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![]() | We understand that there are a lot of terms utilized in our marketplace that require interpretation so we have provided a quick review of several common terms.- 128 bit encryption
Process used to protect electronic information. Changes data into complex codes that can only be de-coded and understood by intended computer programs. A standard used in credit card and banking transactions online. - 211 Agencies
- Community Information Referral organizations.
- Accountability
- A relationship between two or more individuals or organizations, where A is required to inform B about A's actions, justify them, and be held responsible if the actions were inappropriate. In recent years, nonprofits and for-profit organizations have come under increasing scrutiny from government and private groups and individuals about how they manage their funds and operations. Accountability to the tax payers who provide the money for federal programs has also become a concern.
- Acumen
- Wisdom, knowledge, and expertise gathered overtime through experience
- Ad hoc data analysis
- Analyzing information "on the fly" without being constrained to pre-determined rules.
- Ad hoc reports
- Creating unique reports "on the fly" without relying on pre-determined report templates.
- AHAR
- a report to the U.S. Congress on the extent and nature of homelessness in America.
- Alliance of Information and Referral Systems
AIRS is a professional organization that promotes common standards for classifying various human services, primarily among Information and Referral service organizations, such as 2-1-1. ClientTrack includes the AIRS taxonomy as one option for accessing and managing data. - American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2010
- also known as the federal "stimulus package"
- Annual Homeless Assessment Report
- a report to the U.S. Congress on the extent and nature of homelessness in America.
- Annual Performance Report
- Required by HUD to evaluate yearly performance of grantees.
- API
- allows different computer programs to "speak the same language" and share information.
- Application Programming Interface
- allows different computer programs to "speak the same language" and share information.
- APR
Required by HUD to evaluate yearly performance of grantees. - ARRA
- also known as the federal "stimulus package"
- Assessments
- A series of questions from service providers to clients about the clients' current circumstances.
- Best Practices
- Activities that have been demonstrated through experience to provide the best possible outcomes.
- Blog
- Short for "web log"; a website with one person's ongoing comments; others are generally able to respond to the author's comments.
- Browser
- A software application that allows users to retrieve and provide information from and to the World Wide Web; Examples include Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari, and Chrome
- Business Partners
- Individuals or organizations affiliated with Data Systems International for the purpose of promoting and/or servicing ClientTrack products and services.
- Case Management
- Coordinating various services on behalf of an individual
- Case Study
- An in-depth investigation of an organization to identify challenges, solutions, and general principles applicable to other situations.
- Child and Family Services
- Organizations that primarily focus on advancing the well-being of children and protecting them from harm.
- Client
- An individual who seeks services from another individual or agency.
- Cloud Computing
- Resources, software, and information that are provided on-demand over the Internet.
- Comma-Separated Values
- a type of computer file often used to move information between a database and a spreadsheet program.
- Commercial-Off-The-Shelf
- Technology that is already made and ready for the public. COTS do not require the time and expense involved in customized projects.
- Community Action Agencies
- Organizations dedicated to reducing poverty by offering multiple community programs, such as Head Start, Weatherization, Food Pantries, and much more.
- Community Services Block Grant
- A federal program that provide States and Indian Tribes with funds to reduce poverty in communities.
- Complementary Product Company
- an organization that sells products that complement our ClientTrack solutions, including accounting, donor management, or other products not included within ClientTrack.
- Complementary Service Provider
- an organization that provides services that complement our ClientTrack solutions, including accounting, donor management, or other services not provided by ClientTrack
- Compliance Reports
- Reports required by funding sources (e.g., federal, state, private) from organizations receiving funds/grants. The reports generally serve the purposes of providing accountability and showing
- Configurability
- The ability to change or alter a basic setup to meet specific needs. Note that configurability differs from customization dramatically, in that customization does not alter a basic setup, but creates a new setup altogether. Configurability is less expensive and requires less time than customization.
- Configuration Tools
- Within ClientTrack, refers to a set of pre-made commands that simplify the ability to create or modify forms, workflows, menus, and other processes relevant to data collection, use, and reporting.
- COTS
- Technology that is already made and ready for the public. COTS do not require the time and expense involved in customized projects.
- CPC
- an organization that sells products that complement our ClientTrack solutions, including accounting, donor management, or other products not included within ClientTrack.
- CRM
- software that helps an organization manage and nurture its interactions with clients and potential clients.
