LTH Sub-Assessment Webinar

1. LTH Sub-Assessment Webinar January 18, 2011 Wilder Research 0

2. Today’s Webinar • You can listen using your computer or calling in by phone • Phone: (773) 945-1010, access code 500-759-412 • Use the bar on the right side to ask questions. We will respond either directly, as part of the webinar to the audience in general, or follow-up after with you. • Please answer the survey at end of the webinar. hmismn.org

3. Webinar Topics • Resource overview • Sub-assessments: the basics • LTH sub-assessments review (current residence, housing cost, housing subsidy): • Program entry • Updates • Program exit • ART reporting wilderresearch.org

4. Resource Recap • HMIS newsletter • Read immediately – only sent on an as-needed basis • HMIS website (www.hmismn.org) • Newly updated “Help for Users” section • LTH data entry forms and instructions • Webinars (located in NewsFlash) • Data check reports • Helpline (email or phone) • M-F, 8:30-4:30 wilderresearch.org

5. Resource Recap • HMIS Data Entry & Reporting Instructions (white packet) • Step-by-step data entry and ART instructions • LTH Required Steps for HMIS • LTH intake forms • Detailed data collection information for all 3 LTH sub-assessments • All are available at http://www.hmismn.org/help/index.php wilderresearch.org

6. Sub-assessments: The Basics wilderresearch.org

7. What is a sub-assessment? • Any section of the LTH All-Inclusive Assessment with an “Add” box Sub-assessments in the LTH All-Inclusive: • Income • Non-cash benefits • Disabilities • Current residence • Housing cost • Housing subsidy wilderresearch.org

8. Who should complete a sub-assessment? All adults 18+ and unaccompanied youth: • Disabilities • Income • Non-cash benefits Single clients and heads of household only: • Current residence • Housing cost • Housing subsidy wilderresearch.org

9. Sub-assessments 101 • Dates are extremely important. • Reports use the start and end dates you enter in the sub-assessments to pull information—not the overall backdate of the LTH All-Inclusive Assessment. • Anything that is not currently active for a client should have an end date or it will confuse reporting • You do not have to be in backdate mode to add or update information in a sub-assessment. wilderresearch.org

10. LTH Sub-assessments: Program entry wilderresearch.org

11. LTH Current Residence - overview • Clients should always have a current residence record throughout their time in the program • No gaps allowed! • Make sure anything not current has an end date • Every residence change throughout the time the client is in the program should be recorded • Not necessary to record residence after the client leaves the program. • Complete in head of household’s record wilderresearch.org

12. LTH Current Residence - Entry • Start date = program entry date • Housing status/current residence: should reflect client’s residence on the day they start the program • Will usually be site-based or scattered-site supportive housing, but not always (ex: a client starts in emergency shelter, and later moves to supportive housing). wilderresearch.org

13. LTH Housing Cost sub-assessment • Update in head of household’s record • Required only if current residence is either: • Site-based supportive housing • Scattered site supportive housing • Clients must have housing cost recorded for the entire time they are in supportive housing • No gaps allowed! And only one record without an end date • Enter the amount the client currently pays for their housing (not the market rent) • Enter 0 if the client does not pay anything for their housing wilderresearch.org

14. LTH Housing Subsidy Sub-assessment • Update in head of household’s record • Required only if current residence is either: • Site-based supportive housing • Scattered site supportive housing • Clients must have housing subsidy recorded for the entire time they are in supportive housing • No gaps allowed! And only one record without an end date • Enter the primary source of subsidy • “No subsidy” is an option wilderresearch.org

15. Income • Make sure to include income for all clients 18+ in household • Clients can have more than one current income source • Make sure start dates match program entry dates • Also make sure info corresponds to answer in “Income received from any source in past 30 days” • If clients return, make sure to look at income already recorded in system wilderresearch.org

16. Disabilities • Since most disabilities now need to be documented, make sure you are answering “Does client have a disability of long duration” for all clients • Clients may have more than one disability recorded in the sub-assessment without an end date wilderresearch.org

17. LTH Sub-assessments: Updates wilderresearch.org

18. 7. Making Updates LTH Update Schedule • Twice a year (before running FY and calendar year reports): • Income/non-cash benefits • Disabilities • LTH Housing cost/subsidy • When client moves: • LTH Current residence wilderresearch.org

19. 7. Making Updates • Where should I make LTH updates? • Go to the LTH All-Inclusive Assessment. • Do I need to backdate? • No—backdating for sub-assessments is not required. wilderresearch.org

20. 7. Making Updates - Disabilities • Update for all adults & unaccompanied youth • No change = no update needed • Confirm that disabilities recorded before June 1, 2010 are documented • Mental health problem, physical disability, developmental disability, chronic health condition require documentation • If a recorded disability does not have documentation: • Change disability determination to “no” • End date: record as program entry date • Newly-documented disabilities: use date of documentation as start date wilderresearch.org

21. 7. Making Updates – Income/Benefits • Update for all adults & unaccompanied youth • No change = no update needed • If income/benefits have ended: • Add an end date • If the client has new income/benefits: • Use the “add” button to add a new income record • If cash income amount has changed: • Put an end date on the old amount. • Create a new income record showing the new amount. • Add new income/benefits as needed. wilderresearch.org

