DHS PATH Program Guide for Pennsylvania HMIS

Transcription

1 The following program guide provides a walk-through of the main data collection sections for entering, updating and reviewing the proper data elements for the PATH-funded Street Outreach (SO) and/or Services Only (SSO) programs within the Pennsylvania HMIS. PATH Program Setup: Service Providers may have a Street Outreach, Services Only or even both program types defined in the PA HMIS and is based on the types of population the program initially focuses on. The Street Outreach (SO) component of PATH is used by PATH projects that provide street outreach. These PATH activities are designed to meet the immediate needs of unsheltered homeless persons by connecting them with emergency shelter, housing, and/or critical health services. The Supportive Services (SSO) component of PATH is used by PATH projects that provide PATHfunded services to enrolled PATH clients. Prior to this release, the PA HMIS only supported Services Only PATH projects and each grantee has 1 SSO, but we can now properly support both types. If you are a PATH Grantee or Service Provider and serve and/or contact clients that match the description for Street Outreach please contact Brian Miller at c-briamill@pa.gov to have your PATH Street Outreach program setup or to further discuss the need. Client Entry: Prior to entering an new client into the system a client search is required to be run to check to see if they already exist either under your agency or within the entire system. Using the Find/Add Client you can perform a search and the system will return any similar matches in the grid below. If a client match is found it is highly recommended to select it from the results grid as it will help keep duplicate clients to a minimum along with providing you access to data already collected on the client. If no client is found use the Create New Client option at the bottom of the screen to add them. 1 P a g e

2 Please refer to the PATH/Outreach Workgroup Reference or the Global Client Search and Import Guide within the PA HMIS system documents section for more details on the client search and local vs. global client selection and import process. Contact Only Enrollments vs. Full PATH Enrollments: After the PATH client has been selected or newly entered the next step is to ensure they are placed into an enrollment, which could be a contact-only or full enrollment version depending on the situation. - Contact-Only: this type of enrollment represents the initial contact period with the PATH client prior to collecting full client/assessment data and prior to knowing any eligibility or full service needs. This enrollment type only allows for the collection of pre-enrollment contacts. - Full Enrollment: this type of enrollment represents a standard program enrollment in HMIS and should occur only when the client is deemed eligible and the client has accepted the services. This enrollment type allows for the full collection of PATH services and referral services along with both pre-enrollment and post-enrollment contacts. To begin a PATH enrollment for either type, select Project Enrollments in the left menu, then select the New Project Enrollment option to begin the enrollment process. Please note that all proper data collection functions for the PATH program exist in the PATH/ Street Outreach Workgroup and we recommend switching to this workgroup under Settings (top right hand corner of screen ) prior to performing any PATH data task. Once the next program selection screen loads, select your PATH program from the drop-down list and your client will appear in the grid area below for enrollment with the following data fields. 2 P a g e