- Cross Tabulations
- or "Cross Tabs"; Table lists that show frequencies of one variable in terms of another variable (e.g., 5 Latina Females, 7 Caucasian Females, 3 Latino Males, 9 Caucasion Males)
- CSBG
- A federal program that provide States and Indian Tribes with funds to reduce poverty in communities.
- CSP
- an organization that provides services that complement our ClientTrack solutions, including accounting, donor management, or other services not provided by ClientTrack
- CSV
- a type of computer file often used to move information between a database and a spreadsheet program.
- Cube Analysis
- A method for managing pieces of information (i.e., data) that allows variables to be arranged and compared quickly.
- Customer Relationship Management
- software that helps an organization manage and nurture its interactions with clients and potential clients.
- Customization
- The unique development of a product or service to meet a particular need. NOTE:customization generally requires more time and expense than configuration.
- Dashboard
- A portion of a software program that provides an overview of different information within the software. In ClientTrack products, the Dashboard is the "home" page.
- Data
- Bits of information that represent certain attributes (e.g., male, female) of a variable (e.g., gender).
- Data Entry
- Adding information into the computer's database.
- Data Rules
- Conditions that need to meet before the computer will process a particular piece of information.
- Data Systems International
- developers of ClientTrack software
- Data Validation
- The process a computer program uses to make sure the information entered into the program is accurate, useful, and/or secure.
- Data Warehousing
- An archive that stores very large amounts of electronic information for organizations. The information is strategically stored in a way that optimizes analysis and reporting.
- Database
- An organized collection of data that can be used for various purposes. With ClientTrack, your clients' information is stored and organized in a way that lets you access it easily for applications, eligibility determinations, enrollments, reporting, and more.
- Database Tables
- A set of data values organized with vertical columns (e.g., gender) and horizontal rows (e.g., Client's First Name).
- Day in the Life
- The process we use at Data Systems International to assess how your organization currently operates, how you would like it to operate, and the ClientTrack solutions that will bridge the gap between.
- Deployment
- Setting things up in their appropriate positions. For us, deployment is the actual act of applying or upgrading ClientTrack solutions within your organization.
- Developmental Disabilities
- Lifelong physical or mental impairments that affect functioning in areas, such as learning, self-care, independent living, and more.
- Disaster Relief
- Government or other agency response to natural or man-made disasters, including earthquakes, tornadoes, tsunamis, fires, or other events that impact a large number of individuals.
- Domain
- Within ClientTrack, a domain refers to a set of data, or information, that is logically connected. For example, a Client Domain might include all the information you want to gather about clients, while a User Domain might include information relevant to users of the system.
- Domestic Violence
- Behaviors used generally by one person in a relationship to control another with whom they live, or have lived at some point in time. These controlling behaviors cause psychological, emotional, and/or physical harm.
- Donors
- Individuals or organizations that provide financial support for other organizations.
- Double Entry
- Entering the same information twice. For example, clients may be required to provide their information to one organization, then again to another.
- Drag and Drop
- In computer programs, this is the ability to click on a word or object on the screen, and drag it to a different location on the screen.
- DSI
- developers of ClientTrack software
- Efficiency
- the ratio of output to input, with the intent to reduce wasted effort and resources, and optimize outcomes. Efficient organizations strive to consistently do more (i.e., increased output) with less (i.e., decreased input).
- Eligibility Determinations
- The process of comparing a client's information with the criteria that need to be met to participate in a given program or service.
- Emergency Assistance
- Providing individuals and families with emergency food, clothing, job services, financial assistance, heat, and more to help them manage a current or pending crisis.
- Emergency Shelter Grants
- HUD-funded program to provide "homeless persons with basic shelter and essential supportive services."
- End user
- The person who uses a software product; generally, the end user does not have direct contact with the developer of the software product.
- Enrollment
- Placing an individual into a particular program or service.
- ESG
- HUD-funded program to provide "homeless persons with basic shelter and essential supportive services."
- Evidence-based Outcomes
- Providing information or services that have been determined to be effective, based on careful research of services provided and measurable results.
- Excel
- A spreadsheet software program by Microsoft.
- Extensible Markup Language
- a set of rules for sending and receiving electronic information between computer systems. As one example, HUD has identified the HUD XML standard as the only format of electronic information they will accept from their grantees.
- Facebook
- A program on the internet that connects people and allows them to share all sorts of information (e.g., written, pictures, music)
- Faith Based
- An organization that is formed around identification with a particular faith or religious belief.
