Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF)

Webinar Series

SSVF Data Collection, Management and Reporting Under the 2014 HMIS

Data Standards

Audio can be accessed through the following conference line: Toll-free: 1-866-952-8437Access Code: 757-689-133

Webinar Format

• Webinar will last approximately 1.5 hours• Participants’ phone connections are “muted” due to the

high number of callers– Questions can be submitted during the webinar using the chat

function

• Questions can also be submitted anytime to ssvfhmis@abtassoc.com

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How to Submit Questions during the Webinar

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Open and hide your control panel

Submit questions and comments via the Questions panel

Note: Today’s presentation is being recorded and will be posted onto SSVF University.

Your Participation

Objectives

• Give Background & Context for Changes• Provide overview of:

– 2014 HMIS Data Standards – Associated Data Standards Documents & Resources– Implementation Timeline

• Provide Overview of Key Changes:– Project Setup– Universal Data Elements– Program-Specific Data Elements

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Background & Context for Standards Change

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The 2014 HMIS Data Standards

• Jointly published by HUD, VA, and HHS • The result of a collaborative process• HUD and VA have developed protocols for

answering HUD Exchange AAQ questions related to VA programs

• You can submit SSVF HMIS-related questions to the AAQ, but ssvfhmis@abtassoc.com will get a more prompt response

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Implementation Day – 10/1/2014

• HMIS software updates went live

• SSVF Projects collect and enter client data consistent with revised data standards and local policies/procedures for all clients active on 10/1 and later

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Key Resources & Documents

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Data Standards Publications

1. HMIS Data DictionaryProvides data element basics and instructions for HMIS software providers. https://www.hudexchange.info/resources/documents/HMIS-Data-Dictionary.pdf

2. HMIS Data ManualIncludes explanations and instructions for HMIS administrators, CoCs, and HMIS users. https://www.hudexchange.info/resources/documents/HMIS-Data-Standards-Manual.pdf

3. VA Data Guide – FY2015VA has issued guidance for the collection, management, and reporting of SSVF data. The Guide can be found at http://www.va.gov/homeless/ssvf/index.asp?page=/program_requirements/hmis_and_data

4. Project Descriptor Data ElementsDetailed guidance on project descriptor data elements for HMIS administrators, CoCs, and HMIS users. https://www.hudexchange.info/resources/documents/HMIS-Project-Descriptor-Data-Elements-Manual.pdf

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Overview of Key Changes & How it Impacts Your Work

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Language: Program v. Project

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Federal Programs

Continuum Projects

CoC

Recipient

Recipient•Subrecipient(s)

ESG

Recipient•Subrecipient(s)

SSVF

Grantee

• Program Name and Program Entry Date are now Project Name and Project Entry Date

• Category of Program-Specific Data Elements hasn’t changed; each element is relevant for one or more federal programs / funding streams

HMIS Language ChangesHow this Impacts You!

The national SSVF program office manages the SSVF Program, which funds 300+ local SSVF Projects.

You work with an SSVF Project.

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Structural ChangesHow this Impacts You!

All SSVF projects must collect:• All Universal Data Elements• SSVF Program-Specific Data Elements (pg. 11

of VA Data Guide).

You can opt to collect additional data

elements listed in the Data Standards.

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Project Descriptor Major Changes

• New Federal Funding Source data element• Projects can be associated with more than one

CoC to facilitate HMIS participation for projects that operate in multiple CoCs

• New separate Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing project types; HPRP retired

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Project Descriptor ChangesHow this Impacts You!

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Change Impact

Federal Partner Funding Source (new) Will identify the VA SSVF Program as a funding source

Project Type (revised) Every SSVF grant will need a separate HP and RRH project set up in HMIS

CoC Code (revised) During project setup, your HP and RRH projects should be associated with each CoC your grant is funded to serve. At each enrollment, you will enter the CoC in which the head of household is located with the new data element, Client Location.

SSVF HP and RRH Projects

• Households will be enrolled in your HP or RRH project based on the head of household / eligible veteran’s living situation at enrollment– If the head of household is homeless, enter the

household into your RRH project.– If the head of household is in permanent housing,

enter the household into your HP project.

• SSVF grantees are no longer required to collect Housing Status

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Project Set UpHow this Impacts You!

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Records Action to take

For clients who entered SSVF before your system upgraded and exited/will exit after the upgrade.

