Page 1 of 4

NOTES HMIS User Group Meeting Date: Wednesday, October 28, 2015 | 1:00-3:00pm Westchester Village Hall, Westchester, IL

Announcements

New HMIS Committee Co-chairs – Connie Fabbrini and Tes Kefle Need Committee members – especially from south CBSA New Partner Agreements – all participating agencies will be asked to execute new agreements. Quarterly PIT Due date is November 6, 2015!

Data

New client city and zip fields o On the Subcook Comprehensive Entry Assessment we added the City/Zip Code dialogue to answer the Zip

Code of Last Permanent Address field. This allows users to add the Zip Code and apply that info to determine the city. If there are multiple cities to a zip code, then a drop down box allows a user to choose the correct city. Step 1 enter the zip code and click “Apply ZIP Code Inofrmation”

Step 2: choose the correct city if 2 or more cities share the same ZIP Code.

New critical fields update from HUD (see attachment) including dv and chronic homeless updates. These are crucial fields so please read the attachment!

Prevention/RRH: Remember the 3 Additional Elements (because we are missing some data!) o “Enter Data As” the Project you’re entering data for. o Add the financial service transactions for all members of the household benefiting from the service. o Prevention Only: Complete the “SubCook Prevention (IDHS) Supplemental” assessment on the

Entry Screen. Disability—need to answer “of long duration” question inside sub-assessment record. This is especially

important for determination of Chronic Homelessness. In the Chronic Homeless Question, the “Status Documented” question is no longer required and will be

removed.

Page 2 of 4

Outreach Projects Only: Entry Date is the point of first contact. Data quality, however, starts as of Date of Engagement (not contact).

Reports

New Quarterly Data Quality Report: “0260 - HUD CoC APR Data Quality/Completeness” o With its new layout that makes it easy for users to troubleshoot problematic data, the 260 is a great tool

to help you with Data Quality and APR’s New APR (we expect it out sometime between November and January and HUD has since given guidance to use

the current APR (0625) until HMIS vendors can catch up with the new report) – will be canned! What?! Yes, it will be there, right next to the Referrals Report and ESG Caper! No more waiting a full day when you fix data (though troubleshooting will still take a day to run)!

New ESG CAPER (we expect it out sometime between November and January – will be canned and will include a data export.

Dashboard Reports are available for users who have an ART Viewer license. If you would like these set up on your home screen when you log into ServicePoint, please email Lynn or Jeremy.

o New Dashboard report: “SubCook Annual Review Dashboard v2” lists the clients with anniversary dates approaching for annual review or clients whose annual assessments are passed due. For ART users only but very easy to print.

o New dashboard report: “Services to Exit 90 Day Check” lists clients who have not received a service in the last 90 days and needs to be exited using the end date of the last service or the day after (ES, Outreach, and SSO only). For ART users only but very easy to print.

Client Consent and ROI Discussion

Any homeless individual not in PSH should have a VI-SPDAT completed so they can get on the list for placement. This is especially the case for Veterans (who are sharing with the VA) and Chronically Homeless clients.

To clarify consent: You do not need the client’s permission to collect data and enter it into ServicePoint. You MUST have client consent to share their data outside your agency.

We strongly encourage agencies to attach a scanned client consent form to the client’s ROI using the binder clip icon for that ROI! We originally said use the Client Profile Tab in the meeting but we now see the ability to attach it directly to the ROI which seems much better! This may become a requirement in 2016.

Notes concerning ROI’s: o ROI Renewals: A new ROI should be added to a client record (and the client must sign a new consent

form) only if the past ROI for your agency has expired. o You do not need a new ROI every time you add an Interim Review but should check to make sure their

ROI is current. o You do need an active ROI when entering client data that will be shared.

Page 3 of 4

Veteran Consent to share with the VA (Changes to this field coming Monday, November 16!)

The New Veteran Consent Question on the Client Consent Form o This new field will appear beginning Monday, November 16 near the top of the Assessment. o Any veterans in your projects must sign the new ROI with the Veteran Exception. To find out who those

are, run the veterans report: “002 New Veteran Client List” in the Suburban Cook (Common Share) folder of ART.

o Important Caveat: We WANT to share veteran data with the VA! There are resources to get veterans housed and housed quickly, so please encourage this sharing! However, we also recognize the vulnerable position your clients find themselves in and are mindful of those who do not wish to share their data with the VA specifically.

o The client consent form will stay as is, meaning that a client needs to check the box if they are refusing to share with the Veterans Administration.

o We have clarified this field with a new dropdown choice on the SubCook Comprehensive Entry Assessment. It will read as such:

Veteran consent to share with the VA: • Client is not a veteran or Veteran Status equals Don’t Know or Refused. • Client is a veteran and consented to share with the VA. • Client is a veteran and refused to share with the VA. • Client is a veteran but permission has not been determined.

o If the client checked the box to refuse sharing with the VA then you will choose “Client is a veteran and refused to share with the VA.”

o If a veteran refuses to share information with the VA (they check the box on the Client Consent Form) then the user entering the data must add “1028 | Edward J Hines Jr VA Hospital(3349) - Children Included” to a Deny Group to the Client’s Record Visibility: Step 1: Click the lock across from the Client’s name.

