Love Your Data HMIS Quarterly Newsletter - Aug. 2022

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Love Your Data

Aug. 17, 2022

Dashboard spotlight:
County Report Card

County Report Card infographic

The updated County Report Card Dashboard now includes the state fiscal year 2021 data.  

Homeless system performance reporting aims to promote evidence-based housing interventions that efficiently move people experiencing homelessness into permanent destinations and improve county data reporting. Additionally, these reports provide communities with information regarding their progress towards locally established performance benchmarks.  

Each community has set performance benchmarks using local baseline data, so comparing the performance outcomes of different counties is not appropriate.

Data dashboards

Dashboards updated for the fourth quarter of state fiscal year 2022
(April 1 through June 31, 2021):

Dashboard

Check out all available dashboards on the Housing Assistance Tableau Public page.

HMIS updates

Announcing pilot project launch: A new HMIS Help Desk form

We are always looking for ways to improve and streamline the HMIS Help Desk experience for you, our dear HMIS users. Instead of emailing the HMIS Help Desk directly, we are testing out a new HMIS Help Desk form where your questions will go directly to the HMIS team member who can help you best. The form will also prompt you to provide all the information needed to answer your questions.

Try out the new Help Desk ticket form and tell us what you think of it by emailing hmis@commerce.wa.gov. We want to know what you like, don’t like, and what parts of the form are confusing.

During this pilot, you can submit HMIS questions and technical support requests through the new form or continue emailing the Help Desk.

Where to send HMIS technical support questions?

We recently learned that when signed into HMIS, some users see a bubble offering assistance in the bottom right of the HMIS window. Please don’t use this bubble to submit questions or when you run into an error. Questions submitted that way go to the vendor and are not supported.

Instead, please contact the HMIS Help Desk at hmis@commerce.wa.gov. We are here to help with all issues that come up.

Commerce reorganization update: New Data and Performance Unit

Reorganization graphic

Commerce’s Community Services and Housing Division (CSHD) has transitioned to two new divisions: the Housing Division (HD) and the Community Services Division (CSD).  

Housing- and homelessness-related programs are now part of HD. This change is our response to the tremendous expansion the Legislature and governor have entrusted us to manage.

Before the transition, the HMIS team was part of CSHD’s Housing Assistance Unit (HAU). We are now moving to HD and have joined forces with the Performance team to become the Data and Performance Unit.  

The programs you work and use HMIS for are also part of HD, so if you notice any changes in Unit names, don’t fret, we’re still here to help, and our contact information is the same.

Alexa Price

Welcome, Alexa!

We're pleased to introduce our new Performance Grant Manager, Alexa Price. Here’s a little bit about her:

Hello! My name is Alexa Price, I am a mother to three amazing children, I enjoy exploring the great outdoors and love traveling while seeing new things.

I grew up in Olympia and attended Capital High School and Evergreen State College. In 2017, I graduated from the University of Washington with a Master’s Degree in Social Work with a concentration in Policy & Administration.

I began working in the homeless service system in 2011 and learned early on that I wanted to make a difference. While working in nonprofit organizations, I became passionate about analyzing data and evaluating program performance. I’m excited to be a part of the great work the Department of Commerce is doing, and I look forward to making an impact in the lives of the community we serve.

As the Performance Grant Manager, I will:

  • Oversee the procurement and provision of annual homeless system grantee training; 
  • Lead and coordinate competitive solicitation processes; and
  • Manage contracts with third party trainers and consultants in order to provide the training and technical assistance necessary to improve homeless system performance.

Reports Corner

Every quarter, we examine a report or reporting-related topic to help you take ownership of your data.

Reports Corner graphic

Keep your agency’s active HMIS user list up to date

A current active user list is the best kind of active user list. This Current Active User List article answers the most commonly asked questions about keeping an agency’s HMIS active user list up to date, including yours.

Excel at Excel Basics

Want to be a spreadsheet wizard? Here we explore the power of spreadsheets, from the basics to the advanced.

Beginner Tip: Let’s take a look at client destinations in Excel. First, we’ll look at resources, run a report and then go over some helpful calculations in this Successful Destinations tutorial.

Dear HMIS Help Desk: What to do when an HMIS user leaves your agency?

Running into technical issues and not sure who to call? Don’t worry — the HMIS team has your back.

One of our readers writes:

Dear HMIS team,

Help! It’s busier around here than usual. One of our HMIS rock star users left the agency.

Do you have any suggestions for us? What should we do to make sure our programs continue to run smoothly?

Truly Yours,

Alone in Adams

 

Dear Alone in Adams,

We’re sorry to hear that you lost one of your rock stars. Here are some tips to help make the transition as smooth as possible.

  1. An agency must notify the HMIS Help Desk at HMIS@commerce.wa.gov immediately when a user leaves the agency so we can deactivate their account.
  2. Is another HMIS user ready to take over the past HMIS user’s caseload? Depending on the response to this question, do one of the following:
    • If yes, reassign any active clients over to the HMIS user now responsible for the client caseload. Inactive clients do not need to be reassigned.
      How do you identify all active clients assigned to an inactive HMIS user? In the HMIS Report Library, under Agency Management, run the [STFF-101] User Activity Report for the inactive HMIS user to identify all active clients assigned to them.
    • If no, when a replacement staff member is found who is not currently an HMIS user or a new person joins your agency, read the HMIS Training Registration and Account Approval Instructions. Then submit a Training & Account Request Form for the new user. HMIS training is required for all new users.

Don’t forget that we are here to help if you have any additional questions.

Best wishes,

HMIS team

We’re hiring!

Commerce’s Data & Performance Unit is hiring! Check out these open positions:

Data & Performance Unit: Managing Director

The Housing Division is seeking a data and performance professional to help us tell the affordable housing crisis story. The Data and Performance Unit Managing Director (DPMD) will lead and be responsible for program performance management policy and implementing performance management systems for homeless housing, capital financed affordable housing, lost youth investments, and Apple Health and Homes permanent supportive housing. Additionally, the position will supervise 15 full-time employees, including three direct reports.

Apply now

Performance Team: Racial Equity Performance Specialist

We’re looking for a data-driven, strategic thinker who is passionate about strengthening services to people experiencing a housing crisis. The Racial Equity Performance Specialist will work on racial equity performance requirements for homeless systems and programs. In addition, the position will provide long-term and targeted technical assistance, coaching and training to local homeless systems and service providers to help them address the racial disparities in their services systems.

Apply now

HMIS Team: HMIS Help Desk Specialist

Our team is looking for someone who is data-driven and passionate about Commerce’s mission of strengthening communities. The HMIS Help Desk Specialist role will provide Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) Help Desk Support, including responding to technical assistance calls and emails from the HMIS user community, field data analysis requests from unit staff and support the HMIS Team with other assignments as necessary.

Apply now

How are we doing?

If you have any questions, comments or suggestions for future content, contact ellen.hatleberg@commerce.wa.gov.

That is all from us for now. Have a great quarter and don’t forget to love your data!