• Update client records consistent with FY15 data collection requirements

• Make sure that households are in HP / RRH project as appropriate

For clients who entered and exited prior to system upgrade

Do nothing*

For clients who entered and exited after the upgrade

Collect and enter data consistent with FY15 data collection requirements

*If your CoC has any need to report on HP / RRH clients served prior to October 1, it may be necessary to move these records into HP / RRH projects.

Universal Data Elements Changes

Universal Data Elements- new or revised

Significance

Relationship to Head of Household (new!)

Responses: Self (HoH), HoH’s child, HoH’s spouse/partner, HoH other relation member, Other: non-relation member

Client Location (new!) Collected at project entry

Length of Time on Street, in an Emergency Shelter, or Safe Haven (new!)

Enables identification of chronically homeless individuals in an HMIS (in combination with other data)

Name (revised) Data quality field added. (Full name, Partial/Street name or Code)

Veteran Status (revised) Collected once per client rather than at every project entry (consistent with HOMES data collection process)

Disabling Condition (revised) Now collected for adults only

Residence Prior to Entry (revised)

Added response category: Rental by Client with VASH subsidy

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• One (and only one) HoH per enrollment• For SSVF, as a general rule, the eligible veteran should

be identified as the HoH• If there are 2 or more veterans in the household, you

may identify either one of them as the HoH – it doesn’t matter which

• Will serve as the basis for a standardized method (APR, AHAR, SSVF reports) to count households over time

• This data element is required for all participants served on or after October 1, including those who entered prior to October 1

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Relationship to Head of HouseholdHow this Impacts You!

Client LocationHow this Impacts You!

• Identifies the location of the HoH by Continuum of Care code

• Corresponds to CoC Codes associated with the project in the Project Descriptor data element

• Will enable projects operating in multiple continuums to enter data into a single HMIS without compromising data integrity

• This data element is required for all Heads of Household served on or after October 1, including those who entered prior to October 1

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• You may select ‘Full name reported’ as long as you enter the client’s full legal first and last name– Collection and entry of middle names and suffixes, when

relevant, is strongly encouraged but not required

• Don’t enter nicknames – If the client’s legal name is Robert, enter Robert into

HMIS – Bob, Rob, and Bert are nicknames that are fine for use in person (if that’s his preference) but bad for data quality

• ‘Client doesn’t know’ ‘Client refused’ and ‘Data not collected are not valid options for SSVF participants

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Name Data QualityHow this Impacts You!

• The information in this data element, in conjunction with other HMIS data, will be used to identify chronically homeless individuals and families

• HUD has not finalized the logic for the chronic homelessness calculation

• Work with clients to answer each question as accurately as possible

• This data element is required for all adults served on or after October 1, including those who entered prior to October 1

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Length of Time on Street, in ES, or SHHow this Impacts You!

• Continuously Homeless for at Least One Year– If the client has been on the on the

streets, in emergency shelter, and/or Safe Haven – and nowhere else -- for a year or more at enrollment, select ‘Yes’

– If the client has spent time in TH, PSH, living with family or friends, or other living situations in the past year, select ‘No.’

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Length of Time on Street, in ES, or SHHow this Impacts You!

• Number of Times the Client has been Homeless in the Past Three Years– How many continuous periods of time has

the client spent on the streets, in emergency shelter, and/or Safe Haven?

– Time spent in TH, PSH, staying with friends or family, etc., should not be included – for this question, these other living situations are a break in any continuous period

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Length of Time on Street, in ES, or SHHow this Impacts You!

• Total Number of Months Continuously Homeless Immediately Prior to Project Entry–How many months continuously has the

client spent in emergency shelter, and/or Safe Haven – and nowhere else – immediately prior to project entry?

–For any partial month, round UP to the next highest month.

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Length of Time on Street, in ES, or SHHow this Impacts You!

• Status Documented– If you have documentation of the client’s history of

time in ES, SH, or on the street – or that they have NOT been in these living situations in the past 3 years – select ‘Yes.’

– Examples of documentation • Written confirmation from a street outreach worker, ES,

or SH• HMIS records of ES and SH stays or Outreach contacts• A lease agreement that shows that the client has been

in permanent housing for the past 3 years

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Length of Time on Street, in ES, or SHHow this Impacts You!

Program-Specific Major Changes

Program Specific Element

Housing Status (revised) • SSVF grantees no longer required to collect this

Residential Move-In Date (new!) • Date that RRH clients move into permanent housing

Income & Sources, Non-Cash Benefits (revised)

• Required now for HoH and Adults only (no children)

• Collect current sources only (previously was past 30 days.)

