San Luis Obispo CoC HMIS Newsletter - Use Clarity Messaging for User Notifications

What a Notification? Send a Message!

Have you referred a client and want to notify someone from another agency? Click on the envelope in Clarity HMIS menu to send a direct message to another Clarity user and let the messages feature function as a User Notification!

Ongoing Federal Reporting: LSA, HIC, and PIT - oh my!

Thank you agencies and staff for your ongoing patience as we navigate federal reporting season. Preparation for the Longitudinal Systems Analysis (LSA) continues and agencies have been encouraged to address overlapping enrollment by 3PM today, Dec 12. The HMIS Staff is preparing for the Housing Inventory Count (HIC) and the (sheltered) Point-in-Time (PIT) Count. Details regarding next steps for the 2025 HIC/PIT can be found on the HMIS Knowledge Base here and agencies can expect to hear more from HMIS staff in the new year.

Aging into Data Collection Fields

Certain grants and project types have different data collection requirements for adults versus minors. An example of this is income requirements for ESG-funded projects where income is only required for the adult. Users are required to update the information as a client ages in the system (turns 18 years old, for example) with annual and periodic updates documented in HMIS. Questions regarding how to update data when clients age into specific collection fields can be directed to HMIS Support anytime for clarification.

Agency Administrators Meeting on December 12 at 3PM

HMIS Agency Administrators will be convening today, Dec 12 at 3PM to share about migration progress, learn what is coming down the pike, and discuss opportunities for community building together. Administrators or agencies who cannot attend will be able to watch the recording on TalentLMS once it is made available. The HMIS Staff is looking forward to recurring community building opportunities for participating agencies!

HMIS Office Hours: Wednesday, January 8, 2025

Thank you to those who have been Office Hours! Attendance has been increasing since the change of the event start time. Office Hours is an opportunity to build community among HMIS users across all agencies as well as ask questions direct to the HMIS Team. The next HMIS Office Hours is scheduled for Wednesday, January 8 at 3PM.

HMIS Support - Winter Operating Hours

Please note the HMIS Support Team will be unavailable on the following days in December 24 and December 25, 2024 and January 1, 2025.

We wish you rest and happiness in the new year!

Question: I've noticed notifications sometimes for "unaccompanied minors" on reports but that is not the case - and it is actually a household was exited incorrectly with the head of household leaving a program enrollment without their dependents. What can I share with my staff for how to manage Households in HMIS?

Answer: Managing Households in Clarity is easy and automated- but it can take some time to learn the process with confidence. First, navigate to the Head of Household (HoH) profile and select "Manage" from the right navigation screen. From 'Household Management,' you can build a household by joining existing files. NOTE: Be sure to create the client record for all household members before building the Household in HMIS, as a client record must first be created to join it with a HoH. Once a member is selected by clicking "manage" you can determine the "Member Type." You can exit one member from a Household or you can exit entire households from program enrollment - depending on what you need! Read step-by-step instructions for Managing Families and Households in this HMIS Knowledge Base Article.

Question: What is the difference between "Data not Collected" and "Client prefers not to Share?"

Answer: Great question! The field "data not collected" should be used for when the question is not asked as opposed to not known. When clients are unsure of a response or if they prefer not to share, the selection should be "Client Prefers not to share." "Data Not Collected" can, in some instances, show on reports as a data error. Users are encouraged to select the most accurate drop-down menu when working with clients. Questions about data collection practices can be directed to HMIS Support anytime!

A message from the CES Management Entity

The CE Team would like to thank all the service providers who made leasing up at the Anderson Hotel and Tiburon Place possible! With more than 70 referrals from the community queue and all eligible households from the 10 and 11 score grouping (on 12/5) referred to projects - it has been an exciting month for Coordinated Entry in our community!

Takeaways from November:

Many case managers were unaware that their clients had been auto-exited and needed to be returned to the Community Queue (CQ).
Status assessments are used to keep client information current and manage client eligibility on the CQ. Make sure you have a program-related activity or assessment at least every 120 days to keep your client active on the Community Queue.
Document readiness was the most common reason that clients were denied housing over the last month.
Notifications in the CE program are tied to the "Assigned Staff" and not the "Care Team."

Reminder:

The CES Collaborative Meeting will be held on Tuesday, January 28, 2025 at 1:30PM. Users are invited to reach out directly to Nathan Rubinoff to be added to this calendar item, or if there are any questions.

Questions regarding best practices and CES user support

can be directed to the CES Management Entity

Newsletter Frequency in 2025

Beginning in January 2025, HMIS users will receive the newsletter monthly, instead of biweekly. Be sure to reach and share with staff to stay informed on the latest HMIS updates and news!

HMIS Website

Instagram

Facebook