July 2023

Dear HMIS Users,

In the latest installment of our HMIS Newsletter, we are focusing on the recent HMIS updates, including the highly-anticipated launch of the new 2023 Release of Information (ROI) document and new job aids to facilitate a smooth transition to this new ROI document.

As always, we are here to support you; if there is anything you'd like to see in future newsletters, please let us know.

In partnership, 

The Data and Analytics Department

Q: Why am I in a different agency when I log into HMIS then I was before?

A: We were expecting this question. We recently had to reconfigure our partnership agencies, where we have staff from multiple organizations all working together. We can no longer have HMIS users attached to partnership agencies, so we moved all of the users back to the organizations that sponsored their HMIS access.

This change should have no impact on what you can access and the work you can do in HMIS. The only change you will see is that you are automatically placed under your employer's agency when you first log into HMIS. You can manually switch to whichever agency you want up in the top right corner of the HMIS screen. 

In the image below, you can see the user is switching between the Sacramento CoC Coordinated Entry agency and the Sacramento Steps Forward (SSF) agency.

2023 HMIS Release of Information

The HMIS department is thrilled to announce that we have redesigned a simplified HMIS Release of Information (ROI) that should be easier to understand and explain to our clients. We have uploaded both the Sacramento CoC ROI and the Yolo CoC ROI onto the HMIS section of our website.

Read our recent E-Blast - 2023 HMIS ROI Launch for more information

or check out our Release of Information (ROI) FAQs section!

Introducing the ROI Job Aids Section! We are excited to announce the latest addition to our job aids webpage - various new reference materials to support HMIS users regarding the launch of our new HMIS Release of Information (ROI).

• Annotated 2023 ROI Job Aid - provides step by step directions on how to fill the document out correctly.

• Understanding ROI Categories - review the three types available in HMIS: Electronic Signature, Attached PDF, and Household.

• Adding ROIs for a Household - directions about what types of ROIs needed for your client's household.

• ROI Error Reports for ROI Data Quality - a guide on how to run a report that provides a list of all active clients in your program who do not have valid ROIs.

As most of our community knows, the HMIS team manages our Homeless Management Information System, the database our community users to document their work with the homeless population. But what does the rest of our department do?

The Analytics team focuses on analyzing the data that has been entered into HMIS. They visualize trends in the data and create tools that track how well our homeless response system is working. Some of these tools include dashboards that help answer questions like:

•  How many vacancies do we have in our emergency shelters today?
•  What services do homeless TAY (transitional aged youth) utilize the most?
•  How much of the local homeless population is over 60 years old?

Dashboards answering these questions and more are currently in progress and will be available on SSF's website once completed.

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