- Field
- An open space/text box in a software program where a single value (e.g., month, day, year, yes, no) can be entered by the user.
- Filters
- In databases, filters are rules set up to exclude or only include certain types of information (e.g., Gender = All Males).
- Hardware
- The physical components of a computer system.
- Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act
- the 1996 federal rules that protect access to individually indentifiable health information, and establish the rights of individuals in relation to their own health information.
- Health, Human, and Social Service Organizations
- Nonprofit organizations dedicated to improving the lives of individuals, families, and communities through health, education, empowerment, and access to resources.
- HIPAA
- the 1996 federal rules that protect access to individually indentifiable health information, and establish the rights of individuals in relation to their own health information.
- HIV/AIDS
- A disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). HIV progressively reduces the ability of the human immune system to fight infections.
- HMIS
- a set of software application requirements promoted by HUD to standardize how information about homelessness is collected and reported, with the goal of improving how we understand larger trends of homelessness in the United States. Data Systems International - ClientTrack is an HMIS-compliant software,
- Homeless Management Information System
- a set of software application requirements promoted by HUD to standardize how information about homelessness is collected and reported, with the goal of improving how we understand larger trends of homelessness in the United States. Data Systems International - ClientTrack is an HMIS-compliant software,
- Homelessness
- The condition of individuals or families who do not have a permanent or regular house/dwelling where they can spend the night. As of 2002, it is estimated that children and families are the largest growing segment of the homeless in America.
- Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program
- a 2009 HUD initiative as part of the American Recocvery and Reinvestment Act; the purpose is to assist households at risk of becoming homeless, and help those who are homeless to find suitable housing.
- HOPWA
- a HUD-funded program to assist individuals with AIDS for various housing, social service, and other needs.
- Hosting
- When a company provides space on a server it owns or leases to its clients. With ClientTrack, Data Systems International is generally the "host" for the client information of its customers.
- Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS
- a HUD-funded program to assist individuals with AIDS for various housing, social service, and other needs.
- HPRP
- a 2009 HUD initiative as part of the American Recocvery and Reinvestment Act; the purpose is to assist households at risk of becoming homeless, and help those who are homeless to find suitable housing.
- HUD
- According to HUD's website, its "mission is to increase homeownership, support community development and increase access to affordable housing free from discrimination."
- Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome
- A disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). HIV progressively reduces the ability of the human immune system to fight infections.
- Implementation
- The process of guiding a customer from purchase to actual use of a software.
- Information Technology
- the study of how computer-based information is designed, developed, modified, or otherwise used.
- Intakes
- The process of and organization to collect general client information for the purpose of deciding which services are needed, available, and/or most appropriate.
- Interface
- In the context of ClientTrack, refers to the computer screen of the software application through which users can access various computer resources. In simple terms, the interface is what you see when you use ClientTrack.
- IT
- the study of how computer-based information is designed, developed, modified, or otherwise used.
- Legacy System
- An older software, technology, or computer system that continues to function, but lacks the efficiency of new technologies.
- LIHEAP
- US Department of Health and Human Services program that assists "low income households…primarily in meeting their immediate home energy needs", essentially referring to heating or cooling.
- Login
- The process of securely accessing a computer system by providing specific credentials that are unique to a particular user.
- Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program
- US Department of Health and Human Services program that assists "low income households…primarily in meeting their immediate home energy needs", essentially referring to heating or cooling.
- Mental Health
- An individual's level of cognitive (i.e., mental) or emotional well-being. As its opposite concept, mental illness includes various cognitive and emotional struggles (e.g., depression, anxiety, mood disorders, schizophrenia)
- Menus
- Lists of available options; In computer programs, the lists may be visible at all times, or may be hidden until they are clicked or "hovered over" with the mouse.
- Microsoft .NET Framework
- A basic, foundation software upon which developers can create new software and programs. The ClientTrack product is "built" on the Microsoft .NET Framework.
- Microsoft Analysis Services
- The service that allows data in SQL databases to be analyzed. In more simple terms, Microsoft Analysis Services are the tools that allow ClientTrack users to run ad hoc analyses and reports from their clients' information.
- Nonprofit Organizations
- An organization that does not distribute its surplus funds (i.e., its profits) to stakeholders, but instead returns the funds to the organization to further pursue its mission. Generally, nonprofit organizations include charities, social services, public arts, and more.
