I could go on and on about the benefits of Foothold's Awards program. It is very easy to use. Change is hard for everyone and my staff was nervous about it but all migrations (for many program) couldn't have been easier. Of great importance to me was the tech support. I never have to wait to address a question or to get clarification. The software has actually made the management of my agencies, much easier. I have explored areas of productivity that I never thought was possible. Everything we need to provide services is easily in one place. We have successfully used Awards in various applications and it has been successful with each.

At this point we have no issues with this software. I only wish I had more time to explore some of the features I have not yet used (and I use many of them already).

The relationship/trust building at the beginning was essential for the buy in. Thankfully that foundation was well established and continues to this day.

Absolutely simplified and saved time on billing tasks. Form Builder is also an indispensable feature for our agency. We constantly build customized forms/reports to assist is funding/accountability efforts. In addition Help Desk could respond a bit faster at times.

Our agency chooses not to use the calendar feature due to it's complexity.

Overall I have enjoyed my experience with Awards in the last 5 and a half years. I have a great senior project manager who can always answer my questions and help me with anything. The upgrades to the software have been ongoing over a long period of time but have been for the positive. I would recommend Awards to any social service agency that wants to build a relationship with their EHR vendor and work closely with them over the years.

Awards is easy to use for our front line staff. Training is quick and simple to get them started. The software is very user friendly in a point and click capacity for staff. As an administrator I like the ability to customize my reports and build forms that I need for my programs.

Some of the areas of the software are very old and clunky. They need to be updated and the response to where the company is on updating them isn't great. The administrator functionality could be better, it would be great to have access to a dashboard to see how my database is doing and if there is anything that needs attention.

We have realized greater efficiencies with data collection for the use of analysis and reporting for current needs internal and external to the agency but also in preparation for changes in the service system and greater need for quantitative demonstrations of successful program and service delivery. We have greater flexibility for documentation of service provision as it can be completed from multiple locations on an agency computer. We have utilized AWARDS fora portion of our billing.

I appreciate the ease of use with AWARDS, it has kept up with the changes in regulatory systems over our years of using the software. We have been able to create forms that meet our specific needs or preferences. The system has online support, is linked to reference materials for medications and is evolving to add new services. All of our employees use the system, support departments, facilities and IT, OPWDD, OMH, PROS and OASAS programs. The report module has assisted our Directors to collect data for data-driven programmatic decisions and is especially helpful.

There have been a few times when we had hoped to create a form that mirrored on in AWARDS, but found that it would lack the same functionality. We were able to develop an acceptable work-around, but it delayed the roll-out by a month or two. Years ago, I would have had more "least-liked" parts, but the improvements in the last couple years have made a big difference.

We are especially pleased that AWARDS not only supports set up and training of staff on the system, but provides us with a long term, ongoing support specialist who continues to help us make the best use of the system in our work. Foothold Technology is not a transactional enterprise, they are a real partner in human services!

AWARDS is an easy to use, comprehensive tool designed for human services organizations. We spent years researching options and carefully considering the move from paper to digital, and finally selected AWARDS. In addition to the program having a wide array of important features (including outcomes reporting), it is affordable, can be easily customized and the customer service and support of the Foothold team is superb!

Not the fault of the software, but as we are located in Massachusetts we have specific document requirements that were preset in AWARDS. Our required paperwork limited us slightly in making full use of the AWARDS platform.

Comparing Foothold Technology's Awards system with other products, Foothold has showed it is a much better product, with much better performance, much more easily to use, more user-friendly. Also in the last 8 to 9 months the support has improved dramatically, and now the response time is excellent. So in my opinion Foothold exceeds other similar EMR/e-prescribing programs. The documentation is much more accessible to all employees that need access. The forms are much easier to complete than other EMR programs I have used in other mental health clinics, and the e-prescribing experience is way much easier (and has been without significant problems for the last 9 months). When you compare Foothold with other programs you can prescribe with much fewer steps, much faster, more intuitively, and you can verify right away if the prescription was successfully transmitted. Other products oftentimes are a nightmare, often telling you the transmission never went to the pharmacy until long time - sometimes several days later- and often you find out only because the patients can't fill their prescriptions. So for a relatively inexpensive program, it does way much more than the inefficient and expensive alternatives. Additionally, from what I understand, the control panel is apparently easy to be managed by the clinic supervisors, and they can fix problems with progress notes, and other clinical forms for most basic problems. In that regard, that's also my experience comparing Foothold with other programs. I must say the CONS I found: -When initially we started using this program, the training wasn't thoroughgoing and comprehensive, but in the last 9 months the staff in the agency has been well trained by the supervisors, so the issue has changed positively. I must say I have now a very positive opinion about Foothold's Awards. I recommend it.

