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targeted parent assistance FAQ

Targeted Parent Assistance Database Template Information

Contact Sarah Adams for more information or to answer further questions about these templates. - (785) 233-8732 or sarah@keys.org

What is Targeted Parent Assistance?
TPA supports families with strategic interventions, keeps them in control and promotes self-advocacy.

What is the scoring system and how do I use it?
Staff score families to evaluate and assess the level of support offered to assure that our interventions are appropriate to the needs of the family.

Why would I need this template?
The template shows at a glance the working level of a family and suggests interventions.

How do I set up evaluation with these templates?
The Targeted Parent Assistance templates will profile per hour, per day, per month the number of families served, the nature of the service. (support, training, education) Monthly, the templates will profile the level of growth for each family as it collects demographics such as area of the state, zip codes, ethnicity. With this information the evaluation staff working with the director can 1) develop a baseline 2) track the process of serving families and 3) the outcomes reached. Not only do the templates guide staff in the work and the outreach they do for families, the documentation and the training support staff to determine the level and scope of interventions needed for each family.

Training - Parent Support

Will you come to us or do we need to come to Kansas?
Training for these templates is two-fold. One part is the Parent Support training and usage of the scoring system. The other part is the technical piece; learning how to use the actual templates. We can provide both of these trainings to you. As a rule it is much easier to learn on your own equipment, but we will not turn anyone down who wants to come to Kansas.

When can we get started?
As soon as you purchase FileMaker Pro and have signed a contract with us.

How can I customize my TPA for my state or do I have to use it as is?
Not every state is alike. And no one is like Kansas. If you find the templates are not valuable to you as is we would be very happy to work with your organization to customize these. We will charge a fee to do this.

Is there a manual? How do we get trained?
A manual will be included to go along with the templates. If you would like additional training, we would be happy to assist you in this way. A fee will be charged to do this.

Technical

What computer information do I need to know?
You will need to have your own computer person help you in determining how to install FileMaker Pro. We would expect you to have gone through the FileMaker tutorial. We will help you install files and get you started with the actual templates.

How do I get my state’s legislator’s into the Legislative Template?
This is a separate template. Once you purchase the template, it will interface with the demographic information template. This is due to each state’s legislative variances.

Will you help me set up my network?
Unfortunately, due to high demand, we cannot help you set up your network for FileMaker. You will need to acquire the help of your own computer person in your state to help you do this. We would be happy to help you with your computer person by answering any pertinent questions.

What kind of computer does this work on?
Unlike the popular Microsoft Access, FileMaker Pro and our templates work on Apple Macintosh and IBM Compatible computers.

What are the minimum system requirements?
Windows:

• Intel Pentium processor
• Microsoft Windows 95 OSR 2.0, Windows 98 SE, Windows Millennium Edition, Windows NT 4.0 with Service Pack 5, Windows 2000, or Windows XP (recommended upgrade procedure)
• 64 MB of RAM
• 24 MB of available hard-disk space

Macintosh:

• PowerPC® processor
• Mac OS software version 8.6(*), 9.0.4, 9.1, or Mac OS X(*)
• 64 MB of RAM
• 24 MB of available hard-disk space

Financial

How do I pay for this out of grant funding? Where do I put this in my grant if I am writing one?
Every grant requires evaluation, a process and a product. Describe your system of tracking the interventions offered to families as well as the growth they show. Document the growth--this is the heart of evaluation. TPA is the process and the change scores are the product as well as the families who speak on behalf of the help you provide.

What are the fees involved? What do I get for the money?
There are two templates and one scoring system. The demographic and legislative components are the templates involved. The scoring system was originally developed by Dr. Barry Kibel as an Outcome Engineering process. Keys has transformed this process to track parent movement along a ten step growth process by 1) preparing for action, 2) actions and successes, 3) establishing a legacy. Keys staff assign numerical values 1-10 to their growth steps.

Additional copies of each template for on-site computers maintained by your organization will be at an additional annual rate. (Please contact a Keys administrator for pricing). Any use of the templates for off-site computers will be charged at the full rate according to Keys.

License fees are due annually. Keys shall produce and distribute a new licensed product for each year of the three years, each of which shall include all updated or new licensed content. Templates can be tailored for your organization at a cost of $150 an hour. You will need to provide written specifications for the requested changes.

More information on training and tailoring the templates can be requested from Keys.

FileMaker

Why did Keys choose FileMaker over Access or any other database program?
FileMaker was chosen mainly for two reasons: 1) Ease of use. FileMaker is very easy to “program” in and manipulate data. 2) Cross-platform capability. FileMaker works on a Macintosh or IBM Compatible computer. Both even talk to each other.

Why do I need to purchase FileMaker Pro and FileMaker Server?
FileMaker Pro and FileMaker Server work off of each other. If you are a larger organization – 10 or more people, you should consider purchasing the Server. Each workstation you work from will need to have FileMaker installed regardless. FileMaker Server hosts all of your databases.

Why does FileMaker cost so much?
It does and it doesn’t. If you are a very small agency or organization, FileMaker can cost only about $300 per machine. If you have a larger organization and want access via the internet, you will need a site license which can get costly. You will need to contact FileMaker, Inc. (www.filemaker.com) to discuss your needs.

Support - Contractual or Yearly

What kind of support will I get and for how long? Is this a yearly fee or a total fee?
If you sign a yearly contract we will work out the details of on-going support in that agreement. If your choice is contractual, we will bill you based on an hourly fee agreed to in the contract.

After I purchase the templates, can I give them to other organizations in my state?
No, we have copyrighted our templates and are selling them to you as an organization. You may not give, sell or trade them with any other organization. This is outlined in the contract you sign.