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The Master Workflows have been created by the HMIS administration team for each project type to help our users enter data into HMIS with the least amount of data quality issues. All Master HMIS Workflows should be considered Best Practices for your team. 

Introduction to Emergency Shelter (ES) Projects

HUD-funded Emergency Shelters (ES) provide temporary lodging for members of the community who are facing a housing crisis or fleeing from abusive circumstances. Emergency Shelter (ES) teams support their clients through case management, emergency health/mental health services, and by maintaining shelter safety. Emergency Shelter (ES) projects being operated in WNY can take three forms:

• Traditional shelters with rooms and/or beds where clients can stay onsite with the provider for multiple nights in a row.
• Hotel and motel rooms that are paid for through Emergency Shelter (ES) vouchers provided by the Department of Social Services (DSS).
• Code Blue seasonal shelters are pop-up shelters that offer warm beds during the colder months. These shelters are different from traditional shelters because:
  • They use borrowed facilities to offer pop-up locations on cold nights;
  • Beds are “first come, first serve” and are not held for previous clients.

In the following resource we will be focusing on the requirements for Emergency Shelter (ES) projects that are funded through the HUD Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG) program. Projects funded by the Veterans Administration (VA) or FYSB’s Runaway and Homeless Youth (RHY) program may have additional requirements.

 

What data elements do Emergency Shelter (ES) projects collect in HMIS?

Emergency Shelters (ES) primary data collection goal is to document the client’s stay with the project. This documentation of time spent living in the shelter is used by the Coordinated Entry (CE) Lead to help determine a client’s length of time homeless and eligibility for housing services.

Project Start Date

The project start date is when the client begins their shelter stay.

Emergency shelter teams are required to create a project entry in HMIS on the project start date if they are funded through…

• • The US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
  • The Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), or 
  • The Veterans Affairs (VA) Administration
  • The Department of Social Services 

All required data elements should be complete when the intake is added on the Project Start Date to avoid any data quality issues on the project’s reports.

Interim Reviews

Interim Reviews should be added to HMIS any time the team is informed of a change to the clients’ 

• • Monthly Income
  • Non-cash Benefits
  • Insurance, or
  • Disability Status

Annual Assessments

The shelter team must collect information for the Annual Assessment if the client stays at the shelter for more than 12 months. In order to show in the project’s reports as successfully completed, Annual Assessments should be added to HMIS as an Interim Review within 60 days of the anniversary of the client’s project start date (up to 30 days before or after).

Data collected at the Annual Assessment includes all the same data elements as the interim review.

Project Exit Date

The client’s project exit date is the day the client is no longer staying at the shelter.

Shelters are monitored for the number of beds they are able to provide each night. Shelter teams should not keep project entries open for clients who are no longer occupying a bed to ensure their available bed count remains accurate.

All emergency shelters, whether they use HMIS or not, are asked to report their bed counts twice a year in the spring and fall.

 

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Step by Step Master Walkthrough

This section will help you follow best practices for Emergency Shelter projects while working in HMIS. In this document we will answer the questions “What should I do next?” and “When should I do this task?”. 

 

HMIS Homepage

You will always start from the HMIS homepage after logging into the site.

Task 1 – Enter Data As (if applicable)

If you have access to multiple projects in HMIS “Enter Data As” must be used to both read the profiles of clients who are currently open in your project, as well as when you are entering new information.  Choose the correct project from the list provided.

Task 2 – Back Date Mode (if applicable)

Back Date Mode should be used whenever you are adding information to a client’s profile that was shared on a day in the past. This tool will allow you to set the system date to the correct day. If the information was given to you on today’s date and you are entering it on the same day, you will not need to use Back Date Mode.

 

Client Search Screen

You will always begin by searching for the client, either using an HMIS Client ID number, or the details provided during the intake process.

Task 3 – Client Search

If you do not have an HMIS Client ID number for this client, you will need to use their personal information to search HMIS for any existing client records that may match this person. Use as many details as you have to ensure you pull all records that might match your client.

If you have several records that might match this client in the search results, use the Summary and Client Profile Tabs within each record to view additional information that might help you select the correct record.

Task 4 – Creating a New Client Record (if applicable)

If none of your search results match the client’s information, you may create a new record using the information entered in the search. 

 

Client File: Households Tab

Households should only be used if this client lives with others (ie – couples, families, etc). You do not need to create Households for singles.

Task 5 – Household Search (if applicable)

The household search will search for those with a matching last name to the client. If you find a match…

1. 1. Check the type. Does this match the household situation that the client is currently living in?
   2. Check the household members. Is everyone currently living in the household listed in HMIS? (Don’t worry about extra members that aren’t living with the household anymore as long as the Household type is correct and all current members are listed. You will be able to select the specific individuals needed when creating the Project Entry.)

If no households are found, use the Start a New Household button to get started.

Task 6 – Creating and Editing Households (if applicable)

Once you’ve created a new household and identified the type (ie- couple without children, two parent family, single parent family, etc) you will need to use the Client Search screen to add family members. This process will be identical to Tasks 3 and 4.

Additionally, if you have an existing household of the right type that is missing any members, you can use this household set-up screen to add more individuals using the Client Search. Once all current members of the household have been added to the list, you can continue on to create their project entry.

 

Client File: ROI Tab

Task 7 – Adding a Release of Information (ROI)

The Release of Information (ROI) for your project must be entered into the system before any information is added to the Entry/Exit Tab. Adding a release to the system (either yes or no) means that you have already collected the signed HMIS Release of Information (ROI) and Client Consent form from all adult members of the household.