Foothold has been AMAZING! They have been right there with us at every step; from our initial setup and deployment, to assistance setting up the BillingBuilder, to quick and efficient Help Desk support. We never feel like we are on our own!

Hands down, the reporting function. The different ReportBuilders offer an amazing amount of customization options and virtually every field in AWARDS is reportable.

Our agency struggles with the Plans and Reviews module, as it is not super user-friendly or intuitive.

RSS has worked with Foothold Technology since 2008. The assistance with start up and the on-going support has been great. They are always willing to listen to thoughts and ideas on how to improve the system.

Foothold Technology is a platform that can be modified to meet an agencies specific needs. It offers an easy-to-use platform for staff of various backgrounds and education level.

Sometimes it takes a while to get helpdesk issues resolved.

Switching from paper records to Awards was a simple process for our organization. There was a lot of support from Foothold Technology and they were there to guide us through each step of the process. They were always available and responsive to our questions. Awards was easy for our staff to learn and navigate. The options for adding our own forms and customizing areas was one of the reasons we decided to purchase Awards.

We are very happy with Awards. One of the features we would like to see is an easier way to print an entire record. While you can do this now, there are a few steps to go through, making it a little more time consuming. I am confident that this feature will be available in the future. In our experience with Foothold, they seem to really listen to the customer feedback and make changes based on user experience.

Foothold's customer service is excellent and they are at the forefront of new products and system usage.

The design of the bed inventory is complicated and difficult to manage. I understand that it is the design required by the federal agency, but it is tedious to update the inventory changes.

Our agency provides a variety of Residential Treatment and Community Services throughout multiple counties within the state. Understanding that our services are vast, there was hesitation to think that we would find a system that would meet all of our regulatory and oversight needs. It is fair to state that AWARDS meets these needs and expectations. The system is customizable in many ways. The Foothold/AWARDS staff are responsive and great to work with. Overall ease of use is great.

AWARDS permits programs and services to be developed and configured independently or globally. The formbuilder feature permits our agency to develop forms in the format we like, which certainly eased the implementation period. Reportbuilder provides opportunity for reports to be built specific to the user, program or agency based off of (pretty much) any field that is entered in to the system. This has allowed our agency to streamline data collection, identify more indicators to measure success and be able to access outcomes in real time. Our implementation consultants were highly supportive throughout the agency's transition from paper charts to electronic records. Following our implementation phase, we were assigned a senior consultant whom we quickly discovered is equally responsive and helpful. As the implementation researcher, lead and system administrator, I have worked with several Foothold/AWARDS team members. All of whom have demonstrated professionalism, appropriate problem solving skills and willingness to help whenever asked. Due to the success we experienced throughout the first three years with AWARDS, we chose to increase the use of the system by implementing the billing builder feature. We plan to begin this new phase of implementation soon.

AWARDS does not have a mobile app for phones. Although the site is accessible from a mobile device, it is difficult to navigate the site on a small mobile devices while in the field. Employees report it would be much easier to have clients/families sign documents if there was a phone app or better flow of signatures. In addition, we have encountered a few issues surrounding e-signatures and alerts when a form is ready to be signed. We report these concerns to the helpdesk and they are always attentive; however, it is in this 'con' area because it has been an issue that we have encountered on more than 3 occasions. The help desk always resolves the problem, until it comes up again.

