As a First Responder user, your role is to make note of and track incidents, client sightings, encampment sightings, and, if applicable, create bed reservation requests on behalf of clients.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Creating Incidents
Incidents are used for cases when consent has not been given by a client to be entered into the system, when a client is not cooperative (Log), when you are unable to capture enough information to intake a client, or when you need other service workers from an outreach agency (Dispatch) to be dispatched to where you are.
Incidents can be filed by both users and contributors within the Network, and they are meant for outreach workers to keep track of incoming requests for follow up. For security and privacy purposes, Contributors will have a more limited experience of the Incidents Tool and will only be able to inform other users on the platform of locations of potential clients and homeless encampments. Users in the field can provide updates and communicate in real-time from creation to the closing of an incident.
To report an incident, click the “Create Incident” button in the Incidents section of the navigation bar.
You will be redirected to the “Report Incident” page.
You will be redirected to a map that will display a draggable marker centered on your current location.
If the incident you are reporting did not occur at your current location, click and drag the marker to the location where the incident occurred.
Select the type of incident from the dropdown menu below the map. There are two different types of Incidents: Client and Dispatch Client.
Client Incident
Client incidents are to be logged when a client is not cooperative, when outreach workers are unable to capture enough information or consent to intake a client into the system. Client incidents are typically reported whenever users encounter an individual who does not wish to provide information, is not cooperative, or when they haven’t provided their consent for their information to be captured in the system.
Create a Client Incident
Select the “Client” incident type in the drop down. A form will appear to collect general information about the potential client, including first name, last name, gender, age, a description of the client, veteran status, and if they are interested in services.
As this form is meant to collect very basic but observable information, please fill out as much as you can.
Click “Submit Incident” to complete the process of creating a client incident and you will be taken to the incident’s status page where you can assign or claim the incident and begin collecting data.
Note: The process for dispatch client incidents are the same for client incidents.
Once submitted, you’ll be redirected to the Incident’s status page. You’ll be able to track the status of the incident and view who’s been dispatched or assigned to the incident.
On the Incident’s Status page, there are two tabs — Info and Chat. In the Info tab you will see:
- Incident Status Bar - displays the progress of the incident and lets other users know that another user on the Network is responding to it
- Info - information regarding the incident, based on the fields that the user has filled out
- Dispatch - a dropdown to dispatch yourself or another user; once a user is selected for dispatch, it cannot be changed unless you are the designated Dispatch Manager
- Incident Response - ability to update the incident’s status as a user is responding to the incident (Acknowledge, Start, In Progress, Close Incident)
In the Chat tab, you’ll see a chatroom where you can tag users and chat with them within this incident where you and other users will be notified of any new changes to the incident.
Encampments
Encampments are dwellings that people experiencing homelessness have created in areas that are unsuited for living. Making note of encampments will allow users to keep track of the encampment’s status over time.
The Camp Management Tools are found in the second tab of the navigation bar on the left of the screen. There are two subsections, "Camps" and "Camp Groups". To navigate to the Camps page, click on “Camps.”
On the Camps page, a map of your region will appear with points. Each of these points represent camps that are currently active or closed.
The Camps page also features a full list of the camps in the network under the map. The list is separated by their status — "Active", "Inactive", "Closed", and "Reopened".
Each individual camp appears in a camp card with the camp's status, the camp's title and description, and when the camp was created. The camp card includes either a small map of the camp's location or a picture of the camp.
Adding a Camp
To log a new camp, click on the “Add Encampment” button on the top right corner of the page.
On this page, you will see a map with a circle that will automatically mark your location using your device’s or computer’s geolocation services. Depending on your carrier and your device, your GPS location may be slightly off from where you are. Click and drag the circle to move it to your desired location.
Enter a name and description for the camp. Please avoid using client-level PII (Personally Identifying Information) for the name and description of the camp. To quickly generate a name for the camp, tap the “Generate Name” button to create a camp name based on its location.
Once a camp has been created, it is recommended that comments and observations for the camp are recorded in real-time and updated as you re-visit the camp. This allows for users to better understand the state of the camp and track observations and encounters over time.
Comments
In a camp’s "Notes" tab, you can update the status of the camp or add comments about the camp that can be viewed by other users in your Outreach Grid Network.
Under “Change Status,” update the status of the camp.
- Deactivate Camp: Deactivating the camp sets the camp from active to inactive and should be done when the encampment looks unoccupied.
- Close Camp: Closing the camp should be done if the camp is no longer being used and has been cleaned up.
- Reopen Camp: Reopen a previously closed or deactivated camp if the camp is re-occupied with occupants.
