The latest Indiana Court Times cover story is all about JTAC’s Odyssey deployment and a look back over the last ten years of trial court technology. The story reminds us why Indiana chose not to undertake a standards-based approach to case management and explains why Odyssey is the right fit for Indiana. Read the story on the new Court Times blog.
Case Study: Hamilton County Odyssey Deployment
On December 8, JTAC made its final 2009 presentation to the monthly stakeholders meeting held at our office in Indianapolis. The presentation highlights the milestones in court technology that have been achieved this year, including the continuing implementation of the Odyssey case management system in the counties as well as enhancements to the software application, and advances related to JTAC’s many other technology projects.
Every month, stakeholders in JTAC projects from state agencies attend a meeting in which JTAC provides an update on the Odyssey case management system and other projects. The presentation and handouts from this month’s meeting are available below.
Handout: What has JTAC accomplished?
Some people have a hard time with change, but we are confident most of you won’t have any trouble with the improvements coming to INcite this year. As part of a project to rebuild INcite using more current technical specifications, we have completely revamped the look and feel of the site to provide a more user-friendly experience.
Here's a glimpse at what the new INcite looks like. Click for a better view.
Currently, the Department of Child Services (DCS)/Probation application is the only application running on the new INcite, which is accessed from https://mycourts.IN.gov. On Tuesday, February 24, the Protection Order Registry (POR) will be making the move. If you are a POR user, check https://incite.IN.gov for instructions on how to login to the new INcite.
We’ll be moving each application (i.e., BMV SR-16 filing, e-Tax Warrants, Marriage License e-File, etc.) to the new INcite one at a time, so if you use multiple applications on INcite, there will be a period of time that you will need to access both the old site and the new site.
We have also built in new functionality to INcite, which may require some action on your part as users of the system. Here’s a rundown of the major changes:
- Cleaner look and feel that is far less cluttered and easier to navigate.
- Each application will run in a separate window allowing you to view more detail on the screen.
- Desktop icon for one-click access to the site.
- Online reset for forgotten passwords.
Because there are times when JTAC must be able to contact users through INcite, each user will be asked to provide a unique email address and a phone number, and you must have a unique email address to reset your password online. So for users that share email addresses or don’t have one at all, options are available to you, but you will be required to call the JTAC help desk to reset your password.
If you need help or wish to provide feedback about the new INcite, please contact our help desk at help@jtac.in.gov or 1-800-275-5822 CORRECTION: 1-888-275-5822.
New features in the DCS/Probation application will soon be released providing probation officers with additional, essential functionality. The update, which should be launched in a matter of days, will allow probation officers to:
- close cases
- update information on old cases
- add placements to service cases, and
- re-open cases that have been closed
In addition, changes have been made to the user interface to make certain steps more intuitive to the probation staff. To date, 286 registered users have created 200+ cases in ICWIS using the application. The JTAC help desk has responded to approximately 80 phone calls and emails from probation staff to answer questions, provide instructions, and to refer issues to the Department of Child Services when appropriate.
After the initial launch of the new DCS/Probation application in INcite, JTAC’s project manager for the application, Mark Harvey, began seeking ways to support probation officers using the new system. Later in the month, he traveled to Auburn in Dekalb County to provide on-site training to Juvenile Probation staff from Dekalb, Steuben, and Noble counties.
After a demonstration of how cases are entered into the system and submitted, each officer was given access to the test site where they were able to practice creating and submitting sample cases. Then the officers logged in to the live application and began entering and updating their own cases while Mark assisted and fielded questions. The training session was very well received by the attendees, who expressed gratitude and new confidence in using the application.
Last week, Mark went to Rensselaer in Jasper County to provide the same training for Juvenile Officers from Jasper and other surrounding counties. If you or someone in your county’s Probation Department would like to coordinate a regional training session with Mark, you may contact him at 317-234-6586 or mharvey@jtac.in.gov.
Chief Justice Randall T. Shepard delivered his 2009 State of the Judiciary address to a joint session of the Indiana General Assembly on January 14. JTAC’s recently launched DCS/Probation application was specifically highlighted.
The full text of the address, titled “A Court System for Tough Times,” and a video of the event are available on the Supreme Court website at http://www.in.gov/judiciary/supreme/stjud/2009.html.
Beginning Jan. 1, 2009, data from juvenile delinquency cases can be sent directly to the DCS Indiana Child Welfare Information System. This information flow will better serve at-risk children and help provide compliance with HEA 1001 which requires the state to pay for child placement services instead of local counties. The new application can also be used for IV-E eligibility determination and federal reporting requirements.
Several Probation Officers and Chief Probation Officers from around the state have assisted JTAC and DCS with program testing. Users will receive an email prior to January 1 with login information and the application will be available beginning Jan. 1.
The application includes a Help Menu with a quick reference guides, detailed user manual and video tutorials.
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NEED HELP?
The JTAC Help Desk is trained to answer questions about any of the JTAC programs and applications, including Odyssey.
The help desk is operational and staff is available on Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 5:30 PM EST daily.
The help desk staff can also answer questions regarding INcite, the Protective Order Registry, the Online Marriage License program and all other JTAC applications. Please use the phone number and email information below to contact the JTAC help desk.