Our overall experience with AWARDS has been positive. Our implementation specialist was wonderful, as was our temporary support person who assisted us with reviewing survey results with management. Our current support person is difficult to reach and does not reply to questions/concerns in a timely manner. We also find the HelpDesk people to be very accommodating when they can, and the new HelpDesk feature (using email) has been great so far!

This product is very easy to use for all staff; including Direct Support Professionals, Managers, Executive Leadership, and Fiscal staff. The integration with existing business processes was a relatively smooth process. Our implementation specialist was wonderful in working with us to develop forms and adjust processes to work within AWARDS. The BillingBuilder took quite some time to set up and test because it was very different from what we had currently used, but we had sufficient support. One feature that has made a positive impact is the Reporting capabilities. Anyone, from Managers checking/signing progress notes, to Executive Leadership searching for trends, finds the ReportBuilders easy to use. Pulling data from the system has become an integral part in our efforts to improve process to increase efficiency, and satisfaction of stakeholders.

There are a few identified areas of AWARDS that we'd like to see improved upon. One, is that we'd like a way to "turn off" the internal notification tied to the new E-Signatures Configuration for Progress Notes. Our process requires staff to sign their progress notes after review; once staff click "Save Note," the system automatically sends the notification that they have a note to review, but, they've already signed the note. Another area that has room for improvement, is when the need arises to create a new form that is different from the current version. Many of us need to have access in several ReportBuilders to the older form, but AWARDS does not suggest "moving forms." If the form is removed from it's current holding spot (i.e. Services or Charting Timetable) and moved to a "blank" holding area, the form can be accessed via client history. We need to have older forms remain available to all licensing and regulatory agencies in our ReportBuilders.

Being one of the co-chairs of a committee of community providers who utilize the AWARDS program in NJ, having the same Senior Project Manager, [SENSITIVE CONTENT HIDDEN] , is helpful in streamlining the overall process for all users. We share ideas, forms, best practices, and sometimes resources. We have partnered with [SENSITIVE CONTENT HIDDEN] to meet on a regular basis to discuss and/or review topics such as AWARDS updates that affect the IDD population, Medicaid updates, regulatory compliance, enhancements, etc. Since [SENSITIVE CONTENT HIDDEN] works with all of us, there is ease in that no one provider agency has to explain the "Why" or "What type of data or work do you do" type questions. We can get into the meat of an issue which helps move to a resolution faster. This partnership and experience enhances the overall experience in that there is strength in numbers and having the leverage to make changes in not only the AWARDS program, but also in overall advocacy. To the actual AWARDS program, the overall experience has been positive. The "home" page is user friendly and intuitive. The new format in the Service Module with Plans and Review has made the overall process of Outcome/Strategy development less stressful and reduced the steps in modification and discontinuing plans.

The AWARDS program affords us opportunities to build forms to capture critical data and then run reports on that data for meaningful use when communication with doctors, nurses, dieticians, and medical or behavioral specialists. This in addition to having the ability to set up rules and parameters around progress note data entry, e-signing, and billing configurations.

The inability to have interoperability with the NJ Depart of Human Services Department of Developmental Disabilities, and more specifically with the iRecord system. If there were interoperability between these two programs running utilization reports would capture the data in which is impossible today. One example: The ISP (Individual Service Plan) and SDR (Service Detail Report) in iRecord show the billable units per calendar year (or set period of time). Having that data at our fingertips across programs and individuals in the AWARDS program would help run a report on the number of units available and the number of units utilized; resulting in a report on lost potential revenue. Currently there is a lot of data manipulation to capture the same information. This would also assist with the ease of transferring the data from the ISP/SDR into the AWARDS program rather than manual input.

I have had the pleasure of working with AWARDS since 2009 and any time an agency had to undergo the process of selection of an EHR, AWARDS was what was selected. It's the best bang for your buck. While I didn't get certified until a few years ago, it was an easy enough system that I could be an administrator for my agency and really create processes that streamlined my programs. I didn't need to implement all programs at once or implement one module across the board, it allowed for me to plan, test, and rework things without having an external deadline. Most importantly, this could not have been possible without the staff at Foothold. They took the time to explain things thoroughly, discuss potential other uses and guide me if I was stuck. When changes were implemented because of regulations, they helped us navigate that and if they were making changes they communicated those too. They provide the vision to all users and accept input. Staff are knowledgeable about programming and offer more than one option of doing things in the system. Having several options also helps with it's user friendliness, you can get to the same destination from different paths and not break anything in the system while doing so. They have build in lots of safeguards for this too.

