Utah HMIS
Data Support for Homeless Providers in Utah
Managing Case Assignments
In this article:
- My Case Assignments
- Client Case Managers
- Adding Clients To The Case Assignments List
- Removing Clients From The Case Assignments List
- Viewing Inactive Assignments
My Case Assignments
In the Home workspace, on the user dashboard under ‘My Case Assignments,’ you can see a list of all the clients currently assigned to you.
You can also find your case assignments under ‘Active Case Assignments‘ in the Tools menu in the home workspace.
On the Active Case Assignments page, you can see basic information about the enrollment and the Head of Household. You can go directly to the client record by clicking the select client button. You can edit the enrollment by clicking on the pen.
Client Case Managers
You can find the client’s Case Manager list in the Clients workspace under the Case Management menu.
Adding Clients To The Case Assignments List
Enrollment Entry Assessment
Clients are often added to your case assignments list when enrollment is created. The Case Manager information defaults to the user that is creating the enrollment. However, you can use the search function to select a different user.
From the Case Management Menu
You can add case managers on the Case Manager Assignments page by clicking on ‘Add Case Assignment.’
Simply add the assignment start date, case manager name (will default to yours, or you can search for a different case manager), enrollment (must be open during the case assignment timeframe), and click save.
Removing Clients From The Case Assignments List
Enrollment Exit Assessment
Clients are often removed from the active case list when enrollments are exited. The case manager will appear on the enrollment exit form, and a check box below asks if you want to end the case assignment. This checkbox defaults as checked, but users could uncheck it during the exit assessment workflow if needed.
From the Client Case Manager’s list
You can end a case manager’s assignment with a client from the client’s workspace. Click on ‘Case Managers‘ in the Case Management menu. Then click on the edit icon for the case manager and the enrollment you wish to edit.
On the Case Manager Assignment page, add an end date and change the status from active to ‘Inactive,’ then click save.
Viewing Inactive Assignments
You can see your inactive assignments in the tools menu in the home workspace. The inactive case assignments show you all past clients associated with you.
How to submit an internal issue
In this article:
- What kind of things can be an internal issue?
- Submitting an Internal Issue
- Responding to your issue
- Closing the issue
What kind of things can be an internal issue?
Any issue you find in the system. If it takes you more than 10 minutes to figure out how to complete something, please feel free to submit an internal issue so we can support you. If you can ask your question without client identifying information, you may email it to our helpdesk (HMIS@utah.gov).
Common Internal Issues:
- Report results do not appear as expected.
- Delete requests
- System errors.
Submitting an Internal Issue
On any page where there is an error, or you have a question requiring client-identifying information to answer, go to the bottom left corner and click on the question mark (?).
Click on ‘Report an issue.’
This form is like sending us an email but is secure, so you can include client identifying information.
Please include everything you can in the issue (including screenshots). Often we cannot correct your issue if we cannot recreate it. The more information you provide, the better our chance to recreate your issue.
You can attach files by clicking ‘click here to attach a file or drag-and-drop.’
When you submit the issue, you’ll get an automatic email from ClientTrack that looks like this:
Responding to your issue
You’ll get an email when we respond with a link to view the issue. Note that you’ll need to be logged into ClientTrack for the link to work.
You can also find your internal issues by going to the home workspace, clicking on My ClientTrack, and clicking on My Submitted Issues.
Our response will look something like this, and you may need to scroll to see the entirety of the message.
Scroll to the bottom of the issue and add a new note.
If you have anything else to add to the issue, you can add a note, click ‘New Note,’ add your comment, then click ‘Save the note.‘
Closing the issue
Add a note by clicking ‘Save and close the issue.’
Click how you verified the issue (most likely in production), and click verify.
New end-user homework assignment
The homework assignment for new end-users is as follows:
- Enroll at least four fake clients in your programs
- Two Individuals
- One family (more than one household member)
- Note: Any programs with “Coordinated Entry” are not acceptable for homework enrollments.
- Add 1-3 services to each head of household.
- Perform a “During Program Enrollment” assessment for each client.
- Exit each client from the enrollments you created
- Note: Any of the following exit destinations are not acceptable for homework exits.
- No exit interview completed
- Other
- Deceased
- Data not collected
- Client Refused
- Client doesn’t know
- Note: Any of the following exit destinations are not acceptable for homework exits.
- Submit a copy of the end-user agreement.
