Welcome back to the Mind Your Data Series, the training series focused on improving data quality one element at a time.

DATA NEWSLETTER: PARTICIPANT EXITS

Why Participant Exits Matter? A participant's enrollment isn't complete until it has been properly exited in HMIS. When enrollments remain open after services have ended, the data no longer reflects what is happening in reality. These incomplete records affect reporting, performance metrics, and decision-making across the system.

Accurate participant exits help ensure:

Correct system reporting (APR, LSA, PIT/HIC alignment)
Accurate length of stay and utilization metrics
Clear participant outcomes (including exit destinations)
Reliable data for funding, performance, and resource management decisions

Leaving enrollments open can make it appear that participants are still receiving services when they are not, resulting in inaccurate reporting and reduced data quality.

What Does “Participant Exit” Mean? A participant exit is the formal process of closing a participant's program enrollment in HMIS when they are no longer receiving services. This process includes:

Recording the participant's exit date
Completing all required exit assessments
Documenting the participant's exit destination and final program status

Until an exit is recorded, HMIS considers the participant to be actively enrolled in the project.

Common Data Quality Issues

When participant enrollments remain open after services have ended, they can create several common data quality issues, including:

Participants appearing active after services have ended
Missing Project Exit dates
Missing or incomplete exit assessments
Missing, blank, or inaccurate Exit Destinations
Delayed data entry, with exits recorded weeks or months after the participant has left the project

These issues can have a significant impact on data quality by:

Inflating active participant counts
Skewing project utilization and performance metrics
Lowering your Data Quality Score
Affecting the accuracy of reports used for funding, compliance, and program planning

Timely and complete participant exits help ensure your HMIS data accurately reflects the services your project provides.

When Should You Exit a Participant from a Project?

A participant should be exited from a project when:

A participant completes the program
A participant leaves or disengages from services
A participant is transferred to another program (when applicable)

Timeliness matters: Exits should be entered as close to the actual exit date as possible.

Key Elements of a Complete Participant Exit: To properly close out a participant's enrollment, verify that all required exit information has been completed:

Exit Date:
Reflects the last day the participant received services
Exit Destination:
Accurately reflects where the participant is going
Critical for system performance and outcome tracking
Exit Assessment: Includes updated information such as:
Income
Non-cash benefits
Living situation
Final Data Review:
Before saving the exit, review the enrollment to ensure all required fields are complete, accurate, and up to date.

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

Waiting too long to enter exits
Guessing exit destinations instead of confirming
Skipping exit assessments because “nothing changed”
Leaving enrollments open “just in case”

Even if nothing has changed, exit data must still be reviewed and recorded.

How This Impacts Your Data Quality Score

Participant exits are tied to several high-priority data quality indicators, including:

Missing exit dates
Missing exit destinations
Incomplete assessments

These errors can:

Lower your % of participants without high-priority errors
Impact your ability to meet the 85% Data Quality KPI
Affect system-wide reporting required by HUD

Quick Check:

Are there participants still enrolled who are no longer receiving services?
Are exit dates entered promptly and accurately?
Are exit destinations complete and correct?
Are exit assessments completed for all exited participants?

Best Practices for Accurate Project Exits

1. Incorporate participant exits into your daily workflow. Make closing enrollments a routine part of service delivery rather than waiting until later.

2. Conduct regular data quality reviews. Use Data Quality Dashboards to identify participants with open enrollments that should be exited.

3. Train staff on participant exit requirements. Ensure all staff understand:

When a participant should be exited
Which fields must be completed during the exit process
How timely and accurate exits support data quality, reporting, and participant outcomes

4. Coordinate across teams: Make sure case managers, data staff, and supervisors are aligned.

5. Act quickly: Enter exits in real time whenever possible.

FINAL THOUGHT: A participant's exit completes the participant's story in HMIS. Without a complete project close-out:

Participant outcomes cannot be accurately measured.
HMIS data remains incomplete.
Program performance and system reporting may not reflect the services actually provided.
By recording timely and complete participant exits, you help ensure accurate reporting, stronger data quality, and a more reliable picture of the impact your program is making.

Mind your data now, because every participant deserves a complete story, from entry to exit.

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LAHSA's Enterprise Ticketing System

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Every Thursday from 2 PM - 3 PM

HMIS Office Hours

Data, Explained: LAHSA's Data Quality Monitoring Plan

LAHSA’s Data Quality Monitoring Plan (DQMP) ensures HMIS data is accurate, reliable, and actionable so providers and policymakers can understand needs, track progress, and improve outcomes. Check out our website to take a deeper dive into LAHSA's data quality framework:

LAHSA's DQMP Website

LAHSA is a joint powers authority of the City and County of Los Angeles, created in 1993 to address the problem of homelessness in Los Angeles County. LAHSA is the lead agency in the HUD-funded Los Angeles Continuum of Care, and coordinates and manages federal, state, county, and city funds for programs providing shelter, housing, and services to people experiencing homelessness.

Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority