One of the largest concerns that we deal with is, “Will we get to keep our data and will it be complete?” At Handel, we understand that historical information is invaluable to spot trends, maintain reporting requirements, and increase interdepartmental communication. That is why we have developed proprietary software to quickly and accurately convert legacy data into RiteTrack.

Our data conversion process starts at the very beginning of our project management process; Handel views data conversions as a key and central part of our software implementations, not as an afterthought. Our trained project managers begin by explicitly mapping out each column in every table in the legacy database and define a place for it to go in the new RiteTrack system. This process takes place alongside the creation of the system design so that the mapping is completed before we start developing the system in order to make certain that no crucial data is left behind. During this process your project manager will highlight areas where the legacy data may not be clean or accurate so that no dirty information finds its way into the new system.

While on the initial site visit, your project manager will sit down with you and your staff to walk through your legacy system to gain a full understanding of its functionality, how your staff uses it, and any potential difficulties that may arise in the conversion process. Since every system is different we make sure to take the time to get to know it. This practice gets to the core of how Handel does business; each project and each customer is unique and we dedicate ourselves to forming a relationship based upon communication, transparency, and honesty.

Once a conversion map has been completed and approved, the data will begin the process of being moved into RiteTrack. Our skilled developers have built software to assist us in the conversion process. Using this single core technology reduces errors, speeds up the conversion process, and lowers cost. Our data conversion experts work side-by-side with our project managers throughout the entire project to make sure that this process is as streamlined as possible.

Much like our software development, our data conversion process involves multiple rounds of testing and validating to make sure that the end product is exactly what it should be. You and your staff will be able to see and test the converted data in a sandbox version of RiteTrack, this will even include any custom fields that have been added. For larger systems this is often done in phases to ensure that nothing is missed in the sheer volume of information we work with.

Handel’s Conversion Process (Click to Enlarge)

We have utilized this process on databases of all sizes, from a few thousand rows of data up to millions of rows. To gain a more complete understanding of how our data conversions fit into the entire software implementation process please read Problem Solved: A Story of Vanquishing Risk and Complexity.
Finally, when the entire data conversion has been tested and approved, Handel will pull a final and current copy of the legacy database for conversion. This information will be what eventually comprises your initial RiteTrack system. At the end of this process your users will have a new, friendly, and easy-to-use software solution complete with all of the data that has been tirelessly entered by users in the legacy system.

This simple, yet powerful, methodology, when paired with our proprietary software, takes the often frustrating and error-prone process of converting data and turns it into an efficient and organized procedure. What is more, our data conversions are fully supported just like our software. If there is an issue found after RiteTrack has gone live our data conversion experts will rectify the error, often with zero downtime for users. Our philosophy for data conversions is the same as it is for building software; we center everything on our clients and their needs in our pursuit for the best product possible.

Revised BIA Guidelines for State Courts and Agencies in Indian Child Custody Proceedings

April 23, 2015/in Child Protective Services, Indian Child Welfare, Tribal Government /by Tracey Rosenlund

The BIA has recently released updated ICWA guidelines. These ICWA guidelines apply to state and state court entities. AIAN kids are still 4x more likely to be removed and placed in a non-native home. Here are some of the key updates in my opinion:

-State courts must apply ICWA until the court knows the child is not ICWA eligible
—Basically they must verify (through ways outlined in the guidelines) the child is not Native before they can treat the case as a regular case.
—To this extent the guidelines require more and more strenuous active efforts than were previously required.

-It REJECTS the Existing Indian Family Exception

-In emergency removals
—Should only be removed when a child is in imminent danger, not when parenting could be better. And should be as short as possible.
—When working with a child, emergency removal can’t last longer than 30 days when ICWA applies.

-In involuntary proceedings
—Active efforts (AE) must be shown to be unsuccessful. And documentation needs to show in detail. AE needs to be culturally relevant.
—Standards of proof updated: Can no longer consider poverty, single parenting, inadequate housing, substance abuse, non-conforming social behavior alone.
—The connection and pathway has to be clearly stated. Can’t remove b/c parent has mental disorder (e.g. bipolar) must say parent has bipolar and historically has left the children unsupervised and efforts to help change this have not succeeded.

-Adoptions where ICWA becomes an issue is where ICWA wasn’t followed in the initial stages of the case.

-Placement preferences must be followed unless good cause is shown.

-Post-trial rights:
—Within 2 years of adoption the parent who consented can vacate due to fraud, duress or ICWA non-compliance.
—Can invalidate if certain sections were not followed 1911, 1912, 1913. At any point a party can bring forward issues that rights were violated.

