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Settings & Configuration

Central Command

⚙️ Unified Management: Centralized settings dashboard for managing all aspects of the Pastoral Care system, including team assignments, email configurations, and automation controls.

🎛️ Single Source of Truth: All system configuration managed through one comprehensive dashboard with active/inactive settings control and validation.

🎯 Quick Start​

Configuration Checklist

✅ Step 1: Create and activate your primary settings record
✅ Step 2: Configure team assignments and email templates
✅ Step 3: Set up phone fields for SMS integration
✅ Step 4: Test all automation and notification systems

📋 Table of Contents​

📊 Overview​

The Settings & Configuration system provides a centralized dashboard for managing all operational aspects of the Pastoral Care application. Built around the Pastoral_Care_Setting__c object, this system ensures consistent configuration across teams, workflows, and communication systems.

✨ Key Features​

  • Single Dashboard: All settings managed from one location
  • Active/Inactive System: Only one settings record active at a time
  • Validation Engine: Automatic settings validation and conflict resolution
  • Change Tracking: Complete audit trail of configuration changes

🧭 Settings Dashboard Navigation​

Access Requirements

Settings dashboard requires administrative permissions. Standard users have read-only access to view current configurations.

🚀 Accessing the Settings Dashboard​

Step-by-Step Access:

  1. Click App Launcher (9 dots icon)
  2. Select "Pastoral Care" app
  3. Click "Pastoral Care Settings" tab
  4. System displays current active settings record

📊 Dashboard Overview​

The settings dashboard is organized into 8 primary sections for comprehensive system management:

🔍 Complete Settings Section Reference
SectionPurposeKey ComponentsAdmin Level
🎮 Active SettingsCurrent configuration record managementSettings Name, Active Status, DescriptionSystem Admin
📧 Email AlertsPrimary notification templatesClergy Template, Non-Confidential TemplateEmail Admin
👥 Pastoral Care TeamGeneral team coordinationTeam Email Template, Campaign AssignmentTeam Admin
⚰️ Bereavement TeamSpecialized death-related notificationsBereavement Template, Campaign TrackingTeam Admin
⚙️ Pastoral Care FlowsAutomation and workflow managementFlow Status, Error MonitoringSystem Admin
🏘️ Congregational SettingsCommunity notificationsPublic Templates, Community CampaignsContent Admin
🔗 Engagement Plan TemplatesNPSP integration configurationTemplate Names by Record TypeIntegration Admin
📱 Phone ConfigurationSMS integration setupPhone Field API Names by ObjectTechnical Admin

🎮 Active Settings Management​

Critical System Function

Only one settings record can be active at a time. The active record controls all system behavior and automation.

🔧 Understanding Active Settings​

The system uses the Pastoral_Care_Setting__c object to manage configuration records with a priority-based activation system.

Active Record Logic:

  • Single Active: Only one settings record active system-wide
  • Automatic Control: System automatically manages activation/deactivation
  • Priority System: Most recently modified active record takes precedence
  • Backup Records: Inactive records preserved for rollback and testing

🆕 Creating New Settings Records​

📝 Step-by-Step Settings Creation Process

Step 1: Access Settings Creation​

  1. Navigate to Pastoral Care Settings tab
  2. Click "New" button to create new record
  3. Settings creation form opens with required fields

Step 2: Configure Required Fields​

FieldPurposeExampleRequired
Settings NameDescriptive identifier"Production Settings 2025"✅ Yes
ActiveActivation checkbox☑️ Active✅ Yes
DescriptionConfiguration purpose"Primary production configuration with updated team assignments"⚠️ Recommended

Step 3: Activation Process​

  1. Save Record: Complete required field entry and save
  2. Automatic Deactivation: System deactivates any previously active record
  3. Validation: System runs automatic validation on new active record
  4. Confirmation: Verify activation and test key functionality

🔄 Settings Priority System​

Activation Logic

When multiple records are marked active, the system uses the most recently modified record as the authoritative configuration.

Priority Resolution:

  • Last Modified Wins: Most recently modified active record takes precedence
  • Automatic Cleanup: System automatically deactivates older active records
  • Validation: Active record validated before system adoption
  • Rollback: Previous settings preserved for emergency rollback

Monitoring Active Records:

  • Dashboard Indicator: Clear display of currently active record
  • Change Tracking: Audit trail of activation changes
  • Performance Monitoring: System performance tracking with active configuration
  • Alert System: Notifications when active record changes

⚙️ Configuration Sections​

Section Organization

Each configuration section focuses on specific system functionality for easier management and troubleshooting.

1. 📧 Email Alerts Section​

Primary Email Notification Control: Configure the main email templates used for urgent and general team notifications.

Key Functions:

  • Links to Salesforce email templates by exact name
  • Controls clergy alert distribution
  • Manages non-confidential team communications
  • Validates template existence and accessibility

2. 👥 Pastoral Care Team Settings​

🤝 General Team Coordination Configuration

Purpose​

Configure notifications and tracking for the general pastoral care team responsible for most caring cases.

Key Fields​

  • Pastoral Care Team Email Template Name: Pastoral_Care_Team_Update
  • Pastoral Care Team Campaign: Pastoral Care Coordination 2025

Setup Requirements​

  1. Template Creation: Create or identify appropriate team email template
  2. Campaign Setup: Establish campaign for tracking team engagement and performance
  3. Team Assignment: Link campaign to settings record for automatic member addition
  4. Validation: Test team member assignments and notification delivery

Integration Points​

  • Case Assignment: Automatic notifications when cases assigned to team members
  • Status Updates: Progress notifications and milestone achievements
  • Team Coordination: Multi-team collaboration requirements
  • Performance Tracking: Campaign analytics for team effectiveness measurement

3. ⚰️ Bereavement Team Settings​

💔 Specialized Bereavement Case Management

Purpose​

Dedicated configuration for bereavement team coordination and death-related case management.

Key Configuration​

  • Bereavement Team Email Template Name: Bereavement_Team_Notification
  • Bereavement Team Campaign: Bereavement Support 2025

Specialized Requirements​

  • Death-Specific Merge Fields: Template must include appropriate death-related information
  • Family Support Tracking: Campaign should track ongoing family support activities
  • Coordinator Assignments: Team assignments must include specialized bereavement coordinators
  • External Integration: Coordination with funeral homes and memorial service providers

Workflow Integration​

  • Automatic Triggers: Notifications triggered by bereavement record type selection
  • Family Coordination: Support for family contact and communication management
  • Memorial Planning: Integration with memorial service and celebration of life planning
  • Grief Resources: Connection to grief counseling and support resources

4. 🏘️ Congregational Bereavement Settings​

📢 Community Death Notifications

Purpose​

Manage public community notifications for bereavement cases appropriate for broad congregation awareness.

Configuration Fields​

  • Congregational Bereavement Email Template Name: Congregational_Bereavement_Notice
  • Congregational Bereavement Campaign: Community Bereavement Notices

Content Considerations​

  • Privacy Compliance: Template appropriate for broad public distribution
  • Family Consent: Verification process for family consent to public notification
  • Information Filtering: Only privacy-appropriate information included
  • Community Engagement: Opportunities for community support and participation

Distribution Management​

  • Broad Audience: Template designed for large distribution lists
  • Opt-out Management: Respect for community members who prefer not to receive notifications
  • Timing Coordination: Appropriate timing relative to private family notifications
  • Cultural Sensitivity: Respectful language and cultural considerations

5. 🔗 Engagement Plan Templates​

🤖 NPSP Integration Configuration

Purpose​

Configure automatic engagement plan template assignment based on caring case record types.

Template Matching System​

The system uses exact name matching between record types and engagement plan templates:

// Required Template Names (must match exactly)
Record Type: "Bereavement" → Template: "Bereavement"
Record Type: "Birth" → Template: "Birth" 
Record Type: "Wedding" → Template: "Wedding"
Record Type: "Illness" → Template: "Illness"

Configuration Fields​

  • Bereavement Engagement Plan Template Name: Bereavement
  • Birth Engagement Plan Template Name: Birth
  • Wedding Engagement Plan Template Name: Wedding
  • Illness Engagement Plan Template Name: Illness

Validation Requirements​

  • Templates must exist in NPSP Engagement Plan Templates
  • Template names must exactly match caring case record type names
  • Templates must be active and accessible to automation users
  • Case owner automatically assigned as engagement plan owner

6. ⚙️ Pastoral Care Flows​

🔄 Automation and Workflow Management

Purpose​

Monitor and manage automated workflow processes that handle case creation, notifications, and system integrations.

