Tag Archive for: Tribal TANF
Scotts Valley Tribal TANF Partners with Handel for New Tribal TANF System
The Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians Tribal TANF Program went live on a new RiteTrack TANF system on January 30, 2017. The Program contracted with Handel for the new system in November of 2016 and the fast execution of the contract speaks to Handel’s ability to quickly implement an enterprise-level information management system that manages a large amount of tribal TANF cases for multiple counties.
Their new RiteTrack Tribal TANF solution contains functionality specific to California Tribal TANF requirements, and Handel completed a data conversion for the program as well. Handel has standard data conversion tools and uses these when possible to convert existing data from legacy systems.
The Scotts Valley Tribal TANF Program and Handel enjoy a close working relationship, which contributes to creating the best possible solution for the Program and helping it better serve its clients.
The Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians is the Health and Human Services (HHS) Administration for Children and Families (ACF) designated social services provider for Contra Costa County and provides assistance under the Tribal TANF program to all eligible Native American Families residing in the county. The Program also serves enrolled members of the Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians who reside in Sonoma, Lake and Mendocino Counties and Big Valley Tribal Members residing on and off Big Valley Rancheria.
The mission of Scotts Valley Tribal TANF program is to provide culturally relevant social services with the goal of encouraging the formation and maintenance of healthy and self-sufficient Native American families, supporting the preservation of two-parent households, inspiring individual growth, and preserving positive cultural traditions within our Native American Communities.
Handel specializes in creating the best possible software solutions for American Indian service agencies. RiteTrack is software for tribal, state and county government. RiteTrack serves tribal nations throughout the country in nearly every tribal department. With the experience and accountability that Handel offers, RiteTrack is the trusted information solution that tribal social services can rely on.
Packing Up and Moving Your Data
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.
Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians Goes Live on RiteTrack Tribal TANF Solution
The Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians Tribal TANF department went live on its new RiteTrack system in January 2015. RiteTrack was customized for the unique eligibility requirements of the Pechanga TANF program. With the TANF department live on RiteTrack, a second phase slated to implement the Child Protective Services and Indian Child Welfare Module will begin later this year.
The Pechanga TANF Program assists low income families moving toward self-sufficiency by providing cash aid and other assistance designed to increase job preparation, employment, and allow children to be cared for in their own homes.