Searching for a Client

DESCRIPTION

The Find/Add New Client function of CMBHS allows you to search the CMBHS database to determine if a specific client is already in the system or not. It is important that your search results are accurate to prevent the creation of duplicate clients. The creation of duplicate clients is highly undesirable, as it produces inaccurate data for local and state use, and does not ensure that needed client information will be available for continuity of care purposes.

If you create a new client profile, you are creating a new person in CMBHS and saying that person has never received services before. It is not just a new client record, it is a new unique person and CMBHS will not connect the records from past or future services to the correct client.

If your search of CMBHS results in the location of the client that you are looking for, you may go to the profile for the client and attach new documentation directly to the client’s record. If you do not find the client, you have the option of adding them to the system if you will be proving services or not doing so if your search was informational only. If a client is found in CMBHS, there may be as little information as a Client Profile or as much as several complete health records documenting episodes of care at several provider facilities.

Because there is no clinical information in the profile, all providers using CMBHS can search for a Client Profile based on a “Need to Know” that is consistent with applicable laws, the provider’s contract with DSHS and their organization’s policies and procedures.

Before You Start

Have as much information about the client with you when you begin the search process to ensure that you are able to distinguish your client from others that may have the same name.
If you do accidentally misidentify a client and have started documenting in the wrong client’s health record, contact your Clinical Supervisor and/or the System Administrator, for assistance in correcting this error.

How to Search for a Client

You can search for a client using the Find/Add New Client function from anywhere in CMBHS. Find/Add New Client is located on the Client Services toolbar on the left hand side of your screen.
CLICK ON Find/New Client and the Find/Add New Client page will display.

Search Page Set-up

The search page is separated into three (3) sections. One for each of the search types.

Search Types:

(CLICK ON THE LINKS BELOW FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE SPECIFIC SEARCH TYPE.)

Direct Search
- Use this search type when you have an identifying number for the client such as a
  - CMBHS Client Number,
  - Medicaid number or
  - Social Security Number.
- This is a very accurate search method and it will produce the fewest results.
Additional Search
- This search type is used when you want to search the entire CMBHS database for a client and you have some personal information about the client such as:
  - Name
  - Date of Birth
  - City of Birth
  - Race
  - Ethnicity, or
  - Mother’s Maiden Name.
- Depending on the number of search criteria you have, this search type can either locate your client right away or produce so many similar results that your client can not be identified without additional information.

Location Based Search

This search type is used when you want to find a client that has been served by your business entity in the past and you know the Location that served the client and you have at least one piece of service related information but limited details about the client themselves.

Note For NorthSTAR Service Providers:

• NorthSTAR service providers can search for a client in the CMBHS database just as other service providers do, however, if you do not locate the client in CMBHS, the NorthSTAR user must also search for the client in the NorthSTAR enrollment file.

•To search the NorthSTAR enrollment file, you must first search for the client on the CMBHS Find/New Client page CLI015 displays an additional button, Search NS Enrollment. CLICK ON the Search NS Enrollment button if your CMBHS Search does not produce results.

• If a Client Profile displays in the NorthSTAR enrollment file, and you verify that it is your client, the user must select the “Copy Client” button to copy the client information from the NorthSTAR file into a CMBHS Client Profile.

HOW TO DO A DIRECT SEARCH

Use this search type when you have an identifying number for the client such as a CMBHS Client Number, Medicaid, NorthSTAR or Social Security Numberr.

This is a very accurate search method and it will produce the fewest results, making easiest to determine if your client is amongst them. You should be able to quickly determine if the client you are searching for has or does not have a health record in CMBHS.

Location

For the Direct Search type, do not select a Location in the Location drop-down list. The answer choice All Locations will display.

Do Not change the location setting when using this search type.

Fill in one or more of the following search criteria.

Client Number

This is the client’s CMBHS number. To use this number to search, it must be typed in exactly.

If the CMBHS number for the client is correct, only one result (client record) will be returned.

If no result is returned (No records found), that client is not currently in CMBHS or the number has been typed in wrong. Re-check the number and try again.

Client Identifier

Client Identifier numbers include but are not limited to a NorthSTAR, Medicaid, and CHIP numbers. To use this number to search. The number must be typed in exactly to get accurate results.

If the Identifier Number for the client is correct, only one result (record) will be returned.

If no result is returned and "No records found" displays, then that record is not currently in CMBHS or the number has been typed in wrong. Re-check the number and try again.

For NorthSTAR Users:

You may enter the client’s NorthSTAR number in this field to use it as search criteria.

Social Security Number (SSN)

You may use a valid Social Security Number to locate your client in CMBHS.

If you have the client’s correct Social Security Number and you type it in correctly, you will most likely only get a result of one record and it will be the client you are searching for. If no results display, you can be confident the client is not in CMBHS with that Social Security Number

If you do not have the client’s Social Security Number you may use a stand in Social Security Number such as 999-99-9999 to search. Be warned however, that it is likely to produce long lists of clients and will not benefit your search.

Note:

DSHS policy does not require that clients give a Social Security Number in order to receive substance abuse or mental health services.

Providers may ask clients for Social Security Numbers, and if given by the client, the number may be put into CMBHS and used as a search field and entered or updated in the client’s CMBHS profile.

What’s Next?

A “progress indicator bar” will display while CMBHS searches for the client. When the search is complete, your results will display at the bottom of the page in the “Existing Client List”.

If CMBHS finds one or more clients matching the search criteria entered, the client names will display in the “Existing Client List”. The number of records found will also display at the top right of the list and will indicate ### Record(s) found.

• If CMBHS does not find a client matching the search criteria that you used, no client names will show in the “Existing Client List” at the bottom of the page and the No Records Found message will display.