Step 2: Click the “Deny Groups” tab and then “Add Deny Group”

Page 4 of 4

Step 3: search “Hines” or “Edward” and use Group ID# 1028

This will keep the client from being shared with the VA specifically. All other visibility setting are still your agency’s default.

Privacy & Security Review

Special Note: Cold calls for technical support and a Blue Screen of Death that tells you to call Microsoft at an 800 number are scams. Don’t call those numbers! Here’s a couple options if you see them:

o Go directly to the company you want to download software from. Don’t search for Google Chrome. Go to www.google.com and use their link in the top right corner. Don’t search for Adobe Reader. Go to www.adobe.com and download it from their website.

o Look at the web address before the slash. www.microsoft.com/ | www.microsoft.support.com/ | www.support.microsoft.com/ Which one is bogus? www.micorosft.support.com/ is a website of support.com not Microsoft.

o A legitimate software company will not cold call you to offer support. Say goodbye and hang up or have some fun and have them verify their identity by confirming their SSN.

o Close the window…usually it’s simply a website made to look like a legitimate warning and nothing has really happened to your machine…yet.

o Never call the number on the screen. Go to the corporate website of Microsoft.com or the other software it may be mimicking (Norton, McAfee, Malwarebytes, etc.) and find a support number there, that you sought out.

Never give a password or pin to a tech support person over the phone. We will NEVER ask for your password to HMIS.

General

Sometimes a staff member leaves an agency. EVERYTIME they do you MUST let us know!

Immediately (or sooner)! Nobody claimed to use ServicePoint for MedicAid billing or said they were interested. If you are, please let us

know!

Next meeting is Wednesday, February 24 at 1:00pm. Possibly at a NEW LOCATION!

For more in depth definitions of all HUD Data Elements please see the HMIS Data Standards Manual from www.hudexchange.info. Upgrade Quick Reference - Revised: 10/27/2015 Page 1 of 4

HMIS 2015 DATA STANDARDS UPDATE

NOTICE Any client who was actively enrolled in a program/project or was actively receiving services any time on or

after October 1, 2015 must have their data updated to reflect the new data standards.

CHANGES FOR ALL PROJECTS (SSVF, HOPWA, AND RHY SPECIFIC CHANGES ARE FORTHCOMING)

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ADDITIONAL QUESTION (COMPREHENSIVE ENTRY ASSESSMENT)

• (If Yes) Are you currently fleeing?

-Select- Yes No Client Doesn’t Know Client Refused

EXIT DESTINATION (ENTRY EXIT EXIT DIALOGUE)

• This field is required for all clients (it used to be only for Adults however Suburban Cook County has always collected this for all clients.

• Special Note: If a client exits a project without providing project staff with their destination, the “No exit interview completed” response value should be used; in such instances, destination information will be considered missing.

RESIDENTIAL MOVE-IN DATE | RRH ONLY (COMPREHENSIVE ENTRY OR UPDATE & REVIEW ASSESSMENTS)

• Residential Move-in Date is the date of the first night the client stays (sleeps) in a permanent housing unit (a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence intended to be permanent) while he or she is enrolled in an RRH project (i.e. any time after project entry as defined for RRH in data element 3.10 Project Entry Date and before project exit).

• No Residential Move-in Date would be recorded if the client only received housing assistance, placement, or other supportive services through RRH prior to housing and then never moved into housing.

For more in depth definitions of all HUD Data Elements please see the HMIS Data Standards Manual from www.hudexchange.info. Upgrade Quick Reference - Revised: 10/27/2015 Page 2 of 4

TIME ON STREETS, EMERGENCY SHELTER OR SAFE HAVEN (ESTABLISHING CHRONIC HOMELESS)

(COMPREHENSIVE ENTRY ASSESSMENT)

• Client Entering from street, emergency shelter or safe haven?

-Select- Yes No Client Doesn’t Know Client Refused

• (If Yes) Approximate Date Started: (Add Date)

• Regardless of where they stayed last night -- Number of times the client has been homeless on the streets, in ES, or SH in the past three years including today.

-Select- Never in 3 years One time Two Times Three Times Four or more times Client Doesn’t Know Client Refused

Total number of months homeless on the street, in ES, or SH in the past 3 years. You may leave this blank if the previous field is answered “Never in 3 years.” Only choose “Client Refused” if the client refused.

