San Luis Obispo CoC HMIS Newsletter

Our Favorite Bed-Night Report

Found in the Housing section of Clarity reports, the Housing Census Report offers a quick, clear format for reporting bed night usage. Be sure to "favorite" the report. Learn more about navigating Reports with this Knowledge Base Article.

9AM Mon., Apr 21: HSOC Data & Performance Subcommittee

11AM Wed., Apr 23: HSOC Coordinated Entry Subcommittee

1:30PM Tues., Apr 29: CES Announcements and Information

3PM Wednesday, May 7: HMIS Drop-in Office Hours

1:30PM Tuesday, May 13: CES Case Conferencing

Check the Clarity HMIS Login Screen for Updates

As changes and upgrades in the database continue, the Clarity login screen provides real time updates and messages, often with advance notice. Be sure to read and review the side navigation menu on the login screen to see if there is a planned outage or update. The HMIS Team will continue to inform all users of ad-hoc disruptions as well. As always, reach out to HMIS Support anytime if there are connection issues or questions!

*NEW* Feature coming to Clarity

Effective April 24, 2025, users will be able to "tag" fellow HMIS users directly in client notes to streamline communication and coordination around referrals, services or other client-specific actions. Tagged users will receive a notification via email and/or staff inbox (depending on their preferences). Note: Users can only tag fellow users with the same edit access to the item the note is attached to. Read more about this exciting feature in this Clarity Feature Updates Knowledge Base Article.

HMIS Drop-in Office Hours: Wednesday, May 7

Thank you to all who attended April Office Hours! We discussed outreach practices, data quality reports, and user notifications. Drop-in Office Hours helps to build community among users across all agencies.

Click here to join the May Office Hours and Ask HMIS!

Street Outreach Data Collection Training Opportunity

Save the Date! Live training on data collection for Street Outreach projects will be held on May 22nd. Topics include what "Date of Engagement" means, collecting client ROIs, and other best practices. All agencies and HMIS users are welcome!

"SLO Health Counts" Factsheet

The "SLO Health Counts" data hub and collaborative has released reporting on Deaths Among People Experiencing Homelessness with data collected from County death certificates. Read the factsheet here.

Question: Who do I contact if I get locked out of my account? And what does it take to get locked out?

Answer: If you are locked out of your account due to incorrect passwords, or you are inactivated due to inactivity - simply email the HMIS Support Team directly to have your account reactivated. The team gets back to user reactivation requests typically within the hour during operating hours which is Monday - Friday, 8AM - 4PM. For users to be locked out, they would need to try the wrong password four times in a row. Lockout times are set by our vendor to a minimum time of one hour. That's a long time to be without access to HMIS so be sure to store passwords in a secure place to not risk lockouts or data breaches.

Question: How long is an ROI (release of information) in HMIS valid for?

Answer: All personal information must be collected with the knowledge and consent of clients. In addition to being HMIS policy, this is a client-centered approach to data collection designed to build trust in the provider and the homeless system of care for persons seeking care. Client ROIs can be documented directly into HMIS and can be collected by electronic signature or attached PDF, per SLO County Continuum of Care Policy. Client ROIs are valid for one year from the populated start date in Clarity HMIS. Learn more about HMIS ROI and Privacy Settings with this Knowledge Base Article.

Hayley Spyksma, the CES Specialist, has been meeting individually with case managers to answer any Coordinated Entry questions and troubleshoot issues. If you would like to schedule a time to meet with her, please reach out via email at hspyksma@capslo.org.

Referrals for the Calle Joaquin Homekey project's TAY units started on April 15 and are ongoing. The CES Team and People Self Help Housing have not yet set a date to begin referrals for the remaining 40 studio units and four two-bedroom units. Occupancy at the property is scheduled to start on July 18. Thank you to all partners and organizations coordinating this exciting housing opportunity in our community!

Auto-exits from the Coordinated Entry program have been reinstated as of April 11. Clients who have not had an assessment entered in 90 days will be auto-exited. If your client is auto-exited, the "Assigned Staff" on the client profile will receive a notification. To learn how to return a client to the Community Queue after they have been auto-exited, review this Knowledge Base Article.

Questions regarding best practices and CES user support

can be directed to the CES Management Entity

Webinar: Housing-Focused Street Outreach on April 30

The National Alliance to End Homelessness released a Housing-Focused Street Outreach Framework and webinar series. The first webinar focuses on the role of data in street outreach. Learn more and register for the April 30 webinar here.

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