Monitored Automation​

  • Caring Case After Insert: Record type-based automation logic
  • Birthday Task Creation: Automatic birthday notification tasks
  • Engagement Plan Assignment Flow: NPSP template matching and assignment
  • Settings Validation: Configuration validation and error checking
  • Template Processing: Email and SMS template processing workflows

Configuration Fields​

  • Flow Monitoring Status: Active/Inactive status tracking
  • Flow Error Reporting: Email addresses for automation failure notifications

Performance Monitoring​

  • Execution Tracking: Monitor workflow execution success rates
  • Error Logging: Capture and report automation failures
  • Performance Metrics: Track automation efficiency and timing
  • Alert System: Immediate notification of critical automation failures

7. 📱 Phone Configuration​

☎️ SMS Integration Field Management

Purpose​

Configure phone field API names for SMS integration and text message merge field availability.

Configuration Format​

Phone field API names must be specified in comma-separated format without spaces:

// Contact Object Configuration
Contact Phone Fields: "Phone,MobilePhone,HomePhone,OtherPhone"

// Caring Case Object Configuration  
Caring Case Phone Fields: "Contact__r.Phone,Contact__r.MobilePhone"

// Custom Object Configuration
Custom Object Phone Fields: "Primary_Phone__c,Emergency_Phone__c"

Field Requirements​

  • Exact API Names: Field names must match exactly (case-sensitive)
  • Comma Separation: No spaces after commas in field lists
  • Relationship Fields: Use dot notation for relationship references
  • Field Access: All specified fields must be accessible to SMS users

Integration Points​

  • Text Templates: Merge field availability in SMS templates
  • Mobile Components: textMerge LWC component phone number selection
  • Validation: Automatic validation of phone field accessibility
  • Multi-Object Support: Configuration for any Salesforce object with phone fields

8. 📅 Birthday and Special Date Configuration​

🎂 Birthday Notification Management

Purpose​

Manage automatic birthday task creation and special date tracking for caring case coordination.

Configuration Options​

  • Birthday Notice Assignee: User who receives automatic birthday task assignments
  • Birthday Task Creation: Enable/disable automatic birthday task generation

Automation Integration​

  • Task Assignment: Automatic task creation for member birthdays
  • Notification Timing: Configurable advance notice for birthday coordination
  • Caring Case Integration: Birthday tasks linked to relevant caring cases
  • Follow-up Coordination: Integration with ongoing care coordination efforts

Best Practices​

  • Advance Notice: Configure appropriate lead time for birthday coordination
  • Workload Management: Balance birthday task assignments across team members
  • Special Circumstances: Consider special handling for bereaved families
  • Cultural Sensitivity: Respect for different cultural approaches to birthday celebrations

👥 Team Management​

Coordinated Care

Effective team management ensures comprehensive care coverage while maintaining appropriate specialization and expertise.

🎯 Team Assignment Strategy​

Configuration Requirements:

  • Primary Assignments: Designated primary clergy for different types of cases
  • Backup Coverage: Secondary clergy for availability gaps and emergencies
  • Emergency Protocols: 24/7 contact procedures for crisis situations
  • Confidentiality Authorization: Clergy authorized for highest confidentiality cases

Notification Setup:

  • Mobile Integration: SMS and email notification preferences
  • Escalation Rules: Automatic escalation for urgent matters
  • Response Expectations: Defined response timeframes for different priorities
  • Coverage Coordination: Seamless handoff procedures during absences

🔐 Permission Management​

🛡️ Role-Based Access Control

Administrative Permissions​

  • System Admin: Full settings dashboard access and modification rights
  • Team Admin: Section-specific settings access for assigned teams
  • Integration Admin: Technical configuration access for SMS and NPSP integration
  • Security Admin: Confidentiality and privacy control configuration

Operational Permissions​

  • Team Leads: Team-specific settings access and performance monitoring
  • Care Coordinators: Case-specific template usage and testing capabilities
  • General Users: Read-only access to relevant settings for their role
  • Volunteers: Limited access appropriate to volunteer responsibilities

Permission Validation​

  • Regular Audits: Periodic review of user permissions and access levels
  • Role Changes: Timely permission updates when roles change
  • Access Monitoring: Tracking of settings access and modification patterns
  • Compliance: Ensure permissions align with privacy and security requirements

📧 Email Configuration​

📝 Template Integration​

Template Dependencies

Email automation depends on properly configured Salesforce email templates with exact name matching in settings.

