Certified Trainers Blog

 Archive for the ‘Renee Moffatt’s Posts’ Category

When we first started using Therap, we put all of our Medical Appointments in the Therap calendar, just like we do on paper. Then Therap put the Appointments on everyone’s FirstPage/Dashboard so that users could see all of the appointments for Today and Tomorrow. Now we are turning off the calendar and only using HT.

This will save on double documenting in both places, therefore saving staff more work. Once again, Therap has saved us time and energy!

Thanks Therap!

It’s mid-day at the Therap Conference on Day Two, and I was just in a session regarding the 1115 Wavier for New York.  I could go into great detail about what was discussed regarding funding, Care Coordinators, etc…, but I would probably bore you.  If you’re really curious, just Google OPWDD 1115 Waiver, get yourself a pillow, and you’ll be out in just a few minutes.

But there are two things that I really appreciated taking out of that session:

1) We are all in the dark… nobody reallly knows what exactly this will mean for our agencies, how we will need to implement it, what documentation will increase/decrease, how it’s going to change the way we serve the individuals we currently support, etc…  It’s good to know that we are not alone in having anxiety about what this will bring.

2) Therap is already on top of it.  In all of the sessions that I’ve attended so far, there has been at least one programmer in attendance.  But at this session, there were at least 3 programmers (Sazzad, Pushpita, and Asif), as well as Kevin Lightle and James Kelly, who were able to share information about the Waiver.  I’m not sure, but I think Kevin has a direct line to the OPWDD Commissioner, Courtney Burke, so hopefully he’s getting any inside scoop on the issue.

So tonight, I’ll be just fine falling asleep knowing that, once again, I can count on Therap to be there whenever there is a regulatory concern.  Now, if I could just make sure that Sazzad fixes that one thing for me…

Hanging out with Allison at GoToMeeting.com talking about the pros and cons of webinars vs. live presentations. Personally, I can stand in front of anyone and talk about Therap for as long as needed. But, I feel lost trying to do a webinar. I think it’s the visual feedback of the audience that I need and the same reason I don’t like talking on the telephone! Others may prefer that lack of eyes staring at you in front of the room in doing a webinar. Either way, it’s another cool thing about Therap, that users from everywhere are always sharing information! Which way are you most comfortable? Let me know as both a presenter or an attendee.

So I got an iPhone just last week, which is really kinda funny, because I hate phones… they are way too auditory for my visual personality,  I don’t like talking on them, I frequently misplace mine, and I almost always let the battery die.  One of my co-workers actually said it was a waste of a good iPhone for me to even have one.

I say they’re just jealous, but in reality, I’m a techno-idiot.  I have no idea what the difference is between one search engine and another, why Microsoft is better/worse than Apple, I can’t even program my VCR (yep, still have one).  I’m pretty sure that if Pete or Justin read this, they are going to go into some sort of techno-babble about why it was a good/bad idea for me to get an iPhone (I’ll just shake my head up and down like I know what they are talking about).  That’s why I love Therap, it works even for a techno-idiot like me.

Back to my iPhone… can you guess what was my first downloaded App?  Therap’s T-Log App of course!!!  Logged in and there they were!  How cool is it to be able to read T-Logs while sitting on the sideline at my daughter’s soccer practice?!  Way Cool!  At first I wondered why the “Mark as Read and Go To Next” button was missing, but then I read my first T-Log, marked it as read, and realized it went right back to the T-Log list, so I could read the next one, the previous one, or any one on the list.

I was showing off the T-Log App at a meeting the other day and someone pointed out to me that I didn’t really need it… huh?  “Why don’t you just pull up Therap on the Internet?”  OMGoodness.  I can pull up Therap on my phone.  Holy cow.  This is way too cool.   (I thought Safari was an African vacation app…  little did I know.)

So now when I am at a meeting I can pull up anything on Therap that I need by using the internet, or when watching soccer practice I can just use the T-Log app to get quickly to my T-Logs.  Either way, it’s a great convenience having it right in my pocket.

Believe it or not, one of the other soccer mom’s actually commented on how techno-savvy I am…

Little does she know 

*****

Renee M. Moffatt, The Resource Center, Jamestown, NY

*****

Seriously, we are talking about some hot new stuff here in Fishkill, so much so, that during one of our afternoon sessions, the fire alarm sounded and we all had to evacuate the hotel!!! No worries… we were only outside for a short period of time and back to talking Therap in no time!

