FAQ When do I enter the Service Delivery information?

The Service Delivery information is completed at the exit CAFAS or T14. The Service Delivery information should include all services that the client has received from your agency during time in treatment.

FAQ Will I be able to access a closed case to complete an evaluation?

The software will allow me to access a client file and complete an evaluation AFTER a file is closed.

FAQ Can I install both the French and English versions of the software on my computer?

I was trying to install the French version on my computer but it wouldn't let me because I have the English version of CAFAS already loaded. Is this typical or should I contact the IT dept to sort this out? I will be working with populations in both English and French and need to have ready access to both.

These need to be installed on different computers, as it now stands.The new version will be integrated.

FAQ How can we generate Assessment and Treatment reports in French?

The French software does not produce usable treatment plans or assessment reports. The reports come out in English.

Scoring

FAQ When to score a T1?

CAFAS in Ontario asks you to rate the client's level of dysfunction during the last month or 30 days. If the client was on a waiting list or was delayed in receiving treatment or services, you may rate him/her back to the time when the client was exhibiting the behaviour that caused the referral.

This does not imply that you wait for 30 days after treatment begins to do the T1. You will want to do the T1 as early as possible - but not before you have enough information about the behaviour and level of dysfunction of the client for the 30 days leading up to treatment.

FAQ Rule for Reopening Closed Cases?

We have a service that we run in the community. It is an early intervention programme, and with this programme some of the clients that are seen, go from the community to our day treatment service. At the moment when the client is discharged from the Early intervention programme, they get an exit CAFAS. We were wondering if that client can be re-opened once they get to day treatment. Re-opening the client will save the Social workers from having to re-enter demographic information.

Open a new CAFAS each time the client returns for another treatment episode.Use the same ID# as the last time they were in treatment (you will end up with repeat ID#s that when audited will appear to be errors in data entry but are not).

FAQ Will the software accept a T4 evaluation completed at an earlier date than a T3?

The software will accept a T4 evaluation at a date EARLIER than a T3 - but of course this would be an error.

FAQ T2 Evaluation - do not use it!

The T2 evaluation was created as a modified Entry CAFAS to be used in special cases where, for example, a screening was done (T1) followed by a more thorough pre-treatment evaluation (T2). The higher of the two scores is usually used as an Entry CAFAS score.

• Use the T14 for the end-of-treatment of Exit CAFAS
• Use one of the other T evaluations for progress CAFAS assessments

For progress CAFAS assessments, use one of the other T evaluations according to the time that has passed since the first evaluation, e.g. use T3 for an assessment completed 3 months after the treatment commenced.

FAQ Could Not Score - Caregiver subscale

I have a youth who's living independently-.no material or social support from family or other caregivers. Sees his mother infrequently. Has a pretty good relationship with his brother. I've decided to score "Could Not Score" on both the Caregiver > Material Needs and Caregiver > Family/Social Support scales. Is this correct?

Based on the information given, I am inclined to say that you could use "Could Not Score" and then put in an explanation. Your Audit Report may pick this up as an error but it won't have to be corrected.

FAQ How often will we be expected to submit data?

The expectation is that data will be submitted quarterly. Please clck here to see the schedule of submissions

FAQ How will we know when to submit data?

You will receive an email from Cristina Vlad which will include detailed instructions of how and when to submit your data. Please clck here to see the schedule of submissions

FAQ How to make a data export?

Click here to download all the instructional documents that will help you through the process. These documents are updated quarterly and they are also sent by email to the people directly involved in the export process.

FAQ What if we don't have any data to submit to you?

Please contact Cristina Vlad at (416) 813-7654 ext 2623 or at cristina.vlad@sickkids.ca.
You need to inform Cristina of :
(1) the reason(s) why you will not be submitting data
(2) what your plan and timeframe is for addressing these barriers.

FAQ Do we require consent from clients to collect CAFAS data and/or to send it to your office for roll up into the annual report?

This has been an important topic of discussion with the Ministry, their legal department, Children's Mental HealthOntario, and our CAFAS Advisory Group. We have also consulted with the Hospital for Sick Children's Privacy Office and Department of Computational Biology, and with the Office of the Ontario Information and Privacy Commissioner (http://www.ipc.on.ca). These discussions and consultations have led us to develop a Client Brochure that has been reviewed by the Ontario Privacy Office and found to be compliant with Bill C-31 (Health Information Protection Act) standards.