I have worked at several big agencies that have a multitude of types of programs, state regulations and internal regulations that this system allows me to gather information from all on a consistent basis. Creating reports is easy and any type can be made! I can create reports for the board or for individual front line staff to give them feedback. I can look at one program, subset of programs by type or all at once (homeless, veterans, DV, shelters, incidents, senior, meals on wheels, group homes, etc.)

The system has so much more potential and while they are trying to improve each section, I wish it would be faster but not from lack of trying. There just isn't enough time in the day.

Overall we have had a good experience with AWARDS. We've had a consistent Project Manager since implementation 10 years ago. The helpdesk staff are responsive and helpful. My only criticism is that sometimes Foothold will make changes to the system without consultation with users. Obviously not every enhancement and upgrade needs user approval but for ones that have massive impact on users, there should be a forum for discussion and piloting. Sometimes they do this but not always.

What I like best is that AWARDS has a feature called "formbuilder" which literally does what the name implies. I can take any existing form my organization uses and "build" it into AWARDS using a user friendly platform to select drop down boxes, text boxes, etc. This form can then be added to different parts of the systems such as client face sheet, progress notes, etc.

A few parts of the system are clunky. For example, there is a charting timetable where reminder events can be scheduled so that staff get tickler alerts. However, this module doesn't "talk" to the module where the actual event (an assessment, for example) is actually done. So the process of keeping the timetable updated with completion dates is a totally manual process. It would be more efficient for staff if this was automated like their PlanBuilder (Treatment/Service Plan)module is.

We have used the AWARDS database for about 16 years or so in different capacities. When we began billing Medicaid we began using the billing builder. We periodically evaluate our experiences with Foothold every few years and have looked at other EHR vendors at those times. Each time we decided to stay with Foothold. In our estimation Foothold gives us the biggest bang for the buck.

We have used the software so long that it has naturally integrated into our organization. Like with every EHR there are periodic glitchs. Customer support has been excellent. Between the Helpdesk staff and our monthly meetings with our Foothold analyst we are usually able to resolve things quickly. The best feature I believe has to do with it's form builder & report builders that allows an organization to customize the look & feel of the software, data collection as well as collect data point information.

Of course there are changes that our organization has championed in relation to the software. Sometimes Foothold administration doesn't agree or designates a change plan they do agree with as a low priority. That can at times be frustrating.

We have been using this software for a very long time, almost 20 years. About 7 years ago many like sized not for profits were told that we were going to need to purchase other EHR's because of changing software requirements. Foothold technologies pushed AWARDS to keep up with those requirements at a reasonable cost. The AWARDS team is easy to speak with and has a full grasp of the populations we work with and is able to optimize the software to meet our needs. I appreciate that they stay abreast of the trends in our field and are able to help us stay current in the software.

It is very simple to use. There are customizations that you can create for your own purposes. The team is easy to speak with and I appreciate that they really have a focus on quality.

I keep in perspective what I would be getting often for much more money and realize there is very little I don't like.

I work with multiple agencies that offer different types of services in the social services sector and Foothold Technology's AWARDS product has exceeded our requirements at each agency and program. Our documentation is now streamlined and accessible to all employees that need access, no matter which office they are working in. The integrated form builder allows you to create any custom forms you want without having to pay some developer to make changes. The Billing module integrates with the services very nicely. We were able to save around over 288 hours of staff time per month just by switching to AWARDS BillingBuilder functionality. Want to further analyze data, no problem. AWARDS lets you use various ReportBuilders and ExportBuilders to export the data in a variety of popular formats. PROS: -Easy to use, easy to train, online help facilities always available -Powerful FormBuilder lets you create your own forms and make changes as needed -You can report on virtually anything you enter, even data on custom forms -All items related, no need to enter the same information twice for a client -Billing integration saves you time and money while reducing errors and increasing revenue -Integrated HIPAA compliant messages module to communicate with staff while including sensitive client information -Updates in functionality every month always bring new or enhanced features -Staff is always very responsive to new ideas and very quick with support when there is a problem -Our staff loves the much faster input of Group Notes and Progress Notes as well as the ability to view/edit notes from any location -Tickler messages are sent to each staff warning them of upcoming service plans or other assessments that are due for clients on their caseload -Supervisors can be set to receive all messages to oversee an entire program or agency CONS: -Very minor things still on the wish list that do not prevent us from doing our job or meeting requirements from our payers (such as design and layout). We are very happy with AWARDS and always recommend it to any agency looking for a good electronic health record.

