Writing a progress note
A progress note documents a single service contact with a family. It's the most common document you'll write in FCR — there's one for every contact on every service line except supervised parenting time (which uses visitation notes).
The staff member who provided the service writes the note. Their supervisor or a Practice Manager approves it. Approving a progress note is also what makes the contact billable, so it matters that it's accurate.
For services funded outside DCS — for example DMHA, Medicaid, or other funders — the equivalent document is a clinical note: the same kind of contact record, without the billing pieces (no billing component and no service-type tagging). You start it the same way, through New Clinical Note, and FCR opens the right kind of note for the case's service automatically. Everything below about the narrative, tagging goals, and submitting for approval works the same way.
Before you start
Have these ready:
- The case you're documenting (you'll need to be assigned to it).
- The date and time of the contact and how long it lasted.
- Who was present and how the contact happened (in person, virtual, or a missed/cancelled visit).
- Which service you were providing (for services with more than one billing type, you'll pick the right one).
Step 1 — Start the note
Choose New Clinical Note from the sidebar (or the New Clinical Note button on your dashboard) and pick the case you're documenting. For most services FCR opens a progress note straight away. A few services support more than one kind of note — supervised parenting time in particular — so you'll first choose the note type: a visit note when a supervised visit happened, or a progress note for a no-show, a contact attempt, or another contact. FCR then creates a draft and opens the editor, and everything you enter from here autosaves.
Step 2 — Record the contact details
Fill in the date, time, and duration, then choose the method:
- Face-to-face or virtual — a delivered service.
- No-show or cancelled — the contact didn't happen.
Add who was present and the location, then choose the service type if you're prompted (for example, an HBC contact is tagged as Face-to-Face or Court so it lands in the right place on monthly reports).
Day Reporting has two billing components — an hourly one for sessions under 4 hours and a 4+ hour one for longer sessions. If the component you pick doesn't match the length you documented, FCR shows a gentle reminder as you fill the form and, when you choose Continue to narrative, asks you to confirm. It's just a check — you can always continue — but it helps make sure the session is billed the right way.
You enter the start and end time; FCR works out the billable time using DCS's quarter-hour rule. No-show and cancelled contacts are automatically set to zero — you don't bill for a visit that didn't happen.
Step 3 — Write the narrative and tag goals
Write what happened in the narrative. If the family has an approved treatment plan, you'll also tag the goals you worked on so the work rolls up onto monthly reports. (Notes written during intake, before a plan is approved, don't require goal tags.)
The goal list shows the goals that apply to this contact's service — so for a Court contact you'll see the goals assigned to Court, not every goal on the plan. (A goal you've already tagged on this note always stays in the list, even if its services later change, so you never lose a tag you've made.)
Step 4 — Add a Home Safety Audit (if needed)
For Family Preservation cases, a Home Safety Audit is completed during home visits. You can fill one out as part of the progress note — a short Yes / No / N/A checklist of what you observed, plus your overall read on the home. It rides along with the note and follows the same draft/submit timing.
Step 5 — Submit for approval
When the note is complete, choose Submit. FCR checks the required fields first. The note goes to your supervisor's approval queue; once they approve it, the contact becomes billable and the note is final.
Because approval makes the contact billable, an approved progress note can't be edited directly. If something needs fixing, a supervisor or PM can request revision to reopen it — they can even flag the exact sections (service type, date/time, goals, or narrative) that need updating.
If your note is returned for revision
The note comes back as an editable draft with the reviewer's notes and any flagged sections. Make the changes and submit again — it goes back through the same review.
Frequently asked questions
What if the family didn't show up? Still write the note and set the method to no-show or cancelled. It documents the attempt and is recorded as non-billable.
Do I have to tag a goal? Only once the family has an approved treatment plan. Before that (during intake), goal tagging isn't required.
Why can't I edit my note after approval? Approval is the official attestation and the billing trigger, so approved notes are locked. Ask a supervisor or PM to request revision if a correction is needed.
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