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Background
With the advent of ServicePoint 4.0 (and based on user feedback from end-users like you) Bowman Systems has implemented a new report feature called the “Advanced Reporting Tool” or “ART” for short. This tool goes way beyond what the report writer in ServicePoint does by allowing a user to
- Fully customize the look, feel and format of a report.
- Provide graphical information (line, bar pie charts etc…)
- Mix spreadsheet lists of clients with graphs etc...
- With time and training one can perform any report on any population (or sub-population) of clients.(in other words what took a user 2-3 queries in the reportwriter can now be done in one ART report)
Bowman has created this tool as an “Add-on” to ServicePoint which your continuum has purchased. However, because this tool is based on a very common and reliable reporting software called “Crystal Reports” from Business Objects a license fee must be accessed for each user.
The cost for the license fee depends on if you want to and know how to “create” your own reports or just run and view reports created for you.
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Client Lists - These reports help staff in the day-to-day operations of a shelter. It’s been our experience that these reports make a user’s job easier by having a quick way of seeing different populations of clients.
Typical Uses Include checking client data is being kept up to date, and to provide a formal list of clients to other stakeholders (in or outside) of your agency.
Typical Audience includes front-line staff and supervisors that have a need to make sure data entry is being performed in a timely manner, to schedule meetings with clients, check on capacity of the program etc...
These reports are divided up by the following populations:
"Active Clients" -- Active clients is the terminology we use to describe a client that is currently receiving services from your agency. This is done by looking at the “Entry/Exit” portion of ServicePoint and pulling out all the clients with no “Exit Date”. The logic here is that if a client hasn’t exited then you’re still serving them.
"Clients Entered" -- Clients entered pulls only those clients who "Entry Date" is between a "Start Date and End Date". (an example of this might be if you wanted to know every client that "Entered" your facility between Jan 01 and June 30).
"Clients Exited" -- Clients exited pulls only those clients whose “Exit Date” is between a “Start Date and End Date”. (An example of this might be if you wanted to know every client that “Exited” your facility between Jan 01 and June 30).
"Clients Served" -- This report pulls all clients “served” between a “Start and End Date”. Served is defined as a client receiving services at your facility for at least one day/night between the start and end dates.
All of these reports have the same data elements such as “Age”, “Gender”, “Race”, Ethnicity”, “Program Entry Date” and “Program Exit Date”.
All of these reports also have “validations” built-in that will automatically highlight a question that either should be answered (according to HUD standards) or answer doesn’t make sense. Below is a list of “validations” that are checked against your data.
Validations Included in "Client List" Reports
- Date of Birth, Gender, Primary Race, or Ethnicity have no Answer
- Date of Birth indicates the client is more than 100 years old (can be changed if necessary)
- Date of Birth indicates the client is born in the future (i.e. 1/10/2009)
- Date of Birth is after the Entry Date (a child can be born "on" but not "after" their entry date)
- Exit Date is BEFORE the Entry Date
- Entry Type is not equal to "HUD-40118" (this can be changed if an agency is using other types)
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Statistics -- The statistic reports include a variety of statistics by program based on the clients you’ve served between two dates. While the client lists provide some very basic statistics and a spreadsheet view of client data, this report just provides the statistics. Statistics are provided for Adults, Children, Individuals, Persons in Families, All Races, Ethnicities, Gender and more.
Typical Uses Include completing internal/external funding reports, program summaries or other snapshot of the clients in a particular program (or even agency-wide)
Typical Audience includes managers, directors, controllers or other staff that require demographics on the clients a program (or agency) has served. This report does not include Personal identifiable information (such as name, date of birth or SSN).
Statistics (with graph)
Statistics (without graph)
Both of these reports display information in the same way except the report with a graph shows less statistics then without however the graph provides a pictorial way of seeing clients served over time. This is best used when looking at data over a wide period such as year-to-date.
Validations Included in all "Statistics" Reports
- A quality check to make sure # of adults + # of children = Total Clients
- A quality check to make sure # of Individuals + # of Persons in Families = Total Clients
- A quality check to make sure the total from all race options = Total Clients
- A quality check to make sure the total from all ethnicity options = Total Clients
Other Possible Validations that can be requested (Depends on what questions are included in the report AND what type of clients your agency serves)
7. Is the Client Homeless = “No” but Chronic Homeless = “Yes”
8. Prior Living Situation = “Domestic Violence” but the DV Victim question = “No”
9. Primary Race = Secondary Race (secondary race should ONLY be completed if it’s a different race than the Primary)
10. Many more possible combinations all depending on what makes sense for the population of clients you serve.
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Funding Reports -- Funding reports can be designed for those stakeholders that fund your agency and require documentation in return. These reports are customized on a case by case basis however one example from a client in Arizona and another that HOPWA agencies use to report annual data to HUD have been included.
Typical Uses Include replacing time-consuming spreadsheets and other manual methods your staff use to count clients.
Typical Audience includes managers, directors, controllers or other staff that submit city, county and/or state reports to your funders.
AZ Department of Economic Security Annual ESG Report
Housing Opportunities for Persons With AIDS (HUD HOPWA APR) 40110-C
Validations Included in all "Funding" Reports
5. Is the Client Homeless = "No" but Chronic Homeless = "Yes"
6. Prior Living Situation = "Domestic Violence" but the DV Victim question =
"No"
7. Primary Race = Secondary Race (secondary race should ONLY be completed if
it's a different race than the Primary)
8. Many more possible combinations all depending on what makes sense for the
population of clients you serve.
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