*This workflow will be transitioning to and will be replaced with a new one on November 1st, 2023. Please see this following article for the expected timeline of this transition: Street Outreach/PATH Workflow - 2023 Update 

 

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 A copy of this document can also be found in PDF format. 

The outreach workflow has three distinctive parts as it relates to a client - Initial Encounter, Building on the Encounter, and Relationship Strengthening.

The workflow identified below can vary in the length of time as not all clients will choose to engage immediate, if at all.

Note: this workflow is NOT applicable to data entry for skilled assessors, this is project level data.

 

Overarching Workflow

1. Initial Encounter This is the initial client contact; additionally, it is also the project start date for your client.

2. Building on the Encounter This means that there is a creation of a deliberate client assessment or case plan. This also marks the start of data quality expectations.

3. Relationship Strengthening Each encounter with the client is documented as a successful or unsuccessful encounter through Service Transactions.

 

• Naming Convention
• Terminology
• Initial Encounter
• Building on the Encounter
• Relationship Strengthening
• April 17th Pre-recorded Webinar

 

Naming Convention: 

Many clients will not be initially willing to provide their own names or consent to be entered into HMIS until there have been multiple encounters.

A naming convention may be used as a means of identifying the client's record in HMIS until a full name can be entered. This convention replaces the client's actual name until the client provides it.

When the client provides their full name, the client's current naming convention will become their alias.

First Name:

• If the client has given a first name or alias, input that first name or alias in the First Name field
• If the client has not provided  a first name or alias, the First Name field should have the date of contact (written out with no space) and time (four digits) with am or pm designation

Last Name: Distinguishing characteristic  or location (no space)

Example -

• Client provided a first name of "Joe" and refused to share last name:
  • First Name: Joe
  • Last Name:  HarrisonandHalsted
• Client refused to provide first or last name:
  • First Name: MaySixth0204pm
  • Last Name: RedHat

When an alias is used, it is critical to set the Name Data Quality field to "Partial, Street Name, or Code Name Reported"

 

 

Terminology

• Contact/Encounter - The first instance in which a client is encountered - minimal information may be provided to the outreach worker at this stage as they build to an engagement - this also includes an observation of the client (ie. The outreach worker saw the client in their usual area).
• Naming Convention - When a client is first encountered they may not feel comfortable sharing their full details, in particular their name - in order to address this, we have a naming convention so that those client's may be better located and updated as outreach efforts continue.
• Engagement - The instance where there is a creation of a deliberate client assessment or case plan. This also marks the start of data quality expectations.
  • Successful - Client was located
  • Unsuccessful- Client was located, but unwilling to engage/talk to outreach worker
• Unsheltered Status - The unsheltered status of a client is documented in HMIS in the housing history section of the outreach assessment.
• Outreach - Outreach in this instance is NOT related to the Skilled Assessor project. The assessments completed in this workflow are NOT the Coordinated Entry Standardized assessments - this workflow is applicable to projects that input project data into HMIS.

 

Initial Encounter

The first encounter a staff person has with a client can either be a positive one or a challenging one. Those challenging encounters may mean that the client was not willing to share their information or to provide their consent for HMIS purposes. A positive encounter may be where the client provides significant information, but does not fully engage (meaning that a deliberate client assessment or case plan is created).

Regardless of whether the initial encounter with a client was positive or challenging, they will have a record created in HMIS for them.

Priority fields for initial data collection are: 

• Housing status
• Demographic details
• Questions related to homelessness experience
• Disability information
• Current Livining Situation

 

Positive Encounter

Clients that willingly provide their name and some information about themselves (short of fully engaging) will have filled out their HMIS client consent form.

With the consent form, users will have to complete the following:

1. Search for the client record in HMIS
   • If the client is not found, then their record must be created
2. Document the client's consent in HMIS through the ROI tab
   • If the client chosen options B or C on the client consent, or has indicated that they are fleeing domestic violence or that they have HIV/AIDS, then lock the record
3. Enroll the client into the outreach project
4. Continue to document contact attempts in the Current Living Situation Section of the entry assessment until the client chooses to engage; additionally, as the client reveals details, document it in the Current Living Situation Section of the entry assessment

Challenging Encounters

If the outreach staff had difficulty collecting information and/or consent from the client then data entry will need to incorporate the naming convention.

1. Immediately create a client record in HMIS using the naming convention listed above
2. Since the client has not signed or refused to sign a client consent form at this point, then lock the record
3. When the client eventually does sign a client consent form, document the client consent through the ROI tab
4. Enroll the client into the outreach project
5. Continue to document contact attempts in the Current Living Situation sub-assessment of the entry assessment until the client chooses to engage; additionally, as the client reveals more details, document it in the Current Living Situation sub-assessment of the entry assessment

 

Documenting Contact Attempts

Regardless of the initial encounter, the outreach staff will still be documenting each contact attempt made with the client until full engagement.

After creating an entry into your outreach project, any instance where a client is contacted will be recorded in the entry record.

 

An example of what the entry is.

The Current Living Situation sub-assessment will be found in the middle of the assessment.

During this phase, contact attempts will be input and any client data collected will be added as the client shares more with the staff.

 

Building on the Encounter

Throughout the outreach process, outreach workers will collect data in an ongoing collection process.

At a point, the client will decide to engage with the project.

Engagement is recorded when the an assessment or case plan for the client is deliberately completed with the client's participation.

Engagement begins the process of data quality expectations.

 

The date of engagement is below the Curent Living Situation sub-assessment. By this point, all client data should be collected and entered into the entry assessment.

 

 

Relationship Strengthening

At this point, the client has already engaged, completed their full assessment, and is working with the outreach team on a consistent basis.

At this point, the data collection process begins to utilize the Service Transaction system in HMIS.

These Service Transactions are utilized to inform the project on the last date the client was engaged, whether it be successful or unsuccessful.

The Service Transaction type will be "Street Outreach Program".

 

From there, the following prompts will appear:

• Service Provider: Select the outreach project
• Start Date: This field can be backdated to reflect when the client was engaged
• End Date: Should be the same as the Start Date
• Service Type: This service type should be Street Outreach Programs

 Once the Service Transaction is saved, the screen will expand

 

Though it looks like there is a significant amount of data entry needed, the only field that needs to be altered is the Need Status at the bottom of the document.

From here, you will select one of two need statuses:

• Outreach: Successful Outreach Engagement
• Outreach: Unsuccessful Outreach Engagement

These are the only two need statuses that should be entered.

Finally, click Save and Exit to conclude this portion of the workflow.

 

April 17th Pre-recorded Webinar 

More information regarding the outreach workflow can be found in this recorded webinar from April 17th, 2019.  Contact attempts are made through the Current Living Situation Sub-assessment and no longer through the contacts sub-assessment.