The Aya Mission
Platform GuideTHE AYA MISSION

👋 Welcome

Everything you need to run and use The Aya Mission platform — organized as quick-starts by role, then a concise reference for every module and portal.

New here? Start with the quick-start for your role. Need details on a specific screen? Jump to the staff reference or a portal guide. Use the search box at the top to filter to anything by name.

Tip: this guide lives at /guide.html on your site, so you can bookmark it or share the link with new team members, coaches, and partners.

🧱 Core concepts

Five ideas that make the rest of the platform make sense.

One account, many roles

Everyone signs in with a single account. Access is granted in Team & Access (for staff) or through a portal invite (participants, coaches, partners, volunteers). A person can hold several roles at once — a participant can later become a volunteer or staff — without making a new account. If they have more than one role, a role switcher appears after sign-in.

Events are the backbone

Almost everything is scoped to an event (a ceremony, retreat, or site). Applicants, staff, coaches, and capacity all attach to a specific event. Most boards and rosters have an event filter at the top.

Capacity & waitlist

Each event has a capacity. Approved registrants and confirmed staff count against it; when it's full, new approvals move to the waitlist automatically. Pending self-applied staff do not count until approved.

De-identification

When a participant's journey is complete, their identifying details are removed but outcome data and signed legal records (waivers) are retained in the Master Directory. This protects privacy while preserving what the mission needs for reporting and eligibility.

Security & privacy

Sensitive data (mental-health assessments, DD-214s, self-harm flags) is access-controlled by role. Logins are rate-limited and lock after repeated failures, sessions expire when idle, uploaded documents are private, and every sensitive action is written to a tamper-evident Audit Log.

🚀 Quick-starts by role

The 60-second version for each kind of user. Pick yours.

🛡️ Staff & Admins

  1. Sign in at your site's main URL.
  2. Land on the dashboard — seven module groups down the left.
  3. Open Screening & Vetting → Vetting Board to work applicants.
  4. Check Needs Attention daily for anything waiting on you.
  5. Admins: set up people in Admin → Team & Access.

🧭 Coaches

  1. Accept your portal invite and set a password.
  2. Open Coaching — you'll see only your assigned events.
  3. Post group calls, resources, and announcements.
  4. Offer 1:1 slots or schedule a session directly with a participant.

🏛️ Partner Orgs

  1. Accept your Partner Portal invite.
  2. Complete your organization profile.
  3. Sign any agreements / NDAs shown to you.
  4. Message the TAM team from the portal anytime.

🎗️ Participants

  1. Apply through the event's application link.
  2. Create your portal login when invited.
  3. Complete check-ins (PHQ-9 / GAD-7) when they open.
  4. Upload documents, edit travel, and message staff.

🙌 Volunteers

  1. Register through the volunteer sign-up page.
  2. Complete your profile and onboarding steps.
  3. Sign up for opportunities that fit you.
  4. Log your service hours after each shift.

🗺️ Staff reference

The dashboard is organized into seven groups. What you see depends on your permissions — if a module isn't listed for you, your role doesn't have access. Below is what each screen is for and the key things you do there.

🛡️ Screening & Vetting

Vet applicants end-to-end: board, triage, messages, clearances, and the master directory.

🗂️ Vetting BoardScreen and move applicants through the pipeline. Drag between stages, filter by event/risk, bulk-select, and open a card for full detail and assessment scores.
🚨 Needs AttentionOne triage queue: stalled cases, unread messages, pending unbar reviews, missing documents, and high-risk flags. Start here each day.
✉️ MessagesReply to questions registrants send from their portal. Unread threads are flagged; replies appear in the participant's portal instantly.
✍️ Waiver ReviewReview signed participant agreements and record TAM officer authorization on each.
⛪ Church ClearanceChurches record donation received and their clearance decision, per registrant, for their assigned events.
⛔ Unbar ReviewAdmin-only. Review requests to remove a participant bar; approving lifts the bar.
🗄️ Master DirectoryDe-identified archive of completed participants, plus who is not eligible to return and cool-off timers.

