Every user agrees to uphold the privacy and security policies (described above) to maintain the security of client data before they are granted access to the system, and again every year thereafter.

Every agency must have an established policy to protect your data and conduct ongoing checks to ensure your data remains private and secure.

The UHMIS Lead Agency also conducts annual checks on every agency and every user to ensure compliance with the rules and to keep your data safe.

The UHMIS Lead Agency is the data people behind the system; we are the folks who ensure the system works for all agencies that enter data and that the system is secure.

• Just about everyone on our team started as direct client service providers, and we have over 75 years of combined expertise working with the people whose data is in UHMIS.

• We actively participate in training at local and national levels with the latest HMIS security and data standards. One of the UHMIS Lead Agency staff even works with national training to improve overall best practices for everyone.

• We train every UHMIS user on how to protect your information and how to enter it.

• We monitor each organization annually to ensure they keep your information private and secure, and aligned with what you’ve agreed to.

• We take client data security seriously and have many checks and balances to ensure compliance with our privacy and data security.

• This form is for people who can legally consent (e.g., over 18) to the sharing of their data within UHMIS.
• For clients under 18, their parent or guardian can sign the form on their behalf.
• You may be asked to sign this form multiple times, either by the same agency or many agencies.
  • The UHMIS leadership asks agencies to review the client’s consent to share regularly to ensure that the current services are okay with the client to share in UHMIS.
• If you choose to not sign this form, you will still be served¹, but the agency will restrict your information entered in UHMIS so it is not shared² with other participating organizations.

• If you choose to not sign this form, you will still be served¹, but the agency will restrict your information entered in UHMIS so it is not shared² with other participating organizations.

¹Very few projects require data to be shared in UHMIS by funding or project type; if you choose not to sign the informed consent, you will not be eligible for the programs that require data sharing in UHMIS. However, this is the exception; in 99% of cases, clients who choose to share their data in UHMIS will not be affected by their services.

²Client data is shared with a small subset of users outside the organization, even if the UHMIS Informed Consent Release Form is unsigned.

These users are:

• The UHMIS Lead Agency: We are responsible for system oversight, training, and ensuring that client data is secured appropriately.
• The system developer: They are responsible for securing data-containing devices, as well as for technical support and system security oversight.
• Funders: to fund programs that require client data to accomplish the funding.
• Others that are explicitly approved by the UHMIS Steering Committee: typically academic researchers who complete projects that improve overall services.

All of these users make up less than 1% of all system users, and are all highly trained and monitored to ensure your data is not compromised in their hands.

You may stop sharing your information in UHMIS at any time. However, because of the nature of UHMIS, it may be impossible for the UHMIS Lead Agency to restrict data already shared in the system, so the UHMIS Lead Agency cannot make that guarantee to the clients.

The UHMIS Informed Consent Revocation Form gives you a guide on how to submit a request to revoke your previous allowance to share your data in UHMIS. You do not have to use this form, but we ask that you include all of the information in the form in your request.

When this form is submitted to the UHMIS Lead Agency (either by an agency or the client), the UHMIS Lead Agency will make every effort to restrict the sharing of that person’s data within the system to align with the client’s request.

Clients do not have to use the form to submit a complaint, but it includes information that the UHMIS Lead Agency can use to help resolve the problem.

Please note that the UHMIS Lead Agency can only help with issues that impact data within UHMIS; if there is a concern outside of UHMIS, the UHMIS Lead Agency will direct the person to the best place possible to resolve the issue, or to Utah’s Homeless Services Provider Ombudsman.