PATH Programs in HMIS

HMIS System Administrators

Training on Project Set-Up

All content has been approved by:

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

Office of Special Needs Assistance Programs

and

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services

Administration – PATH Program Office

Purpose

This training is one of a 4 part series designed to provide HMIS System Administrators and HMIS Lead Agency Staff an understanding of project set-up for different HMIS Federal Partner Programs including:

• The funding program and component as they relate to HMIS Project Types

• The Program Specific Data Elements collection requirements for different program components

• Special data collection issues and FAQ’s

• Reporting overview and timeframe

Program covered in this lesson:

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services

Administration (SAMHSA)

Projects for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness

Program (PATH)

Resources

• HMIS Program Specific Manuals are available on the

HUD Exchange for each of the HMIS Federal Partner

Programs:

• HUD CoC Program

• HUD ESG Program

• HUD HOPWA Program

• HHS RHY Program

• HHS PATH Program

• VA Programs

• Information about HMIS is located in the HMIS Section on

the HUD Exchange.

• Program information can be found on the PATH website.

Submitting Questions

• Due to the high volume of participants, all participants will

be muted throughout the presentation.

• Questions can be posted at any time during the webinar

via the “Questions” pane of Go-to-Meeting.

• All questions that we do not have time to respond to

should be submitted via the Ask A Question section on the

HUD Exchange – selecting HMIS in Step 2

Set-up process

Organization ID

Project ID CoC Code

Project TypingFederal Partner Funding Source

Organizational & Project IDs

•2.1 Organizational Identifier

• Legal Name of the Organization & system generated ID

•2.2 The Project Name

• Name of the Project & system generated ID

•2.3 The CoC Code

• Use the CoC codes based on the location where the project operates.

2.4 HMIS Project Type –

for the PATH ProgramPATH Program

Component

Population of focus HMIS Project Type

Street Outreach

and Supportive

Services

Persons who generally reside in a

place not meant for human

habitation (streets, abandoned

buildings, etc.)

Street Outreach

Persons who reside in a place other

than one not meant for human

habitation, or who are “at risk of

homelessness”

Services Only

Supportive

Services

Project serves only persons who are

enrolled in PATH and only provides

services other than Street Outreach. Services Only

2.6 Federal Partner Funding Sources

Select:

• HHS:PATH – Street Outreach & Supportive Services Only

HMIS Sample ReportOrg Org

ID

Project Project

ID

CoC

Code

HMIS Project Type Federal Partner Funding Source

Behavioral

Health, Inc.

170 PATH-

Street

Outreach

690 OH-

500

Street Outreach HHS:PATH – Street Outreach &

Supportive Services Only

Behavioral

Health, Inc.

170 PATH –

Inreach

691 OH-

500

Services Only HHS:PATH – Street Outreach &

Supportive Services Only

ABC

Services,

Inc.

139 PATH –

Services

692 OH-

500

Services Only HHS:PATH – Street Outreach &

Supportive Services Only

DATA COLLECTION

Data Collection

The ability for a street outreach worker to obtain information

(data collection) about an individual on the street and the ability

to “engage” with the client is synonymous. If the worker does

not know the client’s name, it is not possible that the client has

become “engaged.”

No one should expect that prior to engagement, workers will

have all the elements required for PATH completed on an

individual client.

Data quality does not begin to be considered for street outreach

until the client has been marked with a “date of engagement” in

the HMIS.

Data collection stages

• Record Creation – when an element has one and only

one value (e.g., name)

• Project Entry –

• Residential projects (except RRH) = date of move in

• Street outreach = date of first contact

• Service projects = date of first service/intake/assessment

• Update – when an element changes (e.g., income) with

the information date identifying the date the data is

collected or was relevant.

Data collection stages

• Annual Assessment – For all clients in project for one

year, each year thereafter.

• The annual assessment is to be recorded no more than 30 days

before or after the anniversary of the client’s Project Entry Date,

regardless of the date of the most recent ‘update.’ Information

must be accurate as of the Information Date.

• Information must be recorded as an Annual Assessment or will

not be reported in future APRs or Performance Measures.

• Project exit – date of exit

ContactA contact is defined as an interaction between a worker

and a client. Contacts may range from a simple verbal

conversation between the street outreach worker and the

client about the client’s well-being or needs or may be a

referral to service.

A contact must be recorded anytime a client is met,

especially when an engagement date or date of

enrollment is recorded on the same day.