Working an applicant (typical flow)

  1. Open the applicant card from the board.
  2. Review intake answers, assessments (PHQ-9 / GAD-7), and any flags.
  3. Complete the checklist and add notes; assign a vetter if needed.
  4. Record a decision (Approved / Waitlist / No-Go / Rejected) — approvals respect capacity.
  5. Move the card to the matching pipeline stage.
Self-harm endorsements on an assessment raise a safety flag and email the safety-alert recipients immediately. Treat high-risk flags as time-sensitive.

🎟️ Ceremony Operations

Run events: sites, staff, battle buddies, circle of care, travel, and guides.

📍 Events / SitesCreate events and see vetting status per event, then drill into each one. Set capacity, dates, intake open/close windows, and linked partner orgs.
🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Staff DirectoryCeremony-participating staff (count against capacity). Add people or share the sign-up link; track travel, circle of care, and the annual staff waiver. Remove-from-event never touches a person's login.
🤝 Battle BuddyRegistrants grouped by their assigned battle buddy — exactly what each buddy sees.
💗 Circle of CareCare-coordination view of active registrants — what the Circle of Care team sees.
✈️ Travel DetailsFlights, arrivals, rides, and carpools per registrant — the travel coordination roster, exportable.
📚 Ceremony Knowledge BasePublish ceremony guides and resources that appear in participants' portals.
🧭 CoachingGroup integration calls, 1:1 scheduling, coach resources, and announcements. Assign coaches to events here.
Staff access to the app is separate from being on an event roster. Grant login access in Team & Access; add someone to an event in the Staff Directory (or let them self-apply and approve them).

🧠 Surveys & Research

Post-ceremony feedback, needs assessments, and mental-health outcomes.

📝 After Action ReviewPost-ceremony feedback responses, per event. Anonymous unless the veteran leaves contact info.
🧭 Needs AssessmentVeteran needs-assessment survey responses, per event.
🧠 Mental HealthCombined PHQ-9 & GAD-7 analytics: severity, outcomes over time, and safety flags, per event.
📉 PHQ-9Depression screening: severity distribution, outcomes, and self-harm flags.
📈 GAD-7Anxiety screening: severity distribution and outcomes over time.
Assessments are collected at intake and on a schedule around the ceremony. Participants complete them from their portal; reminders go out automatically and follow up once if still due.

🙌 Volunteer

Recruit, vet, schedule, and recognize volunteers.

🙋 VolunteersRoster & management board — search, sort, set status, export.
🧭 OnboardingVetting pipeline & compliance — background checks, agreements, orientation.
📋 OpportunitiesCreate opportunities and see who signed up.
🧩 StaffingCoverage per opportunity/event, plus suggested volunteers to invite.
⏱️ HoursLog and track service hours and recognition milestones.
👥 TeamsGroup volunteers into teams with leads.
📣 BroadcastEmail a message to all volunteers or a segment.
📈 InsightsPipeline funnel, hours, retention, coverage, and demographics.

🏛️ Partnerships

Vet and manage partner organizations, and handle executive-retreat requests.

🔎 Partner Org VettingPipeline of organizations moving through vetting — board & list views, with structured checklists, files, and agreements.
📇 Partner DirectoryApproved & active partners, searchable by service. Approved orgs move here after a week.
🏔️ Executive RetreatsIncoming retreat requests moving through the pipeline; vet and convert a request into a ceremony event.

📊 Reports

Organization metrics and registrant login activity.

📈 Master MetricsOrg-wide KPIs: pipeline, outcomes, completion, per-event breakdowns, and demographics.
🔑 Registrant loginsRegistrant portal accounts and their login activity.

🛠️ Admin

System health, customization, team access, and the audit log.

🩺 System HealthUptime, database status, recent errors, backups, and the Email/SMTP status + test card.
⚙️ CustomizePipeline stages, fields, checklist, assessments, alerts, and the intake form.
👥 Team & AccessRoles, granular per-user permissions, multi-role accounts, active sessions, and security oversight.
📜 Audit LogTamper-evident history of sensitive actions — de-identify, delete, decisions, access.
🔐 Password VaultEncrypted shared team credentials with live TOTP codes. Zero-knowledge — the server only stores ciphertext.

