November 18, 2020

Agency Admin Meeting

November 18th, 2020

1:00 – 2:30

Via GoToMeeting

Attendees:  Carly Taylor, Lise Stuart, Casi Totten, Daniel Dickens, Marie Hickman, Misty Inman, Melinda Zugelder, Alyssa Hoekman, Mike Fleck, Susanne Fendler, Chris Pickering, Katie Dockery, Daina Davisson, Jackie Low, James Ewell, Leonie Daniels, Evelyn Salinas, Risa Holden, Teresa Roark, Mike Yoshioka, Daphne Weller, Katherine Giles, Katharine Ryan, Samantha Adams, Carrie Copeland, Mirtha Strugo, Jose Castro, Pam Nyburg, Tracey Eppler, Cameron Sigler, Jeff Albanese, Tim Weese, Sophie Stipek 

• News/Updates
• BNL Dashboard – Lise Stuart 
  1. https://public.tableau.com/profile/lane.county#!/vizhome/HomelessnessinLaneCountyOregon/IntroductiontoLaneCountysHomelessnessData
     • Blue rectangles at the top will take you through different sections of the report
     • This information is used to make important policy decisions like new emergency shelters and Commons on MLK building
  2. The By-Name List is populated by data over the last 90 days – thank you for entering it! Make sure that Household Type and other entry assessment data are completed correctly. Please make sure that client contact information is up to date. This is used to contact clients for resources they are eligible for. 
  3. Dashboard coming soon: Average Monthly Inventory/Utilization
     • Lise will ask you to update inventory more frequently so the report will look accurate
     • Keep in mind that these numbers are averaged across the month, so if there is a change during the month the dashboard numbers may not match your current numbers
     • Make sure to keep client entries and exits up to date 
     • If you find issues with the report, check your data and move-in dates. If things still don’t look correct, take a screenshot of the report (including title) and send it to Lise/Daina
• New employees at LC 
  1. James Ewell – Outreach Coordinator
     • Coordinated Outreach & Rural Outreach teams
     • Referrals, Coordinated Entry/CWL, and case conferencing
  2. Katharine Ryan – Shelter/Winter Strategies
     • Pallet shelters in place in Cottage Grove, Veneta, Florence, and Oakridge – will be tracked in HMIS so we will have more information on rural areas 
• Data Quality
  1. The requirement for using HMIS is to maintain 95% data accuracy and completeness.  The percent of complete and accurate project entry assessments has declined this year, the first time LC’s HMIS has had this issue. Two years ago we were averaging 97% data accuracy and completeness in the Data Quality Report Cards. This year we have dropped below 95% for the first time ever. 
     • We understand that sometimes the errors aren’t fixable, but when you can (especially if they are easily fixed), please fix them.
  2. Why this is a concern
     • These data are reported to funders who expect complete and accurate information in order to determine program goals were met
     • These data are used in system-wide reports to federal and state funding partners who use the data to understand our community’s effectiveness in addressing poverty, housing insecurity and homelessness
       • Neither Lane County HMIS staff nor provider program staff have the staff time available to correct poor data quality. For example, hundreds of COVID 19 rent assistance HMIS records had data errors that Agencies did not identify or address because they are not running their own DQ reports. HMIS staff have spent dozens of hours identifying problems and working with agencies to clean up the data. 
       • Few Examples
         1. LC training guides https://www.lanecounty.org/cms/One.aspx?portalId=3585881&pageId=12710184 
         2. Relationship to HoH errors
         3. HUD verification information over-written rather than added
         4. Income errors
            • Says yes to income but no sources documented
            • Says no to income but 1 or more sources documented
         5. Not deleting entries created by mistake
         6. Missing annual assessments and follow ups
         7. Not using the anniversary date for the assessment date
         8. Families entered in separate assessments or unit stays so they are reported as singles rather than households with children (little 2 years renting a unit all on their own)
       • What is LC HMIS 2020 plan 
         1. January every agency will have a 2 hour one on one meeting with Carly and Melissa
            • Create Data Quality plan
            • Build relationships
            • Talk about training needs 
         2. Will start scheduling this ASAP 

• Training
  1. New guides posted on the LC website
     • Measurements
     • Lateral Transfers
     • Shelter client exits
       • New process: if there is a HH in a shelter stay, a client leaves that stay, but then is returning to that stay, do not add the client back. Instead exit the whole HH and then create a new entry.
  2. New user video
     • This video will be sent out to all New Users along with user name and password.  Please have staff watch the video and log in prior to the required New User Orientation
  3. Ticketing/Knowledge based system – Carly Taylor 
• Next Meeting 
  1. January 
  2. Doodle poll will be sent soon