HIFIS version 4.0.60.1 Release Notes

Warning

Before implementing this release, a backup of your database is necessary. Taking a snapshot of your application tier before implementing this update is also important in the event that a roll back of the changes are required.

If your community has not yet implemented releases 58.1 or above, note that updating to release 60.1 may have an impact on your custom reports. This is due to changes to your database’s underlying structure that were introduced in release 58.1 of HIFIS. See release notes 58.1 for additional information on the affected tables.

Consult your report service provider if you have any issues.

Note: When updating to release 4.0.60.1 of HIFIS, communities will have the opportunity to apply coordinated access consent to every client that currently has explicit consent on their installation. This is for communities who have already sought the coordinated access consent from their clients and recorded it in HIFIS as a “bundled” consent using the existing explicit consent functionality. Choosing to opt-out of this option means that the community will need to manually add the coordinated access consent for each client separately, as applicable. The option will not present itself again in the future.

On this page

• Download HIFIS Version 4.0.60.1
• Release highlights
• New features and major changes
• Minor changes
• Bug fixes
• Contact us

Download HIFIS version 4.0.60.1

• Release date: 2023.10.31
• To download the application files, please contact the HIFIS Client Support Centre.

Release highlights

• Diversion Module: A new module that allows communities to record and track diversion efforts.
• Outreach & Encampment: The ability to geographically tag services and group activities and view records on a map.
• Racial Identity Question: New mandatory racial identity question added to the client vitals.
• Updated VI-SPDAT Assessments: Included in the release and the latest version of the VI-SPDAT assessments.
• 27 minor changes and 20 bug fixes

New features and major changes

New features and major changes introduced as part of this release:

Diversion Module

Version 4.0.60.1 introduces a new Diversion module to HIFIS communities. This dedicated section within HIFIS enables users to easily log diversion attempts and seamlessly document their outcomes directly within the application. With this feature, users can easily save diversion records, monitor progress, and make necessary edits or deletions as required.

Key features:

• Users can choose between the full form or use a workflow approach to enter diversion records.
• Diversion records can be created and accessed directly from a client’s file.
• Anonymous diversion attempts can be entered (Only accessible from the form version).
• New Look-up Table: Diversion Status Type – Allows the user to add and remove values for the “Diversion Status” field.
• New Look-up Table: Expected Diversion Destination – Allows the user to update the default instructions for the diversion workflow.

Outreach & Encampments

Outreach features have now been added to enable HIFIS communities to record encampments across their community. Users will also be able to track service and group activities that happen during community outreach.

Key features:

• New Outreach module is accessible from the Front Desk tab
• Users can enter encampments using geographic locations that can be viewed using Bing Maps.
• Services form now allows users to add geographic locations.
• Group activities form now allows users to add geographic locations.
• Services and group activities tagged with geographic locations become visualized on Bing Maps within the Outreach module.
• Tag geographic locations with the flexibility of using location services on your mobile device, pinpointing locations on Bing Maps, or manually entering coordinates.

Racial Identity Question

Version 4.0.60.1 introduces a mandatory default racial identity question. For existing clients, a placeholder response will be automatically added, along with a notification in their file indicating the need for vital updates. Please note that this look-up table is not user-editable or adjustable by HIFIS administrators.

Minor changes

Changes in this release affect the following modules or sections:

Assessments

• Added VI-SPDAT V2 – Youth assessment.
• Added VI-SPDAT V3 – Family assessment.
• Added VI-SPDAT V3 – Single Adult assessment.

Block Operations

Added a “Reason for Bookout” field to the block operation form for improved tracking.

Client

• A summary of Coordinated Access data points is now available.
• Added “Chronically Homeless” row in the Client Summary Box.
• Paginated custom tables to allow for faster loading.
• Housing Status now displays clients currently being housed in a Public Institution.

Coordinated Access

Column	Old Label	New Label
W	Current Episode Days Homeless	Days Homeless in Current Episode (Community Definition)
X	Days Homeless in Lifetime	Days Homeless in Lifetime (Community Definition)
Z	Days Homeless in Past Year	Days Homeless in Past Year (Federal Definition)
AA	Days Homeless in Past 3 Years	Days Homeless in Past 3 Years (Federal Definition)

• Updated labels on the coordinated access export.
• Users can now access client profiles from the Coordinated Access module.
• Coordinated Access now includes the Public Institution housing type on the Unique Identifier List

Data Export

Added four fields to the list of data exported to Reaching Home:

• Bed Count: The number of available beds, if any, associated with the service;
• Overflow: The number of overflow beds, if any, associated with the service provider;
• Activity Status: The activity status of the service provider (inactive, active);
• Date and Time Modified: The date and time that service provider information was updated.

