C-FIRST! Provider Training
As C-FIRST is implemented, placement provider work will occur in three primary areas. Understanding where each activity will take place will help your agency identify the staff members who need training and prepare for the transition.
Relative Caregiver Training is only for agencies that contract with DCS for relative caregiver services.
Please email EI_DCS.Inservice@tn.gov if you have questions. Thank you for your partnership as we prepare for the implementation of C-FIRST!
View the Course and Audience tab for information about content and staff who should attend each course topic.
Only provider staff who enter and manage provider foster homes will have access to C-FIRST! for this purpose. These staff members will use the Provider Object to:
- Enter foster home studies
- Enter reassessments
- Manage each foster home within the agency’s provider network
Staff responsible for these activities will need the Home Study training and Foster Home Management Training.
Case management staff will no longer enter provider documentation directly into C-FIRST!
If your agency has its own electronic records system, contacts and case summaries will be entered into that system. Your IT team will then be able to pull the data and upload it to C-FIRST! through the Placement Provider Interface monthly.
If your agency does not have an electronic records system, or your agency makes the decision not to download information from your electronic records system, your staff will document contacts and case summaries in an .CSV document (similar to an Excel spreadsheet). A designated staff member from your agency will upload the completed .CSV file to the interface each month.
DCS has been working with provider leadership and IT teams for approximately one year to prepare for this process. Please speak with your agency’s leadership to confirm how your organization will manage the Placement Provider Interface.
No training from DCS is needed with the group.
| Course Title | Course Description | Audience by Staff Type |
|---|---|---|
| Bright Futures for Provider Staff | This course covers how to access and navigate the C-First system, complete Provider-specific Bright Futures tasks, and efficiently use List Views and case information to support service delivery. | Youth Villages/Bright Futures |
| Provider Foster Home Management and Home Study | The session will cover topics pertaining to foster homes, including entering foster home studies, entering reassessments, and managing each foster home within the agency's provider network. | Provider Home Study Writers and Foster Home Management |
| Provider Placement Portal | This session will cover core Provider Portal functions, including managing requests, navigating the Portal, document management, submitting placement referrals, and completing incident reports. Participants will also learn how to accept or deny placement referrals, view children placed with their agency, and access all documentation associated with each placement. | Placement Providers; Service Providers; FCCR |
| Provider DPA Portal | This course focuses on navigating the Provider Portal to complete data and payment-related tasks. Participants will learn how to submit and accept service requests, submit invoices and manage documentation required for reimbursement. | DPA |
| Provider Relative Caregivers | The session will cover learnings related to performing person searches, treatment cases, case documentation, service agreements, and stipends. | DCS Trainers; FCCR |
Account & User Management
Q: Can agency directors close accounts for staff who leave the organization?
A: Yes. Agency directors will have the ability to close staff accounts.
Referrals & Service Approvals
Q: Will contracted services such as Family Visitation or Family Violence also appear in the Provider Portal?
A: Yes. All contracted services including delegated authority requests will flow through the Provider Portal.
Q: Can we filter TFP services separately from DA requests?
A: No. The system generates invoice numbers based on the approval process.
Q: Will approvals already assigned before go‑live appear in C‑FIRST?
A: Yes. Existing approvals carry over.
Q: Will services like IDIPC, Caring Dads, DV classes, and behavioral health assessments be included?
A: Yes. These services will appear in C‑FIRST and require billing through the system.
Q: Will sitter services be requested in C‑FIRST?
A: Hospital sitter services will be requested in the portal.
Transitional house or DCS office sitter services will not be in C‑FIRST because they are billed by location.
Q: Is this relevant for court reporter invoices?
A: Yes. Referrals will come through the Provider Portal, and billing is submitted under Services Rendered.
Notes, Documentation & Assessments
Q: Will providers still need to submit contact logs?
A: No. Contact logs will no longer be required after go‑live. Verification occurs within C‑FIRST.
Service Rendering & Termination
Q: Is a service rendered note submitted per session?
A: Yes, all services must be submitted by individual service dates. For example: therapy should be entered each day therapy occurs; visitation should be entered each visit; assessments should be entered once the assessment is completed.
Q: Can providers terminate services mid‑way if the client stops participating?
A: Yes. Providers should update the service status in the system to reflect termination.
Q: Does submitting a Service Rendered entry automatically create an invoice?
A: Yes. A service rendered entry submits a service log to be reviewed. Once reviewed by program staff and approved, corresponding invoices/payments are generated.
Invoicing & Payment
Q: Will invoicing be faster since it is internal?
A: Payments will process three times per month as services rendered are submitted and service logs approved. The new process is expected to be quicker and easier since everything is internal and will be electronic instead of paper invoices and manual invoice entry.
Q: How often are payments received?
A: Payments will process three times per month as services rendered are submitted and service logs approved. After the service logs are approved by program, Finance will review and approve invoices in C-FIRST! and prepare files to be sent to Edison, the statewide payment system.
There is another approval process in Edison before payments result in a payment date. The Edison process will not change and will be the same as the current process.
Q: Will billing be per individual service rather than monthly per region?
A: Yes. Billing will occur by individual service and date, not by region.
Q: Will supporting documents (e.g., provider logs) be required for invoices?
A: No. C‑FIRST automatically generates and stores service logs for review.
Q: Where do we submit invoicing questions?
A: Questions may be submitted through the portal or directed to Fiscal at ei_dcs.ChildInvoices@tn.gov
Q: Is the billing deadline for services provided in the old system extended past October 5, 2026?
A: Refer to the Fiscal email for updated deadlines; contact ei_dcs.ChildInvoices@tn.gov with questions.
System Workflow & Navigation
Q: Where will Edison be located since it is currently in TFACTS?
A: Edison is a separate computer system that TFACTS interfaces with. We have built an interface between C-FIRST! and Edison so payment information will still flow between the two systems.
Q: Will providers need a new service referral for ongoing services?
A: Providers will need new service requests for extensions (just like in TFACTS).
Existing requests that have been approved in TFACTS with remaining hours/days left will not need a new service request. Existing requests will be available in C-FIRST! to submit services rendered against as completed.
Q: Will providers be required to enter dates and amounts manually during invoicing training?
A: Services are required to be invoiced by service date, the same way manual invoices are currently submitted. Rates will be internal in the system and will not need to be entered.
Will the Provider Portal replace move notices?
Yes. The Provider Portal will fully replace the current process for submitting move notices.
Are providers able to see DCS notes for their assigned placements?
No. Providers will not have access to DCS notes in the system.
What files must be uploaded? How do providers enter monthly contacts? Where are monthly reports submitted?
Providers will submit monthly case summaries and monthly contacts through the Provider Portal using the formatted CSV file.
Will providers be able to see documents created by DCS (e.g., CFTM notes, legal documents) similar to what is visible in TFACTS?
No. Providers will only see the items designated within the portal for youth currently placed with their agency.
Providers will still receive all pertinent documents generated or gathered by DCS to ensure full disclosure of referral information.
Do only youth assigned to the reporter show up under “Youth Involved in Incident”? Are youth in the incident report tied to placement facility?
The "Youth Involved in Incident" field on the Provider Portal incident report is a Multiselect – Search and select from all Youth Active in this Provider's Placement.
If you click on the Incident Report ID, will this generate an exportable report?
No Incident reports are not exportable.
Once a provider accepts a service, is an invoice automatically generated?
C-FIRST will generate invoices once DCS updates the placement status to “admitted” and the provider confirms both the admission date and level of service.
Will providers still send emails for services (Ei_dcs.childinvoices@tn.gov)?
No. All providers will submit payment information directly through the Provider Portal.