The minimum level of client data sharing that can occur in Clarity Human Services is the sharing of the client record, which includes the Client Profile. How this is shared is controlled by the Clients Created settings.
There are three options for sharing Clients Created:
- Not Shared
- Sharing Groups Controlled
- System Shared
The selection made for the Default Clients Created sharing settings will impact the sharing of newly created client records in the following ways:
Not Shared: Setting Clients Created to “Not Shared” prevents client records created by Staff Members at that Agency from being shared with Staff Members at other Agencies. When a Staff Member outside the Agency searches for the client, that client will not show up in the search results. The configuration of the viewing Agency’s Sharing settings for Clients Created has no impact. When other components of the client record (Notes, File, Location, etc.) are configured to be shared, they are not visible outside the Agency creating the data, as the record itself is inaccessible to other Agencies.
Sharing Groups Controlled: Selecting “Sharing Groups Controlled” applies the sharing setting from the Default Group for Clients Created as well any additional Sharing Groups added to the Agency. Working with Sharing Groups explains how Sharing Groups operate and how to set them up. Note that this is the most commonly used setting because of its flexibility, both in terms of sharing between agencies and how historical data is shared.
System Shared: Selecting “System Shared“ shares the client record with all Staff Members at all Agencies. There is no need to configure any Sharing settings for other Agencies for this setting to apply. There are no exceptions (Sharing Groups, Agency Exceptions, Departments) for this setting.
The Impact of Default Clients Created Sharing Settings on Historical Data
It is important to note that the Default Sharing setting for Clients Created that is in place at the time of client record creation, if later changed, does not impact the historically created record. For example, if a client record was created by an Agency when a setting of “System Shared” was selected for Clients Created, changing that setting later to “Not Shared” does not cause the previously created record to no longer be shared.
The sharing of historically created client records can be changed using Sharing Groups, regardless of whether or not Sharing Groups were enabled for Clients Created at the time of the client record creation. If there is a possibility that historical client records may be shared differently in your community in the future, it is recommended that System Administrators use Sharing Groups to establish how Clients Created are shared.
Up Next: Making Client Data Private