Comments on a camp’s profile are public and viewable to other users on the Network. Comments added to a camp will appear on the notes and the camp’s Timeline tabs once submitted.
Camp Observations
Camp observations allow users to log observations and hazards for the encampment. Observation types are customizable and different observations can be added upon request.
To add a new observation, click on “Add Observation.”
You will be navigated to a page where you can log observations you had during your camp visit.
The standard observation types allow Users to note the number of individuals observed, whether the individuals are interested in services, and any observed hazards (such as dogs, knives, and guns).
It is recommended and highly encouraged that you create new observations and comments as needed, as you re-visit the camp.
Client and Client Encounters
Clients are individuals experiencing homelessness and are in need of help. Creating a client in Outreach Grid allows service agencies to work together to help an individual improve their situation. A client may or may not be the client that has been assigned to you; it represents the total population of individuals who are or have experienced homelessness.
Client tools are provided in "Client Management," the second tab on the navigation bar. There are three subsections: Clients, My Clients, and Client Encounters.
- Clients: The Clients tab allows you to view an overview of all clients in the system. This is where you can also search for a client by name, birthdate, or last four digits of their SSN.
- My Clients: The My Clients tab allows you to view an overview of clients that you’re assigned as case manager to.
- Client Encounters: The Client Encounters tab shows a page of filterable locations of which clients were encountered in.
Searching for a Client
On the Clients page, you will see a search bar along with two tabs underneath it, “Unclaimed Public Clients” and “Unclaimed Clients Assigned to [Your Agency]”.
Unclaimed Public Clients are clients created by users from agencies other than your own. A Public Profile exists for this client, but a Private Profile of the client has not yet been created for your agency. An Unclaimed Client that is assigned to your agency has both a Public and Private profile, but has not been assigned a case manager from your agency.
Search for your client by typing in their first name, last name, alias, date of birth (YYYY-MM-DD), or the last four digits of their Social Security number.
Please note that search queries for a client will only work for one type of query. Do not mix queries together (ex: “John Doe 1992-04-01“) as this will cause the search engine to look for the client with the name ”John Doe 1992-04-01“.
If there were no client profiles found with the query, you can go ahead and create a new client profile for the client on Outreach Grid.
Creating a Client
To create a new client, click the blue "Create Client" button located in the upper right corner of the "Clients" page.
Before creating a new client, search for the client again to ensure that no duplicate entries are created. If no results matching your client are found, click the "Create New Client" button near the bottom of the page.
You will be redirected to fill out the Universal Identifier Elements form for the new client.
Users will be prompted Data Quality questions and should gather and enter information as accurately as possible.
For these Data Quality questions, please select the appropriate response — whether the full information is reported, approximate information is reported, client doesn’t know, client refused, or the data was not collected. The distinction is important for reporting purposes.
At the end of the Universal Identifier Elements intake, there will be a Release of Information Waiver(s) available for the client to review and sign. Click on the title of each waiver to read them.
If the client is physically unable to sign but provides Verbal Consent, you may check the verbal consent box to indicate that you will be signing on behalf of the client.
Review each waiver with the client and check the appropriate waiver checkbox that they consent upon.
Signatures can be signed using the mouse on the computer or by finger or stylus if using the web app or mobile app on a touchscreen device (phone, ipad, tablet, etc).
After the signature has been entered, the "Accept Signature" button must be clicked, and then a green "Submit" button will appear.
Depending on the permission waivers that were selected, a Public and/or Private Profile will be created for the client.
If the Client is concerned about signing at the current time, you can collect the client’s signature at a later time. Click on the “Client concerned about signatures” bar below the signature area. A “Submit and Sign Later” button will appear.
Note: When creating a client profile without their signature, you will be unable to view, edit, create client assessments for the client until they have provided their signature.
Once you've clicked the green "Submit" button, you will be redirected to the client's new public profile.
Public and Private Profiles
A client’s Public Profile shares public information that is viewable to all users in the Network. Information collected on the Public Profile includes geolocational information, last known location, the Universal Identifier Elements, and any work or service that was done and collected for the client.
Outreach Grid also provides client tools for agency-specific case management .In a client’s private profile, information and modules related to the private profile are shared only within your agency.
Learn more about the Client's Private Profile in the Case Manager section.
Timeline
The Timeline captures all actions and work done by users for the client. It allows users from different agencies to understand what service is being provided to the client and which agencies are working on the same client.
The Timeline, sorted by recency, is updated automatically whenever things are recorded on behalf of a client.
Locations
To track encounters with a client, navigate to the location tab to view recent encounters at camps or other locations that other users on the network have noted.
Here, you’ll be able to view who encountered the client, where they encountered, and the date and time during which the encounter took place.