Here are the BIA Updated Guidelines for State Courts and Agencies in Indian Child Custody Proceedings

White Earth Nation WE CARE system of care model run on RiteTrack

April 9, 2015/in Case Study, Child Protective Services, Domestic Violence, Foster Care, Indian Child Welfare /by Casey Bader

Since 2013 White Earth Nation has transferred human service cases for tribal members and their families from delivery by Minnesota counties. In order to provide the best services the Tribe developed the White Earth Coordination, Assessment, Resource and Education (WE CARE) case management model. This system of care model is a client-focused, client-driven model that requires client input and involvement. WE CARE focuses on program collaboration and communication to develop and execute an interdisciplinary plan based on the goals that the client wants to work on. WE CARE utilizes RiteTrack to enable assessment, collaboration, plan development, and outcome tracking.

White Earth Coordination, Assessment, Resource and Education (WE CARE) is a coordinated and holistic case management approach seeking to assure the long-term well-being of children, families and communities. WE CARE’s goals are to

decrease duplication while increasing access to services
increase client referrals
enhance access to resources for clients
increase communication and coordination between tribal programs through innovative technology

A primary goal of WE CARE is for services to be client-driven, and success is defined by the client as well.

White Earth Nation recognized that while there were services available to clients, the administration of these services was often ineffective and inefficient. Programs did not communicate and services were not prioritized. Clients could be left feeling confused and overwhelmed, and while a program may claim “success,” the client did not feel successful. The WE CARE model seeks to enhance collaboration between tribal programs, non-tribal programs, community and family in order to address the physical, mental, spiritual and emotional needs of clients. WE CARE relies on client input to direct outcomes, define goals , and determine how success will be defined. The WE CARE Plan, developed with the client, may include services from Child Protection, Child Care/Early Childhood, Head Start, Employment, Education, Mental Health, Substance Abuse, and more.

WE CARE leverages RiteTrack in order to enable collaboration, communication and outcome reporting for this interdisciplinary approach. The process begins with the client signing a Universal Release giving permission allowing data entry of a Universal Intake form into the database system. The Universal Intake is completed in RiteTrack and automatic notifications are sent to programs which are identified as applicable to the needs of the client. These are delivered via secure email with a live link to the record in RiteTrack. Identified programs then individually call the client to offer services, which the client can accept or deny. Any program whose services the client accepts will become a part of the WE CARE team for that client. All team members sign a Legal Confidentiality Form defining responsibilities for sharing information about the client and plan. The WE CARE team and client then develop a WE CARE plan based upon the needs identified in the Universal Intake Form. This WE CARE plan is defined in RiteTrack and includes detailed views of goals, strategies, staff assistance, notes and assigned programs. The WE CARE plan is printed and shared with the client for review and sign-off on the goals and empowerment strategies developed. The plan is updated in RiteTrack throughout service provision and outcomes are tracked. Information reported from the system is then used for federal and state grants as well as communication of outcomes to Tribal Council and the community.

The WE CARE model was developed by a specially chosen development team that created the process and model. Included in this development was the creation of a Universal Intake form, confidentiality form, and WE CARE plan. Additionally, an educational curriculum for staff regarding WE CARE was created to ensure the model was understood and administered effectively. The development team proposed recommendations for the WE CARE Advisory Board, an entity that works to support the program for both staff and clients. Then a public relations campaign was initiated to inform the White Earth Nation about WE CARE and the services it offered. Because of comprehensive and thoughtful planning, the WE CARE model was given the best chance for a successful implementation.

A WE CARE Advisory Board was established based on the Development Team’s recommendations to support and strengthen case management teams. The Advisory Board is comprised of division managers, not WE CARE team staff, and represents WE CARE on several fronts. It acts as a liaison with WE CARE clients and other constituents using this communication to monitor and strengthen services provided.It also provides feedback to Tribal Council and ensure adequate financial resources to support the program.

Through thoughtful, interdisciplinary planning, careful execution and comprehensive support, the WE CARE program has become an exceptional model for comprehensive service delivery to children and families in Indian Country. The WE CARE model uses best practices and collaboration between programs and clients to ensure the best outcomes. The program has developed innovative ways of utilizing technology to enhance collaboration, communication and reporting and to safeguard funding while providing sustainability for the program.

Jennifer Stevens, RN, PHN, White Earth Nation Home Health Agency Manager and Casey Bader, Vice President at Handel IT, will be presenting on the WE CARE model at the upcoming NICWA Conference, April 19 – 22, in Portland, OR.

