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Capturing data on a shared platform from 578 private organizations located across 83 Michigan counties.

Includes the safety-net:

Emergency Shelters, Transitional Housing, emergency services agencies (CAAs, Red Cross, VOA, Salvation Armies) mental health and drug tx organizations (Path, S+C, HOPWA), youth programs, health care, churches and missions, food pantries, and even a Laundromat.

Enables cross jurisdictional counting

MICHIGAN’S STATEWIDE HMIS

MICHIGAN

BEGINS WITH A VISION – UNDERSTANDING YOUR SYSTEM’S POTENTIAL

The Basics: Generate an unduplicated count within agencies and across jurisdictions. Tool to support evaluation within agencies and across systems of care. Tool to help agencies do their business. Tool to improve the experience of clients through improved coordination of

services.

UNDERSTANDING POTENTIAL:YOUR CUSTOMER BASE

There are a wide variety of potential customers? Federal Agencies (HUD, SAMHSA, VA, etc.) and ultimately Congress State and Local funding agencies Homeless Consumers Researchers, newspapers, advocates, planning groups

Fundamentally its about the agency

MOST COMMON NEEDS – INFORMATION & FLEXIBILITY & RESPECT

The more things you do the more customers you have!!

•Reports – Reports – Reports (Data is only useful to the degree that it is used).

•Data Structure that allows the data to be cut in many ways.

•Attractive and understandable interface.

•The ability to adjust & expand what is measured.

•Some bells and whistles (Case management, IDs, Scanning, Shelter Management, Fund Management, tack agency activities, Information and Referral).

•Trust and good / respectful consumer support.

WHY DO AGENCIES PARTICIPATE

Intrinsic Motivators (Primary) Business Needs of the Agencies – about the automated client record. What

can this technology do beyond reporting to HUD. Advocacy – the drive to do what is right. Emphasize the power of

information. Excitement – you have to love and believe in what you do. Don’t over sale – Measurement is always hard work!!

Extrinsic Motivators (Secondary) Funding Requirements

The willing are always easier to work with!!!

MAPPING THE BUSINESS NEEDSAnalysis of staffing, organization, and specific information

needs. What programs? How do clients flow through the programs? How are staff organized across programs? What are their reporting needs?

Funding streams Education Oversight (Board and Management)

ABOUT DATA SHARINGASSET VS LIABILITY

Privacy Protocols set across the implementation that allow for flexibility at the local level and for organizations with different privacy needs and rules.

Reduce client risk and administrator liability. Be easily explained and familiar. People teaching must inspire trust and be knowledgeable about a variety of

privacy rules and the culture of sharing. Required training.

PRIVACY IN MICHIGAN

• The organization determines what is shared with whom and the client says “yes” or “no” regarding the organizations sharing plan after an informed consent process.

• Sharing is viewed as a privilege not a right!!!! Make sure it meets a business need. We require organizations to sign contracts with one another and agencies earn their way into the sharing plan.

• We have sharing in nearly every CoC of the State.

IT’S ALSO ABOUT THE COC

Michigan is a “strong” CoC statewide implementation. CoCs ultimately control the HMIS and have the responsibility to

provide strong governance. Clearly defined roles in Joint Governance Agreement. Not all CoCs look the same even though they all report to a single

implementation. Implementations reflect the local culture.

DATA QUALITY

How do you assure that data is of sufficient quality to be useful.?

•Make sure the data is useful to the agency and to the CoC!!

•Make sure your funding organizations require their funded programs to look at their data routinely.

•Make sure your funding organizations actually look at the data routinely.

SOME EXAMPLES MAKING IT USEFUL

Easy Sale: Statewide organizations have cross- jurisdictional information needs.

501c3s Salvation Army Utility Assistance Rural providers that serve multiple counties.

State agencies reporting on State funds (HMIS vs State Technology): Department of Human Services TANF / General Fund Emergency

Assistance Funds Billing Report (HMIS vs State Technology) Need-based Allocations DHS Youth and Run Away Services State Grant SHADoW

State Agency reporting to Federal Programs: SHP, HOPWA, S+C, and Path

SOME EXAMPLES MAKING IT USEFULEasy Sale: Making the case for your service and understanding

performance. Risk Management / Recognition & Rewards (NSO) Advocacy and Planning

Annual Reports (How Many, Who, What Happened) Quarterly Front-Door Reports Sub-population chapters

Measuring Performance Benchmarks / Standards of Care Outcome Reports with actionable information. Systems of Care Measurement

COORDINATED CARE

Standardizing Decision Tool It’s about the training!!!!!

Data Sharing Beware of the potential to overwrite good data with bad. Consider assessment owners driven by the quality of the interview. Using HMIS transaction history to support identification of higher need

individuals and families.

SOME EXAMPLES OF REPORTS

CONTACT INFORMATION

Barbara Ritter

Project Director Michigan’s Statewide HMIS

A collaborative project of the Michigan Coalition Against Homelessness and Michigan State Housing Development Authority britter@mihomeless.org 517-853-3883 Web Site: www.mihomeless.org