Living In Ohio >> Housing and Community Partnerships >> HMIS Ohio Balance of State Homeless Management Information System Frequently Asked Questions NOTE: Some of the most common questions and problems are addressed below. If you do not see the answer to your question here, then please visit the Bowman Systems Self-Service Portal at http://www.bowmansystems.com and search for a solution. I am receiving a "Page Not Found" error. What does this mean?
The address you are using to reach ServicePoint could be incorrect or you are not connecting to the Internet. Please verify the URL you are using with your System Administrator. If you are using the correct URL, here are some other things you might try.
1. If you are connecting to the Internet over a modem, try disconnecting and then reconnecting.
2. If you are connecting to the Internet over a local network, try rebooting your machine. This should reset your connection.
3. Try loading another web site such as Yahoo. If you are able to connect to Yahoo, you might not have access to the ServicePoint site. Contact your System Administrator.
This is due to the way in which ServicePoint ensures that you are looking at the most up-to-date information. To avoid this error, please refrain from using the "BACK" and "FORWARD" buttons on your browser to navigate from page to page within ServicePoint. Use the controls on the web page instead.
ServicePoint requires 128-bit encryption the highest level of protection available. If you are running a newer browser (Internet Explorer 5.5 or newer), your browser includes this high-level encryption already. If you are using an older browser, we recommend you upgrade at the following site: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/downloads/default.asp.
While ServicePoint supports both Netscape and Internet Explorer, we recommend Internet Explorer 5.5 or better.
If you have forgotten your password, please contact your Agency or System Administrator. Your administrator can set your password. Please note that your administrator does not know your password, nor can he/she tell you your password. Only you know it. Your administrator will assign you a new, temporary password that you must change the next time you log in.
If you are using Microsoft Internet Explorer:
1. Select Internet Options from the Tools menu in Internet Explorer.
2. In the address field, type the URL you use to access the ServicePoint log in page.
3. Click OK.
If you are using Netscape:
1. Select Preferences from the Edit menu in Netscape Navigator.
2. In the location field, type the URL used to access the ServicePoint log in page.
3. Click OK.
When searching for a client, the system will search for a matching name (First or Last Name) or can search the social security number field. ServicePoint is smart enough to compensate for common misspellings and variations of name spellings. For example, searching for a client named 'Bryon Brewer' succeeds even if you use the search term 'Brian Breuer.' If you are unable to find a client record, try searching by social security number and make sure you have the correct spelling of the client's name. If you are still unable to find the client...
1. It is possible the client record has been closed by another agency for security reasons, or
2. The client record is "deleted." (Note that client records never "delete" completely from the system-they are simply marked inactive and no longer accessible.)
You are responsible for all actions performed in the system logged under your user account. You should guard your password carefully and change it frequently. You should not share your password or allow others to perform any action in the system under your account. There are several important reasons.
1. Your security access is setup specifically for you. Allowing someone else to use your account compromises the privacy of client data and the security of client records. It is against the law to share private client data with unauthorized users. Your coworkers may have a different access level and you could be giving them access to secured data.
2. The ServicePoint license agreement forbids the sharing of user accounts. Sharing your account could result in costly licensing fees for your organization. ServicePoint employs a number of monitoring techniques to insure compliance with this policy.
Please notify your Agency or System Administrator. Your administrator can update the agency/program database with the correct information.
Closing the Profile that closes the entire file is not a good option as you then prevent other Providers from accessing the file. A better choice is to close all assessments, case plans and service transactions so that other Providers cannot view the data entered by your Provider after the date and time it is closed.
Note: Closure of any section of ServicePoint does not close data entered prior to the "Close Date and Time."
No. Information entered in the ServicePoint system is protected by a number of security features. Notice the URL of your ServicePoint site, it begins with https://. The "s" in the URL stands for secure. You will also notice that once you log in to your ServicePoint site that a lock appears in the bottom right corner of your Internet browser. All information collected in ServicePoint is heavily protected and encrypted to keep non-ServicePoint users out.
