To protect a client’s privacy according to their preferences or circumstances, their HMIS record can be locked to limit which agencies and users have access to it. Locking ensures that sensitive information, such as consent choices, safety concerns, or health status, is only visible to authorized providers.

Under Global Visibility, most client records are unlocked by default, meaning data entered after the rollout is shared across agencies to improve coordination and reduce duplication. However, locking a record overrides this sharing rule. When a record is locked, it is removed from global visibility and restricted to the agency that created it or to a defined visibility group. This is critical for clients who opt out of sharing or meet specific confidentiality criteria, such as those fleeing domestic violence, reporting HIV/AIDS status, or being unaccompanied minors.

Locking should always reflect the client’s documented consent in the Release of Information

This article covers:

1. When to lock records
   • Adjusting the ROI documentation
2. Visibility Settings
   • How to Lock a Client Record
   • Adjusting Provider Visibility
3. Restrictions on record locking

When to Lock Records

According to their Release of Information responses:

a. Release of information: Limited Sharing

or if the client is

1. fleeing or attempting to flee a domestic violence or human trafficking situation
2. self-reports as being HIV/AIDS positive
3. is an unaccompanied minor

Adjusting the ROI documentation

When records need to be locked due to the following, their ROI documentation should be updated to be consistent: 

• fleeing or attempting to flee a domestic violence or human trafficking situation
• self-reports as being HIV/AIDS positive
• is an unaccompanied minor

If the client reports one of the above circumstances during the initial assessment, then users must go back to their ROI and change their documentation to Limited Sharing, if it is not already: 

If the client reports one of the above circumstances in an interim/update and their ROI does not already reflect Limited Sharing, then users must add an end date to their old documentation and add a new entry to reflect the new ROI. 

Visibility Settings 

The client's profile visibility settings can be determined on the top right corner of the profile, with following lock icons

Icon	Description	Visibility Setting
	Green and unlocked/open	SHARED with other agencies
	Red and locked/closed	NOT SHARED with other agencies
	Red and locked/closed with exceptions	NOT SHARED with other agencies  SHARED with agencies on the Visibility group list

How to Lock a Client Record

1. Click on the lock icon.

2. The Client Visibility window will appear. Click on the red circle with the minus sign to take away data sharing.

3. Click Exit and the record is now locked or closed with exceptions.

Adjusting Provider Visibility

If the client has other enrollments, make sure to add the other providers to ensure that they maintain visibility to the record as necessary.

1.  
   1. Review the client's enrollments.
      • Each provider must be added to the Visibility Group.
      • The main provider should be added, not the project. The provider is the first part of the program name.
   2. In the Client Visibility window, click "Add Visibility Group"
   3. Search for the Provider's name
   4. Click the plus icon (⊕) to add

Restrictions on record locking

If you see "***Restricted*** or cannot lock the record for any reason, please contact the Helpdesk to lock the record for you. To expedite your request, please make sure you have already updated their ROI documentation upon request.