HMIS Annual Refresher Training

We are pleased to announce the release of this year's Annual Refresher Training for all active end users of the Colorado Homeless Management Information System (COHMIS). This training is designed to reinforce the foundational concepts of COHMIS and address areas where HMIS Leads have observed data quality challenges over the past year.

In preparation for Annual Refresher Training, users will not be able to register for HMIS training until after the Annual Refresher Training completion date (Thursday, October 31). This will ensure that there are enough licenses in TalentLMS for each active HMIS user to complete the Annual Refresher Training.

All active end users are required to complete this training by the end of October. Please set aside time to ensure you fulfill this requirement within the designated time frame.

Thank you for your continued dedication to serving our community and for your commitment to maintaining the integrity of our data systems. If you have any questions or need assistance, please submit a ticket to your HMIS Lead agency.

Important Dates

Last day to register new staff for HMIS training: Friday, September 20
Last day to complete HMIS training: Wednesday, September 25

*Progress will be paused for any users who do not complete the HMIS training by this date. Users will be able to resume HMIS training after Thursday, October 31.

Annual Refresher Training Release Date: Tuesday, October 1
Annual Refresher Training Completion Deadline: Thursday, October 31

*HMIS active status will be at risk if the Annual Refresher Training is not completed by the deadline.

FAQs

1. How do I enroll in the Annual Refresher Training course?

   • Active HMIS end users will automatically be enrolled in the Annual Refresher Training once the course becomes available.

2. Do I need to complete the AnnualRefresher Training course if I just completed the HMIS Training course?

   • Yes, all active HMIS end users will be required to complete the course regardless of when you completed the HMIS training course.

3. Will the Annual Refresher Training deadlines impact my Coordinated Entry course?

   • No, there will be no changes to any progress with the Coordinated Entry course.

If you have any additional questions or concerns, please email the Help Desk at hmishelp@mdhi.org.

Register: COHMIS Training

HMIS Built-In Reports Training

Wednesday Jul 24, 2024 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM MST

Join us for an insightful training session open to all HMIS users with standard access. In this session, you will discover your reporting capabilities in HMIS. From clientele demographic insights to program outcome metrics, you'll explore available reports for a deeper understanding of your clientele, programs, and services.

Who can register: Any staff with regular HMIS access.

RegistrationLink: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0pce2oqjIoHd3gH7FB9Bje_qm8_pjEajhx

HMIS Data Analysis Tool Training

Tuesday Jul 30, 2024 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM MST

Designed specifically for DPALS or staff with Data Analysis access, this training is an opportunity to learn more about the capabilities of the HMIS Data Analysis Tool. By joining this session, you'll gain the expertise to delve into exploring and explaining your data with this tool. We will cover creating custom data reports as well as data visualization capabilities.

Who can register: DPALS or Staff with Data Analysis access.

Registration Link:
https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYkdeGprz4jE9aIvvwtWYIpsrlnDpb7uLYe

PRESS RELEASE: New Report Shows Over 30,000 People Accessing Homelessness Services in Denver Region

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
JANUARY 18, 2014

Layla Elena Said
Communications Specialist
Metro Denver Homeless Initiative
layla.said@mdhi.org | 484-772-0559

Rebecca Mayer
Interim Executive Director
Metro Denver Homeless Initiative
rebecca.mayer@mdhi.org

NEW REPORT SHOWS OVER 30,000 PEOPLE ACCESSING HOMELESSNESS SERVICES IN DENVER REGION

DENVER, COLORADO – January 18, 2024 – The Metro Denver Homeless Initiative (MDHI) released its 2023 State of Homelessness report today, highlighting new data related to homelessness in the region. The report demonstrates the overall issue of homelessness across multiple sources including the region’s Homeless Management Information System (HMIS), the 2023 Point in Time (PIT) count, and the Colorado Department of Education’s McKinney Vento Act.

The HMIS showed 30,409 unique individuals accessed services related to homelessness between July 1, 2022, and June 30, 2023. This data, entered by about 100 partner agencies across the region, shows an annual account of homelessness as compared to the region’s one-night PIT count, which counted 9,065 individuals on January 30, 2023. Additionally, the report shared that 7,217 people stayed outdoors at some point during the year, compared to 2,763 on the night of the 2023 PIT.

“The Homeless Management Information System is our state’s most comprehensive database on homelessness and housing instability,” said Rebecca Mayer, Interim Executive Director of MDHI. “When we use data collected throughout the year to measure the scope of this crisis, we can more effectively plan an equitable system response that is geared toward ending homelessness,” she added.

One significant disparity that has remained consistent across data sources over time is the overrepresentation of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color experiencing homelessness. While Black or African people represent only 6% of the general population, they make up over 22% of the homeless population. This overrepresentation persists for American Indian/Alaska Native (3.6X), multiracial (1.6X), and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander (5.0X) people experiencing homelessness.

HMIS data also show that the overwhelming majority of people (94%) are not choosing to experience homelessness, nor are they moving to Colorado and becoming homeless (88%). The top factors contributing to homelessness continue to be relationship and family breakups, as well as economic instability due to rising rents, inflation, and low wages. One member of our Young Adult Leadership Committee added, “I hope others read these stories and see that being homeless doesn't make you less of a person. It's a tough reality, but we're stronger for having lived through it.”

Highlighted in this report is the progress our region has made to know every veteran experiencing homelessness by name, month over month. In 2023, our region’s coordinated efforts in partnership with the Department of Veterans Affairs, Community Solutions, the Department of Local Affairs, and community partners across the region led to a 16% reduction in veteran homelessness. Our goal is to reach functional zero - a measurable state where homelessness is rare, brief, and nonrecurring.

