Installing and Using the We Count App

During the 2018 Youth Count! volunteers will be able to complete a survey on smartphones or tablets with youth facing homelessness through an app built by a team at Microsoft and Hartford-based technology services provider Nutmeg Consulting. Read more about this partnership here.

The We Count app will be available to download on any iPhone, Mac OS, Android, or Windows 10 smartphone or tablet prior to the Youth Count- stay tuned for the exact date.

Instructions for download are included below. 

Webinar Session on Installing and Using the We Count App

CCEH and Microsoft hosted a Q + A webinar session on the installation and usage of the We Count! app (recording below). CCEH Director of HMIS and Strategic Analysis Brian Roccapriore was joined by CCEH Deputy Director Mimi Haley and Youth Count! coordinators Sarah Day Chess and Katie Kenney, as well as representatives from the Microsoft team that developed the app, Omar Kouatly and Nick Landry.

Download a PDF of the presentation here.

Installing on an Android OS (Android/Samsung Smartphone)

Android users my download the app directly using the link below.

Detailed instructions for Android installation can be download here.

APK file will be found by clicking here.

Installing on an iOS Smartphone or Tablet (iPhone/iPad)

Users of iPhones or iPads must receive an invitation in order to download the app. If you are planning to use an iPhone or iPad and have not yet confirmed with CCEH, please email training@cceh.org.

Detailed instructions for iOS installation can be downloaded here.

Installing on a Windows 10 Smartphone or Tablet

Users of Windows 10 tablets or Samsung phone using Windows 10 operating systems may download with the link below.

Detailed instructions for Windows 10 installation can be downloaded here.

ZIP file for installation can be found by clicking here.

Volunteer Profile: Necessary for All Devices

Volunteers must update their profile within the We Count app, once the app has been downloaded on their device (full instructions for downloading below).

Updating your profile

1. Open the app and go to the menu button (Figure 1).
2. From the menu screen, click the “My Profile” button (Figure 2).
3. Complete the profile with at minimum your name, email, and phone number (Figure 3).
4. Click the “Save Profile” button (Figure 3).
   

   Figure 1	Figure 2	Figure 3

Guidance for Privacy Questions (21, 22, 23a, 24)

The We Count app will not prompt surveyors or surveyed youth hand over or turn the phone or tablet before or after the four privacy questions near the end of the survey for questions #21, 22, 23a, 24. These questions have been designated as “privacy questions” because they are the only questions on the survey that surveyed youth can respond to privately in the app. Paper surveys may not be handed to the youth at any time, even during the “privacy questions.” CCEH recommends that volunteers be familiar with the language of these questions in advance and recognize them as they appear in the survey.

• While administering the survey, volunteers should encourage youth to answer these questions privately (either by turning the phone/tablet towards the youth or handing the phone/tablet to the youth).

• Youth should notify the volunteer when they have reached the question referencing the night of January 23rd (Question # 25) or they have ended the survey.

Data Security on the We Count App

Data collected in the app will not be stored on the phones of the volunteers once the surveys are completed. Volunteers will only have the ability to submit data, and will not have any ability to access collected information. All data will be secured in a Microsoft Azure account that will only be able to be accessed by the Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness. No identifying information of any kind will be used in any publication of the data, and only aggregate information will be provided to complete a summary report at the completion of the youth count.

We Count app home screen

We Count app question screen

Paper Surveys

CCEH discourages the use of paper surveys, as number addresses must be used in place of the Geo-Mapping function included in the We Count app. If, however, the use of paper surveys is necessary (such as in the case of surveying Spanish-speaking youth or young adults), the surveys may be downloaded below:

Official Youth Count Survey (English)

Official Youth Count Survey (Spanish)