You can choose whether your encounter is at an encampment or not.
If your encounter is at an encampment, select the appropriate encampment you are at. The map will automatically find your closest location and locate the camps that are around you. If the camp does not exist, please make one before making an encounter.
If your encounter is not at an encampment, the map will automatically put a point at your location to indicate that your encounter with the client was at that location.
After an encounter has been made, you have the option to complete an assessment.
It is strongly recommended that you make encounters in real-time as you encounter the client.
All Client Encounters recorded in your region can be viewed in your Navigation Bar under the Client Management Tools labeled “Client Encounters”.
Click on the city that you would like to view and you will see all clients that were encountered in that city.
Notes
If you want to add additional information about the client, you can do so in the Notes section.
The Notes section is also where you can view any signed/missing ROI waivers for the client, any observational hazards and comments made for the client, and who their assigned case managers are.
As the Notes feature is part of the client’s Public Profile, any notes or observations made by you is viewable to other users in the Network.
For client profiles created without a client signature, the Notes tab is where you’ll be able to collect their signature at a later time.
Click on the View Client Permissions to view and sign any outstanding agreements.
Note: When creating a client profile without their signature, you will be unable to view, edit, create client assessments for the client until they have provided their signature.
To log a potential hazard, click on the red Add Hazard button, and a module will appear. Hazards are customizable. If you need any customizations for taking note of hazards, please contact support@outreachgrid.com to let us know!
For additional comments, tap on the freeform text box under Add New Comments.
Referrals
Referrals are requests for work for camps and clients made to other users or agencies on the Outreach Grid Network. When you make a referral, you are alerting selected users about work that needs to be followed up for a camp or client.
To make a new referral, type in a subject and description of the work and tag the appropriate individuals or groups you want to follow up on the work. Adding a due date is optional.
A notification and email will be sent to the individuals or groups you tagged, and as they progress in the work request, you will receive updates via notifications and emails.
Media
The “Media” tab is where media including images of the client and PDFs related to the client and their cases can be uploaded.
To upload a file, either drag a file into the gray box under “Add Media,” or click the gray box and choose the appropriate file from your device’s library.
A thumbnail of the media file will then appear in the gray area with a status bar and will indicate that the upload is complete when the status bar is full and a check mark appears. Then refresh your page and you’ll see the client’s new profile picture.
Files Checklist
Any files required for the client's case management can be uploaded to the "Files Checklist" tab. Under this tab, you can quickly see the total number of files to be collected, and how many have been submitted so far.
For each file type, if you have the file scanned or saved on your device, you can submit it by first clicking "Choose File" and locating and selecting the file from your library. Click the green "Submit File" button to then upload the file to the Client's Profile.
Chat
In the “Chat” tab, outreach workers and service providers can exchange information about a client here in real-time.
Requesting A Bed Reservation and Extending Confirmed Reservations
On Outreach Grid Networks where there are participating navigation centers or shelters, users from eligible agencies can create reservations for shelter beds.
To create a reservation for a shelter, you must first complete the Shelter Preference assessment on the client’s public profile, if existing. Head to “Add Assessment” and complete the Shelter Preference assessment.
To create a reservation, go to the client’s public profile and hit “Reserve Beds”.
Below the client’s profile, you will find the inventories that you are eligible to reserve against.
You can see the shelter’s current availabilities. The system will generate a recommendation. Based on the client’s preferences and the shelter’s availabilities, select the appropriate shelter and hit “Request Reservation for Client". You can view whether you are reserving during the shelter’s operating hours. If you are reserving outside of operating hours, the reservation will automatically be extended until the shelter’s operating hours.
Once you have selected the shelter, the system will tell you whether it is a good match. You can then request the reservation. The shelter has a certain amount of time to respond to the request; this is dependent on the agency’s set response time.
Once your request for reservation has been approved, you will receive a notification to arrange transportation for your client to the location. The reservation will be open for a certain amount of time. Once the time expires, the bed will be available for reservation again.
If you require an extension on your time for the confirmed reservation, you can create extensions in increments from the client’s timeline on their Reservation Card.
Shelter operators are also able to extend confirmed reservations on their Inventory page.
If your request has been denied, you will need to find another shelter to make a reservation.
Once your client has been checked in, the reservation ends and their stay at the shelter begins.
Cancelling A Bed Reservation Request
Shelter operators and referring users are able to cancel existing reservation requests for clients.
Referring Users:
To cancel an existing bed reservation request, head on over to your client’s timeline. You will see that there is a current reservation log for the client.
Log the reason for cancelling the reservation request and tap “Cancel”. The client’s timeline will update with the cancelled reservation request, noting that it was cancelled by the referring user.
