Management Information system (MIS)
Each HFNY program manages their own data in computer software designed to help staff plan home visits, manage the quality of data, display data for analysis, monitoring and reporting to funders, credentialers and agency management. The Program Manager oversees all aspects of this Management Information System. Support is provided to program managers by the Center for Human Services Research (CHSR) through on-site one to one program manager training, telephone/email support, special report requests and regular statewide training sessions. Training is also provided by the CHSR to all new staff, including the data manager.
Information for the system is gathered initially and at timed intervals and entered in the computer software about three members of the family:
the Primary Caretaker 1, 99% of the time this is the mother, Primary Caretaker 2, most of the time this is the biological father or maternal grandmother, and the target child.
Demographics, medical events, home visits, referrals and economic status, together with developmental screens for the target child and assessment of the mother’s stress levels constitute the bulk of the data collected. Performance Targets are measured from this data and provide evidence of progress toward the goals of Healthy Families New York.
20 different forms are filled out by staff, reviewed by supervisors and data entered into a computer by a data manager. These data contribute to a significant portion of the reporting responsibilities to the New York State Office of Children and Family Services for contracting and to Healthy Families America for credentialing. All reports related to these two tasks are available to Program Managers on site in the software and can be run at will.
The Center for Human Services Research receives a copy of each site’s up-to-date data around the middle of each month from the data manager. The Center examines the data for data issues and produces statewide reports (i.e. Performance Indicators), otherwise, it is the responsibility of the programs to have a quality assurance plan to ensure the data reflects the program’s service reality.
If the work environment of the program/agency has access to a computer network, the data may be viewed by program managers and supervisors from their desktops.
