|
Wednesday, June 29th at 6:00 p.m. a special SSIS release and package build will be completed. This is being done to correct two known issues in SSIS Worker/Fiscal and to implement additional fiscal changes with the implementation of Family First Prevention and Services Act (FFPSA).
Additional information on the special release can be found here. SSIS Update 581 2022 June 28 Special Release.docx
Efforts to identify and resolve performance issues specific to SSIS applications, and MAARC for county and Tribal agencies continue:
- SSIS Help Desk continues to monitor reports related to slowness and performance
- Monitoring of the legacy and new Horizon servers at various times of the day for issues and reports to the appropriate MNIT teams as necessary.
- Daily health system meetings; all technical tickets are reviewed twice weekly
- New Horizon server farm statewide conversion project continues
- All local agencies have started to move to the new environment (some or all users)
- Project completion target: July 1, 2022
- No date for removing access to legacy Horizon servers at this time
- Occasional reports of users experiencing slowness/freezing and getting kicked out of SSIS in the new environment have occurred
- Technical issue follow-up
- An issue was identified by agencies when trying to print documents using local templates introduced with SSIS 22.2. This is part of the special release scheduled for 6/29/2022
- SSIS Performance & Stability Workgroup
- This workgroup is charged to identify, prioritize, monitor, and oversee work to improve performance at all levels, addressing the immediate issues and then plan for long term system performance management.
- The next meeting will be held July 15th
When sending in reports of freezing or slowness in SSIS to the SSIS Help Desk, the following is the initial information Help Desk would like included when possible.
Reports of Slowness in SSIS
What servers were you connected to? Horizon server and Application server (a screenshot of the lower left corner of the SSIS screen shows this information).
Describe the slowness compared to how it normally runs.
What date/time did the incident occur?
In what part of the application are you experiencing slowness (what was the user doing in SSIS)?
User ID of the affected worker?
Is user working in office or remotely?
If remotely:
How is the user connected to the internet? (Home internet provider or cell hot spot?)
Were other applications running slowly for the user?
Please have the affected worker run this MNIT speed test and report the results. https://mn.gov/speedtest/
Application Freezing
What servers were you connected to? Horizon server and Application server (a screenshot of the lower left corner of the SSIS screen shows this information).
In what part of the application did it freeze (what was the user doing in SSIS)?
Were you forced to close the application or did SSIS eventually respond? How long did it take to respond?
What date/time did the incident occur?
User ID of the affected worker?
Is user working in office or remotely?
If remotely:
How is the user connected to the internet? (Home internet provider or cell hot spot?)
Please have the affected worker run this MNIT speed test and report the results. https://mn.gov/speedtest/
SSIS Help Desk staff can be reached by emailing dhs.ssishelp@state.mn.us or by calling 651-431-4801.
The MMIS update for long-term services and supports (LTSS) rate changes was successful. County and tribal nation staff may resume entering and changing service agreements in MMIS.
Read the full announcement here: ‘All clear’ to resume entering and changing MMIS service agreements
Provider organizations providing DWRS services must report costs via the online DWRS cost reporting platform once every five years. Organizations required to report in 2022 were notified by DHS during the month of March, 2022. Additional details were sent through the April 5, 2022 DWRS cost reporting e-List.
Join the DHS Program Integrity team Wednesday, June 29, 1:30 – 3:00 p.m., or Monday, August 8, 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. to learn more about DWRS cost reporting.
Topics to be covered include:
- DWRS cost reporting overview
- Reporting requirements
- Guidance on using the DWRS cost reporting online system including:
Register via TrainLink. Refer to the session announcement page for step-by-step details.
Additional details are available on the session information page or by emailing DSD Learn.
Effective Sept. 30, 2021, Family First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA) established new requirements for placements in congregate care facilities certified as qualified residential treatment programs (QRTP) including completion of QRTP assessments by qualified individuals (QIs).
Department staff are providing clarification on two aspects of the QRTP assessment process:
- Required documents QI’s review to complete assessment
- Engagement of family and permanency team members
1. Required documents must be provided to QI timely
A QRTP assessment must be completed prior to a QRTP placement or within 30 days of placement if it occurs due to a crisis situation. To ensure the QI has time to complete a QRTP assessment within the required timeframe, case workers must provide the QI with required information when the case is referred to a QI.
If a QI does not receive this information at the time of referral, the QRTP assessment is at risk of not being completed timely. Although a QRTP assessment takes approximately 12-18 hours to complete, it requires coordination with family and permanency team members for interviews who may not be readily available or need to be contacted multiple times. Most QI’s have full time jobs and are completing this work after hours or on weekends.
Information required
-
QRTP assessment referral form, which is also available in SSIS under the Participant/Documents node;
- List of Family and permanency team members including phone numbers and emails addresses of team members;
- Level of care determination (Minnesota Statutes, section 245.4885) as recommended in recent diagnostic assessment; and
- Documentation to a QI that referring case worker has signed releases of information (ROI’s). QI cannot contact youth or members of a family and permanency team without signed releases of information. ROI’s are the responsibility of placing agency.
Information not required
If a QI requests additional information, a case worker works with a QI to determine if the information is necessary to support information a QI has already collected during interviews with family and permanency team members. The responsible agency makes the determination if additional information is deemed necessary for a QRTP assessment.
The QI is not required to review other documents to complete a QRTP assessment such as but not limited to:
- Individual Education Plans (IEP’s)
- Psychiatric evaluations
- Previous residential program assessments/discharge paperwork
- Out-of-home placement plans
- Juvenile treatment screening team summaries.
2. Case workers must provide QI with timely access to family and permanency team members
Completing QRTP assessments require QIs to engage with child/youth and family and permanency team members.
During a juvenile treatment screening team meeting, when it is anticipated that placement in a QRTP will be discussed, a case worker should come prepared to recommend membership of a family and permanency team and bring necessary releases of information for signature by parent or guardian. Preparing for the QRTP assessment during the juvenile treatment screening team supports family engagement in determining membership of a family and permanency team and will result in a more thorough assessment.
The QRTP assessments must be completed in consultation (interviews) with the child/youth and family and permanency team members. It is imperative for a QI to have a diverse group of individuals to consult with so a QI has an understanding of a child’s needs and strengths. Information gathered by the QI will assist in determining the most appropriate and least restrictive placement setting for a child/youth.
Detailed information on the QI and QRTP assessment review is available in bulletin 21-68-22, Family First Prevention Services Act: Qualified residential treatment program (QRTP) assessment.
Information on the Family and permanency team is available in Family and Permanency Team practice guide, DHS-8120B (PDF)
Contacts
Click here to subscribe to the DHS Family First Prevention Services Act News and Updates.
Reference materials from the June 21, 2022, IV-E and SSIS coffee talk have been posted to the SSIS Resource page under SSIS Webinar Materials. The recorded webinar can be found on the Minnesota Child Welfare Training Academy website under SSIS Training Unit.
Training opportunities for new SSIS users or those seeking a refresher are now available to SSIS users. Courses are great for those new to SSIS or those seeking a refresher. Click the topic below for course descriptions, schedules and registration information.
SSIS webinar materials and previous recordings can be found on the MCWTA site.
|