3 First Contact Date: this is the date of first or initial contact and once this occurred an enrollment should be entered for this PATH client (if an active one does not already exist). Date of Engagement: this is the date when a full client engagement/assessment occurred and usually occurs at the point that the client is deemed eligible or not. Client Enrolled in PATH: this is the element that determines whether the enrollment is a Contact Only or a Full Enrollment. This element consists of a Yes or No response with Yes meaning the client is eligible and accepts services and ready for a full enrollment. A No designates that this record will be labeled as a contact only enrollment and will remain open for additional pre-enrollment contacts and could eventually be updated to a full enrollment. Date of PATH Enrollment: this element is only required if the PATH client is fully enrolled into the program and Client Enrolled in PATH = Yes. When a full enrollment occurs this is the date that the client was formal enrolled into the program and becomes the official PATH Enrollment date for reporting going forward. *Note that this is the same as the Date of PATH Status/PATH Status Determined and was slightly renamed to better fit how the date will be used. When a client is not fully enrolled no official PATH Enrollment occurred and is the reason no date is required. Reason Not Enrolled in PATH: this element is only required if the PATH client remains in the contact only enrollment state and Client Enrolled in PATH = No and has two responses. - Client was found ineligible for PATH - Client was not enrolled for other reasons or Contact only and status not determined End/Exit Contact Enrollment this option will be explained in more detail during the program exit section of this guide as this is an optional function and the system will automatically close out open and inactive contact only enrollments. Once all required fields are collected for your PATH client select the Save button on the bottom of the screen to continue the process. If the client is within a contact only enrollment the system will not require any additional information and will take you to a Pre-Enrollment Contact screen to record the initial contact if necessary. If the client is fully enrolled into the PATH program the process will start the standard validation and client assessment data collection which includes having all universal demographics completed, an electronic data sharing record created and the standard assessments required by PATH at entry. Once a PATH client is fully enrolled you can then begin collecting enrolled PATH services and enrolled PATH referrals services that are provided during the program stay. Please see the sections below for performing Contact, Service and Referral Service data collection. Please note if your organization has more than 1 type of PATH program (Street Outreach and Services Only) you should initially place the PATH client into the appropriate program based on environment in which the first contact was made. Typically those in a service-setting or in-reach environment should be Services Only while those on the streets and in outreach environments should be Street Outreach. And once a client is placed into a program they should remain for the length of the stay regardless of services provided. 3 P a g e

4 Enrollment Updates for Contact Only records: For PATH clients that remain in a contact only enrollment you can continue to collect pre-enrollment contacts (described in the Contact section below) until the following occurs: - Client is eligible and accepts services and can be fully enrolled To update a contact-only enrollment to a full enrollment, you can use the Complete PATH Enrollment option that is found in the program enrollment record s action menu either on the Dashboard or under the Project Enrollment screen. After selecting this option you will load a screen that is similar to the initial enrollment (looks like the Edit Enrollment option), which allows you to switch the Client Enrolled in PATH option from No to Yes. Upon saving the enrollment type is changed and the system will take you on the standard enrollment process. - Client is automatically closed out by the system For contact only enrollments, once a PATH client has not had a recorded contact within the last 60 days, the system will automatically exit the client from the enrollment. The exit date will be the date of the last contact recorded. - Client is manually closed out by a user This is a new feature and we have provided an option that can be accessed within the Edit Enrollment action that allows an open contact only enrollment to be closed out. This is could be helpful when the client is determined ineligible for PATH and future contacts might not occur. To manually exit a client, simply locate and check the End/Exit Contact Enrollment option for the client and hit Save or Confirm on the screen. The system will automatically record the last contact date as the exit date. 4 P a g e

5 Enrollment Updates for full enrollment records: For PATH clients that are active in a full enrollment record you have actions available as shown below that can allow you to review already collected assessments, Review Entry Assessments and the ability to Perform Update/Annual Assessment if the client s assessment information changes in the following year. Program Exit/ Exit the Enrollment: Once a PATH client is fully enrolled it will remain open until manually closed or exited by the user using the standard Program Exit or Exit the Enrollment option. This needs to occur when the client is no longer receiving services or actively participating in the program. The Exit the Enrollment option will begin the discharge or exit process in PA HMIS and is an action option for the enrollment record on the Dashboard or Project Enrollment screen. After selecting this option you will be prompted with the standard exit data element screen as shown below, and then the standard exit assessments much like during the enrollment process. 5 P a g e

