individual & family support program system user guide

Individual & Family Support

Program

System User Guide

IFSP System User Guide v2 August 2017 Prepared By: Esther Barber, DBHDS

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Table of Contents

BEFORE YOU BEGIN .............................................................................................................................. 3

STEP #1- ACCESSING THE IFSP ONLINE WEBSITE...................................................................... 4

STEP #2- REGISTERING TO FILL OUT AN APPLICATION .......................................................... 7

STEP #3- CREATE AND DRAFT A NEW APPLICATION ............................................................. 12

PART I- APPLICANT INFORMATION ................................................................................................... 14

PART II- RESPONSIBLE PARTY ........................................................................................................... 17

PART III- RELATIONSHIP INFORMATION ............................................................................................ 20

PART IV- ASSISTANCE AND RESOURCES ............................................................................................ 22

PART V- NEEDS ................................................................................................................................ 24

PART VI- PROGRAM AGREEMENT ..................................................................................................... 28

PRINTING A COPY OF YOUR APPLICATION: ............................................................................... 30

STEP #4- SUBMITTING YOUR APPLICATION FOR REVIEW & APPROVAL ........................ 31

STEP #5- SUBMITTING THE RECEIPTS ......................................................................................... 33

SAVING THE IFSP ONLINE WEBSITE TO YOUR DESKTOP ...................................................... 34


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Before You Begin

Two very important things you must do before you submit an application for this program are:

1. Verify (from your Support Coordinator or Case Manager) that the individual you are submitting

the application for is currently on the Waiver Waiting List, and

2. You have provided ALL receipts for purchases made with the money you received from this

program for the previous program cycle to the DBHDS’ IFSP department.

If you are unsure about either of these two very important items, please send an e-mail (DO NOT CALL)

to the Individual & Family Support Program (IFSP) department at the Virginia Department of Behavioral

Health and Developmental Services (DBHDS) so they can assist you.

Send all of your questions to this e-mail address:

[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]


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Step #1- Accessing the IFSP online Website

The IFSP online system works best using the latest version of either Internet Explorer (IE), or the

latest version of Mozilla. It will work on other browsers, but these are preferred.

Type or copy/paste the following link into your browser: https://ifsponline.dbhds.virginia.gov/

The below pictured web page will open; the year listed will always reflect the current state fiscal

year for the program. The maximum amount of funds you can request for the program is listed

on the right side of the page (circled in RED below for reference).

If you need to know what items are covered or not covered by this program click on the ‘Click

here’ words at the bottom of the page as shown below where the RED arrow is pointing.

https://ifsponline.dbhds.virginia.gov/


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When you click on the green ‘Click here’ link for the covered/not covered items, the below list of

items will appear to let you know what this program will and will not pay for:

If you need this online application or any of the information listed in another language, you can

simply change it from English to whatever language you need. On the very bottom right-hand

corner of the page you will see the below ‘Translate our site’ box. Simply click on the drop-

down arrow and select the language you need at any time and it will change the words on the

page to the language you have selected. You do not need to change this back to English before

saving your draft, or, submitting the application for review.


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For more information, you can select the down arrow next to the word ‘Help’ listed in the top

bar of the web page as shown below.

This will open a drop list to choose several help options. Select any of the options to open the

page, which will display the information for you. See example and list to select below:


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Step #2- Registering to Fill Out an Application

On the top right-hand part of the web page, there is the word ‘Register’ in white letters; see

below picture as a guide. Click this so you can begin the registration process of submitting

applications online.

After you click on ‘Register’, the below screen will open for you to begin registering. This

information is for the person who will be submitting an application for any individual who is

eligible for the program, such as someone’s designated responsible party, or, someone’s

support coordinator or private case manager. IMPORTANT NOTE: You only need to register

ONCE in order to log in to the IFSP system and fill out an application(s).


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Underneath the word Register, type in your e-mail address in the white box directly below the

word ‘Email’; be sure you have typed it correctly. See below picture as a guide. This e-mail

address will be used and stored in the IFSP system to allow you to access the online system.

After you type in your e-mail address, create and enter a password for accessing this system.

The requirements for your password are listed on the right side of the web page and below for

quick reference.

Password Requirements:


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Once you have created and entered your password, you will need to re-enter it into the next box

titled ‘confirm password’ as seen below.

NOTE: In the event you ever forget your password, you can click on the ‘forgot password’ link,

which will appear on the main login page after you have registered.

You will then receive the below message instructing you to confirm your e-mail address, which is

the last step in the registration process:


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Open your e-mail mailbox. You should have a brand new e-mail message from the IFSP program

with the subject line of ‘Confirm your account’. See highlighted example in yellow below how

this message will appear regarding the ‘From’ and ‘Subject’ so you know what this is about:

Included in this message is a link you have to click to confirm your e-mail and also confirm that

you have received this message successfully; see above the bolded and underlined word ‘here’

above the red arrow .

