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CONNECTIONS

OCFS Intranet

Updated: November 10, 2023

Job Aids and Tip Sheets

Tip Sheets

Placement Window

• Accepting or Declining a Referral (November 2019)
• Closing or Withdrawing a Placement Request (November 2019)
• Completing a Placement Request (October 2019)
• Entering Congregate Care Resource Characteristics (February 2021)
• Getting Ready to Search in the Placement Dashboard Window (February 2023)
• Initiating a Request with "New Using" (October 2019)
• Initiating the Placement Request (Updated March 2023)
• Placing a Child (September 2022)
• Searching for Resources and Sending Referrals (October 2019)
• Using an Exact Search (January 2020)
• Using the Placement Module to Modify Activities Data (January 2020)
• Verifying a Placement (October 2019)

Activities Window

• 1017 Direct Placement with a Relative-Other Suitable Person (June 2023)
• Activities Coding for Family First - Foster Care (Updated March 2023)
• Activities Task Tips (Updated December 2020)
• Activities Window Security Tip Sheet (Updated December 2020)
• Activities Worksheet for Legal Entries (Updated April 2023)
• Documenting Eligibility: Candidacy for Foster Care (January 2021)
• Documenting Respites (September 2020)
• Finalizing an Adoption (September 2023)
• LDSS-3468: Activities Adoption Input (October 2023)
• PINS Pre- and Post-dispositional Placements (November 2023)
• Using the Placement Module to Modify Activities Data

Security Tip Sheets

• Accessing Someone Else's Workload and To-Dos (Updated February 2021)
• Creating an On-Call Unit for Accepting After-Hours SCR Reports (Updated September 2020)
• Placement Business Functions (October 2019)
• Adding a User to CONNECTIONS (Updated September 2023)
• Agency Access and Organizational Hierarchy (Updated August 2020)
• Data Redaction (Updated December 2020)
• Encrypting Email (June 2014)
• Removing a worker from CONNECTIONS (Updated May 2021)
• Specialty Path Access (Updated August 2020)
• Understanding Designees and Assignees (Updated February 2021)
• Understanding Business Functions (Updated August 2020)
• Working with Units (Updated February 2021)

CPS/FAR Tip Sheets

• Adding Article 10 Information (January 2023)
• Creating and Maintaining the On-Call Schedule (Updated December 2020)
• The Complete Guide to Progress Notes (May 2018)
• Consolidating Duplicate CPS Investigation or FAR Stages (Updated February 2021)
• CPS Intake (Updated February 2021)
• Creating a FAR-Associated FSS (Updated February 2023)
• Creating an FSI from a CPS Investigation (Updated September 2020)
• The Family Relationship Matrix (FRM) (Updated December 2020)
• Intake Priority Closures: Closing a Duplicate CPS Report (DUP) and Additional Information (ADD) (Updated February 2021)
• Local Data Maintenance on Closed Investigation (INV) Stages (June 2020)
• Combined Open Case Inquiry (July 2020)
• INV/FAR Open Case Inquiry Report (July 2020)
• Reviewing Intake Stages in CONNECTIONS (Updated February 2021)

FAD Tip Sheets

• Accessing the FAD Closure Report (September 2020)
• Adding a Provider/Resource (July 2021)
• Creating and Maintaining Contracts in CONNECTIONS (January 2019)
• Common Foster and Adoptive Home (FAD) Tasks (September 2023)
• Family First Supervised Setting Programs (SSP) (May 2022)
• Foster Care Transfer Procedures (February 2023)
• Recording KinGAP Data (Updated April 25, 2022)
• Resolving Common Adoption Subsidy Database Connections Issues (October 2022)