Today, I’ve learned a whole lot more about the Individual Home module and I have to say that the Profile listing the Involved Staff was very surprising to me! Check it out, I’d love to hear your thoughts!  (If you don’t know what I’m referring to, contact your Provider Administrator so that you can be given the privilege.)

The first session that I attended this morning has Sazzad showing us the new Billing Checklist Report that they are currently developing for NY. It will assist MSCs in checking to make sure that they have met all their requirements for billing, i.e. their face-to-face contacts, signing off on their ISP Plans, distribution, having one Line A item or 2 Line B items, LCED in place/reviewed, etc… Although it’s still in development, the consensus of the room is that it’s on the right track and will certainly assist in making sure billing requirements are met. I LOVE THERAP!!!

It’s been pointed out to me that it has been ONE WHOLE YEAR since I’ve posted a blog (shame on me)!!!  Time flies when you’re having fun on Therap!!!  Long story short as to my absence… I’m still the Queen, but there is a new Therap Administrator at TRC, Letisha, and I’m sure that you’ve seen some of her blogs.

Well, now I’m back at Fishkill and it seems like old home week to me!!!  I’ve seen so many friends that I haven’t seen in years… Kara, Allison, Maureen, Anna, Richard, Justin, Kris, Stephen, Bonnie, Pete,Cheryl, and I’ve already met some new friends!!  It’s been a great time full of laughter and we haven’t even had one session… tomorrow should be awesome!!! Hope to see you here, but if not, I’ll try to keep you posted!!!

Now, if I could just get Jim to burn that stupid Packers sweater.

We’re utilizing the Template Library more and more these days and therefore, the list is getting bigger and bigger.  If you can remember the author or name of the template you are looking for, the search function works great.  But, if you have to look through the list, finding it is much more challenging.

To fix this problem, I’ve suggested that departments name all of their program specific templates with a prefix.  For example, our behavior plans in the ISP Program all start with “BP:” no matter the ABSS that writes it or the program that it belongs.  In TMS, we’ve named all of our residential specific classes starting with “RES:”.

Applying this to the names of ISP Programs in the library will make it easier to search the information, since you’ll always know that your templates start with that specific prefix, no matter the author or name of of the program.

Just a thought I wanted to share!!!  Thanks!

Renee

Typcially we’ve used agency Splash Pages as announcements for specific Therap related issues: “An updated T-Log Reference Guide has been sent via SComm, please be sure to review.”  Non-Therap related information has always been sent as a flyer within staff paychecks: “Interested in earning more money?  Individualized Services is looking for…”

Recently, however, we decided to try something new.  We created a Splash Page to let users know that we were hiring for a specific position and listed the phone number to contact if they knew anyone interested.  Since that Splash Page, I’ve received additional requests for other similar needs, ”Mary Active, a resident at First Street Group Home, is looking for someone that would be interested in volunteering for …” 

So here is my next thought… when a staff sees this Splash Page, it might not interest them at first, so they click on the box “Do not show this message again.”  But later that week, they need the information that was in that Splash Page.

Wouldn’t it be beneficial for users to have the ability to access old Splash Pages?  I know that there have been times when I’ve clicked on that box, just to realize two days later that I needed the information again, for example, release notes.  Some users would be able to find them on the homepage, but others might not.

Here’s my feedback: Category-Suggestion, Summary-Access to old Splash Pages, Description-”It would be beneficial if users could access old Splash Pages that they have clicked not to be shown. There may be information within them that at that time they don’t need, but may need at a later date.”

I’ll let you know if there’s anything interesting in “My Issues” tomorrow!

Renee

Yesterday, I left my office at The Resource Center to drive north two hours to attend a WNY User Group Session, and it was awesome!!!   Thanks to the great staff at Community Services for the Developmentally Disabled located in Buffalo, NY for once again opening their agency for a user group session.

And also to Kris and Stephen who were willing to put up with all of us throwing out our great ideas for future upgrades!  I’m pretty sure that they wrote everything down to take back to the Therap programmers to work on for us!!!!  Hopefully we’ll see some of those great ideas soon! 

If you haven’t already attended a local user group, you really should consider it.  You can find a list of sessions on Therap’s homepage.  It’s a great opportunity to see how other agencies in your state are utilizing Therap.  Everytime I’ve attended, I’ve either learned how to do something that we aren’t doing or shared something with other agencies that they aren’t doing.   Either way, it’s a win-win for all agencies in attendance.

Another great reason for a user group session is for the Points Program.  Kelly and I are currently working on getting enough points to attend any future conferences that Therap might host in Hawaii!!!  See you there Kevin!

Renee