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PA S IS SC PORTAL FAQs FOR PROVIDERS

© 2 0 1 6 A S C E N D M A N A G E M E N T I N N O V A T I O N S L L C . A L L R I G H T S R E S E R V E D . 1

TABLE OF CONTENTS

TABLE OF CONTENTS ..................................................................................................................................................1

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS BY TOPIC .............................................................................................................................4

Accessing the SC Portal ...................................................................................................................4

1. How do I access the SC Portal? ...............................................................................................................4

2. I don’t remember my username and/or password. What should I do? .................................................4

3. In the SC Portal will SCs still have to reset their passwords if they have not accessed the system in

over 90 days? ..........................................................................................................................................4

4. Will we receive notifications if we have been inactive in the system for 6 months? ............................4

5. Who does the AE contact if they have trouble with their username or accessing the system? ............4

SC Portal Tools and Processes .........................................................................................................5

6. Should notes be entered in the new notes box rather than the notes box? .........................................5

7. What if I encounter issues when trying to schedule and assessment? ..................................................5

8. Will other agencies have access to SC Portal? ........................................................................................5

9. When an SC submits an Expedited request will it come through the AE? .............................................5

10. Are you able to review previously completed SIS assessments in the SC Portal? ..................................5

11. Will current client information will be transferred into the SC Portal?..................................................5

12. How do we find the finalized SIS in the portal to print? .........................................................................5

13. Who do we contact if we have issues regarding SISOnline? ..................................................................6

14. Is there a limit to AE admins who have the role to approve/deny requests? ........................................6

15. Who is a "point person" as shown in the SC Drop down example page? ..............................................6

16. Will the SC/SCO receive an alert to denied requests? ............................................................................6

17. The AE does not have access to approve SIS requests for those individuals who are registered

outside of the SCO’s county. Will this be corrected in the new system? ...............................................6

18. Will the SC Portal get new SC names and information from HCSIS? ......................................................6

19. Will SCs still be contacted to send an assessment for scheduling? ........................................................6

20. How do you request an expedited review when a supervisor does not yet have access? ....................7

21. How is a case assigned to an SC? ............................................................................................................7

22. Will the SIS interview date be available for view in the SC Portal? ........................................................7

24. Will a queue be available for Expedited SIS requests to confirm that requests were submitted and

approved by the AE? ...............................................................................................................................7

25. What, if anything, are AEs to do with individuals sitting in their queue? ..............................................7



26. What will SC Supervisor access provide that is different than SC access? .............................................8

27. Where do approved expedited assessments show in the SC Portal? .....................................................8

28. As the AE SIS Point Person, where can I see the date the SIS assessment has been scheduled for? ....8

29. Will sort function be added to the queue columns? ..............................................................................8

30. If an individual needing an expedited assessment isn’t in the SC Portal, can they be added? How do

we complete this process? .....................................................................................................................8

31. Will there be email alerts to AE point persons for pending expedited requests? Will the notification

email be sent to both AE point persons? ................................................................................................8

32. What happens to an expedited request once it's submitted, either by the SCO for a new or

expedited SIS, or by the AE with approval or denial? .............................................................................9

33. How do you search for a consumer? ......................................................................................................9

34. How do you assign clients to an SC's caseload? .....................................................................................9

35. What role do SCO directors have in this new system? Are there any specific functions that they

will/should have? Who will they have access to in the system? ............................................................9

37. After the SC sends the request through, the AE has to accept or deny it before it can be scheduled,

correct? ...................................................................................................................................................9

38. What moves a record on the queue to read only access? .....................................................................9

39. The individual demographics form has a field for MA #. Is it the intention to capture the MA# or the

MCI#? ....................................................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.