Problem Solved: A Story of Vanquishing Risk and Complexity

March 30, 2015/in Child Protective Services, Enrollment, Foster Care, Indian Child Welfare, Juvenile Facilities, Juvenile Justice, Tribal Court, Tribal Government, Tribal TANF, Tribal Treatment Services /by Ben McKay

I was told growing up that when you experience success you should act like you’ve experienced it before. Don’t flaunt your touchdown reception or first place finish; act like you’ve been there before. However, I quickly realized that there is a huge difference between simply acting like one has done something and actually having done it.

So, what does this all have to do with software implementations and case management? The simple answer is that there is a large collection of companies out there that claim to be able to take on massive projects to design, develop, and implement a large enterprise-level software solution. How should project leaders with large and complex projects choose a vendor from the plethora of options available to them?

Most people know that in enterprise-level software implementations, risk is proportionally tied to the complexity of the project. If the complexity goes up the risk does as well. With that in mind, what are we to think of projects on the extreme end of complexity? What if we are taking multiple legacy systems and want to put them into one single and comprehensive system? What if we also want to bring multiple departments together onto one single system in that same project? What if there are federal and state reports that must justify from the moment the system goes live? What if we need to integrate with other systems at the same time that everything else is happening? If risk of failure is directly proportional to the complexity of a project, should we even bother attempting such bold initiatives?

Click to Expand

The answer to that final question is a resounding ‘yes’. It is worth pursuing because of the benefits that it can lead to. Bringing multiple systems together reduces complexity and duplication of data entry which, in turn, reduces errors. Having multiple departments or facilities operate on one common platform increases communication and improves outcomes for clients. The risk, in other words, is worth the potential rewards that a system that can do all of those things could bring. However, that one question still lingers… What if it fails?

This is where proven success comes into play. It is not enough to know that a company could potentially complete a project. These projects need a company that has been there before. The type of system described above with multiple data conversions, bringing previously disparate departments together on one system, reporting to federal and state agencies accurately from day one, and integrating with other software systems describes most of Handel’s customers. We have proven success on every single one of our solutions, from unifying government agencies of a Tribe to providing a system that unifies detention and residential facilities for a county.

Large and complex projects require the devoted attention of software professionals who have repeated success and a strong, standard solution. We have devoted countless hours to designing, testing, and refining each of our solutions to meet the needs of our clients with our standard functionality, whether it is for a CPS Department, Juvenile Detention Facility, TANF Department, or a multitude of other systems. This standard functionality not only brings down cost, it also lessens risk.

While most systems require small changes, we have found that our standard platform will accomplish most of the needed functionality within the markets that we serve. Completely custom solutions that are built from the ground up may sound wonderful at the beginning of a project. However, these projects are the most likely to end up over budget, behind schedule, and outside of scope. We at Handel know this because that is how we used to build software solutions. We built our latest version of RiteTrack to combat all of those things; we provide a common framework to all of our customers, thoroughly test and refine each one of our software modules, and send updates to all of our systems whenever we make something better or fix the rare bug we run into. This means that not only is your project more likely to be successful on the front end, but also that our customers never have to worry about having a system that nobody knows how to fix or update five or ten years down the road.

And what of those things that will always be custom to an individual software solution? We handle (yes, pun is intended here) data conversions, systems integration, custom reporting, attaching custom modules to our standard framework, training and system documentation, and everything else imaginable on a regular basis. All of our staff, from our sales personnel to our project management staff to our software developers, are trained to create custom alterations and additions to make our software work for you in the most optimal way possible.

This combination of our standard software offering and our staff’s familiarity with providing insightful and accurate consulting creates a unique environment where we can reduce the risks imposed by time, cost, and scope of a project as a whole while also building a software solution that keeps your legacy data, communicates with other systems, and improves upon your organization’s reporting abilities. Handel’s ability to accomplish all of these extremely complex things comes from our more than 17 years of corporate experience and our tireless efforts to make the best standard software for each industry we serve. Our experience and work makes it possible for organizations to dream big about what their case management software can do for them.

Though these types of projects are large, complex, and sometimes even scary, Handel can help mitigate all of that. We have been there before and our customers have experienced great success using our system. Our track record shows that our methodologies, standard software offerings, and innovative technologies work. So, go ahead and dream big and know that if Handel is your partner your project, no matter how big, will be a success.

Red Lake Nation Partners with Handel to Implement Tribal Court Solution

February 20, 2015/in News, Tribal Government /by Tracey Rosenlund

Red Lake Nation has partnered with Handel to implement the RiteTrack Tribal Court Module for its Tribal Courts. Tribe-specific configuration for the solution should be completed sometime in late March with a live date set for shortly after that. Red Lake Nation maintains its own Tribal Courts that provide both criminal and civil services for the band members. Court staff handles as many as 2,000 criminal and civil proceedings annually.