2.14.2 Quick Release Rollout: TEFAP Visit Frequency, Full Client Export, DOB to Age & Enhanced Race/Ethnicity tracking – Link2Feed

We’re excited to introduce our latest update, which brings several key enhancements:

TEFAP Visit Frequency: With this new functionality you can set a custom visit frequency for TEFAP program types both for visits at agencies and for the Network as a whole.
Full client export: You can now export all clients currently in the system, regardless of whether they have had a visit.
Date of birth to age: This new feature allows you to record age instead of date of birth, simplifying the process of displaying an estimated date of birth.
Enhanced race/ethnicity tracking:We've introduced a new setting for race and ethnicity tracking, allowing you to separate these into distinct questions and remove undisclosed options to better meet program requirements.

These updates are designed to improve your experience and streamline our services. Thank you for your continued support!

Network Admins may request further assistance or report an issue following this release by submitting a ticket. Click here for further information.

This article covers the following topics:

TEFAP Visit Frequency
- How to Enable Custom TEFAP Visit Frequenc
- Frequently Asked Questions
Full Client Export
- How to Access the Full Client Export
Date of Birth to Age
- How to Enable Age-Based Date of Birth Estimation
- Frequently asked questions
Enhanced race/ethnicity tracking
- Separate questions for race and ethnicity
- Disabling undisclosed race/ethnicity
Additional Resources

TEFAP Visit Frequency

Historically, TEFAP programs offered only two fixed options for visit frequency, limiting visits to once per month and lacking customization.

With the latest update, we have removed the following options from the State-Specific Options at the Network level:

Restrict TEFAP Visits in Same Month by Agency
Restrict TEFAP Visits in Same Month by Network

These options have been integrated into the Visit Options section under Visit Frequency, providing greater flexibility similar to that available for pantry and generic programs. This enhancement allows you to customize visit limits both across the network and at individual agencies.

How to Enable Custom TEFAP Visit Frequency

Log in at the Network level.
Select Administration from the left-hand navigation menu.
Choose Network Programs.
Click the orange edit button next to the TEFAP program you wish to configure.
Navigate to Visit Options and expand this section by clicking the blue box.
If not already selected, check Visit Frequency.
Specify the number of visits allowed per set interval (day, week, month, year).
You can also check off Enforce Visit Frequency if you would not wish for this to be able to be bypassed.
Check off the disclaimer.
Click Save to apply your changes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will the existing settings for "Restrict TEFAP Visits in Same Month by Agency or Network" be preserved after this update?
Yes, these settings will be migrated to the Visit Options section under Visit Frequency.
Can I set different visit frequencies for multiple TEFAP programs?
Yes, it is possible. Please contact support for assistance with adding a secondary TEFAP program. Once added, you can set different visit frequencies for each TEFAP program at the Network level.

Full client export

Before this release, our platform did not offer a complete client list with the most current profile information and required a visit to be logged for details to be provided in an export.

The latest update introduces the ability to generate a comprehensive client list, review potential duplicate entries in an exportable format, and review the latest demographic information from client profiles, independent of visit history.

How to Access the Full Client Export

Generating a Full Client Export is straightforward and follows a similar process to our existing Visit Export function. Here’s how to do it:

Select Administration from the left-hand navigation menu.
Click on Exports.
Click + New Export, then + Create Export in the Client Export tile.
Review and check off the disclaimer at the top of the page.
Choose the Client Selection Type:
- Clients Created at the Agency: Exports all clients created at the selected agency organizations within the specified date range, regardless of visit history.
- Clients Who Have Visited the Agency: Exports clients who have visited the selected agency organizations within the specified date range.
Select a date range for the export, or choose All Dates to include all clients, regardless of creation or visit dates.
Check off the boxes next to any details you wish to include from the available sections.
At the bottom, you can either select Save Template to create a reusable template or Export to generate the client list.

Date of Birth to Age

Previously, estimating a client’s date of birth required using a known birthdate. With our new release, intake workers can now simply enter an age to automatically estimate the date of birth. The system will calculate the estimated date of birth by subtracting the entered age from the current date. For instance, if you create a client on August 21, 2024, and assign an age of 24, the system will estimate the date of birth as August 21, 2000. The system will also indicate that this is an estimated date of birth.

How to Enable Age-Based Date of Birth Estimation

Follow these steps to enable this feature:

Navigate to Administration in the left-hand navigation menu.
Select Settings.
Under Intake Options, find the setting Use Age over Date of Birth.
Set this option to On Locked or On Optional.
Click Save Changes at the bottom.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will the date of birth be flagged as estimated when this setting is enabled?
Yes, the date of birth will automatically be flagged as estimated in our system and will be visible within an export.
Does the system automatically calculate an estimated date of birth when an age is entered?
Yes, the system calculates the estimated date of birth based on today’s date minus the entered age. For example, if you create a client on August 21, 2024, and enter an age of 24, the estimated date of birth will be August 21, 2000. This will also mark the date of birth as estimated.
If clients start with an age but need to switch back to a specific date of birth, are there any considerations?
The system will show the date of birth as estimated, indicated by a checkmark on the Personal tab. Otherwise, switching between age and date of birth should be seamless over time.

Enhanced race/ethnicity tracking

We are excited to announce an important update to Link2Feed that will enhance your ability to track and report race and ethnicity data for your clients. Historically, Link2Feed included a single question for this purpose. However, to ensure compliance with the requirements of several US states and to better align with TEFAP and CSFP client applications, we have now separated race and ethnicity into two distinct questions.

Separate Questions for Race and Ethnicity

This update allows for more accurate data collection and reporting, ensuring compliance with state and federal guidelines.

Improved Reporting: Enhanced data accuracy will aid in better resource allocation and program improvement.

How to enable this change

Please note that this new configuration is not mandatory.

If you currently utilize the ethnicity list parent type Hispanic to collect data on Non-Hispanic users please connect with our support team for assistance in making this change. Details on how to submit a ticket can be found here.

If you are looking to update your settings to reflect Race/Ethnicity questions, you can follow these steps:

At the Network level, or Regional level dependent on your structure you will navigate to Administration, then select Fields.
Go to the Personal section and find the Race/Ethnicity option.
Switch this setting to either On or On Optional(If implementing regionally)
Save Changes.

If you choose On Optional at the Regional level it will generally default networks to On.

Here is a video walkthrough of the setup process:

Disabling undisclosed race/ethnicity

If you would like to remove the options for Didn't Ask, Don't Know and Prefer not to answer within the race/ethnicity question you can follow these steps:

Select Administration then Settings.
Locate the Intake Options section.
Find the option for Undisclosed Race/Ethnicity and set this to Off. Doing so will disable the Didn't Ask, Don't Know and Prefer not to answer options.
Save changes.

We understand that change can take time. Therefore, we have included an email template at the bottom of this guide you can use at your own convenience to inform your agencies about this change. Additionally, we have provided a guide that explains why the change has taken place, should you decide to implement it.