UNIT 3. THE INTAKE PROCESS

Objectives

Upon completion of this lesson, you should be able to:

Topics

Sign off NH BRIDGES and restart the system by double clicking the NH BRIDGES icon on the Windows 95 desktop. At the login dialog box, sign on as Intake Worker Ferris Wheeler by entering fwheeler at the UserID text box. The password is: training.

Searching the BRIDGES database:

To search NH BRIDGES for prior reports regarding a specific individual or family:
  1. Click on the Search button of the Main Toolbar. (The Search toolbar appears.)
  1. Click on the Bridges button of the Search toolbar. (The Client Search dialog box appears.)
Note: In BRIDGES, Mandatory fields appear in yellow. You must enter something in these fields before the screen can be processed.
  1. Enter Macarena in the Last Name field.
Note: Soundex Search will display all values in the database that match your search criteria exactly, as well as those that sound similar to your criteria.
  1. Click on the Soundex Search checkbox.
Note: If there had been no matches, an informational window saying "No matches found" would appear.
  1. Click on the [OK] button. (The search results dialog box appears, with an inset grid showing all the matches.)
  1. Select Mary Macarena and Click on the [Show] button. (The Bridges search - Mary Macarena screen appears below the toolbar.)
Note: The Referrals button on the Search Bridges toolbar shows all the referrals this client has been associated with. The Add Client button allows you to directly add this client and their associated inf. to a currently in focus referral/assessment or case.
  1. Click through the various toolbar buttons to view information about Mary Macarena.
Note: if you wanted to search with different criteria, click on the Search button in the Search Results dialog box rather than Show. You would be returned to the Client Search dialog box.
  1. When done, click on the Exit Search button on the Search toolbar.(The Search toolbar is removed.)

Documenting a Referral To create a new referral, follow these steps:
New Referral - How to
  1. Click on the Workload button on the Main Toolbar. (The Workload(Case/Referral dialog box appears.)
Note: Upon first entering the New Referral screen, all the other Referral 2. toolbar buttons are locked until the first screen of the referral is saved to the database.
  1. Click on the Referral/Assessment Radio button. Click on the [New] button. Then Click on the [OK] button (The Referral toolbar and "Referral-New" window appears.)
Note: Either/Or Mandatory fields are 3. used to indicate either one or the other field is mandatory. An example can be found on the Client Demographics screen - either the Date of Birth or the Approximate Age of the client must be entered
  1. Details regarding this referral can be entered on this screen.
Note: On the Referral screen, there is a Copy button. It is used to duplicate the referral and narrative information, and creates a new record in the database with the copied information. It can be useful to refer a new family name where more than one family lives in the same home. An example has been set up for this training class. To access the example, follow the steps for "Sample Referral- Opening" below:

Sample Referral - Opening To View the demonstration referral:
  1. Click on the [Cancel] button on the Referral-New window to return to the Referral Toolbar. (The referral toolbar appears above a blank screen.)
  1. Click on the Workload button on the Referral toolbar. (The Main toolbar appears above the BRIDGES image.)
Note: Steps 3 through 8 are used to view any existing referral
  1. Click on the Workload button on the Main toolbar. (The Workload/Case/Referral dialog box appears.)
Note: If you know the BRIDGES referral ID number of the referral you wish to view, enter it next to the Existing radio button and Click on OK to go directly to that referral!
  1. Click on the Referral/Assessment radio button. Click on the Existing Radio button. Click on the [Search...] button. (The Referral Search dialog box appears.)
  1. Enter Macarena in the Referral Name field. Notice that the [OK] button is "grayed out", or disabled. To activate the [OK] button, press the Tab key and then click on [OK]; or just press Enter. (The Referral Search Matches dialog box is displayed.)

There are two inset grids on the Referral Search dialog box: the inset grid at the top displays all referrals that match your search criteria; the inset grid at the bottom displays all clients associated with the referral in focus (highlighted). The middle portion of the dialog box shows summary information about the referral in focus.

  1. Highlight the Macarena referral and click on the [Show] button. (The Referral/Assessment - Macarena window appears.)
Note: The I/R Services button should only be used to record a request for services when you are sure this will not be acceptedforinvestigation. This is because once you enter information on this screen it automatically requires screening out the referral.
  1. Click on the Referral button on the Referral/Assessment toolbar. (The Referral toolbar appears above a blank screen titled Intake - Macarena.)
  1. The instructor will click on the various buttons of this toolbar to view referral information

Instruction: Reviewing Referral Information
Note: Once all referral information has been entered, you must take a snapshot of the referral before it can be accepted for assessment
Note: on the Demo screens, it is necessary to check the "participating as a child" field for all kids, so they will be available in reports to law enforcement, and in victim picklists, etc.
Notes On the Relations screen, it is not necessary to enter reciprocal relationships. Bridges does not automatically create reciprocal relationships. Also multiple relations between the same two clients cannot be entered.
Note: A/N Allegations must be entered for each child and for each allegation. If there are three children being neglected, there should be 3 lines of allegations. If two of those children are also abused, two more allegations must be added.
Note: On A/N Allegations screen, BRIDGES defaults to the Alleged by Reporter radio button. If additional inf. is collected during assessment, the system will default to Collected During Assessment
Note: The Medical screen is used to add inf. about a victim who either needs or has received medical attention. The Drugs screen is used to add specific inf. about babies born exposed to drugs, and mother's drug test inf
Note: On the Referral/Assessment toolbar, the Law Enforcement Report screen is available to both Intake staff (to complete reports for out-of-home perpetrators) and Assessment staff (to complete notification for referrals that are going to assessment), via the Law Enf. button.
Note: The Notes screen can be used to add inf. that doesn't fit in other screens of the referral. Information entered on the Notes screen does not populate to any other BRIDGES screen.


Back to Table of Contents