HIFIS 4.0.60.1

ACRE Consulting's Summary 🙄

• The first major release in 3 years brings lots of new features all at the same time, which is a mixed blessing. This version seems like there was too much crammed in and there was a rush to get to the finish line. A lack of testing shows. Our recommendation: do not deploy until important bugs are fixed.

• Addressed 6 votes

Highlights

• Diversion Module: A new module that allows for communities to record and track diversion efforts.

• Outreach & Encampment: The ability to geographically tag services and group activities and view records on a map.

• Racial Identity Question: New mandatory racial identity question added to the client vitals.

• Updated VI-SPDAT Assessments: Included in the release and the latest version of the VI-SPDAT assessments.

HIFIS 4.0.60.1 Reference Guide

New Features & Major Changes

Diversion Module

Version 4.0.60.1 introduces a new Diversion module to HIFIS communities. This dedicated section within HIFIS enables users to easily log diversion attempts and seamlessly document their outcomes directly within the application. With this feature, users can easily save diversion records, monitor progress, and make necessary edits or deletions as required.

Key Features:

• Users can choose between the full form or use a work flow approach to enter diversion records.

• Diversion records can be created and accessed directly from a client’s file

• Anonymous diversion attempts can be entered (Only accessible from the form version)

• New Look-up Table: Diversion Status Type – Allows the user to add and remove values for the “Diversion Status” field

• New Look-up Table: Expected Diversion Destination – Allows the user to update the default instructions for the diversion workflow.

Outreach & Encampments

Outreach features have now been added to enable HIFIS communities to record encampments across their community. Users will also be able to track service and group activities that happen during community outreach.

Key Features:

• New Outreach module is accessible from the Front Desk tab.

• Users can enter encampments using geographic locations that can be viewed using Bing Maps.

• Services form now allow users to add geographic locations.

• Group activities form now allow users to add geographic locations.

• Services and group activities tagged with geographic locations become visualized on Bing Maps within the Outreach module.

• Tag geographic locations with the flexibility of using location services on your mobile device, pinpointing locations on Bing Maps, or manually entering coordinates.

Racial Identity Question

Version 4.0.60.1 introduces a mandatory default racial identity question. For existing clients, a placeholder response will be automatically added, along with a notification in their file indicating the need for vital updates. Please note that this look-up table is not user-editable or adjustable by HIFIS administrators.

What's Different

Admissions

• Fixed an issue where future bookings were blocking live admission.

• The “Reservation Status” field no longer appears when creating a new reservation.

• Users can now reserve a bed even if it is currently being used.

• Hovering over a booked bed will no longer display the date twice in the Date and Time field.

• The "Effective Date" on Beds field is now translated when using HIFIS in French.

• Added a “Reason for Bookout” field to the block operation form for improved tracking.

Assessments

• Added VI-SPDAT v2 - Youth assessment

• Added VI-SPDAT v3 - Family assessment

• Added VI-SPDAT v3 - Single Adult assessment

• Resolved the issue where the VAT form would process non-stop when entering client and case worker names.

• Fixed the missing description error message appearing on VI-SPDAT when a description is provided.

Clients

• Racial Identity field on Client Vitals

• A summary of Coordinated Access data points is now available.

• Added "Chronically Homeless" row in the client tombstone.

• Paginated custom tables to allow for faster loading.

• Housing Status now displays clients currently being housed in a Public Institution

• Users can now remove Housing History fields when creating a client.

• Fixed the filter when viewing admission record from the client’s profile.

Consent

• Users can open attachments under Explicit + CA without issues.

Coordinated Access

• Updated labels on the coordinated access export

• Users can now access client profiles from the Coordinated Access module

• Coordinated Access now includes Public Institution housing type on the Coordinated Access List.

Data Export

• Added four fields to the list of data exported to Reaching Home:

  • Bed Count: The number of available beds, if any, associated with the service;

  • Overflow: The number of overflow beds, if any, associated with the service provider;

  • Activity Status: The activity status of the service provider (inactive, active);

  • Date and Time Modified: The date and time that service provider information was updated.

Documents

• The correct date for barcodes and consent documents now appear.

Family

• Fixed an issue in the Family Module where users were unable to use the "Create and Add member" option.

• The delete button for the family head now has a tooltip for improved usability.

Goods & Services

• Fixed the “ Error Object Reference Not Set” message when attempting to edit a record.

• Fixed an issue where values matching would disappear from the goods field.

Housing Continuum

• Added "Public Institution" as a new category in the Housing Continuum.

• Users can update the Public Institutions housing category to appear as Housed or Homeless.

Housing History

• The Housing type column now matches the Service Provider type of the shelter a client is booked into.

Housing Loss Prevention

• Added the ability to edit and delete Housing Loss Prevention.

Housing Placement

• Added the ability to edit and delete Housing Placement.

Look-Up Tables

• “Waiting Request Status” values no longer remain in the dropdown field after unsubscribing to them.

• Updated and added new default values in the Gender table.

  • Added:

    • Two-Spirit,

    • Trans Woman,

    • Trans Man,

    • Non-Binary (Genderqueer);

  • Removed:

    • Transgender;

  • Updated:

    • Other --> Other (Not Listed),

    • Unknown --> Don't Know,

    • Undeclared / Refused --> Decline to Answer

PiT Count

• Updated the Point-in-Time Count module to display the 2024 version of the survey.

Reports

• The Geographic Region field in custom reports now display custom values as well as default look-up values.

• After downloading a new report, the report edit page is displayed.

• Default INFC reports now use translated labels.

• Non-admin users can now download reports from the marketplace.

• Updated the title of the Case Management report.

• Versioning compare now works correctly within the same database Version.

Rights

• Removed unused rights from the rights template: Duplicate Displayed Transaction, Jump to a Family Member

Service Restrictions

• Service Restrictions now correctly load the page when the filter is set to "All".

Storage

• Added a “Storage Outcome” field to the storage form.

System

• The 2023 version of the End User License Agreement (EULA) is now added to HIFIS.

• The EULA no longer appears for every new user. It will only be displayed when logging into HIFIS for the first time.

• HIFIS footer has been updated with new and functional links.

Database Changes

• HIFIS_UserProfilesEULAAcceptedYN removed

Known Issues

• Some display issues on the Service Restrictions list

• User may remain on the “Rooms and Beds” page after reserving a bed for a client. The form saves properly, simply exit the form or refresh the page.

Official release notes: https://housing-infrastructure.canada.ca/homelessness-sans-abri/hifis-sisa/notes-4-0-60-1-eng.html