6 PATH Contacts: Within PA HMIS, to minimize changes and to make the process of data collection more efficient, we are splitting the data collection process for those contacts collected prior to a full enrollment (preenrollment) and those contacts collected during a full enrollment (post-enrollment). This will allow contacts to be collected during the contact stage within the Pre-Enrollment Contact area as well as like a Service in the Enrolled Service area once a full enrollment has occurred. Please note that while the PA HMIS system is labeling this distinction between contacts for user clarity, in terms of official PATH reporting both types are simply considered contacts by SAMSHA/DHS. Pre-Enrollment Contacts- When placing a client into a contact only enrollment between the time of First Contact and Date of PATH Enrollment (if this occurs) all contacts should be entered and collected using the Pre-Enrollment Contact function. The Pre-Enrollment Contacts left menu option will display all recorded pre-enrollment contacts and the Add New Contact option will allow you to record a new contact instance. Please note that pre-enrolment contacts can and should also occur for full enrollment records as well and are for contacts that occur between the very first contact up through the date of PATH enrollment. Post-Enrollment Contacts- When a client is enrolled or upgraded into a full enrollment, between the time of the Date of PATH Enrollment and the eventual Program Exit Date, all contacts should be entered and collected using the standard PATH Services function. There are two ways to record a Post-Enrollment Contact, the first is the direct way, in which you select that service from the PATH service list, select the contact location and contact date(s) and hit save within the Add New Service screen. The second way is a new feature recently added for this release that allows for the collection of a PATH Service (i.e. Case Management, Screening, etc.) and the ability to add a contact in addition to that service. 6 P a g e

7 Within the PATH Service screen, after selecting a PATH service the system will prompt the user to also Record Enrollment Contact along with the originally entered service. Upon hitting save, if the additional contact fields are completed, both the service and post-enrollment contact will be recorded. Per the new SAMSHA/DHS rules contacts are an important data element in the updated PATH reporting and a new contact should be collected in the system every time you meet with your PATH client, whether it is from a pre-enrollment or post-enrollment standpoint. PATH Services: Once a client is fully enrolled into the PATH program you can record any number of official PATH services that are available. To access the services, select the Enrolled Services link in the left-menu (hover over project enrollments to open up the enrolled services option) to open up the review screen. The review screen will show all current services for the client, which can be individually edited using the option as the beginning of each row. To create a new PATH service, select the Add New Service button on the top right of the screen. To add a new PATH service, enter in the date of the service, select the PATH program enrollment from the list and then select one of the available PATH services that can be provided to your clients. 7 P a g e

8 Per the contact section about, we added the ability to add a post-enrollment contact to a service and we also have the standard service costs field (# of Units x $ of Service) to optionally collect, calculate and track service expenditures PATH Service List available on October 3 rd, 2016 Field Names Response Categories Date of Service (date) Type of PATH FUNDED Service Provided Reengagement Screening Clinical assessment Habilitation/rehabilitation Community mental health Substance use treatment Case management Residential supportive services Housing minor renovation Housing moving assistance Housing eligibility determination Security deposits One-time rent for eviction prevention Please note that the Post-Enrollment Contact is not on the official list as this is a way for PA HMIS to further distinguish contact types, please refer to the above PATH Contacts area above for information on collecting either style of contact record. PATH Referral Services: Once a client is fully enrolled into the PATH program you can record any number of PATH referral services that are available. To access the services, select the Enrolled Referral Services link in the leftmenu (hover on project enrollments to open up the PATH referral option) to open up the review screen. 8 P a g e

9 The review screen will show all current services for the client, which can be individually edited using the option as the beginning of each row. To create a new PATH service, select the Add PATH Referral button on the top right of the screen. To add a new PATH Referral service, enter in the date of the referral, select the PATH program enrollment from the list and then select one of the available PATH Referral services that can be provided to your clients. In addition to the referral service, a Referral Service Status is also required to be collected which provides feedback or an outcome on whether the client eventually received the service for which they were referred. If you do not have the status doing data entry you can enter in Unknown but it is recommended to follow-up to find out if it was Attained or Not Attained PATH Referral Service List available on October 3 rd, 2016 Field Names Date of Referral Type of Referral (if any referral made for each) Select Outcome for each Data Types/Response Categories (date) Community Mental Health Substance Use Treatment Primary health/dental care Job Training Educational Services Housing Services Temporary Housing Permanent Housing Income Assistance Employment Assistance Medical Insurance Attained Not attained Unknown 9 P a g e