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OAAS Critical Incident Reporting & SIMS
Critical Incident Reporting
All critical incidents for participants of Office of Aging and Adult Services (OAAS) Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) waivers must be reported, investigated, and tracked. A critical incident is any actual or reported event or situation that could cause serious harm to a waiver participant’s physical health, mental health, safety or welfare. The Office of Aging and Adult Services must track all critical incidents to make sure follow-up and recommendations are made to try to keep it from happening again.
Critical Incident categories are:
- Abuse
- Neglect
- Exploitation
- Death
- Extortion
- Major Injury
- Falls
- Major Medical Event
- Loss or Destruction of Home
- Involvement with Law Enforcement
- Major Medication Incidents
- Major Behavioral Incidents
Statewide Incident Management System (SIMS)
The Statewide Incident Management System (SIMS) is a web-based critical incident reporting application for the Louisiana Department of Health (LDH). SIMS provides state agencies, health care providers, and Home & Community Based Services (HCBS) support coordinators an online method for submitting state and federally required reports of alleged neglect, abuse, injuries of unknown origin, misappropriation of client property and critical incidents.
SIMS allows providers serving LDH’s waiver participants better access to and sharing of important health and safety information that is critical to safeguarding our participants’ health and well-being in the community.
- Access and complete the SIMS Request Form.
- An email confirming the SIMS username and password will arrive within days of the submission of the form. It will not be emailed to you immediately.
- Follow the link in the email and login in to SIMS using the newly created account details .
- SIMS user enrollment is complete.
Useful Tips:
- If you have any issues completing the steps/forms above, email [email protected].
- If you are having issues with logging in, or with first time log in, please contact the Office of Technology Services (OTS) Helpdesk at 225-219-6900.
- Press "1" for password and computer resets, then option "1" in the second menu for password resets and user account unlocks only. This will send you to an OTS staff member. You may be placed in a queu of callers; however, for security reasons, this is the only way to reset your SIMS password.
Prior to accessing SIMS, it is important to properly configure your computer to work with the SIMS platform. There are 2 primary configuration steps:
- Add the SIMS web address to the list of trusted sites in your web browser settings.
- Enable pop-ups for this site in your web browser settings.
For complete SIMS computer configuration requirements, view the WellSky Human Services: Computer Configuration Requirements guide.
- Each user that enters critical incidents into SIMS must have a unique username and password.
NOTE: It is a HIPAA violation to login to SIMS using another person's username and password.
- Your username for SIMS is dhh\username.
- Password Rules:
- Passwords are case sensitive
- New passwords must include 6 letters + 1 number
- Passwords may not include special characters
- Users may not reuse one of their last 3 passwords
- User accounts will lock after 3 incorrect password attempts
- User accounts are disabled after 180 days of inactivity
- It is the responsibility of each support coordination agency or direct service provider to notify the appropriate Human Services District/Authority or Regional Office of all newly hired and separated employees.
Review the SIMS Training Manual (Incident Management: OAAS Waiver). This guide corresponds with the pages mentioned in the videos below.
- Direct Service Providers (DSPs) - If you work directly with participants, use the videos listed below as a training guide to SIMS.
- Support Coordination Agencies (SCAs) and Employees - If work for an SCA, either as a support coordinator or a support coordination supervisor, use the videos listed below as a training guide to SIMS.