What is Coordinated Entry in Homeless Management Information System?

Coordinated entry is the systematic process used by the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) to help people in housing crises get help quickly and fairly. So that instead of approaching many different offices separately and having to repeat their story several times, people seeking housing assistance can go to a single place and have their needs assessed.

Think of coordinated entry as a single ‘front door’ through which any person approaching a social services provider is assessed using the same criteria and quickly matched to the services they need most. 

That’s because when multiple nonprofits and agencies work together and pool resources, they can provide better services and homelessness prevention.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) requires all Continuums of Care (CoCs) to collect data in their HMIS in a standardized manner, track the use of services, monitor outcomes, and report back to HUD. This helps HUD monitor homelessness trends and make informed decisions about housing policies.

Coordinated entry makes sure that no matter which agency a homeless person approaches – health centers, housing agencies, shelters, outreach teams, hotlines – there’s no duplication of services or information, and clients get an efficient response to their needs through careful evaluation.

Coordinated entry also includes standardized vulnerability assessment tools such as Vulnerability Index – Service Prioritization Decision Assistance Tool (VI-SPDAT) – yes, it’s certainly a mouthful! – which assigns clients a score based on criteria such as emergency room visits, mental health crises, history of domestic violence or trauma, and periods of homelessness. 

This score helps priority resources go to those who need them the most instead of allocating them to someone who has already received them previously at a different social service provider or isn’t in such an urgent situation.

Why is Coordinated Entry Important?

According to HUD data, CoCs that use coordinated entry see a 30% improvement in service outcomes. This shows the power of a unified approach to social services.

• Less Repetition: Clients only need to share their story and take the standardized assessment once. This information is then entered into the centralized HMIS and is accessible for all relevant parties, saving time and effort for both clients and providers.
• Faster Access to Services: Based on the assessment scores, those in greatest need receive limited resources on priority.
• Increased Trust: Since every client is assessed using the same criteria, this fair and transparent system builds confidence in clients who might be reluctant to reach out for help otherwise.
• Better Collaboration: When up-to-date information about a client’s situation is shared across service providers, they can coordinate their efforts more effectively.
• Data-Driven Decisions: Accurate, real-time data helps agencies get a clearer picture of homelessness trends and client needs.

How Does Coordinated Entry Work?

There are four key steps to coordinated entry. Let’s look at each of them in turn below.

Access

It’s important that every person seeking help gets it promptly without having to navigate complex bureaucracy. This also makes it important that every client’s entry experience is simplified through a ‘no wrong door’ approach. Many communities design their coordinated entry systems such that clients can approach any service provider and still be referred to where they need help from the most.

Assessment

Once a client is entered into the system, they’re asked to complete a standardized assessment like the VI-SPDAT. These assessments include questions about a person’s housing history, health, and more, and clients are then assigned a score. The goal of this assessment is to measure immediate risk and determine overall needs.

Prioritization

Once a vulnerability score is established, clients are ranked based on this score. Those with higher scores are given priority access to limited resources such as supportive housing units. For example, in Los Angeles County, a score of 8 or higher may expedite a client’s process for permanent supportive housing. This scoring system is designed to eliminate bias as everyone is assessed fairly and equitably under the same criteria.

Referral

Based on the client’s ranking and the availability of resources, clients are then referred to the appropriate service provider. Once a referral is made, all stakeholders can see the client’s information in the HMIS, which means that clients don’t need to repeat any part of the process even after being referred to a different service provider. This ‘warm handoff’ between agencies ensures that clients are connected to the right services and receive rapid assistance without slipping through the cracks.

Getting Started with Coordinated Entry in Your Community

If you’re looking to streamline your homeless services and make a real impact on the lives of the people you serve, here are some actionable steps you can take:

Assess Your Current Process

Review your existing processes and identify gaps where clients may be facing delays due to bottlenecks or repeating their stories because of disparate data compilation.

Engage Stakeholders

Stakeholders such as service providers, case managers, government representatives, and community leaders can provide valuable insights from their own experiences and help you optimize your services based on what your clients need.

Choose the Right HMIS

The hardest step in getting started is choosing the right HMIS for your needs. As a CoC, you’ll need to work closely with HMIS leads so that your new coordinated entry system is aligned with your existing data collection practices. 

Essentially, your HMIS system needs to capture two main types of information:

• Universal Data Elements (UDEs): Standard information about every client, such as name, DOB, and SSN.
• Program-Specific Common Data Elements (CDEs): Additional data fields that are unique to a particular program, such as referral details, housing placement information, and supportive services. These details help measure program performance across different providers.

Look for an HMIS that not only follows HUD’s HMIS data standards but also offers features that allow reporting and tracking, mobile accessibility, data security, and real-time updates.

Enter Data Systematically

Now that you have an HMIS, it’s time to use it! First, check existing client records to avoid duplication, and when updating records, re-check demographic details, disability status, and monthly income information to make sure they’re current.

When intaking new clients, there are two things you need to do: gather basic client information along with informed consent and ask the client to take a standardized vulnerability assessment. Your HMIS will then automatically calculate a vulnerability score for them and determine where they fall on the priority list.

Train Your Staff

Every user, whether on an outreach team or in-office, needs to know how to work the HMIS. Comprehensive training makes sure that there’s less reluctance to adopt the new technology as well as less human error.

You can also implement role-based access permissions so that each member of your staff can only access and interact with the information that they need for their day-to-day tasks. 

For example, a case manager will have direct access to the files to enter client information, conduct assessments, and manage referrals. On the other hand, data analysts will have read-only access to files so that they can view records and generate reports.

Monitor and Improve

Advanced features in an HMIS allow users to track KPIs, monitor client statuses, identify gaps in service provision, receive referral alerts, prepare documentation, update housing assignments, fix duplicate records, and review compliance reports.

Communicate with Clients

Make sure that clients who approach you understand how coordinated entry works and why it’s going to be beneficial for them. Transparency and honesty encourage open communication.

Conclusion

Coordinated entry is more than just a buzzword – it’s a lifeline for many people who need help. Streamlining homelessness data entry in an environment where every minute counts ensures that resources promptly reach those who need them the most.

Bell Data Systems’ HMIS solution is built to transform the way social services are delivered.

Schedule a demo with us today and take a deeper look at what our offerings are and how the features of our proprietary HMIS can help you deliver more efficient, impactful care!