PreventionIdaho.Net went through some major updates last week and is ready for SFY 2009. Some of the changes are due to user requests, some are due to advances in web-based data management, and some are based on things we've learned since PreventionIdaho.Net was launched. We thank you for using the Comments link to make all those suggestions. Keep those suggestions coming!
Use the Comments link to report bugs. The updates have been rigorously tested, but as with any computer system, real live users somehow find problems the developers, programmers and testers never dreamed of. Please do your best to discover any bugs or problems and let us know using the Comments link. Do not just sit and grumble - we can't fix bugs if we don't know about them. When you submit a problem report, include the agency, program name and a brief note about exactly what you were trying to do when the problem occurred. Detailed information greatly helps us troubleshoot the problem.
Updates and New Features
Find Prevention Near You. The online prevention directory has been updated to make viewing and searching easier. The provider and program summaries have been streamlined and standardized. The search function now lets you locate prevention programs by county, DHW region or by distance from a zip code. Note that providers and programs planned for SFY 2009 won’t show up on Find Prevention Near You until their contracts have been finalized and their 2009 services have been established on PreventionIdaho.Net.
Provider organization page. This page has been updated to include US Post Office address validation, and has the option to indicate that reimbursement checks should be sent to the Fiscal Agent address instead of the primary provider address.
Sortable provider homepage. There is now an option to group all Active programs at the top of the homepage with Completed and Canceled programs at the bottom. In addition, users can sort programs by name, date of service, etc., and the programs will stay in that order while the user stays logged in.
Staff user accounts. Users can also customize and save their preferences for how the programs sort and group together on the provider homepage The staff page now has a place where Provider Administrators and Benchmark management can track Criminal History Checks. The data system stores that a CHC is on file at Benchmark and the date it was issued. No other information is entered into the data system.
Recurring program attendance form. The program session dates and other information now print at the top of each page. You can choose to print all sessions of a program at once, as well as eight sessions at time as before. Landscape printing is now available for the recurring program attendance form, allowing you to include up to 18 sessions on a single page. Note that while PreventionIdaho.Net will generate a Landscape printout, you have to set your printer to Landscape mode for it to print that way.
Recurring program data entry screen. The recurring data entry screen now includes a “Jump to Date” option that lets you move back and forth through many sessions instead of one screen at a time. You can also still use the Start-Next-Previous-End controls as before. Every effort was made to eliminate the Yes-No-Cancel screen in the recurring program data entry module, but we couldn’t find a better way to ensure that recently entered data is not lost. However, the Save screen is faster now and the bug the left you marooned there occasionally has been fixed.
Standardized categorization. Did you know that there are at least seven ways to spell Coeur d’Alene and three different ways to spell Boise? Cities and evidence-based programs (best practices) are now based on standardized dropdown lists. Evidence-based program details such as risk and protective factors, prevention domains and strategies, etc., have also been standardized, and the ability to track which evidence-based programs have received the newest 'seal of approval' - the National Registry of Effective Prevention Programs - has been added.
New outcome measure. A replacement for the Standard 16 outcome measure is available. Developed by SAMHSA, the Standard 16 measures perceived harm, wrongness and past 30-day drug use and is fairly sensitive to the impact of prevention programs that specifically address drug use. However, it is not very sensitive to the impact of prevention programs that address the broader risk and protective factors related to substance use, such as programs that focus on character education, social skills development, academic success, and attachment to family, school and the community.
Developed by Idaho Prevention Fellow Dr. Todd Thorsteinson, the Teen Substance Use Attitude Survey (TSUAS) is designed to be more sensitive to teenagers’ intention or willingness to try or use drugs. The TSUAS is based on survey methodology used to study other teen risky behaviors and may be more sensitive to the influence of prevention programs that address a broader array of risk and protective factors than measured by the Standard 16. You may view a copy of the TSUAS here.
If your prevention program currently uses the Standard 16 and you wish to help pilot test the TSUAS this year, please contact your Regional Manager before your 2009 programs begin. Otherwise, you should continue to use the Standard 16. As with any survey delivered to youth, all Benchmark parental consent and confidentiality requirements remain in effect.
Outcomes reporting. The outcome report was adjusted to make the subscales more readable and the scoring algorithm was optimized to run faster. The Combine Outcome Measures screen now lets you combine data from individual programs across multiple years of outcomes data collection. The combined summary report was also adjusted to be more readable.
And finally, there were small refinements on almost every screen. Thank you for the feedback you have given us in the past and please continue to use the Comments link to report any problems or make new suggestions.