August 2023

Hello HMIS Users,

As a reminder, we will be implementing the auto-exit function for all active HMIS programs. This change is part of our Data Quality Plan updates and has been approved by the Sacramento County Continuum of Care. We will be making these changes to your programs throughout August. There will be no change for any programs with existing auto-exit configurations.

What are auto-exits?

The auto-exit function allows the HMIS system to automatically exit clients when there has been no activity - either services entered or assessments conducted - within their program enrollment for more than 90 days. With the auto-exit function turned on, the system will exit any inactive clients from their program enrollment, backdating their exit date to the last service or assessment in their enrollment. When the system exits a client, it will record "data not collected" for all answers on the program exit screen, which will make this a negative exit for your program. Afterwards, an email notification will automatically be sent to the assigned staff person to inform them about the auto-exit event. To read more about auto-exits, please check out pages 6-7 of our HMIS Data Quality Plan.

Below is an example of the email notification you receive the day your client gets auto-exited:

What do you need to do to avoid your clients being exited from your program?

To avoid having your clients auto-exited from your programs, you will need to make sure that all of your active clients have either a service or an assessment completed at least once every 90 days. It is the recommendation of the HMIS Team that you record at a minimum 1 service per month.

What reports and resources can you program utilize to determine which clients are at risk of an Auto-Exit?

Below are resources for monitoring and correcting the auto-exits for program enrollments. The two reports can be cross-referenced by copying the UIDs from [GNRL-111] to [GNRL-106]. Then working to remove the duplicates, the unduplicated UID's on the roster will be the clients who require services. Please join us Wednesdays from 2pm to 3pm for Auto-Exit Support Hour as we will be running through a sample process of this to assist in managing program auto-exits.

• [GNRL-111] Running the Attendance by Days Served Report
• [GNRL-106] Running the Program Roster

Automatic Service Provisions

We wanted to notify you that upon enrollment into the client's program, a single Case Management service will be automatically added into the program enrollment. This service is recorded to address intake work your staff are doing with clients. Additionally, Emergency Shelters (ES) and Transitional Housing Programs (TH) will include an automatic service provisioning of their housing service. 

(Please note, if there is another conflicting housing service already recorded in HMIS, the system will not record the automatic housing service. In those cases, you will need to reach out to the other service provider to clear up the conflicting housing service. If you require assistance, please contact the HMIS Team.) 

Clean up of antiquated services

Additionally, our team will be auditing program services for accuracy and correct configuration. You may experience some changes offered by your program as we retire legacy services that are incorrectly configured. 

Please ensure to promptly notify HMIS in the event that your program requires additional services or if there are no services currently in place. Your proactive communication is essential for us to effectively tailor our support and resources to meet your program's specific needs. Thank you for your cooperation in maintaining accurate and comprehensive program data.

Please utilize the resources we have provided on our website to ensure that your clients do not get auto-exited. If you have any questions or need assistance, please email us at HMIS@SacStepsForward.org.

In Partnership,

Data & Analytics Department

Sacramento Steps Forward

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