DHS Systems and IT Updates MnCHOICES Mentors

MnCHOICES Mentor Handbook Contents

Updated 11/1/2019

Background

MnCHOICES CountyLink is a tool kit for mentors so they can provide support to lead agency users while they work in MnCHOICES Assessment and Support Plan. This handbook will help you understand the MnCHOICES resources offered on MnCHOICES CountyLink.

What is a mentor?

The Department of Human Services (DHS) recognizes that lead agencies need to provide support and assistance to their staff who use MnCHOICES. To accomplish this, DHS proposes that all lead agencies identify a person (or people) an “expert” user of the MnCHOICES application, otherwise referred to as a MnCHOICES mentor.

The purpose of the MnCHOICES mentor is to be the agency’s principal contact and resource person who:

• Serves as a communication and training liaison between the lead agency and DHS
• Supports MnCHOICES users in the agency
• Troubleshoots MnCHOICES policy and technology questions and issues.

Visit the Mentors page to review the Mentor Roles and Responsibilities (PDF) and the MnCHOICES Mentor Alliance Charter (PDF).

Correct use of MnCHOICES titles

MnCHOICES refers to both computer applications. Use the following to describe the application to which you are referring:

• MnCHOICES Assessment: MnA or the Assessment
• MnCHOICES Support Plan: MnSP or the Support Plan

MnCHOICES CountyLink

The MnCHOICES area of CountyLink has two ways for users to find the information they seek:

• The left navigation bar displays links to MnCHOICES topic pages. Click on the link to navigate to each MnCHOICES page.
• The MnCHOICES landing page includes sections for:

• Latest news and updates: Announces new information about MnCHOICES topics and training opportunities.
• Quick Links boxes: These quick link boxes include the most-used links by key categories. The link takes you to the page where the document you need lives.

MnCHOICES CountyLink pages

Archive

The Archive page includes documents that are 2 or more years old.

The MnCHOICES team removes content from MnCHOICES CountyLink when it is no longer relevant.

Assessment

The Assessment page contains documents useful to working in the Assessment, including MnCHOICES Assessment brochures. It may also include Assessment launch information.

Communication and webinars

The Communication and webinars page holds MnCHOICES release notes, MnCHOICES Matters newsletters and memos. It also includes:

• A link to the Disability Services Division Webinar Training Archive. This page provides links to past MnCHOICES webinars, the presentations and any recordings.
• Release Notes and Companion Documentation. These pages describe any changes in application releases. The link includes the release number. The page describes the previous functionality of a portion of the application and any changes in the release. Screenshots provide detail when needed. These pages are a resource to help lead agency mentors and users understand changes to the application and how they will affect workflows.
• A subscription link to MnCHOICES Matters as well as past issues of the email newsletter
• MnCHOICES memos

Forms and Procedures

The Forms and Procedures page lists documents to help users with MnCHOICES work.

Help Desk

The Help Desk page is only for mentor use. It includes:

• Need MnCHOICES Help, which helps mentors to determine whether a problem should be forwarded to the help desk
• Help Desk Contact Form, which is used by mentors to submit a question or problem to the help desk
• Troubleshooting. There is troubleshooting subheading for both the Assessment and Support Plan applications. Use the tools in this section to resolve technical issues in the computer application. The help desk might direct the mentor to the specific troubleshooting document to use when submitting a technical issue. For example:

• Cache Clearing Instructions
• Offline Document Restore

• The Known Issues document provides information about issues that affect the ability to use the application and a feasible workaround solution if one is available. The list includes reported and documented problems, affected function, description of the issue, steps to take to support the user and screenshots of the error message, if applicable. This document informs the user of the documented defect and any workarounds available.

• You will see NEW or UPDATED and the date when a known issue is added or revised

• Strikethroughs in Known Issues show the fixes from the previous launch
• Mentors should eview the Known Issues list before reporting an issue to the help desk. This ensures the mentor and user have checked for a current defect and workaround before contacting the help desk.

