Introduction Guide: CMIS Training Portal
This article provides some introductory information about the CMIS Training Portal, which was launched in October 2023 as a new method of training end users to utilize Delaware's Community Management Information System (CMIS).
NAVIGATING THE CMIS TRAINING PORTAL
Q: Where is the CMIS Training Portal located?
The CMIS Training Portal is an online Learning Management System (LMS) that is hosted by TalentLMS.
The URL to access the CMIS Training Portal is cmis.talentlms.com.
Q: How do I log into the CMIS Training Portal?
Access to the CMIS Training Portal is provided to CMIS end users. To begin the CMIS onboarding process, contact Housing Alliance Delaware. For new CMIS users, a login for the CMIS Training Portal will only be created after the prospective end user completes the CMIS User Policy Agreement. Those who have had access to CMIS prior to October 2023 have already had a login created for them.
After going to cmis.talentlms.com, the link to log into the site is located in the top-right corner of the screen. This is the only way to log into the site, as clicking on pictures on the home page will not redirect you to your account.
As a reminder, login information for the CMIS Training Portal is different from your CMIS login information. Contact Housing Alliance Delaware should you need assistance accessing the CMIS Training Portal.
Q: Which courses are assigned to me in the CMIS Training Portal?
When logins are/were created, courses were assigned based on the data entry workflow that you shared with Housing Alliance Delaware that you will be following. This is based on the program(s) that you operate at your organization and how they are set up in CMIS. Failure to communicate which program(s) you work with may result in more courses being assigned to you than necessary.
Courses are labeled with a recommended order in which they should be accessed. Clicking on the icon will send you to the course outline to begin watching the videos within.
NOTE: For pre-existing CMIS users (CMIS end users prior to the Training Portal launch in October 2023), some extra courses were assigned during our beta testing/feedback period. HAD will remove these over time, or by request. The new user interface allows learners to un-enroll from courses themselves. Consult HAD if this potentially applies to you.
Q: I need to go to back a few lessons to rewatch a video. How do I do that?
The navigation menu appears on the left-hand side of the screen. You can use this navigation menu to revisit lessons that were already completed.
NOTE FOR OLD INTERFACE: Following this method to move forward in the course will not mark lessons/videos as Complete. Use the "Completed. Let's continue." button at the bottom of the page to move forward with your progress. This includes after completing a test!
ACCESSIBILITY IN THE CMIS TRAINING PORTAL
Q: What accommodations are made in the CMIS Training Portal for those who need them?
There are several measures that HAD took into account when trying to make the training site accessible to users with varying needs. These include:
- Audio, visual, and textual methods of teaching are used throughout this site.
- Access to the CMIS Demo Site is available to those who benefit from hands-on/kinetic learning.
- Transcripts available for all videos, with time stamps - these are located under each video.
- Changing the computer mouse to a color that contrast CMIS, when there are demonstrations in the system itself.
- Options to change Playback speed for each video, for those who need to change the speed and tone of the speaking voice in the video:
- Continuous editing to quiz questions and answer options, to make them easier to understand.
- "Failed" check-in and quiz questions provide feedback that hint towards the correct answer.
- Additional assistance provided by Housing Alliance Delaware staff, as requested via ticket.
If you do need an additional aid, please let Housing Alliance Delaware know so that accommodations can be made.
TESTING IN THE CMIS TRAINING PORTAL
Q: How are New User Trainings set up?
When a new user to CMIS is set up for training in the CMIS Training Portal, they are automatically emailed (via TalentLMS) instructions on how to log into the Portal for the first time.
New User Trainings for CMIS include the following courses:
- DE-CMIS Fundamentals (including Data Security & Data Privacy)
- Introduction to HMIS Data Standards
- One (or more, if requested) Data Entry Workflow course
- New User Certification Test
New User Trainings have a 45 day time limit to complete, upon the creation of this Portal login.
- Users have 15 days to complete the DE-CMIS Fundamentals course.
- Once the New User Certification Test is unlocked (after a data entry workflow course is also completed), users have 30 days to complete that.
It is common for New Users to need to finish these courses "ASAP", but users who take longer than the allotted time limits will have their training courses locked. Users who have locked courses in the CMIS Training Portal must contact Housing Alliance Delaware for them to be unlocked. The same goes for requesting for the expiration date of courses to be pushed back.
Upon the completion of the New User Certification Test, the user must schedule a New User Follow-Up with Housing Alliance Delaware. This follow-up is the only way that a New User can get a login for the live version of CMIS.
During this follow-up, someone from HAD's CMIS team will:
- Answer any remaining questions about CMIS
- Provide the end user with their CMIS login information, and make sure that they can log in successfully
- (optional) Practice entering/exiting a client through their specific data entry workflow
Q: How are Refresher Trainings set up?
Refresher Trainings are still required on an annual basis, per the Delaware Continuum of Care (CoC). Emails will be sent (via TalentLMS) to the end user when HAD has assigned for their annual Refresher to begin.
Users who do not have access to the training site can contact Housing Alliance Delaware for a password reset at any time.
Refresher Trainings for CMIS include the following courses, though only require a few to be completed. The rest are recommended, as well as needed to pass the Refresher Certification Test:
- DE-CMIS Fundamentals (including Data Privacy & Data Security)
- (At least) one Data Entry Workflow course
- Reporting & Data Quality
Refresher Trainings have a 45 day time limit to complete, upon the creation of this Portal login.
- Users have 15 days to complete the DE-CMIS Fundamentals course.
- Once the Refresher Certification Test is unlocked (after completing the above course), users have 30 days to complete that.
Users who take longer than the allotted time limits will have their training courses locked. Users who have locked courses in the CMIS Training Portal must contact Housing Alliance Delaware for them to be unlocked. The same goes for requesting for the expiration date of courses to be pushed back due to other priorities.
Failure to complete a Refresher Training before it expires will result in HAD locking CMIS access until training is complete.
At HAD's discretion, an end user may be required to schedule a Refresher Follow-Up with Housing Alliance Delaware. In some scenarios, this will be the only way that locked CMIS logins will be unlocked.
During this follow-up, someone from HAD's CMIS team will:
- Answer questions about CMIS data entry and data quality
- Review the end user's programs' data for data quality
Q: What else should I know about the Tests in the CMIS Training Portal?
Since Housing Alliance Delaware strives to make the CMIS Training Site a learning tool, we are constantly evolving and updating the training site to meet the needs of the end users.
We also recommend that you use all of the tools and resources available to you to pass the tests associated with training courses.
A "passing" score for a CMIS Test depends on what type of training you are completing:
- New User Certification Test: 13 of 15 questions correctly answered
- Refresher Certification Test: 13 of 15 questions correctly answered
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