Sofia Vigil, Regional Coordination Lead, added, "The remarkable reduction in the number of Veterans actively experiencing homelessness across the region stands as a testament to the transformative power of collaboration and coordination. Recognizing that approximately 50% of Veterans currently on the By-Name-List are over the age of 55, it is fundamental to acknowledge and address age-related factors in homelessness as we strive towards achieving and sustaining functional zero."

To access a full copy of the report, please visit mdhi.org/soh-2023.

---

MDHI is the Metro Denver Continuum of Care, the regional system that coordinates services and housing for people experiencing homelessness. This includes prevention/diversion, street outreach, emergency shelter, transitional housing, rapid rehousing, and permanent supportive housing. MDHI works closely with each county in its continuum (Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Denver, Douglas, and Jefferson) to build a homeless crisis response system that gets people back into housing as quickly as possible. Learn more at mdhi.org.

Information & Impact - May 2023

A Monthly Homeless Management Information System Update

We’re holding off on our quarterly DPAL meeting until we receive more information about the HMIS data standards coming later this year. This means no DPAL meeting in May. Please review this newsletter for updates, which will be sent on a monthly basis to all active HMIS end users. Thank you for all your collaboration and support!

Data Quality

There has been an increase in Data Quality errors recently. Please review the reminders below so we can fix some common errors.

Zendesk Resources

As a reminder, please use Zendesk for all updates and resources. It has copies of documents and forms, announcements, quick reference guides, and the training signup link.

Client Duplicates

Before entering a new client, you must search for the client in the database using a combination of the following information:

• Name or Alias

• SSN

• Date of Birth

You can use partial information to prevent false negative results. For example, if you are searching for Candy Cane, entering “can can” in the search field makes it much easier to find the client. If you searched “candee” instead of “candy” the result would not populate. Note that Clarity will populate results as you type. You can click on the correct client as soon as they show in the pending results dropdown.

Household Management

Please ensure that you are creating and enrolling households appropriately. Use this Zendesk resource for reference.

• All program enrollments must have a Head of Household (HoH) assigned

• Children generally cannot be assigned as the HoH

• Exception: Runaway & Homeless Youth (RHY) programs​

• Make sure that families are enrolled together as a group

• If an individual enrollment is assigned to a child, email the helpdesk with the appropriate information to connect the child to the household

Clients Not Put on CQ

Remember to send a referral to the OneHome Community Queue (CQ) when you enroll a person into the OneHome program. If you do not add the person to the Community Queue, they cannot be considered for a resource referral through OneHome.

Data Standards

HUD released documentation for the FY24 HMIS Data Standards earlier this month. These changes will go into effect in HMIS on 10/1/2023.

Our team is reviewing the updated standards and preparing materials to review with DPALs and share with end users in the coming weeks. We’ll be working on updated COHMIS paperwork to be released on 10/1 when the updated data standards go into effect.

For a sneak peek of the FY24 HMIS Data Standards, review the slides from the most recent HUD HMIS Lead System Administrator webinar, beginning on slide 14. A link to the webinar is also available here.

Tableau Server Access

The COHMIS Leads recently rolled out access to an interactive suite of statewide dashboards that reflect a variety of HMIS data breakdowns. These dashboards are hosted on Tableau Server, a secure online platform provided to us by our partners at Community Solutions.

If you or staff members at your organization would like access to Tableau Server, please request access through our Tableau Server End User Agreement. Access will only be provided to staff who:

• Are employed at an organization that has a valid COHMIS Agency Partnership Agreement (APA) on file, and

• Will abide by the requirements outlined in the COHMIS Tableau Server End User Agreement

HMIS Training

How to Get Setup

All training is now conducted virtually on our Learning Management System (LMS). Only the agency DPALs can register staff for training. DPALs must log in to Zendesk and access the DPAL zone to register staff for the LMS.

Once the request is received, staff will receive an automated email with instructions on how to access the LMS. It can take up to 2 hours for the courses to be assigned after registration, so please be patient.

The email from the LMS may be marked as SPAM, so we ask that DPALs send the following message to your staff after signup. You should also work with your IT department to whitelist the LMS site.   

You will receive an email from <noreply@talentlms.com> with your username and temporary password. Check your spam folder and have your agency whitelist this email address. Please be sure to change your password when you log in. If you don't have this email, you can visit this link and use your email to reset your password. Do not change your username. Before logging in, you need to watch the video on the home page labeled “How to use Talent LMS.” Once you login to the LMS, you will only see a single course assigned. As you complete the courses, the next one will appear 15 hours later.

HMIS Login Credentials

To get HMIS login credentials, end users will have to complete both HMIS 101 and the FY 2023 set of HMIS courses (Days 1-3). The HMIS training will be spread out over a minimum of 3 days. 

Practical exam: As part of the day 3 training, staff will be expected to enter client information into the training website. The instructions will provide a login to the training site and a fake character bio. Staff must showcase proficiency in the system and a clear understanding of HUD concepts. If staff do not pass the practical exam, they will be given the next steps on a case-by-case basis. Once staff passes all of these sections, they will be issued login credentials to HMIS for their agency.

OneHome Access

If staff need access to OneHome:

1. The DPAL will need to send a request to the HMIS helpdesk

2. The Coordinated Entry course will be assigned to staff in the LMS

3. Once they pass the Coordinated Entry course, email the helpdesk to let us know

4. Our HMIS team will add OneHome access in HMIS