The CoC Board of Directors have recently approved a new policy providing official steps a HMIS User should complete in the unfortunate event that a client passes away while enrolled in a project. This process was designed to ensure that there is proper communication between all parties who were involved with the client, and to make sure that all loose ends are tied up in regards to their HMIS status, including placement in the Resource Eligibility List.
This guidance, provided below, will be available to read in the HMIS Data Quality Monitoring Plan. This document, as well as other Local and Federal Resources, can be found on our HMIS Team Website.
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Reporting Deceased Client
A client’s passing should be reported within HMIS at the earliest possible convenience. Once the agency becomes aware of the passing, a HMIS user within the agency should complete the following steps:
1. If the passing is not reported first-hand, verification should be made through an approved source before next steps are followed. Official forms of verification include:
a. Verbal report from Bexar County Medical Examiner
b. Identifiable record on https://deathrecords.bexar.org/ (only available for previous 30 days)
c. Family member of client giving notice, providing client’s full name and date of birth
d. San Antonio Police Department giving notice, providing client’s full name and date of birth.
Other forms of verification may be sufficient on a case-by-case basis.
2. Client’s Demographics page should be changed to include Deceased Date. An estimated date may suffice if the exact date is unknown.
3. Verification of death should be added to profile.
a. If verification was verbal, a case note should be added with Case Note Summary denoting client’s death.
b. If verification was physical/digital, a copy should be uploaded to client’s Documents and Files page.
4. A Client Alert can be added to the profile to ensure awareness if the profile is visited by another user.
5. Active Enrollments must be closed out with an Exit date of the last day the client received a service from the project. Exit Destination should be listed as "Deceased" (under Other category).
a. If the client has open Enrollments with other agencies, the reporting user may submit a ticket to HMIS to the HMIS Team reach out to have the other agencies close their own enrollments.
6. If a CE Event Referral has been made, the referral may be closed out using the "Client Did Not Follow Up" option in conjunction with the Deceased Date.
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