NERHMIS Meeting Minutes
December 15, 2006

1. What’s Hot:

Contractual Requirements

• New Hampshire:  challenged by crossover of clients between VT and NH- where VT providers are funded by NH state funded programs
• Maine contractual requirement for ESG provider participation
• New Haven city requiring participation for city funded shelters

Outreach Efforts

NH Outreach training- one person from BOS collecting outreach information with custom assessment screen (new initiative)

• Entry/exit for every contact
• Recommend to follow up with scan point for outreach and referral

Point in Time Counts

• VT Form on NAEH.org

2. NHSDC April 26-7, 2006 in New Orleans- REMINDER REGISTER NOW- www.nhsdc.org
3. HUD Call for presenters for advanced homeless data users meeting
• DEADLINE for submission Wed 12/20

IV. Technical Assistance Needs:  What kind of TA is needed at local level?

• Message of importance and what is coming down the pipe
• Present data or examples of data quality from other communities
• Front End users- motivation and importance of data quality
• Change of systems for data validation
• Demonstrate some examples of ways that data has been used to get money or advocate for service?
• Supervisors and directors not bought into HMIS and more important for front line users?
• Vendors need to add data validation

4. Data Quality

• Staff turnover for training of end users
• Write data quality into contracts – quality/quantity drives amount of funding received by agencies
• Supervisor buy in is a necessary
• Do a HUD invitation “training” to advance the notion that AHAR is now a requirement – before NOFA – especially around the HIC – invite the ESG providers as well.

5. NERHMIS Meeting: 

What is the purpose of the conference?

• Developing strategies for quality data collection, performance and reporting for clients, programs, and CoCs

Three topic areas:

• Data Quality (recommend opening session topic)
• Strategies to decrease staff burden
• Simplifying data collection
• Making data collection easy
• Using volunteers, floater data entry, and clients to assist in data collection process
• Quality case management
• Funding and contractual component to data quality
• Empowering consumers to share quality information (consent issues)
• Consumer training for case managers
• Performance
• effective management of CoC using quality data
• focus on uses of data for CoC planning, management, and decision making
• ranking programs using HMIS data
• Strategies for CoCs to take ownership of HMIS
•  
• Reporting
• Understanding homelessness across the CoC including non-HUD funded providers
• Monthly reporting for program funding
• Monthly reporting for universal, program
• Phased required reporting (Strategically using reports to increase participation and data quality)
• Consumer input on provider or program report card

How should be invited? 

Use States Leads Model Again              

PATH

              211

              Vermont- Kim Wolaver

              Maine- Cindy Namer

              NH- Linda Newell

              RI- Don Larsen

              CT- Carol Walter

6. Discussion with Bowman
• Welcome George Valcho (taking over some of Joann tasks)
• Product development/ marketing, etc.
• gvalcho@bowmansystems.com
• ART 2.0
• Web-ex trainings conducted- encourage participation
• New training scheduled released for Jan-Mar
• Training on ESG, HOPWA or other reports developed at other installations
• ESG- State of Arkansas
• State of AZ- data validation checks
• Reports can be shared more easily across installations- Bowman will train library
• SP 4.03
• Undergoing quality assurance process and initial customer review process in January
• List distributed to each version
• New Module- activity point for enrollments/wait list in meetings/classes
• Event scheduling
• Ability to merge clients in database if more than one clients
• Security constraints for open matches and closed matches
• Administration- allow auto population of agencies
• Service transaction screen- configure to show fields that providers are allowed to see on a screen (customizable by provider)
• Ability to enter multiples services for families for members in the household
• Beginning 4.04 review with advisory group
• Focus release on workflow efficiency
• Projected release June 07

• Power Issues
• Surge and currently reviewing capacity in the building
• Purchased additional UPS power backups
• IT director load balancing review on certain breakers
• Data Validation, Data Quality
• Potentially addressed late 07-08
• Request as feature enhancement for 4.04

7. Path Provider Involvement
• Challenge 4% admin for small states- not enough money to participate in HMIS discussions/efforts
• Recommended 1 hr teleconference with PATH providers re: participation in HMIS and uses of data

Next meeting- January 19, 2007:

• Share RFP or contract language for requiring participation NOFA grant agreements
• Last minute Point in Time issues
• Data Conversion (7-8 funders)- talk to Ken Teele
• Conference Planning

Next Steps:

• MaryAnn and Michelle talk further about Northern Tier Conference
• Michelle, McGah, and Sherwood talk with Boston Field Office re: S. Tier Communities
• States provide list of Bowman enhancement and functionality priorities
• Brian schedule 1 hr conf call with PATH providers to discuss NERHMIS, data collection, reporting, etc. 
• Brian incorporation papers
• Jonathan set up planning meeting for January meeting
• Maine request copies of policies/procedures from Bowman re: hosting