1. Homeless Management Information Systems The Calgary HMIS - A joint initiative between the CHF and the Homeless Serving Sector in Calgary Date: April 21, 2015

2. Outline Building a System of Care Shared Measurement Platform HMIS as a Tool Data Collection/Quality/Analysis Data Driven Decision Making

3. Calgary Context

4. Building a coordinated system Focus on vulnerable populations Match people with services (coordinated intake) Provide shelter, housing and services Measure outcomes & performance of system & programs Emergency shelters Different kinds of housing and support Outreach, prevention and support services Chronic and episodic Aboriginal people Youth Families Women Occupancy Return to homelessness Interactions with systems Privacy and safety Client satisfaction Income gains at exit Length of stay Self sufficiency Gather and analyze data Homeless Management Information System

5. Framework: Program Types

6. Shared Measurement Identifying common metrics for tracking progress toward a common agenda across organizations, and providing scalable platforms to share data, discuss learnings, and improve strategy and action. Requires funding, broad engagement, infrastructure and a commitment to learning. Benefits are better data, progress tracking towards shared goal, enabling coordination and collaboration, learning and course correction, catalyzing action.

7. What is HMIS? Captures client-level, system-wide information over time on the characteristics and services needs of men, women, and children experiencing homelessness. Web-based software applications to enter and share client-level data across agencies. ***PIA*** Allows aggregation of client-level data across homeless service agencies to generate unduplicated counts and service patterns of clients served.

8. HMIS is a tool Client Intake Demographics, data collection for reporting against outcomes Service Tracking Services delivered by a provider Case Management Ability to plan, schedule, and follow-up on delivery of services; Ability to monitor and measure performance goals and outcomes.

9. HMIS Opportunities Measure success of 10YP Encourage mainstream participation Program measurement Attract resources Assess costs Prevention Measure outcomes Hybrid creatures

10. Data Quality Must ensure data is: ― timely, accurate, complete Staff need training on data quality Staff turnover demands training and refreshers

11. Data Sharing Many of the benefits of HMIS rely on client-level data being shared among programs and providers within a community, but it is not required. However, it is recommended because it greatly increases the usefulness of HMIS data and has the potential to maximize coordinated case management for clients. Encouraging providers to share data is one of the most challenging aspects of HMIS implementation because of the need to protect the confidentiality of client information. Including a wide range of providers in the HMIS planning process will help ensure that providers fully understand how HMIS can benefit their clients and are comfortable with the data privacy provisions in place.

12. Data Analysis How many men, women, and children in your community are homeless over the course of a year? What are the characteristics and service needs of homeless people in your community? Where do homeless people in your community come from? Who in your community is most at risk of becoming homeless?

13. How Many? Period Prevalence vs Point-in-Time ― Snapshot at single point of year - What about over course of year? ― An annual count provides info on all people who accessed a service over the course of a year Housed vs Served ― Program occupancy may consist of people waiting for housing ― How to track? Housing First GOA programs 2012/13

14. Characteristics of? Demographics Analysis by sub population Are needs being met? Confirm anecdotes Bust myths

15. Where from? Geographic location Low socio-economic neighbourhoods Primary Residence question Helps prioritize prevention efforts

16. Service utilization Length of Stay Clusters of shelter users

17. Program Outcomes Occupancy Reduce Public System Utilization Increase Access to Mainstream Services Increase Income Positive Exits

18. Do Good Data Data is the voice of the client as they navigate the System of Care. It is a righteous calling to be a data analyst. Live up to that calling.

19. Acknowledgements Tracking the Homeless: An Overview of HMIS. Making the Most of HMIS Data. The Agency Staff in Calgary talking to their clients, collecting the data, inputting it into our HMIS, and pulling ART reports each month.