40. How can an SC or Supervisor see their entire caseload? ..................................................................... 10

41. Will an Expedited SIS requests submitted by a SC Supervisor with the new supervisor level role still

require AE approval? ........................................................................................................................... 10

42. It appears that once the SC enters the information for the priority groups and submits, there doesn't

seem to be any indicator that the information has been sent to Ascend. In other words, the screen

looks exactly as it did before they entered the information. .............................................................. 10

Changes from ASAP/Current Processes ......................................................................................... 10

43. As the SC Portal will not communicate with HCSIS, how will the system know who the assigned SC is

to follow up with scheduling and ensuring the respondent's information is correct? How often will a

SC be expected that they log into the SC Portal to change information? ........................................... 10

44. Will prior SIS assessments be loaded into the SC Portal or will they still be accessible through HCSIS?

Will this cause any changes to the scheduling process for SIS assessments? Will assessments be

displayed in the same format? ............................................................................................................ 11

45. Will the SC Portal contain the same reports that are in the current system? ..................................... 11

46. Can you define what an Expedited Request is? ................................................................................... 11

47. Have all requests submitted through the old system been processed? ............................................. 11



48. Where did the list or names originate from that are now seen on the home page in the new portal?

There seems to be less names than what was on the previous SIS scheduling platform. .................. 11

Other ........................................................................................................................................... 11

49. When will the SIS information be connected to residential rates? ..................................................... 11

50. How will Ascend manage the increase in the number of assessments for individuals in residential? 11

51. Will an interpreter be provided for SIS assessments if needed? ......................................................... 12

52. Will Ascend translate the assessment document into Spanish? ......................................................... 12

53. Contact information is being added into the system by SCs or AEs so that the assessments can be

scheduled. Is this information being passed on to the assessors? ..................................................... 12

55. Will the SC Portal User Guide be added to the site? ........................................................................... 12

56. For new waiver enrollee SIS assessments (expedited requests), will these individuals be scheduled

for an assessment within 30 days or will they be on hold until the priority groups are processed? .. 12

57. How do we review and print the SIS? .................................................................................................. 13

58. Questions are being asked regarding a SIS request for a new/expedited person and options are being

offered in the drop down that are not relevant to the SC role in PA. Will the options change/be

updated? What should SCs do in the meantime? .............................................................................. 13

59. How do we request SIS assessments for people that have aged out of the SIS requirement in the

past? Do we wait for prompting to update the person’s information or is this something we should

inform Ascend about? .......................................................................................................................... 13



QUESTIONS & ANSWERS BY TOPIC

Access ing the SC Por ta l

1. How do I access the SC Portal?

To log into the Supports Coordinator Portal, visit www.ascendami.com, you will use the same login

information that you use to log into ASAP. Click the “Login” link in the upper right corner of the screen.

Enter your Username and Password and click Login. The system will bring you back to Ascend’s Home page.

The Log In link becomes the My Projects menu. Click My Projects. Select Pennsylvania Support Coordinator

to open the Support Coordinator Queue.

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2. I don’t remember my username and/or password. What should I do?

Go to www.ascendami.com. Locate the Forgot Password? link under the login box. Follow that link and

enter the email address you use to login. You will receive an email to reset your password.

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3. In the SC Portal will SCs still have to reset their passwords if they have not accessed the system in

over 90 days?

After three months, you will need to reset your password. After six months with no login activity, your

account status will default to “Inactive”. To reactivate your account from “Inactive” status, please contact

your Supervisor to resend the reactivation email. After twelve months with no login activity, your account

status will default to “Terminated”. To reactivate your account from “Terminated” status, please contact

your Supervisor to reactivate your user account. By resetting your password every three months, your

account should never default to an Inactive state.

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4. Will we receive notifications if we have been inactive in the system for 6 months?

Ascend is currently reviewing the policy for this communication. We will update you once a final decision

has been made.

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5. Who does the AE contact if they have trouble with their username or accessing the system?

Please contact our help desk, at [email protected]

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http://www.ascendami.com/

http://www.ascendami.com/

mailto:[email protected]



SC Por ta l Tools and Processes

6. Should notes be entered in the new notes box rather than the notes box?

Yes. Once you enter and save a new note, it will save in the Notes box with your name and the date and

time you entered the note.