• Share Known Issues documents with lead agency users

Mentors

The Mentors page contains tools and resources to support the lead agency mentors. This page includes:

• The MnCHOICES Mentor Alliance Charter
• Mentor Roles and Responsibilities
• How to add or remove mentors from the MnCHOICES email list
• How to make changes to the MICP list
• The outage schedule for updates to the MnCHOICES computer applications
• Security access
• Technical specification for each computer application

MCOs

The MCOs page contains information managed care organization mentors need to work in MnA and MnSP.

Rate Plans and RMS

The Rate Plans and RMS page contains information RMS mentors need to train MnSP users.

Support Plan

The Support Plan page contains documents useful to working in the Support Plan. It also may include Support Plan launch information.

Training

The Training page includes MnA and MnSP user training materials:

• MnCHOICES Certified Assessor Training or MnCAT headings include certified assessor training instructions with links, tracking and reporting forms and guidance for lead agencies to use when certifying and recertifying assessors.
• Rate training
• Support Plan training links and documents

Environments

The MnCHOICES Assessment and Support Plan applications have different environments. These environments are where the computer application is developed, tested, used for training and for lead agencies to complete assessments and support plans.

• Quality Assurance (QA) is an internal environment where we test code and content changes before a release. In addition, the MnCHOICES team works with QA to log and prioritize defects.
• MnCHOICES Training Zone (MTZ) is where users practice in a safe environment using made-up information. A lead agency mentor assigns the user names and passwords for MTZ and coordinates training for users. Each computer application has its own MTZ location and URL:

• MnCHOICES Assessment Training Zone = MTZ-A
• MnCHOICES Support Plan Training Zone = MTZ-SP

• Production Zone (PROD) is where lead agency users complete assessment and support planning in MnA-PROD and MnSP-PROD.

Launch support

Launch refers to the addition of a new computer application or a significant feature. Lead agencies will need launch support and training to prepare for access and use of the application in production.

Launch support information will be on the applicable computer application page with a heading that includes the word launch.

User access

To gain access to MnCHOICES computer applications, a lead agency user must complete the five data privacy courses found on the Handling MN Information Securely website. When new users register on the site, have them choose “county worker” from the drop-down menu to ensure they take the required courses.

MnA-PROD

Mentors must work with the lead agency SSIS administrator to request the correct MnA roles for the person. If the lead agency does not have access to SSIS, submit information to the help desk using the lead agency’s MnCHOICES User Request form provided during launch of MnA.

MTZ-A

Mentors have a list of user names and passwords to assign to users who need training before they complete work in MnA-PROD. This includes certified assessor candidates, intake, supervisors and others who will use MnA-PROD.

MnSP-PROD

Mentors must work with the lead agency security liaisons to submit requests for MnSP-PROD access.

MTZ-SP

Mentors have a list of user names and passwords to assign to users who need training before they complete work in MTZ-SP. Users may also need a duplicate assessment. A lead agency must use the Help Desk form to request additional duplicate assessments when needed.

Staying informed

One primary function of a MnCHOICES mentor is to receive communication from DHS about the use of MnCHOICES and share them with all relevant staff before, during and after launch. It is important for mentors to stay informed so they are able to support users. The MnCHOICES team provides communication through:

• Emails, webinars and MnCHOICES Mentor Alliance (MMA) meetings. Visit the Help Desk page to submit your mentor’s email address and be added to the email distribution list to receive announcements and registration information.
• Memos and MnCHOICES Matters newsletters. Visit the Communications page. All MnCHOICES users may sign up for the MnCHOICES eList to receive memos and newsletters.
• MnCHOICES Office Hours conference calls. Visit the Mentors page for more information and schedule.

Best practices

• Create bookmarks: The MnCHOICES new mentor training in September 2019 included how to create bookmarks. Set up folders and bookmarks to help you to find the resources you need at your finger tips.
• New mentor training presentation: New mentor training occurs once a year, usually in the spring. Go to the DSD webinar archive page and download the most recent training. A quick review will ensure your mentor skills stay up-to-date.