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Waterloo's Privacy and Consent Training Video
Data sharing is great, but it's also hard to balance the need to protect clients' privacy against the potential benefits of an open system. And it's even harder to figure out the right language to communicate with staff, so that they're comfortable with the consent conversations they need to have with their clients.
The Region of Waterloo did a great job of making a short (5-minute) video that they use to train their staff about privacy and consent in the context of HIFIS 4.
Launch Strategies
Look at a single individual staff. One day, they're going to be doing things the old way (whether that's entering things into HIFIS 3 or taking notes with pen and paper), and then the next, they'll be expected to start using HIFIS 4. This can be a little intimidating, not to mention confusing for staff.
That's why it's important to …
Converting Data to HIFIS 4: What You Should Know
Most communities considering using HIFIS 4 are not starting from scratch. The truth is, in a pre-HIFIS 4 world, communities did something to get data for reporting, and in a lot of cases, they don't want to lose all of that prior data.
This situation leads many communities to consider what to do with their previous data, when they switch to HIFIS 4. If you're having these conversations, you're not alone! There are lots of other communities struggling with the same question.
What are the Opti…
Shared User Accounts for Temps and Volunteers
Well, actually, it is a big deal.
Within the IT world, it is very strongly recommended that user accounts are NEVER shared. There are several really important reasons why thi…
What's up with the Geographic Region field on the Client Vitals screen?
Communities ask me all the time about the Geographic Region field on the Client Vitals screen. All. The. Time. Not sure what I'm talking about? There it is below, when you add a new Client.
There are really two questions I get asked:
- Why does it say things like "This Community" and "This Region"?
- What exactly are we supposed to select?
In summary, you're expected to modify the Geographic Region drop-down menu to include relevant regions for your local area. Then, when you add a clien…
How to Operate a Drop-In Centre in HIFIS 4
What Data do you Want to Collect?
The first step to answering a question like "how are we going to record data" is first answering a different question: "what data do we need?"
Imagine one drop-in cent…
How to Record Shelter Diversion in HIFIS 4
Communities often ask about the best way to record shelter diversion in HIFIS 4. This is another area where there is no clear answer. There are a few good options, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. But first, let's talk about what diversion means in your community.
What is diversion?
Consider this definition from the National Alliance to End Homelessness:
Diversion is a strategy that prevents homelessness for people seeking shelter by helping them identify immediate alternate h…
A Primer on Limiting Access to Client Files
One of the pillars of protecting client information is making sure that the only people accessing a client's information are the people that need that information to be able to serve the client. A previous article discussed limiting user access to files via attestation, but that's not the only tool in your toolbox.
Service Provider Visibility Settings
A shelter that only serves adult men does not need to be able to access client files for women and children, and they probably don't need to a…
A Primer on Attestation in HIFIS 4
A tool that HIFIS 4 provides to support this approach is called Attestation. It's one of multiple tools that can be made use of, but it's simple to set up.
Attestation
A Primer on Consent in HIFIS 4
It can be quite a challenge to understand the legal implications of what communities should be doing and should not be doing on this front, but here is a good resource to understand Canada's Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA). Many Provinces and Territories also have their own regulations, but they are frequently modeled after PIPEDA.
In general though, you can …