Needs

What does a customer need?

Capturing the specific user needs is an integral part of person-centered planning. The fieldworker platform allows an agency to capture, manage, and view all needs-related information on the needs tab for the selected customer.

The Needs tab on the Customer page serves as a centralized assessment dashboard. It tracks a client's specific requirements across three primary domains: Employment, Health, and Support. This tab is designed to show the completion status of various assessments and plans required for compliance and care coordination.

Overview

The interface is organized into three distinct cards. Each card represents a category of "Needs" and includes a master status indicator and an edit function.

Common Controls

• Edit (Pencil Icon): Located next to the category headers (e.g., Health Needs), this allows administrators to manually update the details or status of that specific section.

• Status Indicator: Displays whether the category is Completed or Not Completed.

• Sync/Refresh Icon (): Found next to both category statuses and individual line items. This button is used to pull the latest data from submitted Forms or external assessments into the client's profile.

1. Employment Needs

This section focuses on the client's vocational goals and civic participation. It is often used for transition-age youth or adults in employment-support programs.

Line Item	Description
Employee First implementation	Tracks the progress or status of the "Employment First" policy requirements.
Employment Plan	Indicates if a formal vocational or job-support plan has been established.
Voting Plan	Documents the client's plan for exercising their right to vote and any support needed.

2. Health Needs

This section captures critical clinical information that field staff must be aware of to ensure the client's physical safety and well-being.

Line Item	Description
Allergies	Lists any food, environmental, or medicinal allergies.
Dietary	Captures specific nutritional requirements or restrictions (e.g., G-tube, gluten-free, texture-modified).
Health Hazards	Documents environmental or physiological risks (e.g., seizure risk, pica, or fall risks).
Self Care	Tracks the client's level of independence regarding hygiene and daily personal maintenance.

3. Support Needs

This category outlines the behavioral, physical, and cultural support required to provide holistic care.

Line Item	Description
Behavior	Links to behavioral support plans or specific behavioral intervention needs.
Mobility	Specifies the level of assistance needed for movement (e.g., ambulatory, wheelchair-bound, or transfer assistance).
Religious/Cultural	Documents specific preferences or requirements to ensure care is culturally competent.
Support Settings	Defines the environment where the client receives care (e.g., In-home, Community-based, or Residential).

Functional Workflow

1. Assessment Completion: Data in this tab is typically driven by the Forms tab. When a staff member completes a specialized assessment form, the "Sync" icon on the Needs tab is used to update the profile.

2. Capture Need: When a "Need" is identified and logged, the system captures a specific set of data points to ensure clinical and audit compliance. These fields form the "record" for that individual requirement.

3. Compliance Tracking: Managers use the Status: Not Completed flags to quickly identify gaps in a client's documentation that might affect Authorization or audit readiness.

4. Field Visibility: Once these needs are synchronized and "Completed," they provide the context used to generate the "Circle of Care" instructions for staff on their mobile devices.

Capturing Health Needs

The Health Needs form is a clinical documentation screen within the NEEDS tab. It is used to record vital medical information, physical restrictions, and safety concerns that field staff must review to ensure a client’s well-being and to prevent medical emergencies during service delivery.

This form consists of four long-form text areas designed to capture detailed clinical context:

Field Name	Description & Clinical Importance
Allergies	Documents all known sensitivities, including food, environmental (pollen, dander), and medicinal allergies. This is critical for preventing anaphylaxis or adverse reactions.
Dietary	Captures specific nutritional requirements, such as "Gluten-Free," "Low Sodium," or mechanical requirements like "Soft Foods Only" or "G-Tube Feeding" instructions.
Health Hazards	Used to list high-risk conditions or environmental triggers, such as seizure history, fall risks, pica (ingesting non-food items), or specific wandering behaviors (elopement).
Self Care	Describes the client’s level of independence regarding activities of daily living (ADLs), such as bathing, dressing, and toileting, and specifies where staff intervention is required.

