Changing Role of HMIS Within the Framework of HEARTH

1
Changing Role of HMIS Within the Framework
of HEARTH
2
Overview

• History of HMIS
• HMIS Proposed Rule
• HMIS Notices
• State Perspective- Utah
• CoC Perspective- Mississippi United to End
  Homelessness

3
What is HMIS?

• A Homeless Management Information System (HMIS)
  is a locally administered, electronic data
  collection system that stores longitudinal
  person-level information about persons who access
  the homeless service system
• HMIS is HUDs response to a Congressional
  Directive to capture better data on homelessness

4
Open vs. Closed System

• Open HMIS- Providers are able to search for a
  client and see where they have received services
• Closed HMIS- Providers are only able to see
  their own clients- cannot tell where they are
  receiving other services
• Many systems have moved from closed to open or
  are a hybrid

5
Why HMIS is Important?

• National data on homelessness is critical for HUD
  reporting and informs key policy decisions
• Every CoC is required to implement an HMIS and is
  scored on this obligation as part of the annual
  CoC Competition.
• Local HMIS data can be used to inform local
  planning and drive the local decision making
  process
• HMIS can support individual case planning and
  service coordination among providers entering
  data

6
HMIS Proposed Rule

• Provides for the establishment of regulations for
  HMIS
• Adds a new part to the CFR 24 CFR Part 580
• Makes corresponding changes to HUDs regulation
  for ESG, SPC, and SHP

7
HMIS Proposed Rule

• Responsibilities for HMIS Administration
• Responsibilities of the CoC
• Duties of the HMIS Lead
• Eligible Activities
• Carrying Out HMIS Activities

8
HMIS Eligible Costs

• Need to look at funding source regulations to
  determine what is eligible
• HMIS Lead Only eligible activities
• HMIS Lead and Contributing Homeless Organization
  (CHO) eligible activities

9
Eligible Costs ESG recipients or subrecipients

• Eligible HMIS costs include
• (i)Purchasing or leasing computer hardware
• (ii) Purchasing software or software licenses
• (iii) Purchasing or leasing equipment, including
  telephones, faxes, and furniture
• (iv) Obtaining technical support
• (v) Leasing office space
• (vi) Paying charges for electricity, gas, water,
  phone service, and high-speed data transmission
  necessary to operate or contribute data to the
  HMIS

10
Eligible Costs ESG Recipients or Subrecipients

• (vii) Paying salaries for operating HMIS,
  including
• (A) Completing data entry
• (B) Monitoring and reviewing data quality
• (C) Completing data analysis
• (D) Reporting to the HMIS Lead
• (E) Training staff on using the HMIS and
• (F) Implementing and complying with HMIS
  requirements

11
Eligible Costs ESG Recipients or Subrecipients

• (viii) Paying costs of staff to travel to and
  attend HUD-sponsored and HUD-approved training on
  HMIS and programs authorized by Title IV of the
  McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act
• (ix) Paying staff travel costs to conduct intake
  and
• (x) Paying participation fees charged by the HMIS
  Lead, as authorized by HUD, if the recipient or
  subrecipient is not the HMIS Lead.

12
Eligible Costs HMIS Lead

• Eligible Costs for HMIS Lead Agencies
• (i) Hosting and maintaining HMIS software or
  data.
• (ii) Backing up, recovering, or repairing HMIS
  software or data.
• (iii) Upgrading, customizing, and enhancing the
  HMIS.
• (iv) Integrating and warehousing data.
• (v) Administering the HMIS system.
• (vi) Reporting to providers, the CoC, and HUD.
• (vii) Conducting training on using the HMIS
  system or a comparable database, including
  traveling to the training.

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State ESG Recipients Who Are HMIS Leads

• 576.202 (a) States
• If the recipient is a State, and has been
  identified as the HMIS lead by the CoC, the State
  may use funds to carry out HMIS activities set
  forth in 576.107 (a)(2).
• This is HMIS Lead costs NOT costs associated with
  contributing data, or end-user costs.

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HMIS Rule- CoC Responsibilities

• CoC is responsible for making decision about HMIS
  management and administration
• Required Duties
• Designate HMIS Lead
• Select HMIS software
• Develop governance charter
• Work with HMIS Lead to develop policies and
  procedures

15
HMIS Rule- HMIS Lead Responsibilities

• Ensure operation and participation by grantees
  and subgrantees
• Conduct oversight of the HMIS
• Work with CoC to develop HMIS policies and
  procedures
• Execute written Participation Agreement with each
  Contributing Homeless Organization (CHO)
• Serve as applicant to HUD for grant funds to be
  used for HMIS lead activities
• Monitor and enforce compliance
• Develop security and data quality plans and a
  privacy policy

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HMIS and DV providers

• HMIS Rule specifies that victim services
  providers shall NOT directly enter or contribute
  data into an HMIS if they are legally prohibited
  an HMIS.
• Victim service providers that are recipients of
  funds that require participation in HMIS must use
  a comparable database.