We've been using AWARDS since 2004. We've been able to experience and benefit from many software updates and new functionality over the past 15 years. The software has solved many of our operational needs, regulatory compliance, and documentation of service provision.

Although this software is affordable, it is robust. Our Project Manager is smart, creative and responsive. She is direct and honest about what options and customization are available. The billing team at Foothold Technology is always willing to assist with technical details. The onsite training staff during our roll out truly built confidence in our team.

I always want more options and more features! We are fully committed to using technology to problem solve internal and community challenges. I am always asking for more.

AWARDS has enabled our agency to make steps towards going paperless. After using the same charts and processes for many years the transition has been relatively painless. Our team has been able to demonstrate how AWARDS benefits our agency and individual programs and this has gotten people initially resistant on board with the change. Again, the support we have received from our configuration consultant and the Foothold help team has been instrumental in our success.

It's easily customized to our agency needs. The support team at Foothold is very responsive and helpful. The system is pretty user friendly as well and the reporting feature is fantastic.

There are random areas of AWARDS that can't be changed and some workflows that seem to add extra steps unnecessarily. The reporting feature is one of the best but also most confusing parts- the report builder looks intimidating to people who haven't used it before and we've had to retrain staff on report builder specifically several times.

AWARDS has been a great case management system for my organization. It has streamlined processes across multiple departments and transformed tracking demographics, outcomes and skill development from an overwhelming task to something easy to do and interpret.

The software is easy to use across all levels of the organization and is easily customized within the organization without having to seek extra help. We were fully supported during the implementation process so users felt ready to use the system once we rolled it out all staff. May questions can be answered using the help function within the software.

While creating forms for the agency is easy, it can become tedious if you have a form when you have a repetitive question.

We use AWARDS for many different programs. The software has helped the organization's infrastructure and lead to additional growth.

The software is not only easy to use and customizable , but it can simultaneously satisfy multiple funding source requirements which saves an enormous amount of time. The help desk is first rate and the Foothold team is great to work with. I especially appreciate the ease in which key performance indicator reports can be programmed.

There are no significant limitations. The software is affordable and ideal for organizations that have to satisfy HUD HMIS requirements.

Exceptional. Foothold's "behind the scenes" staff are always available and receptive to our needs. It's a fantastic product and speaking as a non profit provider, I couldn't imagine using any other software. HIGHLY recommend.

The AWARDS software captures ALL our needs (and then some). Furthermore, the foothold technology team is always responsive to our needs, even if this means adding to or altering their software. The systems flows seamlessly with our annual reporting needs (actually produces our reports) and safeguards all our information.

There really is not anything I do not like about the software.

We have been using AWARDS for 18 years and have no buyers remorse. We have over 15 programs all with different reporting requirements using AWARDS. Management staff are able to monitor programs using key word alerts which are generated daily. They are also able to track Service Plan/Review and Assessments using a few clicks. We can build our own forms as reporting requirements change.

As it is web based there can be a glitch here and there however, once reported Foothold will insure that this is fixed in relatively short period of time.

Having an electronic record with an agency that understands the software that is needed is priceless.

In the world of ever changing regulation and guidance this is a product that any agency that provides housing and assistance to people living with a disability must have. This electronic health record ensures compliance with State regulation and document procedures. Foothold has been able to add new programs easily, has guided us in building reports and provided hands on training and support,

I wish that I had signed a contract sooner.