Setting Up Core Programs

Shelter Diversion

Shelter Diversion must be active for any family seeking entry into a shelter program. Enrollment in Shelter Diversion is a prerequisite to shelter access. Ensure this program is enabled if your Affiliate provides shelter services.

Emergency Services & Shelter

Each Shelter program type is initialized once during the default Affiliate setup. If your Affiliate operates multiple programs under the same shelter type, you’ll need to manually create additional instances.
Example: If your Affiliate has two static shelters, create a second "Static Shelter" program and assign each a distinct name.

Assigning Shelter Space or Rooms

All Shelter programs—except Street Outreach—require designated shelter space or rooms.
To set this up:

• Edit the program to add rooms, beds, and overflow options.

• When adding a room or house, specify:

  • The number of available beds.

  • Whether overflow is allowed (e.g., roll-away cots or cribs).

Note: If overflow is not enabled, the system will restrict placement—for example, preventing a family of five from being assigned to a four-bed room.

Special Cases: Rotational Shelter, Hotel, Apartments

These programs often lack fixed room numbers. In such cases, define "rooms" based on available spots in the program. Each family will be assigned to the same “room” for the duration of their stay or rotation.

Housing Programs

Just like Shelter programs, each Housing program type is included once in the default setup. If your Affiliate offers multiple housing programs of the same type, you’ll need to:

• Create additional housing program entries.

• Give each a unique name for clear identification.

Assigning Housing Inventory

Each Housing program must be linked to a housing inventory.
To configure this:

• Edit the program to define rooms, beds, and overflow options.

Stabilization

Families can enroll in the Stabilization program at intake or upon completing any Core Program—including, but not limited to, shelter or housing.
Example: A family that achieves stability through Eviction Prevention can exit that program and move into Stabilization for ongoing support.

Setting Up Services

Cash Services

If your Affiliate needs to differentiate between cash-based and standard services for reporting purposes, enable the Cash Service field. This allows you to track financial assistance separately from other types of support.

Service Count, Quantity, and Value

When recording services, the quantity field can capture:

• A monetary amount (e.g., $20 for transportation)

• A count of items or occurrences (e.g., 20 bus passes)

Some services have default quantity settings—either enabled or disabled. You can adjust this in the service settings to better reflect how the service is delivered.

Tip: The quantity field is a flexible tool to capture meaningful data.
For instance, an Affiliate offering Credit Support could enable the quantity field to record a family’s credit score. This enables progress tracking and reporting over time.

Funding Requests for Services

Within Family Link, services such as rental arrears, utility assistance, and security deposits can be converted into funding requests. These requests:

• Require approval

• Can be routed to the financial team for payment processing

To enable a service as a funding request:

• It must be marked as a cash service

• The quantity field must be enabled

Community Services

Although Community Services are not recognized as Core Programs within Family Link, they can still be logged using Service entries. This allows Affiliates to document and track these activities for internal purposes.

For guidance on how to configure services or funding requests, click the Help icon in the app to reach the product team.

Setting Up Community Partners

Community Partnerships in Family Link fulfill two essential roles:

1. Release of Information (ROI)

All businesses added to your Community Partners list will appear on the ROI form for the family's Head of Household (HoH) to review and sign. This ensures that your Affiliate has permission to share relevant information with these organizations.

Tip: Include all relevant and frequently engaged organizations—such as common landlords, utility providers, legal aid services, and your HMIS provider—to streamline the ROI process and reduce delays.

2. Community Referrals

Businesses listed in Family Link can also serve as referral partners, provided their record includes:

• A contact name

• A valid email address

When such a business is selected in the Community Referral form:

• An automated email is sent with the necessary family information

• The partner organization receives a referral request, prompting them to follow up directly with the family

This feature enhances collaboration by enabling secure, documented, and trackable communication with external service providers.

Setting Up Forms

Release of Information (ROI)

To ensure families can authorize information sharing with external partners, add all relevant businesses to the Community Partners section in Family Link.
If the ROI feature is enabled during setup, these businesses will be automatically included on the ROI form for the Head of Household to review and sign.

HIPAA Authorization

Not all Affiliates require a HIPAA Authorization Form. Its use depends on your Affiliate’s local policies and services provided.

Need guidance? Contact Family Promise National for clarification on whether HIPAA compliance is applicable to your operations.

Background Check Release Form

This form can be used to:

• Authorize background checks

• Request rental history reports

While this feature is available, Family Promise National recommends a low-barrier approach to entry. Affiliates are encouraged to use background checks only when necessary, in alignment with equity and inclusion goals.

Community Referrals

Any business listed in your Community Partners section that includes a contact name and email address can be used for referrals via Family Link.
When selected in the Community Referral form:

• The business receives an automated email with relevant family information

• They are prompted to follow up with the family directly

This referral process helps facilitate timely, coordinated support for families through trusted community partners.

More forms will be integrated into Family Link as development progresses. Regularly check your Admin application for updates!

Setting Up Users

Case Manager

Case Managers are frontline users who work directly with clients. Their responsibilities and access include:

• Full access to create, manage, and delete client contacts and case data

• Access is restricted to their assigned Affiliate

• Can only use the Family Link application (no access to administrative tools)

This role is ideal for staff providing direct services to families.

Affiliate Admin

Affiliate Admins are responsible for managing operations within a specific Affiliate. Their capabilities include:

• Access to both the Family Link application and the Affiliate Admin portal

• Ability to view all client records, but cannot create or edit client data

• Full control over administrative settings:

  • Program configuration

  • Service and form management

  • User account management

  • Community partnership setup

This role is best suited for those handling operational oversight and system administration.

Affiliate Super Admin

The Affiliate Super Admin has comprehensive access, combining the permissions of both a Case Manager and an Affiliate Admin. They can:

• Work directly with client records

• Access and manage all administrative settings

• Use both the Family Link and Affiliate Admin applications

This role is appropriate for senior staff who need full visibility and control over both casework and system configuration.

Setting Up Labels

Labels can be used to create custom lists within Family Link. This is a helpful feature and can be used in a variety of ways. Add a label to create a list of individuals who need triaging or have a security concern. Even create a label to apply to families that are attending a special event!