- Outcomes
- The measurable result of an action; In social service, "output" differs from "outcomes," given that output focuses on what was done (e.g., met 42 people), while outcomes focus on the benefits of what was done (e.g., 26 people improved their income by 50% over 6 months). Increasingly, organizations are required to report outcomes, and not just output.
- Outreach
In social service terms, outreach refers to all the planned, systematic efforts of an organization to actively seek out people who might benefit from the services they offer. - Performance Management
- Activities that monitor and measure the progress of individuals, groups, or organizations as they work toward a set of pre-defined goals. Measurement and tracking of the progress and goals may be facilitated by software designed for that specific purpose.
- Platform
- The basic programs and computer parts that allow a particular software to work. A platform may include the operating system (e.g., Windows 7; Mac OS X Snow Leopard; Linux), the programming language (e.g., C++, C#, Visual Basic, Java), or the computer architecture (i.e., how the machine is actually built).
- Portal
- specifically, a "web portal":A website that allows access to particular information through the internet.
- Project Management
- The profession of planning, organizing, and managing resources to meet a set of goals within a specified guideline.
- Project Plan
- A formal document that presents the estimated scope (i.e, what will be done), time (i.e., when it will be done), and cost of a particular project.
- Providers
- Organizations that offer one or many services, generally related to health, human, or social services.
- Query
- In the computer world, a query is a request for particular information from a database.
- Real-time
- Automatic exchange of information; for example, a report that is created in "real time" is generated immediately, and does not require large lag time before it can be produced.
- Redundancy
- Backing up information two, three, or more times to ensure that access to the information is secure and reliable.
- Relate Information Together
- When analyzing data, relating information together refers to comparing one or more variables (e.g., height, weight) with one or more other variables (e.g., gender, foot size).
- Relational Database
- A set of data that can be organized by identifying common characteristics among the data. For example, identifying all clients who share the same ethnicity, gender, or zip code would be a common characteristic. By using a relational database, users can identify broad tends more simply.
- Report Templates
- A pre-developed, pre-defined format that allows users to input only required information. One entered, the information is then placed in the appropriate locations within the pre-defined report, and is ready to be shared.
- Results Oriented Management and Accountability
- A report and set of guidelines created by a 1994 task force of federal, state, and local leaders to evaluate and improve the effectiveness of interventions on behalf of low-income individuals and families. The Office of Community Services (a division within the US Department of Health and Human Services) provides various grants to service organizations in support of ROMA.
- ROMA
- A report and set of guidelines created by a 1994 task force of federal, state, and local leaders to evaluate and improve the effectiveness of interventions on behalf of low-income individuals and families. The Office of Community Services (a division within the US Department of Health and Human Services) provides various grants to service organizations in support of ROMA.
- Ryan White
- Federally funded program to improve the availability of quality services for people living with HIV/AIDS and their families. Named after teenager Ryan White, who was diagnosed with HIV/AIDS as a result of a contaminated blood transfusion, and was subsequently expelled from school. He changed the face of what HIV/AIDS looked like. Ryan passed away in 1990 at the age of 18.
- Ryan White Care Act
- Federally funded program to improve the availability of quality services for people living with HIV/AIDS and their families. Named after teenager Ryan White, who was diagnosed with HIV/AIDS as a result of a contaminated blood transfusion, and was subsequently expelled from school. He changed the face of what HIV/AIDS looked like. Ryan passed away in 1990 at the age of 18.
- SAAS
- Software provided over the internet, generally on a subscription basis. End users access the software through the internet as they need it.
- SAS 70 Type II Certification
- A designation indicating an organization has been professionally audited and found to have high standards of internal controls and information security measures. DSI's data center, SingleEdge, is SAS 70 Type II certified.
- Self-host
- An organization that maintains its own servers and client databases.
- Senior Services
- A wide range of services to help elderly individuals maintain or achieve self-reliance and independent living.
- Server
- A combination of computer hardware and software dedicated to clients' information.
- Software
- Any program that can read and/or write digital data on a computer.
- Software Application
- Computer software that helps users perform a specific task or set of tasks.
- Software as a Service
- Software provided over the internet, generally on a subscription basis. End users access the software through the internet as they need it.
- Software Developer
- An individual or organization that designs, creates, and/or modifies software, generally from the beginning of the process to the end.
- Solution Architecture
- The process of understanding an organization's need for software, knowing the capabilities and intricacies of the software in depth, and the ability to bring both sets of knowledge together to effectively address an organization's challenges or needs.