Once you click the ‘here’ link, you will get another pop-up to let you know that this process is

complete and you are now able to log in using the e-mail address and password you’ve just

created. See below example:


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Along with the pop-up, you will get an e-mail confirmation and welcome notice in your e-mail

inbox letting you know that you have successfully registered for accessing the online system.

The subject line will be listed as ‘Welcome to IFSP’, and appear similar to the example below:

You are now registered in the system, and can log into the IFSP site using your registered e-mail

address and the password you just created.


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Step #3- Create and Draft a New Application

For security purposes, the online system will time-out after 30 minutes of inactivity, so be sure

that you save your drafted application so you do not lose what you have entered. We suggest

that if you know you will need more time than this, you first print out each section and fill it in

beforehand so when you are ready to save it online you have the information ready and handy.

After logging in, select ‘Application’ located on the top black ribbon of the main page as shown

in the picture below:

As soon as you select the word ‘Application’ a list will open for you to choose to ‘Create New’

application; click on this selection. See picture below. The ‘My Applications’ option is for when

you are returning to this system and want to view what you have already done in the system;

this will be explained in detail later in this user guide.


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After you select the ‘Create New’ option, a new IFSP application will open for you to begin filling

out and drafting your new application; see image below:


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PART I- APPLICANT INFORMATION

There are six parts of the IFSP application that need to be filled out. The first part is information

about the individual who is currently on the Waiver Wait List. This page also gives a few brief

instructions about how to move to each page of the application.

When you click on the bolded ‘APPLICANT INFORMATION’ or the white down arrow (pictured

above next to the RED arrow), this section will open for you to begin entering the information

about the individual applicant who is on the waiver waiting list for services.

Fill out each of the fields listed on the page about the individuals’ first, middle, and last name.

Be sure to type each entry into the box correctly (upper case first letter, spelling). This is how

the applicant’s name will be listed and saved within the IFSP system for future references.

Then, type the applicants date of birth, SSN , and their gender; be sure to follow the format as

shown below:


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Fill out the applicant’s street number and name on the ‘Address Line 1’ field. If there is an

apartment number, or suite number, enter this information on the ‘Address Line 2’ field:

When you begin typing the zip code, a drop box of several options will appear for you to select

which will include the appropriate City and/or the County that the zip code is associated with.

Select the best phone number and enter this in the field; do not use any dashes between the

numbers.


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Review all of the information you have just entered on this page to make sure it is correct, and

then select the ‘Next’ button in the bottom right corner to go to the next part of the application

form. You will be able to make changes to this and any of the sections if needed, before you

have to submit the final version for the IFSP review period.


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PART II- RESPONSIBLE PARTY

The next section is about the person who is responsible for receiving the applicant’s IFSP funds

for purchasing items/services for on this application.

Fill out each of the fields listed on the page about the responsible person’s first, middle, and last

name. Be sure to type each entry into the box correctly (upper case first letter, spelling). This is

how the person’s name will be listed and saved within the IFSP system for future references.

Fill out the applicants date of birth, SSN , and their gender; be sure to follow the format below:


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Fill out the applicant’s street number and name on the ‘Address Line 1’ field. If there is an

Apartment number, or suite number, enter this information on the ‘Address Line 2’ field:

When you begin typing the zip code, several options will appear for you to select which will

include the appropriate City and/or the County that the zip code is associated with.

Select the best phone number and enter this in the field; do not use any dashes between the

numbers.


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IMPORTANT: Enter in the e-mail address that you want this program to communicate and send

any messages, questions, or answers to about this application. Please review it carefully to

ensure that you have typed it in correctly. See example below:

Review the information you have entered on this page to make sure it is correct, and then select

the ‘Next’ button in the bottom right corner to go to the next part of the application form.


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PART III- RELATIONSHIP INFORMATION

The next section is also about the person who is responsible for the applicant’s money they will

be receiving and purchasing items/services for on this application.

If the Responsible Party is the SAME PERSON as the applicant, then you will need to check the

very first box as seen below next to the red arrow:

If the Responsible Party is the NOT THE SAME PERSON as the applicant, then you will need to

check the second box as seen below next to the red arrow:

Answer the next question about the living situation between you and the individual who is the

applicant (person on the wait list that is the Applicant):


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Select the relationship type you have with the person on wait list (Applicant):




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PART IV- ASSISTANCE AND RESOURCES

This section is to help us understand about the assistance and financial resources you are

currently using. This information will assist the DBHDS evaluate how to better help you in the

future.