22. 7. Making Updates: LTH Residence • Update in head of household’s record • No change in residence = no update needed • If the client has moved: • Add a move-out date to the old residence record • Click “add” to add a new residence record. • New residence start date MUST be one day after the client moved out of their previous residence! wilderresearch.org

23. 7. Making Updates: LTH Housing Cost • Update in head of household’s record • Required only if current residence is either: • Site-based supportive housing • Scattered site supportive housing • No change in housing cost = no update needed • If housing cost has changed: • Add an end date to the housing cost record • Click “add” to add a new housing cost record showing the new amount • New housing cost start date MUST be one day after the previous housing cost record ended! wilderresearch.org

24. 7. Making Updates: LTH Housing Subsidy • Update in head of household’s record • Required only if current residence is either: • Site-based supportive housing • Scattered site supportive housing • No change in subsidy = no update needed • If primary source of subsidy has changed: • Add an end date to the existing housing subsidy record • Click “add” to add a new housing subsidy record showing the new primary source of subsidy • New subsidy start date MUST be one day after the previous subsidy record ended! wilderresearch.org

25. LTH Sub-assessments: Program exit wilderresearch.org

26. 8. Exiting Clients • Current residence status at exit: • “Left current residence before exit” should be used only rarely. • If applicable, reason for leaving housing: • Complete only if the client left their residence at exit • Current subsidy status at exit: • “Subsidy ended before exit” should be used only rarely. • If subsidy ended at exit, reason subsidy ended: • Complete only if the client’s subsidy ended at exit wilderresearch.org

27. 8. Exiting Clients • Updating residence • Add a move-out date if the client left their residence at exit (move-out date should be exit date). • If the client left their residence at exit, you do not need to enter a record for the place they will live next. • Updating housing cost/subsidy: • Only required if current residence = site-based or scattered site supportive housing • Add end dates to housing cost/subsidy if the client left their residence at exit wilderresearch.org

28. Running LTH ART Reports Golden Rules: • Wait until one day after you have entered/updated your data to run an ART report. • ART uploads data from ServicePoint overnight • Effective date = today’s date. • End date = one day after reporting period ends. • Always download a report to computer to view it. wilderresearch.org

29. LTH Reports: Residence Data Check • Data check tab • Check for missing information • Make sure information is recorded in the head of household’s record. • City/county/zip: required for clients in site-based or scattered-site supportive housing • Check start/end dates: make sure the client has a residence recorded for the entire time they are in the program. wilderresearch.org

30. LTH Reports: Residence Data Check • Days in permanent housing tab • Shows data for household heads • Make sure that “residence during report period” and “residence since program entry” are both “yes.” • Residence changes tab • Confirm that information is correct. wilderresearch.org

31. LTH reports: Residence • Common problems: • No residence record entered • “Housing status/permanent residence” is missing • Multiple (duplicate) or overlapping residence records • Residence records missing an end date, even though the client has moved or exited. wilderresearch.org

32. LTH Reports: Housing Cost/Subsidy • IMPORTANT: Don’t check data until residence data checking is complete. • Report only shows clients who have a supportive housing residence record. • Percent of income on rent tab • Make sure that all income sources are recorded. • Make sure that income that has ended has an end date. • Look for abnormal % of income spent on rent, especially large numbers. wilderresearch.org

33. LTH Reports: Housing Cost/Subsidy • Rent paid tab • “Included in housing cost table” should be “yes.” • Check start/end dates and amounts: make sure the client has a housing cost recorded for the entire time they are in supportive housing. • Check for the “H”—if a head is not designated, the client will not be included in the housing cost table. wilderresearch.org

34. LTH Reports: Housing cost/subsidy • Source of subsidy tab • “Included in subsidy source table” should be “yes.” • Check start/end dates and primary source of subsidy: make sure the client has a subsidy recorded for the entire time they are in supportive housing. • Check for the “H”—if a head is not designated, the client will not be included in the housing cost table. wilderresearch.org

35. LTH Reports: Housing Cost/Subsidy • Housing cost common problems • No housing cost recorded • Multiple housing cost records without an end date • Housing cost is completed, but residence is not • Housing cost is completed, but income is not • Housing subsidy common problems • No subsidy source recorded • Multiple subsidy records with no end date • Subsidy is completed, but residence is not wilderresearch.org

36. ART: Helpful Hints • Run data check reports early • Run one for your program today to practice • Identifying problems early saves time and stress down the road • Build data checking into your schedule • Run at least once/month (2x/month recommended) to save time during reporting periods • Run reports one day after entering a large batch of data wilderresearch.org

37. ART: Helpful Hints • Use summary reports as part of your data correction process • Check for missing, highlighted errors, etc. • Make sure to carefully review your summary reports before submitting them to your funder wilderresearch.org

38. Wilder Research Contact Information HMIS Wilder Research 451 Lexington Parkway North St. Paul, MN 55104 Local: (651) 280-2780 Toll-free: (800) 328-2972 Fax: (651) 280-3700 Email: hmis@wilder.org wilderresearch.org