The first contact with a client = the project entry date in

the HMIS.

Engagement Date

ENGAGEMENT: Date of engagement is defined as the date on

which an interactive client relationship results in a deliberate client

assessment or beginning of a case plan.

The date of engagement should be entered into HMIS at the point

that the client has become engaged. It may be on or after the project

entry date and prior to project exit. If the client exits without

becoming engaged, the engagement date should be left blank.

Data quality does not begin being considered for street outreach until

the client is engaged.

All project types collect all

Universal Data Elements

• Name

• Social Security Number

• Date of Birth

• Race

• Ethnicity

• Gender

• Veteran Status

• Disabling Condition

• Residence Prior to Program

Entry

• Project Entry Date

• Project Exit Date

• Destination

• Relationship to Head of

Household

• Client Location

• Length of Time on the Street

Note on Households:

Universal Data Elements

• To be able to identify each client as a unique individual in a household the HMIS will automatically generate a Personal ID on each client and then group that client with the other persons in the project with them by a Household ID.

• It is important that whatever search methodology your system uses to help users connect the client with an existing record in the system for the same client is emphasized in all trainings for new users.

• Users must enter the relationship of the client to the rest of the household.

Program Specific Data Element

for PATH Projects:PATH Projects MUST collect: PATH Projects are

encouraged to collect:

Physical Disability Housing Status Income & Sources

Developmental Disability Contact Non-Cash Benefits

Chronic Health Condition Date of Engagement Health Insurance

Mental Health Problem Services Provided –

PATH Funded

HIV/AIDS

Substance Abuse Referrals Provided –

PATH

Connection with SOAR

PATH Status (Enrollment

Status)

PATH Status

• The PATH Status data element identifies whether or not the client being served by PATH actually became enrolled in the PATH project.

• Enrollment and Engagement are not the same or synonymous.

• An enrollment date is the date when a client has formally consented to participate in services provided by the PATH project. The date of PATH enrollment should be entered into the HMIS at the point that the client has become enrolled, using the “PATH Status” element.

• The enrollment date may be on or after the project entry date or engagement date and prior to project exit. If the client exits without becoming enrolled, the “PATH Status” element needs to be completed, indicating that the client was not enrolled and the reason the client was not enrolled.

• PATH requires that clients receiving services or assisted referrals (as recorded in the Services Provided – PATH Funded and Referrals Provided – PATH elements) are enrolled.

Housing Status & Connection to SOAR

• Housing Status remains a required data element at

project entry for PATH projects (both Street Outreach and

Service Only project types)

• CoCs with a local SOAR program (initiative to improve

access to SSI/SSDI benefits for those experiencing

homelessness and mental illness) may choose to collect

data on whether clients are connected to the program.

This element is collected by project exit.

PATH Services

PATH Services = PATH FUNDED Services

• Outreach

• Screening/assessment

• Habilitation/rehabilitation

• Community mental health

• Substance use treatment

• Case management

• Residential supportive services

• Housing minor renovation

• Housing moving assistance

• Housing technical assistance

• Security deposits

• One-time rent for eviction prevention

• Other PATH funded service

Referrals Provided

Referrals that were provided by PATH funded services to enrolled clients are to be recorded in HMIS.

• Community Mental Health

• Substance Use Treatment

• Primary Health Services

• Job Training

• Educational Services

• Relevant Housing Services

• Housing Placement Assistance

• Income Assistance

• Employment Assistance

• Medical Assistance

Program Specific Data Elements

In the 2014 Data Dictionary and Data Manual, there are

instructions about which programs and components collect

which program specific data elements.

The PATH Program Specific Manual also contains lists of

elements required for collection.

If your system has the ability to turn on and off individual

data element fields, it is critical that the settings for the

collection of program specific data elements are correct

based on the project type and funding source.

Reporting

• Programming specifications have been developed for the

PATH report in conjunction with PATH.

• HMIS vendors should be providing PATH reports as they

do with other federal reports.

Questions?

Specific guidance about the PATH program and its requirements can be

found on-line at the PATH Program Website. You may also contact your

project officer if you have specific program oriented questions that might

impact your PATH data.

HUD will assist with specific HMIS questions through the AAQ Portal.

Please be sure to select the “PATH Program” for your question under “My

Question is Related To.” HUD and PATH program staff are working

together to answer questions that come in to the AAQ related to PATH

and HMIS.