On the ‘Help’ page of the online IFSP system we have listed other government resources for you

to use that may be of help to you. See highlighted option below:

On the ‘Assistance and Resources’ page, select the best answer to how you learned about the

IFSP application and program:


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Next, provide the information about the financial assistance you are now receiving:




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PART V- NEEDS

This part is about the items that you will be using the IFSP funds for. The first section gives you a

brief instruction on how to fill in the information for this section:

Select the responses to each of the listed questions, and type in the approximate dollar amount

and a very brief statement on what you will use this money for:


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The amount you enter into the ‘Requested Amount’ field will automatically be added to the

number listed in the ‘Total Requested Amount’ ribbon of this section, as shown below:

If you need to add another item, just click on the ‘Add Another Need’ button on the bottom left

side of the section, as pictured below:


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If the amount you are entering into the ‘Requested Amount’ field is more than the total allowed

amount for the program, you will get a pop-up message/alert such as the one shown below so

you know that you are going over the total limit for one individual on the IFSP program funding

cycle:

Once you click the ‘OK’ box on the pop-up message, the ‘Requested Amount’ field will remove

the dollar amount you entered to allow you to enter a new amount that is within the $1000.00

maximum total amount allowed for this program.


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Each Need entered must have an amount greater than $0, otherwise, the system will return a

message like below.

In the event you ever need to delete a ‘need’ that you have entered, just click on the ‘X’ that is

located next to the specific need section, as seen below:




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PART VI- PROGRAM AGREEMENT

This is the last section of the IFSP application, and is used to acknowledge that you have read

and understood everything before you submit it for processing. Since you are only ‘drafting’

your application, this is NOT NEEDED UNTIL THE SUBMISSION PERIOD IS OPEN.

Skip the top part of this section, and click on the ‘Save As Draft’ button as seen below to save

the application that you have just filled out. You will be able to go back to this at any time

before the submission period begins for the program.


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Once you have saved your drafted application, you will receive the below pictured confirmation

message letting you know that you have successfully saved the form you have just entered.

If you select the option to ‘Go Back to My Applications’, you will be returned to the list of your

saved applications in the IFSP system.

The below screen will appear which lists your drafted applications and allows you to either edit

it by selecting the ‘Resume’ link, or, you can choose to delete this draft and start over; the red X

in the Delete column will remove this draft. This is also where you would select your draft to

complete the ‘Program Agreement’ section to acknowledge and electronically sign your

application to submit it during the IFSP submission period (an announcement will be made of

this date on the DBHDS’ website).


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Printing a Copy of Your Application:

To print a copy of a drafted application, go to the list of your saved applications by selecting the

‘Application’ drop menu on the very top ribbon of the page and choose the ‘My Applications’

option in menu as shown in the below picture:

Once on the My Applications page, you will see the list of your saved drafted applications. Go to

the Edit column and click on the green ‘Resume’ button as shown in the below example:

Click on either the section title, OR, the down arrow as seen below. Once the page is displayed,

right click on your computer mouse and choose ‘print’; do this for any section you want printed.


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Step #4- Submitting Your Application for Review & Approval

When the DBHDS announces that the IFSP submission period is open, go to your saved

application and select the ‘Resume’ button as seen below:

Review each section carefully to ensure you have entered everything in correctly and

completely.

Read and check the acknowledgement box in the Part VI: Program Agreement section of the

application. Once checked, the light blue electronic signature box will appear (as shown below).

Using your mouse, sign your name in the box. If needed, you can start over by clicking the

‘Reset Signature’ box, which will erase your signature to allow you to do it again.


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Once completed, select the ‘Submit Application’ button to send this to the IFSP team for review.

If you need to make any changes to your submitted application, you will have to contact the IFSP

team and they will have to make those adjustments; you will not be able to edit once submitted.

You will receive an e-mail confirming that we have received your submitted application and it

will contain your Application ID number. Please keep this number handy to use as a reference

for your communication and also records.

All applications that you submit for review will be listed in the ‘Signed and Submitted

Applications’ section on the ‘My Application’ page of the online system. See below example:

Just like the drafted and saved applications, you will be able to view your submitted

applications; however, you will NOT be able to make any changes to it once you have submitted

it for review and approval. You will have to notify the IFSP team and they will be able to make

the necessary changes. This is why it is very important that you review each entry of the

application before submitting it to the DBHDS IFSP team.


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Step #5- Submitting the Receipts

Keep ALL receipts for purchases made with the IFSP funds that you receive. These receipts must

be provided as proof of your purchases and will allow you to apply for the program next funding

cycle. Not doing this will prevent you from applying to this program again.

All receipts will be able to be uploaded to your application(s) in the IFSP online system when the

DBHDS’ announces that the system is now accepting them.

Detailed instructions on how to do this will be added to this user guide section/page at that

time. An announcement will be made at that time so you know when to check back for those

details.


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Saving the IFSP Online Website to Your Desktop

To save this website onto your computer desktop, follow these steps:

1) Right click your mouse on your desktop and select “New” then “Shortcut” from the drop

down list

2) Copy and paste the IFSP link https://ifsponline.dbhds.virginia.gov/ and click Next

https://ifsponline.dbhds.virginia.gov/


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3) Enter the Shortcut name (IFSP Application) and click “Finish”

4) Look at your desktop to verify that the newly created shortcut appears. You can now just

double click this ‘icon’ whenever you want to open up the IFSP online site.

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