- Sort Data
- Arranging database information by values, generally at the command of the software user. The values may be categorical (e.g., blue, red, yellow), ordinal (e.g., numbers greater than 6), or intervals (e.g., 2 points, 3 points, 4 points).
- SPSS
- A software for conducting simple to complex statistical analyses.
- SQL
- a computer language designed to manage data in relational databases. SQL is the computer language DSI's database professionals use to setup and configure your database to make your clients' information accessible for analyses, reports, and other uses.
- Stakeholders
- A person, group, or organization that may be affected by an organization's actions; Includes clients, social service professionals, communities, board members, executive leaders, and more.
- Statistical Package for the Social Sciences
- A software for conducting simple to complex statistical analyses.
- Structured Query Language
- a computer language designed to manage data in relational databases. SQL is the computer language DSI's database professionals use to setup and configure your database to make your clients' information accessible for analyses, reports, and other uses.
- Substance Abuse
- Misuse of drugs and other chemicals that negatively affect an individual's physical, mental, emotional, or social well-being.
- Summary Functions
- Within databases, summary functions allow users to calculate averages, totals (sums), counts, minimum values, maximum values, and more.
- System Administration
- Maintaining and operating an organization's computer system(s) and/or network. The individual is generally known as the System Administrator.
- Tailoring
- Adjusting an object or program to meet specific requirements. With ClientTrack, organizations can specify which client information they need to gather, use, and report. Importantly, tailoring is NOT the same as customizing, which often involves creating new programs that require extensive time to build and substantial money to fund.
- Transparency
- In organizations, transparency suggests openness and accessible information about how an organization functions and what the organization is doing. Often, how nonprofits manage their day-to-day processes, and the costs of those processes, is percieved as an issue of transparency, given that tax payers tend to provide the majority of nonprofits funding through federal programs.
- Tweets
- Short messages of 140 characters sent through Twitter.
- Twitter
- An online application that allows users to provide 140-character, real-time, instant updates of what is happening now.
- U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
- According to HUD's website, its "mission is to increase homeownership, support community development and increase access to affordable housing free from discrimination."
- Value Added Reseller
- an individual or organization not employed by DSI that is certified to resell ClientTrack products and services and understands the value of ClientTrack to its users.
- Value Added Service Provider
- an individual or organization not employed by DSI that is certified to provide technical support and customer service regarding ClientTrack products.
- VAR
- an individual or organization not employed by DSI that is certified to resell ClientTrack products and services and understands the value of ClientTrack to its users.
- VASP
- an individual or organization not employed by DSI that is certified to provide technical support and customer service regarding ClientTrack products.
- VAWA
- A United States federal law that provides funds to support organizations serving women affected by domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking.
- Veteran Services
- Providing benefits and services to the men and women who serve or have served in the United States Armed Forces, and their families who have supported them.
- Victims of Crime Act
- The US Department of Justice's 1984 act that created the Crime Victims Fund. This fund provides grants to help organizations that serve victims of crimes, including domestic violence, terrorism, and other crimes.
- Violence Against Women Act of 1994
- A United States federal law that provides funds to support organizations serving women affected by domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking.
- VOCA
- The US Department of Justice's 1984 act that created the Crime Victims Fund. This fund provides grants to help organizations that serve victims of crimes, including domestic violence, terrorism, and other crimes.
- Web application
- A software program that is accessed through the internet.
- Web-based
- A software program that resides on the World Wide Web and is accessible through the Internet.
- White Papers
- A report or guide that presents challenges and solutions for addressing those challenges; Generally used to educate readers and help in the decision-making process.
- Workflows
- A sequence of connected steps; a model of how processes occur and how processes are connected to other processes.
- Workforce Services
- Provide services for workers to obtain or improve employment, and for employers to find new employees.
- Workgroups
- A classification in ClientTrack that designates which client forms and information a social service professional will need to access. A caseworker concerned with housing, for example, will have a different set of questions than a counselor concerned with substance abuse. Both professionals, however, may work with the same individual and access information relevant to both professionals.
- Workgroups
- A classification in ClientTrack that designates which client forms and information a social service professional will need to access. A caseworker concerned with housing, for example, will have a different set of questions than a counselor concerned with substance abuse. Both professionals, however, may work with the same individual and access information relevant to both professionals.
- XML
- a set of rules for sending and receiving electronic information between computer systems. As one example, HUD has identified the HUD XML standard as the only format of electronic information they will accept from their grantees.
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