Health Insurance (new!) Collected on all clients

Services Provided Entered for head of household

Financial Assistance Entered for head of household

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Income and SourcesHow this Impacts You

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• Collected only for HoH and adults• Only income that is current should be entered• SSVF grantees should enter income information

that is consistent with the income calculation instructions – In general, income for household members under 18

should be included in the record of the HoH– Earned income for minors should NOT be included

• Household income is relevant to eligibility – ‘Client doesn’t know’ and ‘Client refused’ are NOT valid responses for any adult in the household

Residential Move-In DateHow this Impacts You

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• Collected for Head of Household for RRH• Project Entry Date – when you begin providing services to

an eligible homeless veteran / household• Residential Move-In Date – when the veteran / household

moves into permanent housing • Only one record of Residential Move-In Date per

enrollment • Unless you get the veteran / household into housing on

the first day of service, In Permanent Housing will be ‘No’ at project entry– If / when the veteran / household moves into housing, change

the ‘No’ to ‘Yes’ and enter the Date of Move-In

Veteran’s InformationHow this Impacts You

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• Year Entered Military Service• Year Separated from Military Service

– For veterans with multiple periods of service, use the year entered and separated for the longest continuous period of service

• Theaters of Operation– Select ‘Yes’ for every theater of operations

that the veteran served in.

Veteran’s InformationHow this Impacts You

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• Branch of the Military– For veterans who served in more than one branch,

select the branch in which they served the longest

• Discharge Status – For clients with more than one discharge and status,

enter the most favorable discharge status in HMIS– This is also the discharge status that you should use

in determining eligibility

Percent of AMIHow this Impacts You

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• Household Income as a Percentage of AMI– Less than 30%– 30% to 50%– Greater than 50%

• Collected for HoH• Select the category that reflects the percentage

you calculate in the eligibility screening process• You will no longer need to submit separate

counts of Households Served with Less than 30% AMI

Last Permanent AddressHow this Impacts You

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• Collected for all participants– Street Address– City– State– ZIP Code

• For HP (participants are in permanent housing at entry), this is their current address

• For RRH, this is the address of their last permanent housing – it is not the address of wherever they are currently staying

Services / Financial AssistanceHow this Impacts You

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• Categories now align to the regulatory language that defines the SSVF Program and the specific services SSVF grantees are funded to provide

• Enter a new record each time a service / financial assistance is provided

• Enter service / FA records under the HoH• Date of Financial Assistance should be the date

a check is cut• If a check is returned or not cashed, delete the

record in HMIS

Roles During Transition

HMIS Leads / Vendors

• Set up separate RRH and HP projects for each grant if they are not already split

• Projects created for separate CoCs may be combined or retired

• Data collection set up consistent with data standards

• Develop export processes

SSVF Grantee

• Update HMIS records to include new data elements for all active clients

• Review VA Data Guide – FY15

• Notify SSVF TA staff of Repository program setup

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VA Repository Changes

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Repository Change Significance

New HMIS export processes for 2014 data standards

Data will be uploaded in the HMIS CSV 4.0 format

Data validation process streamlined Will be fewer reasons for rejection, but more emphasis on data quality

Name, DOB, and other identifying information is (STILL!) not optional for ALL participants – whether or not the Repository accepts your upload.

Repository program set-up - How many separate exports will you need to generate so that all of your data is included? You’ll need that many Repository programs. Contact ssvfhmis@abtassoc.com to update your Repository setup.

November Upload – What to Expect

• Repository opens November 3 • This is a new process all around – new data

collection for grantees, new export processes for HMIS vendors, new validation for the Repository

• The Repository will only be able to accept HMIS CSV 4.0

• The old XML-to-CSV parser does not generate CSV 4.0 – data will have to be exported from HMIS

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November Upload – What to Expect

• Repository program setup may need to change • You will need at least one program in the Repository for

each grant• You will need more programs set up if it takes more than

one export process to generate all of the data for your grant – If you can only export data for one project at a time, you will

need a separate Repository program for HP and RRH

• HMIS TA staff may need to revise the set-up of your Repository programs (respond to e-mail if you need to add or remove Repository programs for your grant)

• Contact ssvfhmis@abtassoc.com38

FAQs

What if my vendor isn’t ready to export in CSV 4.0 during the November upload cycle?

What is my responsibility with updating? What if I have active clients on Oct. 1 and

haven’t had the opportunity to update all of the records yet?

Do I also need to update service records? Do you have revised SSVF data collection

templates?

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Questions?

• HMIS Questions– E-mail: ssvfhmis@abtassoc.com

• SSVF Program QuestionsContact your Regional Coordinator

 

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THANK YOU!

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