|
The SSIS Business Section at DHS is seeking three agencies to pilot SSIS Version 24.2 (V24.2) April 24 – May 21, 2024. V24.2 Statewide Release is scheduled for Wednesday, May 22, 2024. Piloting is an integral part of SSIS releases.
Piloting responsibilities include having an agency SSIS coordinator or mentor to:
- coordinate the pilot test checklist (provided when pilot begins) then attend and provide feedback on tested items during a weekly pilot call (the checklist is mostly tested through day-to-day work by agency SSIS users)
- coordinate pilot specific communications/questions/feedback between SSIS Business Operations and the agency when needed outside of weekly pilot calls
Piloting provides agencies an opportunity to check out what’s ahead, prior to statewide release, and allows time for feedback to ensure changes will work for SSIS users. Additional benefits to participating during pilot include receiving priority SSIS Help Desk assistance and virtual and/or onsite pilot visits.
For more information regarding piloting V24.2 or future pilots, contact Marcia Ryss, SSIS Change & Engagement Consultant.
On March 18, 2024, Governor Walz released his State Fiscal Year 2025 supplemental budget. This budget included $15 million for SSIS modernization. The House and Senate have not released any numbers, but we are hopeful that there is bipartisan support. This is not considered a full modernization budget, however it will allow DHS and DCYF to move into planning alongside MNIT.
When entering a new client or receiving a maltreatment report, never enter and clear a participant of “Unknown, Unknown“ or any other variation of an Unknown entity such as Unknown, Facility; Unknown, Staff; Unknown, Emailer; etc.
For Adult Protection, if the Alleged Perpetrator is unknown, enter known information regarding the Alleged Perpetrator in the Alleged perpetrator description field of the Allegations tab. A name is not required in the Alleged perpetrator name field.
The Role tab of the Adult Maltreatment Report has a description field where information should be entered if the name of the Alleged Perpetrator is not known.
Never pick an “Unknown” client in a contact/activity in SSIS as the client will not be able to be removed in the future.
Refer to the Adult Protection User Guide for more information regarding the above as well as Adult Maltreatment Reports.
We are thrilled to announce the addition of Michelle Johnson to the SSIS Business Section at DHS!
Michelle is our SSIS Permanency Subject Matter Expert, joining us from a local agency where she had been a child welfare worker focused on permanency work for about a decade.
The Help Desk occasionally receives requests to determine if private data has been viewed or changed by a user that did not need the information to complete their job functions. There are three successive levels to respond to these requests.
The first, and quickest, way to determine which screens in SSIS a worker may have accessed is through the User View Log. The User View Log allows the selection of the worker’s name and possible data customization/time period for viewing records. This log displays all screens that a user looked at in the course of their daily work. The Primary Key displays either an SSIS Worker # or an SSIS Workgroup #. The screens accessed from the Persons or Workgroups display in the treeview and in the grid. The date and time the screen was viewed is displayed as well. Supervisors and managers requested this capability. Use this handout for further information about the User View Log.
The second way to view information about screen access is through the Tableviewer application. Tableviewer is a behind the scenes look at SSIS records. The difference between Tableviewer and the User View Log is that Tableviewer can only identify the last changed date by a user. It is possible for a worker to view a screen or workgroup and not have it register on Tableviewer. This displays only if the user changed something or clicked into a screen and selected Save upon leaving. Also, there is not a historical record kept. Another user may have changed the screen after the viewer of concern. Use this handout for further information about Tableviewer.
If neither of the above options work, an agency can request SSIS to run queries for additional information. These requests can be sent to the Help Desk. Please include the following details when making a request:
- Staff User ID
- Dates in question
- Details of what they are looking for – person records, workgroup records, etc.
SSIS Business Operations and Child Safety and Permanency policy staff are committed to improving one of the top concerns of SSIS users, the Out-of-Home Placement Plan (OHPP). Over the past year we have gathered feedback from case workers, mentors, and supervisors through help desk tickets, technical assistance, site visits, CP Paperwork Reduction Review listening sessions, and the Office of the Legislative Auditor’s Office (OLA) report on Child Protection Removals and Reunifications (2022).
SSIS SMEs and Child Safety and Permanency policy staff have used this information to find opportunities to revise the OHPP, including reducing length, limiting information to statutory requirements, eliminating duplication, and improving organization of the plan for better flow and ease of understanding for families, case workers, and other parties.
Our next steps include creating a full plan for operationalizing revisions, including securing funding for changes that incorporate modern user design/user experience and ensuring user acceptance testing to make sure the OHPP is an improved experience for case workers and meaningful for parents/families.
Registration is now open for the SSIS Admin coffee talk scheduled for Tuesday, March 26, 2024 at 9:00 a.m. Registration is required and will remain open until the webinar begins.
All coffee talk webinar recordings and related materials are posted on the Minnesota Child Welfare Training Academy website seven to ten business days following each event.
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.
|