Services Workers

• 1017 Direct Placement with a Relative-Other Suitable Person (June 2023)
• Children in Foster Care Who Are Parents-Handling "8D" Infants (Updated April 2021)
• Combined Open Caseload Inquiry (OCI) Report (July 2020)
• The Complete Guide to Progress Notes (May 2018)
• Completing the Missing Child Window for Family Services Stages (July 2020)
• The CONNECTIONS-WMS Interface (Updated February 2021)
• Creating a Child Case Record for a Legally Freed Child (June 2023)
• Designating Health Responsibility (Updated February 2021)
• Documenting Eligibility-Candidacy for Foster Care (Updated January 28, 2021)
• The Family Relationship Matrix (FRM) (Updated December 2020)
• FASP Tip Sheet (Updated August 20, 2021)
• Filtering the Person View of the Workload to Locate 21-Year-Old Youth (July 2018)
• Finalizing an Adoption (September 2023)
• FSS Case Closure (2005)
• Health Services Component (2007)
• Linking an FSI to a case (Updated Sept. 7, 2021)
• NYTD Reporting Requirements Tip Sheet (Updated September 2020)
• Permanency Hearing Report Process (June 2022)
• PHR Submission Edits (Updated July 2021)
• PHR Title Page: Updating Type and Date of Placement (July 2021)
• Plan Amendments and Removal Updates (Updated February 2021)
• Preventive Services for a Pregnant Woman and her Unborn Child (February 2021)
• Progress Notes - Successfully Documenting Casework Contacts with Children in Foster Care (Updated March 2016)
• Recording Essential Information When a Child Enters Care (September 2020)
• Recording Sex Trafficking Screening Information for Family Services (July 2020)
• Updating O & A Blocks (June 15, 2022)
• Uploading Family First Documents (October 2023)

All Workers

• Accessing Online Resources (February 2023)
• Recording AFCARS Information (Updated July 2023)
• The Complete Guide to Progress Notes (May 2018)
• Creating a Court Ordered Investigation Family Services Stage (FSS) (October 2022)
• Creating a Family Services Intake Stage (September 2022)
• Data Redaction (Updated December 2020)
• District Agency Profile (DAP) (2009)
• Family Services OCI Report Version 3 Tip Sheet (June 2020)
• Implied Role/Cross District Access (Updated September 2021)
• Multiple PIDs: Troubleshooting Merge Error Messages (Updated February 2021)
• Narrative Recovery (November 2011)
• Person Unrelate (Updated September 2020)
• Progress Notes Instructions (March 2011)
• Records Retention (Updated October 2015)
• Required Uploads in CONNECTIONS (October 2023)
• Upload Categories and Subcategories (October 2023)
• Using Reminder To-Dos to Share Confidential Information (January 2022)
• Uploading Photos and Documents in CONNECTIONS Job Aid v 4.0 (August 2022)
• User Resource Information (2006)

Training Handbooks

• Child Protective Services Handbook (2022)
• Case Management Handbook (2022)
• Foster Care Handbook (2016)

Job Aids For CPS Workers

Build 18

• CONNECTIONS Person Relate/Merge Procedural Update
• CONNECTIONS Build 18 Job Aid: Changes to CPS Functions v1.3 (dated 9/22/05)
  • Identified Revisions to the CONNECTIONS Build 18 Job Aid: Changes to CPS Functions v1.3 (dated 9/22/05)
• CONNECTIONS Build 15/15.1 Job Aid CPS: Data Maintenance (dated 7/30/02)
  • Updated CONNECTIONS Step by Step Guide: Data Maintenance for CPS Workers (6/13/2006)
• CONNECTIONS Tip Sheet ~ CPS Intake(dated 7/27/04)
• CONNECTIONS Tip Sheet ~ Safety Assessment(dated 2/23/06)

Job Aids For FAD Workers

Build 15

• CONNECTIONS System Build 15 FAD: Changes Affecting FAD and Related Common Functions(dated 4/15/02)
• CONNECTIONS Build 15 FAD: The Foster and Adoptive Home Record Summary (FRS) (dated 4/12/02)
• CONNECTIONS System Build 15.1 FAD: Local Data Maintenance (LDM) (dated 7/22/02)
• CONNECTIONS System Build 15.1: Vacancy Control (dated 7/24/02)

Job Aids For Other Staff

• OCFS Custody Youth Placed in Voluntary Agencies Job Aid (dated 6/1/05)

Fiscal Job Aids

• CONNECTIONS Guide: Adding a Provider/Resource to CONNECTIONS (dated 5/7/04)