-Select- One month (this time is the first month) 2-12 months (select an interger) More than 12 months Client Doesn’t Know Client Refused

The key concepts to help determine the actual or approximate start date are:

1. Have the client look back to the date of the last time the client had a place to sleep that was not on the streets, ES, or SH.

2. As the client looks back, there may be breaks in their stay on the streets, ES, or SH. The breaks are allowed to be included in the look back period to calculate the approximate start date ONLY:

a. If the client moved continuously between the streets, shelters, or safe havens. The date would go back as far as the first time they stayed in one of those places; or

b. If the break in their time on the street, ES or SH was under 7 nights. A break is considered at least 7 or more consecutive nights not residing in a place not meant for human habitation, in shelter or in a Safe Haven. The look back time would not be broken by a stay less than 7 consecutive nights; or

c. If the break in their time on the streets, ES, or SH was 90 days or less due to an institutional stay (i.e. jail, substance abuse or mental health treatment facility, hospital, or other similar facility). The look back time would include all of those days (up to 90 days) when looking back for the start date.

For more in depth definitions of all HUD Data Elements please see the HMIS Data Standards Manual from www.hudexchange.info. Upgrade Quick Reference - Revised: 10/27/2015 Page 3 of 4

3. If the client knows the month and year but not the day, the worker may substitute the day of the month with the same day of the month as project entry. For example: a client enters the project on March 15, 2015. During the intake interview, the client answers the start date question with a response of “a couple of months”. The worker clarifies - “It’s March, would that mean you started sleeping on the streets in January this year?” Client affirms, yes, January. The worker clarifies: “Do you know the day?” Client responds: “no.” - Worker then enters January 15 (day of the month of project entry), (this year).

4. If the HMIS displays information about the person’s entry date on the streets, ES or SH, the worker may share that information with the client to help jog their memory. However, administrative information may not be substituted for the information provided directly by the client or entered in the case that the client refuses to answer or does not know the answer, or in the case the data was not collected by the project for the client.

Regardless of where the client stayed last night enter the number of times the client has been homeless on the streets, in ES, or SH in the past three years including today. Responses are either:

Never in the past three years - Meaning either the client has never been on the streets, in an ES, or SH; or the last time they were in any of those situations was longer than three years ago. If the client reports being homeless prior, but indicates that they did not stay in one of the identified places (streets, ES, or SH) this would be the correct response.

This is the first time - This is the first time the client has been on the streets, in an ES, or SH.

Enter two times, three times, four or more times, or client refused, client doesn’t know based on client responses.

Total number of months homeless on the Streets, in ES, or SH in the past three years. Responses are either:

One month - this is the first month -Meaning in the past three years this is the first month the client has resided on the Streets, ES, or SH.

2-12 months - Count the total number of months the client indicates they have been on the streets, ES, or SH in the past three years. If have been on the streets, ES, or SH since January and it is now March, the cumulative total would be 3 months (January = 1, February = 2, and March = 3). If they were also homeless for a month back in October, the cumulative total would then be 4 months.

Information should be gathered on all clients at project entry. For those with active records on October 1, 2015, the client should be asked the questions based on where they were prior to entry into the current project and the appropriate response recorded. If the client can’t remember, “client doesn’t know” is an acceptable response.

HELPFUL NOTES ON INCOME

• Income and Source are intended to identify regular, recurrent earned income and cash benefits. Services and/or gifts such as phone cards and vouchers that are provided by a project to clients during enrollment are fundamentally different and are not considered income.

• Income data may be entered in HMIS consistent with guidelines for calculating household income provided by a projects funder, if such guidelines exist. For example, for eligibility purposes, both CoC and ESG-funded projects are instructed to exclude income from the employment of a minor child from calculations of household income. The same is true for SSVF. In the absence of income calculation guidelines provided by a funder, as a general rule, any income associated with a minor used for household expenses and support should be included in the head of households Income and Sources data. Where the income is not relevant for household expenses, it could reasonably be excluded from entry.

• Income received for a minor (e.g. SSI) should be recorded as part of the household income under the Head of Household.

• Student financial aid is not to be considered income unless the financial aid includes a cash stipend.

For more in depth definitions of all HUD Data Elements please see the HMIS Data Standards Manual from www.hudexchange.info. Upgrade Quick Reference - Revised: 10/27/2015 Page 4 of 4

• Recording income in an HMIS is not the same as performing an income evaluation for purposes of project eligibility determination or a rent calculation for the purpose of determining rental subsidy (24 CFR 5.609 and 24 CFR 5.611(a). Data recorded in HMIS also does not replace required income verification documentation that may be required by a funder.

• Lump sum amounts received by a family, such as inheritances, insurance settlements, or proceeds from sale of property, or back pay from Social Security are considered assets, not income and are not recorded in HMIS.