Homeless Management Information System (HMIS)

---

A Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) is a local information technology system used to collect client-level data and data on the provision of housing and services to homeless individuals and families and persons at risk of homelessness. Each HUD funded Continuum of Care (CoC) is responsible for selecting an HMIS software solution that complies with the requirements from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) on data collection, management, and reporting standards.

The Housing, Homelessness Prevention, & Workforce Solutions (HHPWS) Department serves as the HUD Collaborative Applicant and is responsible for administering HMIS for the County of Riverside Continuum of Care and serving as the HMIS Lead Organization. HHPWS has the "responsibility to establish, support and manage HMIS in a manner that will meet HUD's standards for data quality, privacy, security and other requirements for organizations participating in HMIS".

November HMIS Lead Updates

Longitudinal Systems Analysis (LSA): is an annual process conducted the HUD where all aspects of HMIS and client records are analyzed to ensure that they adhere to HUD’s regulations and recommendations. To ensure that Riverside County CoC passes the LSA with the highest level of data quality with no findings or warnings found, agencies will need to update and fix all client records to comply with LSA requirements. Data Quality Reports for programs that have been flagged by Clarity to have data quality errors are being sent out to agencies routinely. The areas reviewed include but are not limited to:

1. Agency Data Quality
2. Client Record Enrollment & Bed Night Overlaps
3. Bed & Inventory versus Program Capacity
4. Head of Household

• HMIS Workshop: the HMIS Team is continuing our workshop series and our newest workshop held on 11/2021 will cover Data Quality, LSA and Bed Inventory. This effort is to support our agencies in adhering to HUD’s LSA process. The workshop will go over various Data Quality reports and applications for each type of report, the LSA specific Data Quality Reports, and provide instruction and clarification on updating bed inventories.

• ESG-CV2 Launch: For the latest round of ESG-CV funding, 3 brand new agencies have joined Riverside County CoC in utilizing using HMIS Clarity. This includes the creation of 35 new projects into HMIS. This launch was diligently supported by the collaborative efforts of the HMIS and Programs Team. A multi-week ESG-CV bootcamp was held to assist new and continuing agencies during the launch which included detailed live tutorials for each program type.  
   
• Coordinated Entry System and VISPDATs: Stemming from a collaborative effort between the HMIS Team and the Coordinated Entry System Team at the Riverside University Health System – Behavioral Health, a fully integrated Coordinated Entry System has been setup and configured in Clarity HMIS. This development provides HMIS users from all agencies using Clarity, a centralized virtual location to input client information and conduct VISPDAT 2.0 Assessments, which include Family, Individual and TAY VISPDATS.  
   
• HUD 2022 Data Standards Update: The new HUD 2022 Data Standards data fields will be seamlessly integrated into HMIS Clarity in October 2021. The HMIS Team has been working with Bitfocus to ensure that the new requirements will be included in the existing workflows which include customized elements that our CoC has chosen to collect. A live review of the data elements will take place during the last week of September 2021 to familiarize HMIS users on the data elements.

Updated HMIS Intake, Annual Assessment, and Exit Forms

All Projects

• HMIS Data Collection Form - Project Entry (PDF)
• HMIS Data Collection Form - Project Exit (PDF)
• HMIS Data Collection Form - Project Annual Assessment (PDF)
• HMIS Data Collection Form - Street Outreach Supplement (PDF)

Emergency Solutions Grants Program (ESG)

• ESG HMIS Data Collection Form Entry (PDF)
• ESG HMIS Data Collection Form Exit (PDF)

PATH Program

• HMIS EXIT PATH SO Supplemental (PDF)
• HMIS ENTRY PATH SO - Services Only Supplemental (PDF)

Runaway & Homeless Youth Program (RHY)

• RHY HMIS Data Collection Form - Project Entry - Emergency Shelter and Transitional Housing (PDF)
• RHY HMIS Data Collection Form - Project Exit - Emergency Shelter and Transitional Housing (PDF)
• RHY HMIS Data Collection Form - Project Entry - Street Outreach (PDF)
• RHY HMIS Data Collection Form- Project Exit - Street Outreach (PDF)
• RHY HMIS Data Collection Form - Post Exit (PDF)

VA Program

• SSVF HMIS Data Collection Form - Project Entry - Prevention and Rapid Rehousing (PDF)
• SSVF HMIS Data Collection Form - Project Exit - Prevention and Rapid Rehousing (PDF)
• VA HMIS Data Collection Form - Supplement (PDF)

HUD-VASH

• HUD-VASH HMIS Data Collection Form - Project Entry - Permanent Housing (PDF)
• HUD-VASH HMIS Data Collection Form - Project Exit - Permanent Housing (PDF)

Client Forms

• Consent of Release of Information

HMIS Links

• Log Into Clarity Human Services

HMIS Setup Form

• HMIS Project Setup Form

HMIS Training

Streamlined HMIS/CES Account Request Process Instructions

• HMIS - CES Account Request Process 
• Clarity Tutorial Video
• Clarity Human Services Training Quiz and Ackowledgement

Quick Links to Account Request Resources

• HMIS-CES User Account Request Form
• HMIS-CES User Account Request Form Instructions 
• New User Orientation Video COMING SOON!
• User Training Video Completion Form

Clarity Embeded Looker Reporting Tool

• Looker Reporting Tool Begginer's Guide Video

HMIS HUD Data Standards

• Summary of HMIS 2022 HUD Data Standard Updates in Clarity Video

HMIS Training Manuals & Resource Supplements

• 2017 HUD Data Quality Report
• 2017 APR-ESG & Data Quality Export
• 2017 HMIS Data Standards Training (PPXT)
• 2017 HMIS User Training - Annual Assessment
• HMIS APR v6.1 CSV Export for Sage
• 2017 HMIS Conference "Don't Panic! It's Only Data!"
• HMIS Emergency Shelter Projects User Manual
• HMIS Street Outreach Projects User Manual

HMIS Administrators Council

Meeting Agendas and Minutes

Policies & Standards

• HMIS Charter
• HMIS Partcipating Agency Agreement
• HMIS Inter-Agency Data Sharing Agreement
• List of Agencies Participating in HMIS Data Sharing updated 8.20.2021

HUD Homelessness Data Exchange (HDX)

• CoC System Performance Measures HMIS
• FY18 System Performance Measure

Vulnerability Index-Service Prioritization Decision Assessment Tool (VI-SPDAT) Forms

• Clarity Human Services CES Assessment Guide
• VI-SPDAT Packet - Single Adults
• VI-SPDAT Packet - Transitional Age Youth (TAY)
• VI-SPDAT Packet - Families