Clinician/Provider Quick Start Guide

Overview

As a clinician (provider), your primary responsibility is to document visits for students on your caseload and ensure services are properly recorded for Medicaid billing.

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First-Time Login

1. Complete Signature Authorization (SA Form)

Before you can document visits, you must complete your annual SA Form:

1. Log in to eSHARS
2. You’ll be automatically redirected to the SA Form workflow
3. Review and sign the authorization form electronically (or upload paper form if required)
4. Wait for administrator approval

Note: You cannot access the system until your SA Form is approved.

2. Verify Your Profile

Navigate to My Profile to verify:

• Your qualifications are correct (OT, PT, Speech, Nursing, etc.)
• Your campus assignments are accurate
• Your contact information is up to date

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Daily Workflow

Your Dashboard (My Caseload)

When you log in, you’ll see your My Caseload dashboard showing:

• Students assigned to you
• Pending visits to document
• Students requiring attention (missing consent, ARD issues, etc.)

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Core Tasks

Task 1: Document a Visit

Goal: Record a service visit for billing

Steps:

1. From My Caseload, find the student
2. Click on the student’s name to open their profile
3. Click Create Visit or select the appropriate service type
4. Complete the visit form:
   • Date of Service - When did the visit occur?
   • Duration - How long was the session? (in minutes)
   • Service Type - What service was provided?
   • Goals Addressed - Which IEP goals were worked on?
   • Notes - Clinical documentation
5. Click Save or Save & Release (if no supervisor approval needed)

Validation Checks:

• Student must have valid Medicaid eligibility
• Student must have parental consent on file
• Visit cannot exceed ARD-allocated hours
• You must have the qualification to provide this service

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Task 2: Document a Group Visit

Goal: Record a session with multiple students

Steps:

1. Navigate to My Caseload → Groups tab
2. Select an existing student group OR create a new group
3. Click Create Group Visit
4. Select the students who attended
5. Enter shared visit details (date, duration, service)
6. Add individual notes per student if needed
7. Save the visit

Tip: Group visits automatically split time across students for billing purposes.

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Task 3: View Visit History

Goal: Review past visits for a student

Steps:

1. From My Caseload, click on a student
2. Select the Visit History tab
3. Filter by date range, service type, or status
4. Click any visit to view details or print

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Task 4: Submit an Appeal

Goal: Appeal a denied or rejected visit

Steps:

1. Navigate to My Appeals (from main menu)
2. Find the denied visit
3. Click Create Appeal
4. Select the appeal reason
5. Provide supporting documentation/notes
6. Submit for review

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Task 5: Manage Your Student Groups

Goal: Organize students for group sessions

Steps:

1. Go to My Caseload → Groups tab
2. Click Create New Group
3. Name the group (e.g., “Tuesday Speech Group”)
4. Add students from your caseload
5. Save the group

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Understanding Visit Statuses

Status	Meaning	Action Required
Draft	Visit saved but not released	Complete and release
Pending Release	Waiting for your release	Click “Release” to submit
Pending Approval	Sent to supervisor	Wait for approval
Approved	Ready for billing	None
Rejected	Supervisor rejected	Review feedback, correct, resubmit
Billed	Sent to Medicaid	None
Paid	Payment received	None
Denied	Medicaid denied claim	Consider appeal

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Student Requirements for Billing

Before a visit can be billed, the student must have:

Requirement	Where to Check	Who Fixes It
Valid Medicaid ID	Student Profile → Demographics	District Admin
Medicaid Eligible	Student Profile → Eligibility tab	Automatic (EDI job)
Parental Consent	Student Profile → Consent tab	District Admin
Active ARD/IEP	Student Profile → ARD tab	District Admin
Service Hours Available	ARD shows remaining hours	District Admin

Note: If any requirement is missing, the visit will be flagged as “Do Not Qualify” (DNQ).

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Common Issues & Solutions

”Student not eligible”

• Check if the student’s Medicaid ID is correct
• Eligibility may have lapsed - contact District Admin

”Exceeds ARD hours”

• The student’s IEP allocation for this service is exhausted
• Contact the ARD coordinator about amendments

”Missing parental consent”

• Consent form needs to be obtained and entered
• Contact District Admin

”Visit date outside service period”

• Check the ARD effective dates
• Visit date must fall within ARD period

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Tips for Efficient Documentation

1. Document same-day - Fresh notes are more accurate
2. Use templates - If available, use note templates for consistency
3. Check the calendar - Verify school days before documenting
4. Review before release - Can’t easily edit after supervisor approval
5. Track your hours - Monitor your caseload hours vs. ARD allocations

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Getting Help

• Technical Issues: Contact your District Admin
• Student Data Issues: Contact your District Admin
• Clinical Questions: Contact your Supervisor
• System Training: Visit eSHARS University (link in menu)

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Navigation Quick Reference

Task	Navigation Path
My Caseload	Home → My Caseload
Create Visit	Student → Create Visit
Visit History	Student → Visit History
My Groups	Home → Groups tab
My Appeals	Menu → My Appeals
My Profile	Menu → My Profile
Messages	Menu → Messages
Help	Menu → Help / eSHARS University