17
HMIS and Legal Services

• HMIS Rule specifies that legal service providers
  may choose not to use HMIS if it is necessary to
  protect attorney-client privilege.
• Legal service providers that are recipients of
  funds that require participation in HMIS must
  also use a comparable database, if they do not
  use the CoCs HMIS.

18
HMIS Notices

• Data Standards
• Governance Standards
• Security Standards
• Software/Technical Standards
• Data Quality Standards
• Privacy Standards

19
History of HMIS Data Technical Standards

• HMIS Data Standards were developed by focus
  groups of community stakeholders, researchers,
  technology experts and consumers
• Data and Technical Standards were initially
  published in July 2004
• Sections 2 and 3 of the original standard were
  replaced in March 2010 while the remaining
  sections of the 2004 standard remain in effect
• Focused on standards, not development of a system

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History of HMIS Data Standards

• What the HMIS Standards Dont Do
• Set a specific software to be used
• Limit a CoC or HMIS from requiring the collection
  additional data elements
• Limit a CoC or HMIS from requiring additional
  client privacy and system security protections
• Limit a CoC or HMIS from adding additional
  functionality (beyond HUD purposes)
• Stay static (they are updated periodically)

21
HMIS Data Standards

• There are 3 data element categories outlined in
  the March 2010 Revised HMIS Data Standards
• Program Descriptor Data Elements (PDDE)
• Universal Data Elements (UDE)
• Program-Specific Data Elements (PSDE)
• The Data Standards define specific, allowable
  responses for each data element
• Not all the data in the Data Standard are
  required to be collected by every program
• Each program will collect at least a subset of
  data

22
HMIS Compliance

• Before HEARTH
• Monitored HMIS via SHP
• HMIS-dedicated SHP grants (budget only)
• Now, under HEARTH
• Monitor HMIS via HMIS Rule and HMIS Notices

23
Questions?

• Karen DeBlasio
• Desk Officer/HMIS Subject Matter Expert
• Office of Special Needs Assistance Programs
  (SNAPS)
• U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
• 202-402-4773
• Karen. M.DeBlasio_at_hud.gov

24
State Perspective

• TAMERA KOHLER
• Director, State Community Services Office
• Utah Housing and Community Development Division

25
History of Utah HMIS

• UTAH was an early adopter of HMIS creating a
  vision and mission approved at a statewide summit
  in 2003.
• In 2004 the first agency began inputting data
  into a statewide system that served 3 Continuums
  of Care.

26
History of Utah HMIS (contd)

• 2009 brought significant change to Utahs HMIS
• State of Utah became the Lead Agency for HMIS to
  better support the increasing needs of a
  statewide system.
• HPRP and the new HEARTH Act requirements created
  a need to assess our software and system
  platform.

27
The Process of Changing Software

• HMIS Steering Committee
• RFP Process
• Understanding Need Capacity
• Attention to Reporting Compliance
• Timelines

28
New HMIS Model

• JULY 01, 2011 we went live Statewide with new
  system
• Open sharing model
• Robust privacy and security model
• One universal client record statewide
• Data Quality focused
• Report focused- APR, AHAR, PIT, HIC
• VA and ESG programs as well as other funded
  programs added.

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Benefits of Change

• Acceptable AHAR reports for all 3 CoCs from the
  new HMIS system (within first 3 months).
• Ability to map and track 125 programs, multiple
  funding sources, 60 organizations and 125 active
  users in the system.
• Agencies are able to create their own data
  reports from the system.
• Sheltered PIT/HIC from new HMIS system.
• Ability to easily produce unduplicated counts
  statewide.
• Ability to add new programs and reporting
  requirements quickly and easily.

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Where to Focus

• Attention to DATA QUALITY is EVERYTHING!
• All reports run on the data that is inputted,
• If you want ease in reporting,
• To be competitive in the grant process,
• Focus, Focus, Focus on Data Quality.
• Under HEARTH, there will be an even greater
  emphasis on data and the use of HMIS. CoCs should
  assess their data tools, counting methodologies,
  and HMIS and determine if changes and/or
  improvements need to be made. Ann Marie Oliva

31
PIT, HIC, AHAR APR

• The State of Utahs HMIS team produces the PIT,
  HIC AHAR for all 3 continuum and supports the
  APRs for HUD CoC programs.
• HMIS creates an Unmet Need report from the PIT
  HIC for strategic planning of housing capacity
  and need.
• Under HEARTH, performance and compliance will be
  a significant part of the competitive selection
  process. CoCs should use these reports in their
  competitive process on a local level.