• • If your client is part of an HMIS Household that they are not currently living with, do not check the boxes to include the household.
  • If your client’s household includes members that are no longer living with the household, do not check the boxes to include those individuals.

 

Client File: Entry/ Exit Tab

Task 8 – Creating an Intake (Entry/Exit Tab)

Adding a Project Entry

Each client should only have one open entry per project at a time (meaning an entry without an end date). The project entry should be created on the day the client completed the intake forms, or entered using Back Date Mode on the day matching their intake date. On the creation screen, choose the type of form that matches the project’s grant funding.

Filling in the Intake Assessment

Intake Assessments must be completed for each member of the household. Your project’s HMIS intake form is customized to the project’s funding requirements, as well as any special questions requested by your organization. This form should match the physical intake form completed by the client.

Most project intake forms are organized as:

• • Demographics
  • Housing History (Prior Living Situation)
  • HUD Verifications (Income, Non-Cash Benefits, Insurance, Disabilities)
  • Federal Partner-specific Data Elements (if applicable)
  • Organization-specific Data Elements (if applicable)
  • Coordinated Entry (CE) Data

What should I do with the Coordinated Entry (CE) Data section?

Emergency Shelter (ES) projects help triage clients to determine the most appropriate next steps to solve their housing needs and immediate concerns. Part of this triage is starting the CE process. As an Emergency Shelter team, you are considered an “Access Point” for CE. This means assessing the client for CE eligibility so the CE team can make referrals to housing. 

This assessment data is recorded in HMIS under this section.

If you are not trained to complete the CE Assessment please leave this section blank and refer the client to one of our Coordinated Entry (CE) Access Points.

 

Coordinated Entry (CE) Access Points Contact Information

 

Erie County
Genesee St. Access Point 586 Genesee Street Buffalo, NY Phone: 716-819-8188 Open: Monday through Friday   7:00am-3:00pm	Central Library Access Point 1 Lafayette Square, Buffalo, NY  Phone: 716-367-8188 Open: Monday through Friday   8:30AM to 4:30PM
Genesee, Orleans, and Wyoming Counties
Independent Living: Batavia 319 West Main Street Batavia, NY Phone: 585-815-8501 ext. 400 Open: 8:30am-5:00pm	Independent Living: Albion 243 South Main Street Albion, NY Phone: 585-815-8501 ext. 421, 422 Open: 8:30am-5:00pm
Niagara County
Heart, Love & Soul – Daybreak 924 Niagara Avenue Niagara Falls, NY Phone: 716-282-5687 Open: Monday through Friday  9:00am-3:00pm

 

If you are trained to complete the CE Assessment please follow all the steps listed under Task 9.

 

Coordinated Entry (CE) Tasks in the Client File

Task 9 – Entering CE Assessment Data at Intake

The Coordinated Entry (CE) assessment process begins at intake by entering the results of the survey.

Step A – Entry/Exit Tab

Getting your client added to the Housing Referrals list (also known as the By-Name list) starts with completing the Coordinated Entry Data section on the intake assessment.

1. 1. CE Referral Event
   2. CE Assessment Results

Step B – Assessment Tab

To finalize their information, go to the Assessment Tab in the Client’s profile once the Intake Assessment is complete (on the same date). This tab will allow you to add the client’s contact information and your own. This information is very important for helping the CE Team contact clients once they have been referred to housing assistance. After this has been completed, select the version of the CE assessment that matches the one done by the client.

1. 1. Contact Information
   2. CE Assessment Results

 

Client File: Entry/Exit Tab

Task 10: Creating an Annual Assessment

The shelter team must create an Annual Assessment if the client stays at the shelter for more than 12 months. The data elements that can be updated on this form match the Interim Review. 

Annual assessments should be created regardless of whether or not there has been a change to the client’s information.

Task 11: Creating an Interim Review

An interim review should be created on the Entry/Exit tab whenever you have communication from a client that there has been a change to their:

• • Monthly income
  • Non-cash benefits
  • Insurance
  • Disability Status

During this change, the Case Manager should give end dates to any benefits that have stopped or disabilities that have been resolved under the HUD Verifications section of the Interim Review. Then, new entries should be added to reflect the current status moving forward.

 

Client File: Client Profile Tab

Task 12: Attaching Files

If the Case Manager collects any document files outside of HMIS that will assist with the Coordinated Entry (CE) process these can be uploaded on the Client Profile Tab.

1. 1. Upload File Attachments to HMIS

 

Client File: Entry/Exit Tab

Task 13 – Exiting Clients

Your project should only have open entries for clients that are currently being served. Case Managers should make every attempt to conduct exit interviews with their clients to get an accurate picture of where they will be living moving forward, also known as the Destination. Exiting clients from the ES project will not remove them from the By-name list for as long as they are enrolled in the Coordinated Entry (CE) HMIS Project.

What should you use for the Exit Date?

• • If the client is not currently staying at the shelter or hotel/motel provided by the project… use the Back Date mode to exit the client on the last date you can confirm they stayed at the location.
  • If the client has left the area or communicates they are leaving the project… use the date you received this information as the exit date.
  • If the client has moved into permanent housing… use the Move-in Date as the exit date.

 

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Related Articles

Switching Between Projects (Enter Data As)

Changing the System Date (Back Date Mode)

Searching for a Client Record

Creating a Client Record

Adding and Editing Households

Adding a Release of Information (ROI)

Adding a Project Entry

Uploading and Downloading Files 

 

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Still having trouble?

If you are still having issues with ES projects, please contact the HMIS Administration Team at [email protected].