Adding a team member

  1. Open Team & Access and choose add member.
  2. Enter their email and name, pick a role (or start from a preset and fine-tune permissions).
  3. Optionally scope them to specific events.
  4. Save — if the email already has an account, the role is merged onto it rather than duplicating.

🚪 Portals

Everyone outside the staff dashboard uses a focused portal. Each shows only what that person needs.

🎗️ Participant portal

For veterans in the program. Signed in, they see a simple dashboard of tiles.

  • Progress & steps — where they are in the journey and what's next.
  • Check-ins — complete PHQ-9 / GAD-7 when they open; reminders arrive by email.
  • Documents — upload DD-214 and travel itineraries; view signed agreements.
  • Travel & Circle of Care — keep flights, rides, and support contacts up to date.
  • Messages — two-way messaging with staff.
  • Coaching — see group calls and book (or receive) 1:1 sessions.
  • Knowledge Base — ceremony guides staff publish.
  • Account & data — update contact info and, if they choose, delete their login (their vetting record is retained for staff).
A veterans-crisis strip is always visible in the portal. If someone is in crisis, they never have to hunt for the number.

🧭 Coach portal

For integration coaches, scoped to the events they're assigned to.

  • Group calls — schedule calls, add join links, and post recordings afterward.
  • 1:1 availability — post open slots participants can book themselves.
  • Schedule a 1:1 — book a session directly with a participant in your event; they get an email and a portal message.
  • Resources — share links and materials with your event's participants.
  • Announcements — post updates that appear in participants' portals.
Coaches only ever see participants and content for their assigned events, shown by first name + last initial in scheduling for privacy.

🏛️ Partner portal

For partner organizations working with the mission.

  • Profile — maintain organization details, services, and contacts (tabbed layout).
  • Documents — upload and view shared files.
  • Agreements & NDAs — review and sign agreements; unsigned items are flagged.
  • Messages — communicate with the TAM team; replies notify by email.
  • Coaching — organizations that are also integration coaches get the coaching tools here.

🙌 Volunteer portal

For volunteers. Register from the public sign-up page, then manage everything here.

  • Profile — skills, availability, and interests (these power staffing suggestions).
  • Opportunities — browse and sign up for open opportunities.
  • Onboarding — complete the vetting/compliance steps assigned to you.
  • Hours — log service hours and see recognition milestones.

📧 Email notifications

The platform sends transactional email through an HTTPS provider (Resend). If email isn't configured it simply skips — the app never crashes.

  • Safety alerts — instant email to staff recipients when a self-harm item is endorsed.
  • Check-in reminders — automatic reminders to participants with a due assessment, plus one follow-up after 3 days.
  • Journey emails — application received, decision, and church-clearance notices.
  • Coaching & partner — 1:1 scheduled notices, partner messages, and agreement prompts.
  • Password reset — self-service reset links that expire in an hour.
Manage recipients and toggles in Admin → Customize → Alerts. Participants can opt out of their own reminders in their portal, and the app respects it.

❓ FAQ & troubleshooting

I can't sign in / I'm locked out

After several failed attempts an account locks for 15 minutes. Wait and retry, or use the password-reset link. An admin can also help from Team & Access.

Someone changed roles — do they need a new account?

No. Add the new role to their existing account in Team & Access (or grant the relevant portal). One account holds many roles.

A staff member left an event but should keep their login

Use Remove from event in the Staff Directory — it drops only that event record and never touches their login or other events.

A self-applied staff member is waiting

They sit in Pending approval at the top of the Staff Directory and don't count against capacity until you Approve them.

Email isn't sending

Check Admin → System Health → Email/SMTP — the status dot and test button show exactly what's wrong. See the Resend setup guide if the domain isn't verified yet.

A screen is missing from my dashboard

That module isn't in your permissions. An admin can grant it in Team & Access.