Recommended Template Names:

// Primary Templates
Clergy_Alert_Template
Bereavement_Team_Notification
Pastoral_Care_Team_Update
Non_Confidential_Alert
Congregational_Bereavement_Notice
Birthday_Notification

// Specialized Templates
Emergency_Clergy_Alert
Memorial_Service_Coordination
Community_Celebration_Notice

📊 Campaign Integration​

Performance Tracking

Campaign integration provides powerful analytics and tracking capabilities for measuring team effectiveness and care outcomes.

🎯 Campaign Strategy​

Campaign Purpose:

  • Activity Tracking: Monitor general care coordination activities
  • Engagement Measurement: Track team member engagement and participation
  • Case Analytics: Analyze case resolution patterns and timelines
  • Resource Planning: Support resource allocation and planning decisions

Key Metrics:

  • Case Volume: Number of cases managed per period
  • Response Times: Speed of initial response and follow-up
  • Resolution Rates: Percentage of cases successfully resolved
  • Team Utilization: Distribution of workload across team members

🔍 Troubleshooting Settings​

Systematic Approach

Most settings issues can be resolved by checking configuration, permissions, and data integrity systematically.

⚙️ Common Configuration Issues​

📧 Issue: Email templates not found

Diagnostic Steps:

✅ Template Name Check: Verify exact spelling and case sensitivity
✅ Template Existence: Confirm template exists in Email Templates setup
✅ Template Status: Ensure template is active and available
✅ Folder Permissions: Check folder permissions for template access
✅ User Permissions: Validate user has access to email templates

Resolution Process:

  1. Navigate to Setup → Email Templates
  2. Search for template by exact name from settings
  3. Verify template is in correct folder and accessible
  4. Test template functionality with sample data
  5. Update settings if template name has changed
📊 Issue: Campaigns not linking properly

Common Causes & Solutions:

ProblemCauseSolutionValidation
Campaign not foundName mismatchVerify exact campaign name spellingTest campaign member addition
Access deniedPermission issuesCheck user permissions for campaign accessTest with different user
Campaign inactiveCampaign statusActivate campaign in Campaign setupVerify campaign appears in lists
Wrong campaign typeType mismatchEnsure campaign type supports member additionCheck campaign member interface
📱 Issue: Phone fields not appearing in SMS

Configuration Validation:

  1. Syntax Check: Verify Phone Field API Names format

    // Correct Format
    "Phone,MobilePhone,HomePhone"

    // Incorrect Format  
    "Phone, MobilePhone, HomePhone" // Extra spaces
    "phone,mobilephone,homephone"   // Wrong case

  2. Field Existence: Confirm all listed fields exist on target objects

  3. Field Access: Ensure user profile has read access to phone fields

  4. Object Permissions: Verify user can access target objects

🔄 Settings Validation Issues​

⚠️ Issue: Multiple active settings records

Resolution Steps:

  1. Identify Active Records: List all records marked as active
  2. Review Modification Dates: Find most recently modified active record
  3. Deactivate Duplicates: Manually deactivate older active records
  4. System Validation: Verify system uses correct active record
  5. Test Functionality: Confirm system behavior matches intended configuration

Prevention:

  • Use descriptive names with dates for settings records
  • Document purpose of each settings configuration
  • Regular audit of active/inactive status
  • Automated monitoring of settings changes
🔧 Issue: Settings changes not taking effect

Troubleshooting Process:

  1. Save Verification: Ensure changes were properly saved
  2. Active Record Check: Confirm editing the correct active record
  3. Cache Clearing: Clear browser cache and re-login if needed
  4. Test Case Creation: Create test cases to verify new settings
  5. Automation Restart: Some changes may require workflow reactivation

System Refresh:

  • Browser Refresh: Force refresh of settings dashboard
  • User Session: Log out and log back in to clear cached settings
  • Mobile Sync: Allow time for mobile device synchronization
  • Workflow Activation: Manually reactivate affected workflows if needed

📖 Related Documentation: