Westchester Program

Helping clients in Westchester communities improve their finances and hold onto their affordable housing.

Workplace Menu

ClientIDs, a Critical Detail

Bridge Fund clients have always been given unique ClientIDs to keep their information in our databases separate from other clients. Each office had their own system for assigning these ClientIDs, but now, our programs are sharing the database and we need a common system we all use. ClientIDs can also be used to email application forms to clients and agencies for referrals. Our common system will be that the ClientID begins with the first letter for their borough followed by the next sequential case number. A client in Queens, for example, would have a ClientID beginning with “Q”, followed by a number unique to them, such as “Q1669”. A Westchester client would have a ClientID beginning with “W” followed by a unique number, such as “W9010”. Clients in NYC’s Income Growth program will use a ClientID beginning with “I”.
Why is this Important?
Having applicants fill in their own forms saves data entry at The Bridge Fund, and makes it possible to take applications from agencies and from clients without meeting in person. BUT, these applications will be rejected by the database software if the ClientID is missing or if the ClientID on the application is the same as another ClientID already in the database. Here is a safe and easy to use procedure to Find the next ClientID.

Print Copies of All Client Forms

For those applicants or agency workers who prefer to fill out paper forms, or who do not have internet access, provide them with paper copies of the forms. Bridge Fund staff will then enter the data manually.

1. This is the complete two-page application form that includes Sources of Income form.PDF Application Form (opens in new tab)
2. This is only the Sources of Income form. Use this for clients who filled out only the first page of of the Application form (the older version). PDF Sources of Income Form (opens in new tab)
3. The optional Family Composition form is to be filled out for EACH person in the household other than the applicant. Thus, if the applicant has three children, provide three copies of this form.PDF Family Composition Form (opens in new tab).
4. Westchester InterAgency EP Intake Supplemental is a fillable PDF form that can be combined with The Bridge Fund Application form. The first page of the Interagency form has been removed since the information is duplicative of the Bridge Fund form.
5. The optional Education Status form can be used to assess an applicant’s education level. This can be useful for making referrals.
6. The Monitoring Survey should be filled out at 6 months, 1 year, and 2 years after receiving Bridge Fund assistance. PDF Monitoring Survey Form (opens in new tab).
7. The Monthly Expenses form can be used as a resource for budget counseling. Unlike all other forms, the answers are NOT stored in the database. So this PDF version is ALWAYS to be used by the client. PDF Monthly Expenses Form (opens in new tab).

Web Forms: Enter Online

• CLIENT APPLICATIONS: For an applicant who doesn’t have internet access and email, a paper copy of the form without a ClientID can be filled out and returned to The Bridge Fund program office. The data on the form will have to be entered manually by Bridge Fund staff. For PDF form, see link #1 above.
• To ENTER THE DATA OnLine manually you will first need to find the next ClientID to use. In a web browser type the following URL in the search box but first replacing the “xxx” with the clientID. This will open the web form to fill out. https://c2abz574.caspio.com/dp/7c609000f9355cb306f34b7ba5a7?ClientID=xxx
   
  For example, if the new ClientID is R10010, then in your browser, enter
  https://c2abz574.caspio.com/dp/7c609000f9355cb306f34b7ba5a7?ClientID=R10010
  Without the ClientID, you cannot submit the form.
• To email the form to the Client Send an email with a link to the form and tell them to click on the link. You must create the link for each user. Format it using the same example as above but with HTML code that creates a link to the web page. Without the ClientID, the applicant cannot submit the form. Put this right in the email text replacing just the ClientID number.
  
  When the applicant completes the form, the responses are saved into our database and an email is sent to The Bridge Fund to notify staff that a new entry has been made.

Summary of Links

You may wonder why the links to the various application forms have all those numbers, like dp/7c609000f9355cb306f34b7ba5a7. Why don’t they have readable names like “Client Application Form”?
It is because these forms require the ClientID which changes with each submission. Once the ClientID is in the database, all the reports and all the forms to UPDATE the information will have nice, readable names like “Sources of Income” or “Client Command Center”. You will click on the name and it will take you to a Search Form where you can search for the Client you want to view. Submission forms for new applicants may have “ugly” links, but this type of link has a lovely benefit: it enables us to send forms to others to fill out, saving Bridge Fund staff time and effort.

All client forms can be (1) filled out on paper. The PDF forms can be emailed or printed and given to the applicant. Bridge Fund staff will enter filled out forms into computer using the unique ClientID. (2) All forms (except Monthly Expenses) can be entered online by either the applicant or a Bridge Fund Staff member.

Agency Forms

• For Agency Referrals Agencies can set up on-line referrals for one or more Agency employees.
• ADDING AN AGENCY. Is the Agency on our list? We have a list of Agencies for each program. If the agency is not on this list, you will need to add it to the table, here. Program Managers will need a Caspio login as a database administrator.Add to Westchester Agency Table (press New) Enter the Agency Name, acronym and TBFW as the TBFProgram.
  Do NOT enter AgencyID (this is automatically generated). Do NOT check a box and delete any agency.Click on Tables to close, this saves the table. Close the tab on your browser.
• This following form should be sent to the agency, filled out by each agency employee that will need to refer clients: Agency User Web Form When information is entered and SUBMIT is pressed, this will go into our database. OR, print the form and ask the agency to fill it out and return to The Bridge Fund; our staff will then enter the information on behalf of the agency.
• To refer a client to The Bridge Fund, the agency should be sent a link to our application form that includes a ClientID. For example, if the client lives in New Rochelle, the clientID will begin with “W” followed by the next sequential number. If that number is, say, 1612, then the ClientID is “W1612”. You would then send this link which is the URL to the form, a “?” and the ClientID, as in: https://c2abz574.caspio.com/dp/7c609000f9355cb306f34b7ba5a7?W1612. The agency can either email this form to the client or work with the client to complete the form. The responses are saved into our database and an email is sent to The Bridge Fund to notify that a new entry has been made.

Loans, Contributions, Payments
Reports
Tasks