Response from Bowman about Date of Engagement
Question ID: 44365
Question Subject: Date of engagement in the data standard, need clarification
Question Text:
on Page 59, Response Category Descriptions: Date of engagement is defined as the date on which an interactive client relationship results in a deliberate client assessment or beginning of a case plan. The date of engagement should be entered into HMIS at the point that the client has become engaged. It may be on or after the project entry date and prior to project exit. If the client exits without becoming engaged, the engagement date should be left blank.
For our HUD funded Street Outreach program, our current workflow is that a client is entered and exited on the same day (since we do not know if we will ever see them again). We are trying to understand the point that the client has become engaged. What is considered a client assessment? thanks.
Response:
Date of First Contact=Entry Date
If an outreach worker encounters an individual living on the street or in a place not meant for human habitation and determines that the individual is a candidate for outreach services -- regardless of whether or not the client may be interested in the service at the time -- then that is considered a contact with a client.
The date of first contact with an individual is the client's project entry date. The worker might never see the client again, but the purpose of outreach is to build a trusting relationship over time. HUD-funded street outreach projects, along with PATH and RHY funded street outreach, are required to track and report on the number of contacts between the project entry date / first contact and the date of engagement.
Engagement
If the client becomes engaged in the outreach project, the date of engagement would occur sometime on or after the date of first contact/project entry date, but before the project exit date. It would represent the day that the client indicates that s/he is willing to accept services and participate in the project by, for example, providing information about special needs and disabilities, housing history, and identifying information to the outreach worker. A conversation with a client about his/her history, current situation, and needs -- an assessment -- is the foundation for a case plan.
Only clients who are "engaged" are included in HMIS data quality assessments for street outreach projects. Between project entry and engagement, a client might be identified in HMIS by a partial name or may refuse to communicate with the outreach worker, for example. None of these are reasons to exit a client from an outreach project, they are simply indicators that the client is not yet "engaged" in the project.
If an outreach worker encounters an individual with whom there is no need to pursue an outreach relationship - e.g. the individual reports that they have a case manager at another agency and is about to move into a PSH project - then that individual is not a client and there is no need to record a project entry or contact date.
If the client exits without becoming engaged, the engagement date should be left blank.
Exit
It is not appropriate to create an exit for a client until the outreach worker determines that the outreach relationship should end. Reasons to exit a client include:
1. The client is engaged with another outreach worker / project;
2. The client has entered another project type (e.g., TH, PSH) or otherwise found housing;
3. The client is deceased;
4. The outreach worker has been unable to locate the client for an extended period of time / a community-defined period with no contact has passed. . a month is a reasonable amount of time
The possibility that the client may not be seen again is not a reason to exit a client from an outreach project.
(only 1) date of first contact = client's project entry date
(only 1) date of engagement -- the date on which an interactive client relationship results in a deliberate client assessment or beginning of a case plan. the day that the client indicates that s/he is willing to accept services and participate in the project [[[can’t be blank?? They’re not engaged yet?]]]
(several) Contact -
Date of Contact (required for street outreach programs only; optional for other programs)
Rationale: To record and count the number of contacts with homeless persons by street outreach programs. Needed to complete APRs for HUD-funded homeless assistance programs that conduct street outreach.
Data Source: Program staff
When Data Are Collected: Each time a client is contacted.
Subjects: All clients served.
Definition and Instructions: The definition of a client contact may vary among programs and communities. As a matter of general principle, a contact is defined as an interaction between the street outreach worker and the client. A contact may include the distribution of brochures or other materials, a verbal conversation between the street outreach worker and the client about the client’s well being or service needs, or a referral to service. For the purpose of the APR, street outreach programs must report the total number of contacts during the operating year by location of contact.
Date of Engagement (required for street outreach only; optional for other programs)
Rationale: To count the number of homeless persons engaged by street outreach programs during the operating year. Needed to complete APRs for HUD funded homeless assistance programs that provide street outreach.
Data Source: Program staff
When Data Are Collected: In the course of client assessment.
Subjects: All clients served.
Definition and Instructions: The definition of a client engagement may vary among programs and communities. As a matter of general principle, an engagement is defined as an interactive client relationship that results in a deliberate client assessment. Program staff may decide whether this is equivalent to the program entry date or a distinct date that may occur before, concurrent with, or after the program entry date. For the purpose of the APR, street outreach programs must report the number of clients that were engaged. Record this date as the two-digit month, two-digit day and four-digit year.