HMIS Project Management Topics and Tools - OneCPD

HMIS Project Management Topics and Tools27. Press Release for New GrantSource: Created for this publicationDescription: This press release announces a new HMIS grant. It describes the goals of HMISand the benefits it will provide to the homeless providers, their clients, and the community.XYZ LogoDivision of Housing and HomelessServices of XYZ County100 Main StreetXYZ, CA 11111Contact: Jennifer SmithP: (555) 555-5555Fax: (555) 555-5556jsmith@dhhs.xyz.gov.www.dhhs.xyz.gov/hmisFor Immediate Release November 15, 2004New Technology Will Help Homeless SheltersXYZ County Receives $80,000XYZ County has never known exactly how many of its residents are homeless and what their needs are.At the same time, three of the four homeless shelters in XYZ are still keeping records with pen and paperand don’t have access to decent computers or software to help them run their programs. But, a new$80,000 federal grant for a homeless management information system, or HMIS, will help solve both ofthese problems.Each program that serves the homeless will receive new computers and access to web-based software thatthey can use to enter client information, manage cases, and run reports. Since all the shelters will be usingthe same database, homeless people who move between shelters can choose to allow new caseworkers tosee the information previously entered. The county can use the information to understand the entirehomeless population. “It’s a win-win-win,” said Jennifer Smith, manager of the new HMIS project.“Shelters get software and new computers, clients get more efficient and coordinated service, and thecounty gets a better picture of homelessness.”HMIS is governed by an Executive Committee consisting of County officials, homeless service providers,and homeless individuals. The Committee has been meeting over the past year to choose the best softwareand make sure the system serves everyone’s needs and protects client privacy. According to Smith, thesystem will be voluntary for clients, who will have to give consent before being entered in the database.The XYZ HMIS is part of a national strategy of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development(HUD). Communities around the country are using HMIS to understand homelessness. XYZ’s HMIS datawill be included in a national report to Congress. “People think that the homeless are all mentally ill andliving in big cities. But XYZ HMIS will prove that working families and children in suburban countieslike XYZ are homeless too. And they need help,” Smith said. The County plans to begin rolling out itsHMIS in December.XYZ HMIS is a project of the Division of Housing and Homeless Services of XYZ County.###Press Release for a New Grant 111