How can I reset my password?
In This Article
- Set a security question and answer
- Reset Your Own Password
- Request a Password Reset
- Deactivated Accounts
- Password Requirements
- Acknowledgement
Set a security question and answer
1. To set your security question and password you can either click on ‘Review it now’ in the pop-up that appears when you first log in.
Or click on your name and select ‘Security Settings’ at the bottom of the menu.
2. Enter your current password and click ‘Submit’
If you’ve forgotten your password please email the help desk at HMIS@utah.gov for assistance.
3. Click on ‘Update your account recovery information
4. Enter your security question and answer, then click ‘Update’. Note, that the UHMIS Lead Agency can see your security question, but cannot see the response.
Congratulations! You have successfully set your security question!
Reset Your Own Password
Login Screen: Forgot Password
UHMIS includes a “forgot your password” option that gives UHMIS users the ability to reset their own passwords.
Please note: The “forgot your password” function will not work if you have entered the wrong password six times and are locked out of UHMIS. Try it out after one or two failed login attempts, instead!
1. On the UHMIS login screen, click on ‘forgot your password?’
2. On the next page, enter your user name and click “Retrieve security question”
If you cannot remember your user name or want to confirm that your email address has been saved correctly in UHMIS, please contact the Helpdesk at HMIS@Utah.gov
3. Check your email inbox for a message from no-reply@clienttrack.net. The message will contain a reset password and a link to a password reset screen, which for security reasons will expire after 15 minutes. If you do not see a message in your inbox, check your spam or junk folder.
4. Enter the reset password into the box on the password reset screen, then select ‘Reset my password.’
If you did not receive an email, please email HMIS@utah.gov for assistance.
Copy the temporary password generated by ClientTrack, and click ‘Sign-In Now’
Enter your user name and temporary password and click ‘Sign in’
Create a new password and save it in a location that is only accessible to you.
User Profile: Change Password
While logged into UHMIS, UHMIS users can manually reset their passwords at any time from the “My User Configuration” in the Home Workspace.
Enter your current password, and new password twice in the pop-up. Then click ‘Change Password.’
Did you know? You can also update your email address, phone number, mailing address, and prefered provider in the ‘My Information’ tab.
Request a password reset
If you are locked out of UHMIS and cannot reset your own password, please contact the Helpdesk right away at HMIS@utah.gov! Our hours are Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM Monday – Friday, and we make sure to prioritize password resets so that you can quickly get back to your data entry and reporting duties with minimal disruption.
Deactivated Accounts
Accounts can be deactivated for several reasons, for example:
- You do not log into the system for more than 90 days
- Your agency requests that your account is deactivated
- You missed the annual recertification deadline (January 1st)
- UHMIS Lead Agency identified a breach in the end-user agreement or standard operating procedures from your account.
If your account is deactivated please email HMIS@utah.gov so we can guide you on your next steps back into the system.
Password Requirements
Complexity
Your password must have:
- At least 8 characters
- One capital letter
- One lowercase letter
- One number
- One special charicter.
- It cannot be the same password you’ve used the last six times in UHMIS.
Automatic Expiration
Passwords automatically expire annually. When your password expires, you must create a new one: your expired password cannot be resued immediately.
Acknowledgement
Acknowledgements to Institute for Community Aliances in Minnasota, for the inspiration of this article and much of the formatting. The ICA has spent a signficant amout of time and resources improving their HMIS support. Orignal article is found here.
Data is Improbable not Impossible
Life is about learning, and when we initially published our ‘impossible data’ table, we missed a few things. So, we’ve made a few updates. Primarily we have learned that while data seems like it should be impossible, there are always exceptions to rules, so we have redubbed it to ‘Improbable’ data.
Please see this document for what we’ve identified as improbable.
Impossible Data?
What is Impossible Data?
Impossible data is something that exists in ClientTrack that is against HUD data standards or other programmatic requirements. Several data abnormalities are impossible by data standards but still exist in our database. As organizations complete data validation processes, they should look for ‘impossible’ data as a starting point to ensure that their data at the minimum meet standards expected by HUD.
This table shows the data the UHMIS Lead Agency currently identifies as ‘impossible’.
What triggers a Return To Homelessness (SPM Measure 2)
Measure 2 of the System Performance Measures is relatively complex, and it takes several items into account.
1) The clients included in the percentage return.
