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Using HMIS to Track and Evaluate Successes and Trends of Project Homeless Connect Events. Matthew Ayres, Hennepin County/City of Minneapolis Emily Warren, Wilder Research. Agenda. Homelessness in Minnesota Introduction to State-wide PHC/OCC events Evolution of PHC events in Minneapolis
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Using HMIS to Track and Evaluate Successes and Trends of Project Homeless Connect Events Matthew Ayres, Hennepin County/City of Minneapolis Emily Warren, Wilder Research
Agenda • Homelessness in Minnesota • Introduction to State-wide PHC/OCC events • Evolution of PHC events in Minneapolis • Data limitations • HMIS matching and longitudinal data • Using HMIS data for PHC planning and 10-year planning • Conclusions and questions
Homelessness in Minnesota • Geography: 13 Continuum of Care regions, including metro and rural areas • Point in Time Count: Statewide from October 26, 2006 Count- 7,713 Estimate- 9,200 to 9,300 • Total Population: 5,167,101 (U.S. Census 2006)
Homelessness in Minneapolis • Geography: 1 Continuum of Care region, Hennepin County. • Point in Time Count: Statewide from October 26, 2006 Count- 3,998 • Total Population: 1,122,093 (U.S. Census 2006)
Operation Community Connect in MN • Operation Community Connect – Rural • Aitkin • Kanabec • Isanti • Mille Lacs • Pine • Chisago • Rice • Clay • Moorhead (Project Homeless Connect) • Total Served: 635 households
Project Homeless Connect in MN • Project Homeless Connect – Urban • Minneapolis (Hennepin County)- April 28, 2008 • Total Served: 2,570 Households • St Paul (Ramsey County) – June 10, 2008 • Total Served: 1,033 Households • Duluth (St. Louis County) – October 24, 2007 • Total Served: 344 Households
Evolution of Minneapolis PHC • First event: December 2005 • 500 guests, 50 Volunteers, 40 service providers • Recent event: April, 2008 • 2880 Guests, 1300 Volunteers, 140 agencies with over 350 service providers
Services at Minneapolis PHC • Mental Health assessments • Chemical Dependency assessments • Housing programs • Employment programs and Employers • GED and Community college • IDs and Birth Certificates • Early Childhood Family Education • Daycare • Veterans Services
Services at Minneapolis PHC cont… • Youth-specific services • Haircuts • Footwear • Medical • Dental • Eye care • Chiropractic • Transportation Assistance • Lunch
Common Intake Form • Multiple counties worked to develop and utilize a common intake form used at all PHC/OCC events statewide. • This allows for statewide demographic data regarding who is accessing services. • Informs local plans and allows for longitudinal tracking of guests.
Data Limitations • Use of unique IDs - The Bob/Robert conundrum • Lack of bed coverage in some CoCs • Example: Hennepin County • 35% of emergency shelter beds, 83% of transitional housing beds, 55% of permanent housing beds • Intake forms completed by volunteers • Reliance on self-report from guests
Demographics at Minneapolis PHC – April 2008 event • 2,570 households • 2,888 individuals • 1,690 single adults • 164 couples or adults with “other” family status • 663 parents or guardians • 318 children • 53 unaccompanied youth
Demographics at Minneapolis PHC – April 2008 event • 22% not currently homeless • 25% 1st time homeless • 14% multiple times homeless • 21% long-term homeless • 18% homelessness status unknown/missing • 16% American-Indian • 52% Black/African-American • 21% White • 5% Other/Multi-racial • 6% Missing
Why use HMIS to evaluate PHC events? • Provides more information about who is attending the events – are they already accessing services? • An indicator of effectiveness of events by tracking later use of services by PHC guests • Plan for future events, especially programmatic changes based on guests’ needs • Informs 10-year plans
Example of matching: Hennepin Co. • 3,427 guests attended either the October 2007 or April 2008 PHC events in Hennepin • Of those, 169 guests were not in HMIS prior to the event AND received services within 30 days after the event from a provider participating in HMIS: • 42 received FHPAP services • 49 received emergency shelter • 27 received transitional housing • 31 received permanent housing • 60 received other support services
Example of matching: Hennepin Co • 729 guests identifying as long-term homeless attended the October 2007 or April 2008 PHC Event in Hennepin Co. • Of those, 521 guests were not in HMIS prior to the event. • Of those, 35 guests received a service in HMIS within 30 days after the event, and 19 of those received a service of permanent housing. • Three months after receiving permanent housing, 18 of those 19 guests are still in the same housing program. The other guest left their housing program for a Section 8 voucher.
What does this data mean? • Evaluates the outcomes of PHC events • Provides anecdotal evidence for “successes” of the events • Provides data on the number of follow-up services provided after the event • Informs 10-year planning by providing additional information to communities about their homeless population’s needs, demographics, and use of services