Group Sessions in HomeKeeper are designed to track important details about your workshops, classes, and any other gatherings hosted by your organization. This includes group education activity to be reported to HUD in your 9902. Follow the instructions below to create and update Group Session information. 

Step One: Navigate to the Group Sessions Object

Select the "Group Sessions" tab. Change the List View to "All" to check if your Group Session is already listed in HomeKeeper.  

If it's not there, click “New” to create a new Group Session.

If your Group Session already exists, you can click on the arrow to the right and select Edit:

Step Two: Update Important Fields on Group Session

Complete as many fields as possible with information about your Group Session. Make sure to fill out “Title” (the name or title of the session), as well as “Group Session Date and Time.” 

If you are reporting your education activity to HUD, be sure to fill out: 

• Counselor 
• Group Session Duration 
• Group Session Type
• Activity Type
• Attributable HUD Grant
• Report to HUD = TRUE 

Step Three: Double-Check “HUD Helper” fields to ensure all required fields are complete

If reporting to HUD, you will be prompted to check that Group Session fields are complete prior to reporting, using the "HUD Helper" fields - the two fields in the right-hand column underneath the Report to HUD? checkbox.

Tracking Multi-Part Series - Two Different Models

It's common for agencies to have workshops that span multiple days. While we expect that attendees will attend them all in sequence, it's also common for attendees to miss a session and need to make it up later. We'll discuss here the different options for setting up Series:

Method 1: Create one Group Session for the Series, then use SuperClone to split it into Series components

• Pros: This allows ease of registration, as they only have to sign up once. Superclone allows you to Clone the Group Session and all of the attendees with one action. 
• Cons: If attendees need to make up a session, staff either have to wait until it is split to register them or register them for all and mark them as no-shows for the sessions they don't attend.

Method 2: Create one Group Session for each Series Instance

• Pros: This most closely matches real life, with each session available for registration independently and specific dates already entered. Clients are able to be registered for whichever session they need to attend.
• Cons: Register for Multiple Group Sessions must be used at each instance and is more time-intensive. It is also limited to 4 sessions at a time, so longer sessions will take longer to register for.

Method 3: Create one Group Session for the Series

• Pros: The simplest option, this allows reporting for the series on one Group Session record
• Cons: This does not publish the subsequent dates for sessions at any point, and attendees cannot be registered for individual sessions for make-ups.