RHY Program Resources – Helpdesk - Homeless Management Information System (HMIS)

RHY HUD Manual

Use this link for the RHY HUD Manual
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Knowing your RHY Project Type & Assessments

Acronyms -

SOP - Street Outreach Program

BCP-p or BCP-hp - Basic Center Program - Prevention

BCP-es - Basic Center Program - Emergency Shelter

TLP - Transitional Living Program

MGH - Maternity Group Home

DG - Demonstration Grant

All BCPs are emergency shelters which use the Entry/Exit Date method for tracking emergency shelter stays. Tracking individual bed nights is not required – as in this method the client is considered “in residence” from the date of project start to the date of project exit.

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RHY Specific Terms Glossary

RHY project assessment use specific terms within entry assessments, and this glossary is meant for quick reference. Definitions are taken from the RHY HUD manual.

Date of contact – All street outreach projects record every contact made with each client, including same day as Project Start Date or Date of Engagement. Contacts include street outreach worker and client, an office visit, or a referral.

Date of Engagement – The date on which an interactive client relationship results in a deliberate client assessment or beginning of a case plan.

Referral Source – Indicate the person, place or organization that referred the youth to the project they are entering.

Date of BCP Status Determination – the date when eligibility for RHY Services has been determined; may be on or after the project start date.

Youth Eligible for RHY Services – If the status is “Yes,” then identify if the youth is a runaway, meaning an individual under 18 years of age who absents their self from a place of legal residence without the permission of a guardian.

Sexual Orientation – Question must be voluntary, client must be informed of the voluntary nature and that refusal to respond will not result in denial of services.

Pregnancy Status – The purpose is to determine the number of women starting projects while pregnant and to determine eligibility for benefits & need for services.

Family Critical Issues – These issues should be those of other family members in the household the youth absented, not of the youth themselves or of any of the youth’s children.

Trafficking – RHY grantees are encouraged to use specific language found in the RHY HUD Manual Section R15 to collect the fields in this data element

Counseling Received – is the provision of guidance, support, referrals for services including, but not limited to, health services, and advice to homeless youth and their families, as well as to youth and families when a young person is at risk of running away.

“Ward of…” – the client was formerly the responsibility of the child welfare/foster care agency or juvenile justice system at or before project start.

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Safe and Appropriate Exits

HUD Guidance on Exiting
See Section R19 of HUD Manual for RHY Projects

Safe and Appropriate Exit

The purpose of this element is to determine the number of youth who exited to safe and appropriate destinations as determined by the youth (head of household and adult) themselves and as determined by the project/caseworker.

RHY Projects Requiring Collection: BCP-es, MGH, TLP, Demo

Safe and Appropriate Exits per the RHY Rule [45 CFR §1351] means settings that reflect achievement of the intended purposes of the Basic Center and Transitional Living Programs as outlined in section 382(a) of the [RHY] Act.

Examples of Safe and Appropriate Exits:

1. Private residence of a parent, guardian, another adult relative, or another adult that has the youth's best interest in mind and can provide a stable arrangement, or

2. Another residential program if the youth's transition to the other residential program is consistent with the youth's needs, or

3. Independent living if consistent with the youth's needs and abilities.

Safe and appropriate exits are not exits to:

1. The streets;

2. Locked correctional institute or detention center if the youth became involved in activities that

lead to this exit after entering the program;

3. Another residential program if the youth's transition to the other residential program is

inconsistent with the youth's needs; or

4. An unknown or unspecified other living situation.

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After Care / Post-Project Completion

HUD Reporting Requirements
See Section R20 of HUD Manual for RHY Projects

Aftercare Plans

The purpose is to identify the extent of aftercare plans which were executed post-exit from the project. RHY Projects Requiring Collection: BCP-p, BCP-es, MGH, TLP, DEMO

Aftercare per the RHY Rule [45 CFR §1351] means additional services provided beyond the period of residential stay that offer continuity and supportive follow-up to youth served by the program.

Aftercare entries that will be considered are those entered from the date of project exit up to 180 days (6 months) after the date of exit.

Each client must have at least one Aftercare record entered indicating if aftercare was provided (yes/no/client refused). If no aftercare was provided enter the information date as the date of project exit and “no” to aftercare was provided.

For each type of aftercare provided the information date should be the date of the first provision of

aftercare service. Then indicate the method of aftercare provision as either:

• Via email or social media contact

• Via telephone

• In person – one-on-one contact

• In person – where the youth participated in a group

A record of each type of aftercare service should be made if a youth receives more than one type.

Although after care services can be ongoing, this element only seeks to record the immediate provision of aftercare services. In other words, the first instance of Aftercare must be recorded, and after the first instance there is no need to further record the same type of Aftercare service.

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