Messages Inbox

Messages can be found in your My Messages inbox located in the Messages layer of the Collaboration Suite.

All Messages are organized by type and are directly linked to any underlying entity (Individual Profile, Service File, Case, Service Event etc) enabling you to click directly from the Message to the entity (Service File, Case, Service Event etc).

In addition to the default folders, it is also possible to create your own folders and assign Messages to them.

Clicking on the Messages tab will open the Messages layer of the Collaboration Suite.

Messages are organized in folders by message type.

Message Types

Conversations

Conversations are communication threads (similar to email) that occur between two or more Workers but are not related to a specific entity (i.e. not related to specific Individuals, Service Files, Events etc). Workers involved in Conversations are known as Followers and will receive notifications when new comments are added to the Conversation. New comments will trigger a pop-up notification in real-time and then go into the Worker’s My Messages inbox. If the Worker is not logged in when a new comment is added an update can be sent to their email address or SMS (depending on configuration).

Alerts

An alert is a type of message that requires some type of action by the recipient. An alert appears as a popup message and will stay in the top right corner of the screen until the Worker acknowledges it. The alert can be acknowledged by clicking the appropriate option on the popup message. Dismissed alerts can always be found in the Messages section of the Collaboration Suite.

Notifications

Notifications are essentially messages that do not require any action on the part of the recipient (e.g. if configured by your System Administrator a Notification can be automatically sent to a Worker notifying them that they have a new Case assigned to them). Notifications can also be sent to a group of Workers using the Worker Category function.

Discussions

Discussions are communication threads that occur amongst staff and are related to a specific entity (i.e. an Individual, Case, Service File, Service Event, Group, Document, Funder, Invoice etc). Discussions also have Followers who receive Notifications when new comments are added to the Discussion.

Discussions can be useful for threaded notes, observations and collaborative communications such as discussing the assignment of an Individual to a particular counsellor, supervision, case reviews, notes on invoicing, follow-up work relating to goal planning, assessments and referrals. Discussions can be either administrative (internal) or clinical (where the discussion becomes part of the official clinical record).

Workflow

Workflow items are tasks that can be accessed by opening the Workflow layer in Penelope. Workflows can be created in the Workflow sidebar on any relevant screen (e.g. Service File, Case etc). Tasks can be assigned to the person creating the task or another Worker. Workflow types include General, Check List, Project, Approval, New Document and Review.

Reminders

Workers can also set Reminders for themselves. These reminders will pop up at the appointed time (or the first time the worker logs in after that time) and can be reset or dismissed. Workers can set Reminders for themselves on the Messages/Workflow layer or they can set entity-specific Reminders from the Workflow sidebar on the relevant screen.

Entity specific = a Reminder specific to a particular Case, Service Event, Service File, Individual etc. For example: If you want to set a Reminder for yourself on the Smith Case >> go to the Smith Case, open the Workflow sidebar and add the reminder from there.

Events

Event messages will show any changes made to an event that were not initiated by you e.g. one of your appointments has been cancelled or a staff meeting has been rescheduled by another Worker.

Archived

Archived messages are messages that have been filed away because they require no response or because a Conversation / Discussion / Workflow has been completed. Since Messages cannot be deleted they must be archived to remove them from your My Messages inbox using the File Folder icon visible in the top right of each message.

Sent

You can view your sent messages here. Sent messages can still be replied to by you (just like email).

Sending a Message (Conversation)

At the top of the My Messages layer you will see 3 icons:

• Pencil – Click to send a new Message (Conversation). For more information on sending a Message (Conversation) please visit the Sending a Message page.

• Clock – Click to create a Reminder. For information on setting a Reminder please visit the Set a Reminder page.

• Clockwise Arrow – Click to refresh the My Messages layer.

My Message Sort Order

You can also sort your My Message drawer messages by Sender, Priority or Date. This will help manage response priorities and activities.

To sort by Sender, Priority or Date navigate to your My Messages drawer and click on your preferred filter (i.e. click Sender, Priority or Date). You can then click the same option again to switch between ascending and descending order.

This feature is only available on Penelope 4.18.1.0 and above.

Archiving a Message (Alternative to Deleting)

It is not possible to delete a message in Penelope, however, you are able to Archive a message by opening the message and clicking the Archive icon (see image below).