• If the search does not produce the results you need, you can try a different search type or enter different search criteria.

HOW TO DO AN ADDITIONAL SEARCH

This search type is used when you want to search the entire CMBHS database for a client and you have additional information about the client such as their Name, Date of Birth, City of Birth, Race, Ethnicity, or Mother’s Maiden Name.

Depending on the number of these specific search criteria you have, this search type can either locate your client right away or produce so many similar results that your client can not be identified without additional information.

To use the Additional Search, you must know the client’s gender and at least two other search criteria.

Location Data Fields

For the Direct Search type, do not select a Location in the Location drop-down list. All Locations will display in that field. Do Not change the location setting when using this search type.

Select the client’s gender and at least two other search criteria from this list of Search Criteria.

Client’s First Name

TYPE IN one or more letters of the client’s first name.

Last Name

TYPE IN one or more letters of the client’s last name. If there are any results that begin with the letters you put in, they will display.

Middle Name

TYPE IN one or more letters of the client’s middle name.

Date of Birth

The entire date must be typed in correctly as mm/dd/yyyy or you may put in only the 8 numbers of the date and CMBHS will format the date.

City of Birth

TYPE IN one or more letters from the city of the client’s birth.

Results, if there are any, that begin with those letters, will display.

Zip Code

TYPE IN the entire Zip code (5 numbers).

Use numbers only.

Do not include any letters.

Mother’s Maiden Name

Type in one or more letters; results, if there are any, that begin with those letters, will display.

Gender (This field is required for the additional search)

Pick Male or Female.

Race

Select the race that the client uses to identify him or herself.

You may pick more than one race.

Ethnicity

You may pick only one.

What Next?

After you have typed in the information you have selected to search with, CLICK ON the Search button.

A progress indicator bar will display while CMBHS searches for the client. Some searches of the entire CMBHS System take a while, so a progress indicator bar is there to reassure you that the system has not stalled and allows you to roughly estimate when you can expect your results.

When the search is completed, your results will display in the “Existing Client List” at the bottom of the page..

If CMBHS does not find a client matching the search criteria that you entered, no client names will show and No Records Found will display in the “Existing Client List” at the bottom of the page..

If the search produces results but you still can not determine if any of them are your client, select a different search type or different search criteria.

For NorthSTAR Users:

After you have searched CMBHS and have not located the client you are searching for, you may Search the NorthSTAR enrollment file by CLICKING ON the Search NorthSTAR Enrollment button at the bottom of the list of search results.

HOW TO DO A LOCATION BASED SEARCH

This search type is used when you want to find a client that has been served at your Provider Location. You must have at least one piece of service related information to use this search type but will work even if you have limited details about the client themselves.

Location

Select the Location where the client received services from the Location drop-down box.

At least one other criteria must be selected.

Episode of Care

Indicate the Episode of Care, if the client has had more than one.

Local Case Number

Type in one or more numbers or letters. If there are any results that begin with those numbers or letters, they will display at the bottom of the page on the Results list

It is possible but unlikely that more than one result will display as Local Case Numbers are determined solely by providers and several may use similar numbering systems.

Profile From Date/Profile To Date

These fields are used to identify a range of dates within which the Client Profile was created in CMBHS.

Select dates that limit your search to a 3 month period of time.

TYPE IN the 8 numbers that represent the date and CMBHS will format the date with slash marks for you or if you prefer, TYPE IN the date in the final format with a forward slash between the month and day and the day and year.

Primary Counselor

Identify the Primary Counselor that was assigned to the client.

What Next?

After you have typed in the information you have available, use your pointer to CLICK ON the Search button.
A progress indicator bar will display while CMBHS searches for the client.
When the search is completed, your results will display on the screen. You may need to scroll down the page to see your results.
If CMBHS does not find a client matching the search criteria that you entered, no client names will show in the Results list and No Records Found will display.
If the search does not produce the results you need, you may try a different search type and/or different search criteria.

For NorthSTAR Service Providers:

HOW TO COPY CLIENT INFORMATION FROM THE NorthSTAR FILE INTO CMBHS TO CREATE A NEW CLIENT PROFILE

First, search for the client using the CMBHS Search function. Use several search methods, entering as much information as possible to locate your client in CMBHS.
After you have searched CMBHS and you have not located the client, you may Search the NorthSTAR enrollment file by CLICKING ON the Search NorthSTAR Enrollment button at the bottom of the list of search results.
After CLICKING ON the Search NorthSTAR Enrollment button, a new window will pop up on your screen. Some of the information you entered as search criteria will display in the new window to include the Medicaid number, First Name. Last Name, Date of Birth and Social Security number.
If any matching client records are found, they will display at the bottom of the window in the results table.
If none of the clients that display are your client, CLICK ON the X in the upper right hand corner of the box and the box will close. You will return to the CMBHS Search page to search again or to create a new client.

Before deciding that this is the client you are searching for, verify as many of the data fields as possible. Use caution if any of the “permanent identifying data” such as date of birth or social security number, conflicts with information from the client or other records you may have.

What Next?

If you conduct a thorough search of CMBHS and you do not find the client you are looking for, you may assume they do not have a client record in the CMBHS System. In a few rare cases, this assumption may be incorrect. Not finding a client record in CMBHS does not guarantee the client never received services from a DSHS provider but it does means that for some reason, an EHR for the client can not be found in CMBHS and you must create a new record for this client.
You may also chose to contact the DSHS CMBHS Help Desk and further explore the possibility that a health record exists for this client somewhere and assistance is needed to locate it.

Note:

If the client indicates that they have received services from a DSHS provider but you can not find that client in the CMBHS system, contact the DSHS CMBHS Help Desk at 1-866-806-7806. for assistance with your search.

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