32
Using Reports as a Check Balance

• These 4 reports are the core elements of an AHAR
• PIT
• HIC
• APRsData Quality
• These report outcomes should support one another.
  

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Funding Based on HMIS Data

• The AHAR is a great report to share with those
  entities that make funding decisions on homeless
  housing programs.
• Post PIT, HIC AHAR on your websites, make these
  available to other departments or reference this
  report in your annual State Homeless Report.
• Because there is no client level data included,
  these reports can and should be shared.
• At SCSO we use the PIT, HIC AHAR during
  strategic planning of our 10 year plan to end
  chronic homelessness.

34
HEARTH New HMIS Role

• This is an exciting, challenging and important
  time for HMIS
• Under HEARTH, performance and compliance will be
  a significant part of the competitive selection
  process. There will be an even greater emphasis
  on data and the use of HMIS in supporting these
  measurements.
• Be prepared to provide new and more in-depth
  performance measurement reports and to support
  the needs of CoC leadership for analysis of your
  homeless system and programs.

35
The Last Word

• And remember
• All reports run on the data that is collected,
• If you want ease in reporting,
• To be competitive in the grant process,
• Focus, Focus, Focus on Data Quality.

36

• Questions?
• Tamera Kohler
• Director, State Community Services Office
• State of Utah
• 801.526.9329
• tkohler_at_utah.gov
• Thank you!

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Continuum of Care Perspective

• Ledger Parker
• Program Director
• MS United to End Homelessness

38
MUTEH HMIS Structure

• MUTEH covers 71 counties in MS
• Large rural coverage area
• Began using HMIS in 2008
• MUTEH generates the AHAR, HIC, and PIT
• Many privately funded faith-based shelters
• HMIS currently tracks 27 programs and 87 users

39
MUTEH HMIS preparation for the HEARTH Act

• The HEARTH Act allowed MUTEH to reevaluate our
  current HMIS implementation and make necessary
  changes

40
MUTEH HMIS Barriers

• Non implementing faith-based agencies
• HMIS participating agencies not participating in
  HMIS
• Users log in sporadically
• Poor data quality
• Not current
• Not complete
• Program leaders were concerned with HMIS only at
  APR

41
The AHAR Measurement

• MUTEH decided that the AHAR requirements would
  serve as the baseline for MUTEHs HMIS
  expectations under the HEARTH Act

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MUTEHs HEARTH-Inspired Solutions

• Trainings must be convenient, frequent, and
  required
• HMIS must give feedback to agencies through
  regular reporting
• Technical Assistance must be provided to address
  problem areas

43
MUTEH Training Changes

• HMIS policies were updated to require users to
  attend trainings biannually (twice per year)
• Training sessions are held regionally and are
  hosted by different participating agencies
• Webinars are used as often as possible to host
  trainings
• HMIS tracks how often each user attends training
• Used to monitor agencies utilization of HMIS
• Reported back to program directors

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A Quick Description of MUTEH Reports

• We use the KISS principle
• Realized complex reports were not having effect
  (or being read at all)
• Keeping reports simple allowed for clear
  direction to be given
• We make reports widely available
• Distributed at meetings, emailed to membership,
  and posted at muteh.org

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A Quick Description of MUTEH Reports

• Aesthetics are considered important
• Data is more interesting when it looks nice
• Reports can be designed in such a way to
  emphasize certain data
• Program staff seem to be more concerned with
  their appearance when the report is clear and
  designed well

46
A Quick Description of MUTEH Reports

• HMIS reporting should offer feedback on agencies
  performance in HMIS, however it should report
  well beyond HMIS utilization. Our reporting must
  eventually use HMIS data to steer homeless
  systems to meet the performance measurements
  outlined by HEARTH.

47
Monthly and Quarterly Progress Reports

• Focus on
• Data Quality
• Program Unit Utilization
• Staff Usage
• Length of Stay
• Program Outcomes

48
MUTEH Technical Assistance

• Ask agency staff to have quarterly conference
  calls with HMIS staff (online meeting)
• HMIS staff review MPR/QPR with staff
• Discuss new features
• Troubleshoot problem areas
• HMIS Staff use multiple web applications to be
  available to agencies (join.me, google chat, HMIS
  helpdesk, online meeting, etc)

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In Closing

• The goal is to transform data into information,
  and information into insight
• - Carly Fiorina (Former President of HP)

50
Questions?

• Ledger Parker
• Program Director
• MS United to End Homelessness
• 601.960.0557
• lparker_at_muteh.org