Form Controls

• SAVE: Validates the entered text and updates the client's master health profile. Once saved, this information becomes the "Source of Truth" for the care team.

• Dismiss (X): Located at the top right of the modal, this allows you to exit the form without saving, discarding any unsaved clinical notes.

Operational Integration

1. Staff Awareness: Information saved here is pushed to the FieldWorker mobile app. Before a worker begins a Task, they can review these health needs to ensure they are prepared for the client's specific medical requirements.

2. Risk Management: By documenting "Health Hazards," the agency creates a legal and clinical record of known risks, which is essential for incident prevention and regulatory EVV compliance.

3. Data Synchronization: If these details are updated via a clinical assessment in the Forms module, the administrator can use the Sync/Refresh icon on the main NEEDS page to pull that new data directly into these fields.

Capturing Support Needs

The Support Needs form is the final clinical documentation form within the NEEDS tab. This form is designed to capture the behavioral, physical, and environmental requirements of the client, ensuring that care is delivered in a person-centered and culturally competent manner.

This modal utilizes four dedicated text areas to record qualitative support data:

Field Name	Description & Clinical Importance
Behavior	Used to document specific behavioral challenges, known triggers, or successful de-escalation strategies. This is vital for staff safety and consistent care implementation.
Mobility	Specifies the client’s physical assistance requirements, including the use of durable medical equipment (e.g., "Uses a power wheelchair") or specific transfer protocols (e.g., "Pivot transfer only").
Religious/Cultural	Captures preferences related to the client’s faith or cultural background (e.g., "Prefers male caregivers," "Observes specific dietary fasts," or "Requires time for prayer").
Support Settings	Defines the preferred or authorized environment for service delivery, such as "Community-based settings," "In-home," or "Day Program environments."

Form Controls

• SAVE Button: Commits the entered text to the Customer's profile. This updates the Support Needs status on the main dashboard to "Completed" if all sections are addressed.

• Dismiss (X): The exit icon in the top-right corner allows you to close the modal without saving changes, preserving the previous state of the record.

Usage & Integration

1. Person-Centered Planning: The "Religious/Cultural" and "Support Settings" fields are critical for state audits to prove that the agency is respecting the client’s individual rights and preferences as outlined in their ISP.

2. Mobile Synchronization: Like the Health and Employee needs, these details are pushed to the FieldWorker mobile app. Field staff can review the "Behavior" and "Mobility" sections before starting a Task to ensure they are prepared for the client's physical and emotional needs.

3. Form Refresh: If a specific Behavioral Assessment or Mobility Evaluation is completed in the Forms tab, the administrator can use the Sync/Refresh icon on the main Needs page to automatically populate these fields with the latest data.

Capturing Employment Needs

The Employment Needs form (referred to in the system as Employee Needs) is a specific input modal within the Needs tab. It is used to document a customer's vocational status, career planning, and civic engagement, which are core components of person-centered planning. This form captures qualitative data regarding the client's path toward employment and community participation.

Field Name	Description & Usage
Employee First implementation	A text area to record the progress, status, or specific actions taken to align with "Employment First" policy requirements (the framework stating that employment in the community is the first and preferred option for individuals with disabilities).
Employment Plan	A dedicated space to detail the client's vocational goals, current job-support strategies, or the status of a formal employment plan.
Voting Plan	A field used to document the client’s plan for exercising their right to vote, including any accommodations or support staff must provide to facilitate civic participation.

Form Controls

• [SAVE]: Validates the text entered in all three fields and commits the data to the Customer's profile.

• Dismiss (X): Located at the top right of the modal to exit the form without saving changes.

Workflow & Impact

1. Direct Entry: Unlike other sections that might be driven solely by external Forms, these fields can be updated directly by an administrator using the Edit (Pencil Icon) next to the Employment Needs header.

2. Audit Trail: Once saved, these details provide auditors and case managers with evidence that the agency is actively supporting the client's long-term vocational and civic goals.

3. Visibility: The "Employment Plan" captured here is often a critical reference point for staff when scheduling vocational-focused Tasks.