Measure 2 uses the reporting timeframe and then looks back two years for potential clients to include as a return to homelessness. It has clients that exited to a permanent housing destination from Street Outreach, Emergency Shelter, Transitional Housing, and Permanent Housing (including Rapid Rehousing).
2) The projects that trigger a return to homelessness change depending on when the client is enrolled in a new project after being exited to a permanent housing destination.
- 0-6 months after an exit to a permanent housing destination, a return to homelessness is triggered when a client is enrolled in an Emergency Shelter or Transitional Housing project.
- 6-24 months after an exit to a permanent housing destination, a return to homelessness is triggered when a client is enrolled in an Emergency Shelter, Transitional Housing project, or Permanent Housing project.
- Enrollments into a Coordinated Entry, Services Only, and Other type projects do not trigger a return to homelessness.
3) The report looks at the first exit to permanent housing to calculate if a client has returned to homelessness.
4) If the client exits from Transitional Housing or Permanent Housing, a return to homelessness will not trigger unless the new enrollment falls on or after 14 days since the exit.
HUD provides a helpful example in its programming specifications, on page 20.
Working with the U.S. Census
We recognize how important the U.S. Census is for the clients we serve. Counting every person, is among many things, an important step in providing funding for many social services, including homeless services.
We encourage agencies to work closely with their local Census representatives to ensure all the persons they serve are counted in the U.S. Census.
However, releasing HMIS data directly to the U.S. Census is not appropriate. It directly conflicts with clients signed releases of information, and ultimately clients should have the choice to be counted. The UHMIS Steering Committee met on July 15, 2020, and confirmed this guidance as a committee.
More information about the U.S. Census can be found here: https://2020census.gov/
COVID-19 and UHMIS
This post is intended to provide accurate and up-to-date information for users of UHMIS and the developing COVID-19 crisis.
COVID-19 form, and how to inform HMIS users of a clients COVID-19 status:
Data Sharing:
- UHMIS Privacy Posting Amendment.
- An amendment has been approved by the UHMIS Steering Committee to allow for limited data sharing to protect persons experiencing homelessness.
- It should posted next to the existing UHMIS Privacy Posting, and removed once the additional sharing provisions are no longer needed.
Data Collection:
One of our providers reached out to us asking if there would be any consideration for reduced data collection and overall data quality for projects where social distancing also hinders confidentiality, i.e., Street Outreach.
So far, we haven’t seen any guidance from HUD regarding data collection from HUD regarding reduced data collection or data quality as a direct result of social distancing restrictions.
We submitted an Ask A Question (AAQ) to HUD for more clarification. HUD stated that no reduction in data collection would be implemented, but if it happens that it should be documented in reporting. We encourage you to take this step further and also document it in HMIS using the Case Notes, or comment boxes.
E-Signatures (Especially for the Informed Consent Release Form)
Before data is shared about clients in HMIS an Informed Consent Release Form should be signed by the client. This poses some challenge if interaction is being limited or done virtually.
HUD approves the use of e-signatures for this document, so long as the signature is collected using a legally binding method and the storage of the signature follows best practices. Agencies wishing to implement e-signatures for UHMIS may contact the UHMIS System Administration team (HMIS@Utah.gov) for additional information.
UHMIS does not have a formal policy regarding e-signatures at this time, but that may develop as we process the unique challenges presented to us.
HUD COVID-19 Resources:
Updated information from HUD will be posted on: https://www.hudexchange.info/homelessness-assistance/diseases/#covid-19-community-planning-and-preparednessAnd
HMIS Specific information is posted here: https://www.hudexchange.info/resource/5994/covid19-hmis-setup-and-data-sharing-practices/
More information will be posted soon.
Too many people are signed in, what!?!
Have you ever signed into the system to get this error?
If you haven’t gotten this error, then great! If you have, you know the frustration of not being able to login to the system just when you have an urgent issue that requires ClientTrack to resolve. Unfortunately, even if you reach out to your friendly Administrator, there isn’t much we can do about it.
We are allowed 80 concurrent users at a single time, it is part of the contract we have with the developers of ClientTrack, and usually, it works in our favor. Fortunately, we very rarely have over 80 users accessing the system at any given time.
If you see this error, let us know, we want to know how often it happens so that we can negotiate for a higher number of active users in future contracts, but you will have to wait until someone else logs out so you can log in.
Utah HMIS 