Supportive Services for Veteran Families SSVF HMIS and

Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) HMIS and the Impact of Outcomes in Prevention Services Sponsored by: National Center on Homelessness Among Veterans U. S. Department of Veteran Affairs

2 SSVF and Homeless Management Information Systems (HMIS) n During this session we will: – Provide a brief history of HMIS – Discuss the role of HMIS in improving Prevention programs – Review revised HMIS Data Standards – Discuss changes to the HMIS Data Standards for SSVF

3 Homeless Management Information Systems n What is HMIS? – a locally administered, electronic data collection system that stores person-level information about clients who access the homeless service system.

2001 Congressional Directive 4 n In 2001 Congress directed HUD on the need for data and analysis on the extent of homelessness and the effectiveness of the Mc. Kinney-Vento Act Programs including: – Developing unduplicated counts of clients served at the local level – Analyzing patterns of use of people entering and exiting the homeless assistance system – Evaluating the effectiveness of these systems

Why is HMIS Important? 5 n Each Continuum of Care (Co. C) must implement an HMIS; HUD assesses and scores progress in Co. C application n Local HMIS data is critical for the Annual Homeless Assessment Report (AHAR) n Implementation of HMIS at the local level can support coordinated service planning and case management

6 Why is HMIS Important? (cont’d) n HMIS enables: – Collecting common set of data elements – Identifying who is literally homeless or at risk of homelessness – Tracking SSVF assistance provided – Reporting client progress and program performance – Monitoring on-going data quality

Why is HMIS Important for SSVF? 7 n n n SSVF Legislation requires use of HMIS for data collection Grantees providing SSVF assistance/services must report client-level data into Co. C’s HMIS Reports to VA of SSVF activity and outcomes must be generated from HMIS

8 Role of HMIS in Program Operations HMIS can help you determine: n What are the risk factors for Veteran homelessness; n What are the needs of homeless Veterans; n What works in ending homelessness and promoting housing stability.

9 What are the risk factors for homelessness? HMIS program data can help you develop targeting approaches and profile techniques. n Who is currently served in emergency shelter n What are the characteristics of homeless Veterans? n Where are homeless Veterans coming from (geography, living situation, etc. )? n What housing situations are most likely to contribute to homelessness?

10 What are the needs of homeless Veterans? Use HMIS to document and analyze service use patterns and Veterans’ needs. n What levels of service intensity and duration are required to resolve a Veteran’s housing crisis? n What combination of SSVF services and VA and mainstream benefits can help resolve Veteran homelessness? n How can HMIS data be used to document and understand needs of different subpopulations?

11 What works in ending Veteran homelessness? HMIS can help you document the most effective strategies: n When should Prevention resources be used? n What is the best package of services given different Veteran characteristics and various housing barriers? n How can HMIS data be used to improve program operations and outcomes?

12 What are the HMIS Data and Technical Standards? n Federal Register Notice that defines baseline requirements for: – Data collection (data elements and response categories) n n – – n Universal data elements (required for all programs) Program-specific data elements (required for programs required to generate annual reports ) Privacy Security Under Revision to include SSVF data elements

13 Components of the HMIS Data Standards n Three components: – Program Descriptor Data Elements n Describes your program – Universal Data Elements n Describes clients and services – Program-Specific Data Elements n Documents client outcomes (changes)

Data Standards and SSVF 14 n Housing Category – Residing in permanent housing – Homeless and scheduled to become residents of permanent housing – Exited permanent housing within the previous 90 days and seeking other housing that is responsive to their needs – Other n Percent of AMI – Less than 30% – 30% to 50% – Greater than 50% n Formerly Chronically Homeless – – No Yes Client doesn’t know Client refused

Data Reporting 15 § VA is expecting that client-level data for SSVF programs will be exported from HMIS and uploaded to a VA server. § Exports may be either XML 3. 0 or CSV 3. 02. § Exports will occur quarterly for the 1 st quarter; then starting in 2012 they will occur monthly. § All VA-required reporting and data analysis for the SSVF program will be done by VA based on the data from the HMIS systems.

Summary of HMIS Standards 16 n n VA expects every SSVF grantee to meet the baseline requirements as defined in the HMIS Data and Technical Standards. For more information or to request HMIS technical assistance visit: http: //www. va. gov/homeless/