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7. What if I encounter issues when trying to schedule an assessment?

If you encounter issues regarded to scheduling, please contact a live person at the office, 1-877-431-1388,

ext. 3295.

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8. Will other agencies have access to SC Portal?

The only agencies that will have access to the SC Portal are Supports Coordination agencies and ODP.

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9. When an SC submits an Expedited request will it come through the AE?

AEs will approve all Expedited request.

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10. Are you able to review previously completed SIS assessments in the SC Portal?

Previously completed SIS assessments are available in the HCSIS data system, not in the new SC Portal.

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11. Will current client information will be transferred into the SC Portal?

All scheduling information entered into ASAP for the new Priority Groups will be migrated into the new

system.

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12. How do we find the finalized SIS in the portal to print?

Finalized assessments will be found and printed from SISOnline (www2.sis-online.org). If you were unable

to attend the training for SISOnline, which included information on how to access reports, you are able to

watch a recorded training to obtain that information. Please follow the link to watch the training

https://youtu.be/s4BugMz8G0A

http://www.sis-online.org/




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13. Who do we contact if we have issues regarding SISOnline?

For issues with SISOnline, please contact their Help Desk: [email protected] or, if urgent, 202-387-1968,

ext. 211.

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14. Is there a limit to AE admins who have the role to approve/deny requests?

There will be no limit to AE admins. Ascend recommends that one AE be assigned to always use these

features and other AEs be assigned to cover as needed.

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15. Who is a "point person" as shown in the SC Drop down example page?

A “point person” includes a SC Supervisor, SCO, or AE.

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16. Will the SC/SCO receive an alert to denied requests?

This function will not be available by the January 2, 2017 Go-Live date. Ascend’s IT department will add

email alerts for denied requests at a later date.

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17. The AE does not have access to approve SIS requests for those individuals who are registered

outside of the SCO’s county. Will this be corrected in the new system?

The AE that corresponds with the submitting SCO entity (not necessarily the county of registration) will

receive the expedited request.

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18. Will the SC Portal get new SC names and information from HCSIS?

Ascend will receive new SC names and information directly from the state.

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19. Will SCs still be contacted to send scheduling information through the portal?

Yes, for the time being Ascend will still contact SCs for scheduling information. As of January 2, 2017 you

will be able to log into the SC Portal and see who is due for scheduling. You do not need to wait until you

receive an email from Ascend. You may enter the portal at any time and provide the scheduling information.

mailto:[email protected]



The system was created in a way which will always show you who will soon be due for a SIS®, so that we

can work toward eliminating the need to email you.

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20. How do you request an expedited review when a supervisor does not yet have access?

SCs are able to enter their own Expedited requests into the SC Portal using the Submit Expedited Review

button.

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21. How is a case assigned to an SC?

The SC Supervisor will access their home page and find the list of individuals in their entity. Identify the individual to be assigned, then select the correct SC from the “Assign New SC” drop-down box. In this drop-down box, they will choose a new SC and click Save on the bottom of the page. The Save button must be clicked in order to save the changes. All Active users will appear in the “Assign New SC” drop-down box. If an SC is not in the drop-down box, click on the “SC User Manager” to check their user account status. If user is Inactive, click on their name to edit the user. You can then use the “Resend Activation Email” button to allow the user to reset their password. If the user is Terminated, click on their name, and then click the “Reactivate User” button. In either case, the SC will need to reset their password and login to the SC Portal before the weekend, as the system will reset account statuses that have not been updated. If SC is not listed in the “SC User Manager”, click Add a New User. Once all user information is added, please click Save User to generate a username.

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22. Will the SIS interview date be available for view in the SC Portal?

Not at this time.

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23. How do portal users know when an assessment has been completed? An individual’s record will display Read Only at the top of their Individual Information page, once the scheduling process has begun. Please refer to SISOnline for completed assessments.

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24. Will a queue be available for Expedited SIS requests to confirm that requests were submitted

and approved by the AE?

Once the request is approved by the AE, the individual will appear on the SC’s caseload.