1) Exported data are non-identifiable and, thus, not personal health information.
2) Use of CAFAS and BCFPI is mandated as a continuous quality improvement / quality assurance activity within the Ministry of Children and Youth Services. It is not research.

Data Audit Reports

FAQ Do you send these reports to the Ministry as well?

No. The objective of the audit report is to signal the data entry errors or misinterpretation of the best practice of CAFAS and to help you provide better data quality. These reports are exclusively sent to the agency /that provided us with data.

FAQ My report shows some 5 and 19 years old clients. Should I remove/ transfer them to a Junk folder?

We report back to you all clients that, at admission date, were under 6 or over 18yrs old as these age groups are not included in our analyses. However, the CAFAS can be clinically used for 5 and 19-21 years old clients.

Our suggestion is not to remove/transfer the cases to a Junk folder/site. but eventually, transfer them into a separate log-on/site that deals with these groups. The main objective of that section of the Audit report is to signal any bad birthdate entries that can lead to erroneous ages such as "465", "-25" , or more frequent "0" (in the case the admission date was entered instead of birthdate).

FAQ My report shows some cases without a T1 evaluation. What am I expected to do with them?

First try to understand why these clients did not receive a Entry CAFAS (T1) evaluation. Look for the "Rating Sequence" column as it can help you understand what happened.

For instance, if a T2 is present, it is possible that T2 was used instead of T1 so you should simply make the T2 a T1.

If there is a case when the client was referred to the agency when the treatment was already started, mark the case as being checked before and ignore our listing.

If T1 is missing because the rater omitted to do it/enter it, try to find the means to enter it now.

Please note that a closed file can still be modified.

FAQ I have a series of T2 evaluations that were  mistakenly entered by of our raters. CAn I remove just this evaluation?

Unfortunately CAFAS software doesn’t allow such a procedure as the removal/deletion of a CAFAS evaluation. First try to understand why these clients what happened. Look for the "Rating Sequence" column as it can help you understand what happened at the time the rating. Contact the rater (see Rater ID at T2 column) and ask him/her to remember the situation that caused the extra rating.

FAQ There are some cases in the report that are not errors but exceptional situations. Can you remove these clients from the next Audit Report ?

It is true that some of the categories under the Audit Report are there just for informational purposes depending from agency to agency and from case to case. Here are a few examples:
-some clients outside of the 6-18 years old age range
-some missing Youth or Caregiver Subscale Scores (especially where the Could Not Score option has been used)
-some cases without a T1 (Entry CAFAS) – where you have received a client from another agency who already started the treatment (Melanie confirm)
-some cases closed without a T14 (the main reason being that client didn’t return to treatment)
-some cases with a T1 but not closed (if the agency prefers to have a follow up treatment)

FAQ:

Missing C aregiver information
Incorrect assessment or closed dates. What is this?
Closed cases with missing closed reason.
It appears that I have some open cases with an Exit Evaluation (T14). Is that an errorr?
Closed Cases without a T14.
Duplicate files with the same client ID but different birthdatates.
Duplicate files with the same client ID and birthdatates.

The series of questions above and other related to the Audit Report are answered in the new introduction to the Audit Report that you can find here or by looking at the CAFAS Data Audit Reports section of the Reports page.

Individual Agency Reports

Please refer to the Individual Agency Reports section of the Reports section of the website to find out more about the CAFAS Quarterly Reports we submit to all participant organisations.

FAQ Who do I call when I have a question?

You may contact the CAFAS in Ontario team for all of your CAFAS-related questions.

Contact Melanie Barwick for Implementation and Provincial implications of CAFAS.

Contact Brian O'Hara for issues and questions regarding BCFPI.

Contact Rhonda Couch for questions pertaining to using the CAFAS, Training issues, Communities of Practice (CoPs), and Site Visits.

Contact Karen Fennell for Requests for CAFAS Training, Training Schedules and Scheduling Boosters and general questions.

Contact Cristina Vlad for CAFAS Data Report queries and requests and Software Tech support.

Contact Behnaz Shirazi for CAFAS Quarterly Data reports.

Remember, there are several means for you to have your questions answered:

• Refer to your Training Manual
• Consult with your In-house Trainer
• Visit the CAFAS in Ontario website
• Enroll to the CAFAS /BCFPI Wiki ( click here to require access)
• Visit the Children's Mental Health Ontario website regarding BCFPI
• Download the Client Brochure available in English and French.