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Troubleshooting: Netsmart (Avatar) Episode Creation Failing Due to Invalid Homeless Indicator Picklist Value (CRM)

Overview

This guide explains why pushing a patient record from Dazos CRM to Netsmart (Avatar/myAvatar) may result in a pre-admit being created but no episode being generated. If your team is seeing episode creation failures during the Netsmart push, an invalid picklist value in the payload is a common cause.


Symptom / Error

When a staff member pushes an intake opportunity from Dazos CRM to Netsmart (Avatar), the following occurs:

  • A pre-admit record is created in Avatar

  • No episode is created

  • An error message is returned during the push

  • The issue occurs on some records but not others, depending on what values were selected in the CRM

Cause

The episode creation failure is caused by an invalid dictionary code being included in the push payload. Netsmart (Avatar) requires all picklist values sent in the payload to be valid, recognized dictionary codes on the Netsmart side.
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In this scenario, the Homeless Indicator field had an invalid value selected — specifically the code 'IHS' — which Netsmart does not recognize. Because the payload contained this invalid code, Netsmart rejected the episode creation portion of the push while still processing the pre-admit.
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This type of error will only affect records where the invalid picklist value was selected, which is why it appears inconsistently across different intake opportunities.
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Solution

  1. Identify the affected records. Review any intake opportunities where a push resulted in a pre-admit without an episode. Check the error returned during the push to confirm which field contains the invalid value.
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  2. Correct or remove the invalid picklist value in the CRM. Navigate to the affected record in Dazos CRM and update the Homeless Indicator field (or whichever field contains the invalid code) to a valid, Netsmart-recognized dictionary value — or clear the field if a valid option is not available.
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  3. Re-push the corrected record to Netsmart. Once the invalid value has been removed or replaced, re-attempt the push from the intake opportunity. The episode should now be created successfully in Avatar.

Preventive Measure

To prevent this issue from recurring, consider removing invalid picklist options from the relevant field in Dazos CRM so that staff cannot select them during the intake process.
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You can do this by marking the invalid value as inactive in the picklist settings. Inactive values will no longer appear in dropdown menus for new records, while existing records that used the value are preserved.

  1. Go to Settings → CRM Settings → Module Management → Picklist Field Values.
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    Navigate to Picklist Field Values
    Select module


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    Select affected picklist

  2. Select the relevant module (e.g., Intake Opportunities).
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  3. Select the affected picklist field (e.g., Homeless Indicator).
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  4. Locate the invalid value (e.g., IHS).
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  5. Uncheck the Active toggle to mark it as inactive and confirm when prompted.
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  6. Click Save.

Tips & Notes

⚠️ Warning: All picklist values used when pushing a patient record to Netsmart must be valid dictionary codes recognized by Avatar. Selecting an invalid code — even in a single field — can cause the entire episode creation to fail, even if the pre-admit is created successfully.
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💡 Tip: If episode creation is failing on only some records and not others, compare the picklist values selected on failing records versus successful ones. The difference will usually point to the field containing the invalid code.
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✅ Best Practice: Periodically audit the picklist values available in integration-mapped fields (such as Homeless Indicator) and confirm that each value corresponds to a valid Netsmart dictionary code. Remove or inactivate any values that are not recognized by Avatar to prevent push failures.
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When to Contact Support

Contact Dazos Support if:

  • Episode creation continues to fail after correcting the picklist value and re-pushing

  • You are unsure which field or value is causing the push error

  • The error appears on records that do not have any obvious invalid picklist values selected

  • You need assistance identifying all picklist fields that are mapped to Netsmart dictionary codes

When contacting support, please provide:

  • The specific error message displayed during the push

  • Screenshots of the failed push attempt

  • The affected patient ID(s) and intake opportunity record(s)

  • The field name and picklist value you believe is causing the issue

Related Resources

  • Troubleshooting Netsmart EMR Push Failures: EPISODE_NUMBER Errors (CRM)

  • How to Mark Picklist Values as Inactive in Dazos (CRM)

  • How to Fix Missing Sales Stage Picklist Values Due to Role Permissions (CRM)

  • Bulk Delete for Picklist Field Values (CRM)

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