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25. What, if anything, are AEs to do with individuals sitting in their queue?



AEs need only Approve/Deny Expedited requests.

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26. What will SC Supervisor access provide that is different than SC access?

This access will enable Supervisors to manage all SCs, and their caseloads, within their SCO.

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27. Where do approved expedited assessments show in the SC Portal?

Once the request is approved by the AE, the individual will appear on the SC’s caseload.

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28. As the AE SIS Point Person, where can I see the date the SIS assessment has been scheduled for?

The scheduled date is not available at this time.

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29. Will sort function be added to the queue columns?

Columns on the homepage are sortable currently. Please click in the column header to access this function.

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30. If an individual needing an expedited assessment isn’t in the SC Portal, can they be added? How

do we complete this process?

On the SC home page, click ‘Submit Expedited Review’. If it is a new individual, click ‘Add New Individual’.

This will bring up an individual information page. Please enter the Medicaid ID, which is the 9 digit MCI

number, choose ‘Urgent’ as the waiver class, for ‘Region’, choose any number and click ‘Save’. Another page

will appear where you can identify respondent information and the likely location. Remember, this will not

be sent for approval until you click SUBMIT at the bottom of the page. If you leave this page without clicking

SUBMIT, your request will not be sent for approval, and you will need to contact Ascend for assistance. This

will then require you to begin the process again.

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31. Will there be email alerts to AE point persons for pending expedited requests? Will the

notification email be sent to both AE point persons?

Yes. IT plans to add email alerts and is currently working on a solution for this. Please continue to check your

queue routinely.

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32. What happens to an expedited request once it's submitted, either by the SCO for a new or

expedited SIS, or by the AE with approval or denial?

Once submitted, the expedited request will appear in the corresponding AE Point Person’s Pending Approval

queue. Once approved, it will appear in Ascend’s scheduling queue.

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33. How do you search for a consumer?

Click Search on your SC Portal home page.

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34. How do you assign clients to an SC's caseload?

All SC Supervisors and AE Point Persons have the ability to manage caseloads from their home page. There is

a column marked Assign New SC, with a drop-down box containing all Active SCs for that agency.

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35. What role do SCO directors have in this new system? Are there any specific functions that they

will/should have? Who will they have access to in the system?

SCO directors are welcome to have an SC Supervisor access account. This will enable them to manage SC

caseloads, Submit requests for Expedited Reviews, add new users and edit existing users, through the SC

User Manager.

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36. What are the Regions on the SIS request form?

Region does not apply to PA. IT is working on having that removed.

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37. After the SC sends the request through, the AE has to accept or deny it before it can be

scheduled, correct?

Yes

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38. What moves a record on the queue to read only access?

After information has been sent to scheduling, you can edit a record up until it has been tentatively

scheduled. Once Ascend begins the scheduling process, you must contact us to make any changes. A



record may also become locked if another person is accessing the individual or if they did not exit properly.

Always remember to click ‘Home’ when exiting an individual’s record.

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39. How can an SC or Supervisor see their entire caseload?

Currently, you cannot view your entire caseload. Only ODP identified Priority Groups are visible. We ask

that you enter the SC Portal and provide scheduling information for all individuals in your case load. We are

currently requesting scheduling information for Priority Groups 1, 2, 3.

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40. Will an Expedited SIS requests submitted by a SC Supervisor with the new supervisor level role

still require AE approval?

Yes, an AE will always be the approval level for any expedited requests. An RSL or ODP can approve an

Expedited SIS request in the absence of an AE.

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41. It appears that once the SC enters the information for the priority groups and submits, there

doesn't seem to be any indicator that the information has been sent to Ascend. In other words,

the screen looks exactly as it did before they entered the information.

After the SC has entered the scheduling information, they must return to homepage and check the ‘Send to

Scheduling’ box next to the individual. Please then click ‘Save’ at the bottom of the page. A date stamp will

enter the ‘Sent to Scheduling’ column.

The system was designed this way in the instance you need to exit the portal and finish the entry at a later

date.

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Changes f rom ASAP/Current Processes

42. As the SC Portal will not communicate with HCSIS, how will the system know who the assigned

SC is to follow up with scheduling and ensuring the respondent's information is correct? How

often will an SC be expected that they log into the SC Portal to change information?

Ascend will still receive files with updates to input. Also, the system will highlight or bold those individuals

due for a SIS at which point it would be prudent to provide information. Ascend advises looking at the

system weekly.

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43. Will prior SIS assessments be loaded into the SC Portal or will they still be accessible through

HCSIS? Will this cause any changes to the scheduling process for SIS assessments? Will

assessments be displayed in the same format?

This is still being discussed, for right now only SISs taking place from 1/2/17 on will be available in SISOnline,

past reports can be found in HCSIS.

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44. Will the SC Portal contain the same reports that are in the current system?

The reports currently available in ASAP are “Scheduled Reports” and “Completed Reports.” These reports

are not currently available in the SC Portal, but IT is working to program this.

The SC Portal will not affect any reports in HCSIS.

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45. Can you define what an Expedited Request is?

Urgent Requests will now be called Expedited Request in the SC Portal.

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46. Have all requests submitted through the old system been processed?

Please contact Ascend if you have a question about a specific request.

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47. Where did the list or names originate from that are now seen on the home page in the new

portal? There seems to be less names than what was on the previous SIS scheduling platform.

Only individuals identified by ODP as belonging to a priority group will appear in the SC Portal at this time.

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Other

48. When will the SIS information be connected to residential rates?

The state determines rates and will determine how this information will be shared with stakeholders.

Scoring is done electronically, not by Ascend, once the assessment is entered into SISOnline.

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49. How will Ascend manage the increase in the number of assessments for individuals in

residential?



With SCO and SC assistance Ascend anticipates this will be a smooth transition. Priority Group assessments

will be done in place of routine assessments. Overall, the number of assessments to be completed is not

increasing this contract year.

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50. Will an interpreter be provided for SIS assessments if needed?

All interpreter services will still be provided by Ascend. The SC should identify language interpreter request

through the SC Portal.

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51. Will Ascend translate the assessment document into Spanish?

As the assessment belongs to AAIDD, Ascend cannot translate the SIS assessment into Spanish. If you would

like to request a translator, please reach out to Ascend. If you would like the report translated into Spanish,

please reach out to ODP directly.

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52. Contact information is being added into the system by SCs or AEs so that the assessments can be

scheduled. Is this information being passed on to the assessors?

Yes, or scheduled in-house by our scheduling team.

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53. What are the steps to access newly completed assessments?

Completed assessments may be accessed through SISOnline. Training on this process was provided by

AAIDD. Please follow the link to watch the training video. https://youtu.be/s4BugMz8G0A

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54. Will the SC Portal User Guide be added to the site?

The SC User Guide will be added to the site, but we are unsure of the exact timing of this. For now, please

refer to the Constant Contact emails sent by Ascend that includes the User Guide.

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55. For new waiver enrollee SIS assessments (expedited requests), will these individuals be

scheduled for an assessment within 30 days or will they be on hold until the priority groups are

processed?

Expedited requests are being worked concurrently with the Priority Group assessments.




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56. How do we review and print the SIS?

Completed assessments may be accessed through SISOnline.

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57. Questions are being asked regarding a SIS request for a new/expedited person and options are

being offered in the drop down that are not relevant to the SC role in PA. Will the options

change/be updated? What should SCs do in the meantime?

If referring to the Region field, we are working with IT to remove this from the Portal.

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58. How do we request SIS assessments for people that have aged out of the SIS requirement in the

past? Do we wait for prompting to update the person’s information or is this something we

should inform Ascend about?

Everyone in need of a SIS assessment will be populated in the SC Portal by Ascend. If they are not, they can

have an Expedited Review requested. ODP is aware of these individuals and they have been included in

Priority Group 2, please look for them in the SC Portal.

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