caseworker database training manual jan-2007 for joel

Caseworker Database

Training Manual

Created 01/2007 By Joel Sumner

– 1 –Version 1 January 2007

Table of Contents

Introduction Pg. 3

The Interface Menu Pg. 4

Cases by Contract Pg. 5

Client Look-up by Alien Number Pg. 6

Client Look-up by Last Name Pg. 9

Display Old Cases Pg. 12

Display Active Cases Pg. 15

Enter New Client Pg. 18

Male Female Options Pg. 19 Entry State Drop Down Pg. 20 English? Check Box Pg. 20 English Level Drop Down Pg. 21 Primary Language Drop Down Pg. 21 Date Fields Pg. 22 VOLAG Drop Down Pg. 22 Activities Section Pg. 23 Entering Additional New Records Pg. 24

Monthly New and Closed & Monthly Date Changes Pg. 25

Final Notes Pg. 26

Introduction– 2 –

Version 1 January 2007

The caseworker database was designed with you the caseworker in mind. Each button is designed to make your work easier. Whether you are trying to find a clients phone number or their middle name, the database was made to make those things quick and easy for you.

The database contains all of your clients for the current contract year as well as those for the previous contract year. This is done so that should you need information for follow-ups or other such previous year’s data you may access it remotely, without needing to access the main Youth Program database.

Your database is identical in design to that of the other caseworkers, but it contains the clients exclusive to you and your school(s). The main database shares some of the same functions as your database, but its functionality is designed differently with more options and buttons due to the necessary information it must provide to the main office.

Please read this manual in its entirety so that you may grasp an understanding of what your database is and is not capable of. Screenshots are included so that you do not need to open your database in conjunction with the manual in order to visualize certain aspects of the explanation.


The Interface Menu

Figure 1

Upon opening the database you will see the user interface (Figure 1). The user interface contains the main menu for the database. Notice the menu is laid out in groups of buttons based on function and relation. The first two columns of buttons are actions based on contract years. In Figure 1 the current contract year is displayed as “LK728 Cases” and the previous contract year is “LK528 Cases”. The final column contains additional functions and is identified as “Other Actions”.


Cases by Contract

Figure 2

As previously stated the database contains two contract years worth of data. Unlike the main database which contains all of the Youth Programs data from all contract years. In Figure 2 the contract years that are contained within the database are LK528 and LK728. This means all cases for your particular school(s) are contained within the database. Each year is accessed through the buttons below their respective contract. The “Look-Up by Alien Number” button as well as the “Look-Up by Last Name” button for each respective contract pulls data from that contract only. We will cover each individual button function in the following sections.


Denotes the two contract years contained within the database.

Look-Up by Alien Number

Figure 3

The main function of the Lookup by Alien Number button is to look up your individual cases to make information changes (i.e. close out the case, change address, fill in follow-up date, etc.). Figure 3 shows the location of the button for both contract years.


Look-Up by Alien Number buttons.

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 4 and Figure 5 show the steps to take once the button has been pressed. In Figure 4 you see the pop-up window that will allow you to enter an alien number. Figure 5 shows an alien number that has been typed into the text field in the pop-up window. Once you have entered the alien number into the text field you will click .


Figure 6

Figure 6 shows the window that pops-up with your client’s information. From this window you can edit any information that you need to about that client. All text boxes and fields are able to be edited from this screen. When you are finished merely

close the window and you will return to the main interface.


Look-Up by Last Name

Figure 7

Figure 7 shows the location of the Look-Up by Last Name button. This button is intended to be used for the same functions as the Look-Up by Alien Number buttons. The difference here is that this button gives you the ability to look up a client without having their alien number. So, if you know the last name of a client and need to access their alien number ir you need to change some of their information (i.e. close out the case, change address, fill in follow-up date) you still have the ability to do so.


Look-Up by Last Name buttons.

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 8 and Figure 9 show the steps to take once the button has been pressed. In Figure 8 you see the pop-up window that will allow you to enter the last name. Figure 9 shows a last name that has been typed into the text field in the pop-up window. Once you have entered the last name into the text field you will click .


Figure 10

Figure 10 shows the window that pops-up with your client’s information. From this window you can edit any information that you need to about that client. All text boxes and fields are able to be edited from this screen. When you are finished merely

close the window and you will return to the main interface.


Display Old Cases

Figure 11

Figure 11 shows the location of the Display Old Cases button. This button is used to display all records in the previous contract year. This should be used if you need to compare data from multiple case records, or when trying to figure out totals (i.e. how many males, females served, total number of Cubans, etc.).

Figure 12

Figure 12 shows the table that will display when you use the Display Old Cases button. Figure 13 below shows how you can then sort the records alphabetically or numerically. This can be done by right-clicking on a certain column.


Display Old Cases

Figure 13Information can also be edited in this table (Figure 12) as well. A use for this

would be if an entire family moved to a new residence, you could change all of their addresses at once in the same screen. When you are finished merely close the window and you will return to the main interface.


When you right-click a short cut menu will appear that allows you to sort the records and perform other functions.

Display Active Cases

Figure 14

Figure 14 shows the location of the Display Active Cases button. This function will display all of your open cases in the current contract year. This button is very useful in figuring out how many active clients you have and breaking them down into certain groups (i.e. by gender, country of origin, etc.). It is displayed in the same table/spreadsheet format as the Display Old Cases is shown.


Display Active Cases

Figure 15

Figure 15 shows the Active Cases table; once again you have the ability to right click any column in order to access the menu for sorting the records (Figure 16).

Figure 16Information can also be edited in this table as well. When you are finished merely

close the window and you will return to the main interface. The next section will cover Entering a New Client into the database.


Again a short cut menu will appear that allows you to sort the records and perform other functions.

Enter New Client

Figure 17

To enter a new client into your database you will begin by clicking on the Enter New Client button (Figure 17). Once this button is pressed a pop-up window will open that will allow you to enter in all of the clients information. All fields will be blank in this window. This section will discuss all of the drop-down options, option buttons, etc. that you will see in the client window.


Enter a New Client

Figure 18

Figure 18 shows the window in which you will begin to enter the client’s information. The first thing you will notice is when entering the gender of the client. When you click the male or female option a message will pop-up (Figure 19).

Figure 19


Just make sure that you have not accidentally checked both the Male and Female options.

Figure 20

Next you will come to the first drop down menu, the Entry State. You may either type the abbreviation for the state into this box or click the arrow and select it from the drop down list provided (Figure 20).

Figure 21

Figure 21 displays the next option. First you will need to check the “English?” checkbox if the client speaks English (Note: If they do not speak English then Do not check the box). If they do speak English you will then be prompted to enter their English Level.


Figure 22

If the “English?” box was left unchecked for a non-English speaking client then “None” should be selected for the English Level. If the box was checked for an English speaking client then select the appropriate English Level from the list (Figure 22).

Figure 23

Figure 23 displays the Primary Language drop down list. From this list you will choose the clients primary language, whatever that may be. If the client’s primary language is not in the list then you can simply type in the primary language.


Figure 24

The important dates section of the entry form (Figure 24) contains the next set of data you will need to enter in reference to your client. However, you must pay attention to the fact that each date fields are partially filled in. As you can see in Figure 24 the 20 for the year is automatically generated, this means that you will only need to enter the last two digits of the year when entering each date.

Figure 25

ON the right side portion of the entry form you will find the VOLAG drop down list (Figure 25). Using this list you will select the client’s VOLAG agency.


The final section is the Activities area at the bottom of the form. This is where you will have to choose what activities the client is involved in enter in the start date and eventually the end date as well as the end reason. The next page shows this section in its entirety.

For the Activity 1-7 drop downs you will find all of the options available to you. You will find your school liaison abbreviations as well as all activities (after school, mentoring, etc.)

The Start and End dates in this section are partially filled in as well.


The final option in this section is the End Reason drop down menu.

These are the end reasons according to the current contract.

Once you are done entering in your new client you may either close

the window and your information will automatically be saved. Or you

may enter additional clients by using the new record arrow.


Enter New Record Arrow

Monthly New and Closed & Monthly Date Changes:

These last two buttons of the system are designed for the data

specialists use in order to easily acquire the necessary information to be

entered into the main database. They have no major use to you the

caseworker. You will not cause any problems with the database if you click

on these buttons, they will merely hold no information of value to you.


These last buttons are for the Data Specialists use.

Final Notes:

If you have any questions or issues please contact the Data Entry

Specialist for the Youth Program to get those issues resolved. You may also

contact the Youth Program Director if the data person is unavailable.

The following image displays the final notes about the interface menu.

This completes the Caseworker database training manual.


Displays Current Date and Time.Exits the System

caseworker database training manual jan-2007 for joel

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