Housing Continuum

• Added “Public Institution” as a new category in the Housing Continuum.
• Users can update the Public Institution housing category to appear as Housed or Homeless.

Housing History

The Housing type column now matches the Service Provider type of the shelter a client is booked into.

Housing Loss Prevention

Added the ability to edit and delete Housing Loss Prevention.

Housing Placement

Added the ability to edit and delete Housing Placement.

Look-up Table

Updated and added new default values in the Gender table.

Added:

• Two-Spirit
• Trans Woman
• Trans Man
• Non-Binary (Genderqueer)

Updated:

• Other (Not Listed) (Old Value: Other)
• Don’t Know (Old Value: Unknown)
• Decline to Answer (Old Value: Undeclared / Refused)

Removed:

• Transgender

PiT Count

Updated the Point-in-Time Count module to display the 2024 version of the survey.

Reports

• The Geographic Region field in custom reports now display custom values as well as default look-up values.
• After downloading a new report, the report edit page is displayed
• Default INFC reports now use translated labels.
• Non-admin users can now download reports from the marketplace

Rights Template

Removed unused rights from the rights template:

• Duplicate Displayed Transaction
• Jump to a Family Member

Storage

Added a “Storage outcome” field to the storage form.

System

• The 2023 version of the End User License Agreement (EULA) is now added to HIFIS.
• The EULA no longer appears for every new user. It will only be displayed when logging into HIFIS for the first time.

Bug fixes

Bug fixes included in this release:

Admissions

• Fixed an issue where future bookings were blocking live admission (Issue ID: 198713).
• The “Reservation Status” field no longer appears when creating a new reservation (Issue ID: 749111).
• Users can now reserve a bed even if it is currently being used (Issue ID: 711902).
• Hovering over a booked bed will no longer display the date twice in the Date and Time field (Issue ID: 723017).

Clients

• Users can now remove Housing History fields when creating a client (Issue ID: 769858).
• Fixed the filter when viewing admission records from the client’s profile (Issue ID: 544054).

Consent

Users can open attachments under Explicit + CA without issues (Issue ID: 767424).

Documents

The correct date for barcodes and consent documents now appear (Issue ID: 633644).

Family

• Fixed an issue in the Family module where users were unable to use the “Create and Add member” option (Issue ID: 756432).
• The delete button for the family head now has a tooltip for improved usability (Issue ID: 749110).

Goods and Services

• Fixed the “Error Object Reference Not Set” message when attempting to edit a record (Issue ID: 769899).
• Fixed an issue where values matching would disappear from the goods field (Issue ID: 710552).

Log in

HIFIS footer has been updated with new and functional links (Issue ID: 645549).

Look-up Tables

“Waiting Request Status” values no longer remain in the dropdown field after unsubscribing to them (Issue ID: 748398).

Reports

• Versioning compare now works correctly within the same database version (Issue ID: 704363).
• Updated the title of the Case Management report (Issue ID: 695857).

  Old Title: Case Management als Activities Summary

  New Title: Case Management and Activities Summary

Rooms and Beds

The “Effective Date” field is now translated when using HIFIS in French (Issue ID: 734579).

Service Restrictions

Service Restrictions now correctly load the page when the filter is set to “All” (Issue ID: 633405).

VAT

Resolved the issue where the VAT form would process non-stop when entering client and case worker names (Issue ID: 653805).

VI-SPDAT

Fixed the missing description error message appearing when a description is provided (Issue ID: 753874).

Known Issues

Known issues or limitations in this release:

Service Restrictions

Fixing bug 633405 caused some display issues on the Services Restrictions list. This will be resolved in an upcoming update.

Admissions

Fixing bug 711902 caused the user to possibly remain on the “Rooms and Beds” page after reserving a bed for a client.

Workaround: The form saves properly, simply exit the form or refresh the page.

Contact us

HIFIS Client Support Centre