In the changing landscape of care human service agencies in California, and across the country, are facing new challenges. Providers are being asked to confront new federal and local mandates while also facing greater scrutiny of their agency operations and outcomes.
AWARDS is a web-based electronic record for human service providers and behavioral health EHR in California that can simplify all aspects of your agency operations (from intake and admissions to billing and reporting) and help you meet regulatory expectations.
Click any of the topics below to find out how California agencies are using AWARDS to streamline agency operations and ultimately improve service delivery for their clients.
Agency Stories
Our Footprint in California
AWARDS Electronic Record
Benefits for Human Service Agencies in California
Foothold Technology’s AWARDS helps your organization thrive by offering:
- Standardization of agency data collection & charting procedures
- More staff accountability through reporting, audit trails & reminders
- Easier access to your data, accessible from any location at the agency
- Increased efficiency allowing staff more time to provide supports & services
- Easy audits available through AWARDS robust reporting functionality
- Standard workflow for all agency employees
- Safe, secure & HIPAA compliant data storage
- Web-based cloud technology, eliminating hardware & infrastructure maintenance costs
Agency Stories
Case Study
Kidango – How One Agency Used the AWARDS ReportBuilder to Save Time, Customize Reports, and More
- Services: Mental Health, Youth and Family Services
- Year Founded: 1979
- Location: Fremont, California
- Clients Served: Over 2,500
- Using AWARDS Since: 2012
The Situation: Multiple reporting requirements and stressful, time-consuming audits
Every billing cycle, staff at Kidango would gather thousands of case files, opening each folder by hand and pulling details about each client interaction to file claims. Each funder seemed to have different requirements on how the data should be reported. For Kidango, a human service agency with more than 50 sites and 500 employees across California, it was the thought of preparing for audits that led them to select Foothold’s AWARDS.
The Solution: The flexibility of AWARDS’ ReportBuilder
Rather than build thousands of reports for thousands of funders, Foothold built one flexible reporting tool that allows users to select their own criteria and generate unlimited reports. In addition to Billing reports, Kidango staff now use the AWARDS ReportBuilders in every aspect of the operation.
- Clinical directors run Service reports weekly to make sure diagnoses are correctly coded, consents signed and active.
- Productivity reports help to identify places where workflows can be streamlined, and costs cut.
- Staff logs keep administrators aware of what’s going on every day, at all sites and in the field.
- Demographic reports and Outcome reports help the agency improve their services and present their value to funders and strategic partners.
The Result: Time saved on reports and overall agency efficiency increased
Within months of implementing AWARDS, Kidango reported successes throughout the organization. Their process of uploading to the county system took a fraction of the time it used to. Problems like duplicate billing and unreported services faded away, and they even received a near-perfect score on their next audit.
Stories
How an Electronic Health Record Supports California Agencies
Agencies across the United States use AWARDS to streamline operations and improve service delivery for their clients. This is just as true in the golden state where organizations like Kidango are based. Kidango, part of the Foothold Technology family, works every day to make a difference for the children in their community.
Since 1979, Kidango has been supporting children and families through an array of services including early childhood education, early childhood mental health, child development, and family services to over 3,000 children annually. Staff provide services in schools, through home visits and at program locations throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. In recent years, Kidango has expanded its programming and has experienced tremendous growth.
Streamlining Operations
We spoke with Kidango to learn more about their work and to discuss how the organization is using AWARDS to support this growth. Staff at Kidango often receive calls from the local department of social services seeking eligibility information for individuals receiving services through Kidango programs. With client consent and with AWARDS at their fingertips, staff are able to verify information in a matter of minutes, freeing up their time to maintain focus on the children and families they serve.
Kidango also noted that AWARDS can help with legal or emergency issues. If a potential problem arises, staff with appropriate access can review an individual’s progress notes within AWARDS, anytime and from anywhere. Reporting is also much easier with AWARDS. For example, one of the agency’s departments used to tally its home visit records by hand. When running an annual report, this was especially tedious. Now that AWARDS is in play, reporting is a snap. But no one is happier about AWARDS than Kidango’s finance department. Staff can quickly create reports and share real-time, accurate information with the finance department.
“A rep in our finance department was beside herself when she saw how quick and easy it was to create reports. What used to take her an entire day, can now be done very quickly using AWARDS.”
Our Footprint in California
Testimonials
Hear what one of our California clients has to say:
Clients
Bay Area Behavioral Connection
Bay Area Behavioral Connection is located in Silicon Valley. Their mission is to promote and provide quality Parent Training Programs, Adaptive Skills Training, Behavioral Health Treatment, Intensive Behavior Modification, and Applied Behavior Analysis programs to families and children facing behavioral challenges and difficulties with maladaptive behaviors, issues related to Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Epilepsy, Intellectual Disabilities and other Neurological Disorders within Santa Clara County, Monterey County, Santa Cruz County and San Benito County.
Bill Wilson Center
Bill Wilson Center provides services to more than 6,300 children, youth, young adults and families in Santa Clara County through our various programs. Additionally, we reach more than 31,000 clients through our Street Outreach and crisis line programs. Bill Wilson Center programs focus on housing, education, counseling, and advocacy.
Catholic Charities Diocese of Monterey
Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Monterey, is a faith-based non-profit social service agency providing aid to individuals and families in the four central coast counties of Monterey, Santa Cruz, San Benito and San Luis Obispo.
Their mission is to assist individuals and families of all backgrounds and beliefs providing them with tools, training and resources to help meet basic necessities for life. In addition, they provide information and referrals to social service agencies in each community we serve. Their three core areas of service are mental health counseling, immigration and citizenship and family supportive services. We serve over 20,000 individuals a year.
Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County
Chamberlain’s
Chamberlain’s Children Center empowers at-risk children in a home-like environment to heal from past trauma, discover their strengths, and develop the skills they need to achieve life-long success. Chamberlain’s is located in rural San Benito County just outside Hollister city limits and is located southeast of San Francisco and east of Monterey.
Kidango
Mekong Community Center
The mission of Mekong Community Center in Santa Clara County is to provide out-patient behavioral health services to enable Vietnamese-American clients and families to adjust to the task of daily living and to function at their optimal level.
St. Joseph Center
St. Joseph Center in Los Angeles provides working poor families, as well as homeless men, women and children of all ages, with the inner resources and tools to become productive, stable and self-supporting members of the community.
Unity Care
Unity Care offers a wide range of services benefiting foster and under-served youth and families throughout Northern California. They focus on each child as an individual, and offer a full range of services that empower young people and provide the security and support they need to flourish in society.
Ujima Adult and Family Services
Ujima Adult and Family Services is a San Jose based agency focused on providing case management and medication services to African American families and youth.
Youth for Change
Youth for Change is a non-profit, public benefit organization licensed by the State of California to provide comprehensive treatment, education and support services in our community. Established in 1991, the Youth for Change team has continually developed community partnerships for the purpose of championing the well-being of children and families. Their programs are dynamic and respond flexibly to community and family needs.
Partners
California Alliance of Child & Family Services
The California Alliance of Child and Family Services is the unifying force in the charge to lead change and provide support for the state’s children, youth and families. For those dedicated to improving the lives of these at-risk populations, the California Alliance stands apart as the champion and leading voice for organizations that advocate for children and families, and for advancing policy and services on their behalf.