Using HMIS to Track and Evaluate Successes and Trends of Project Homeless Connect Events

1
Using HMIS to Track and Evaluate Successes and
Trends of Project Homeless Connect Events

• Matthew Ayres,
• Hennepin County/City of Minneapolis
• Emily Warren, Wilder Research

2
Agenda

• Homelessness in Minnesota
• Introduction to State-wide PHC/OCC events
• Evolution of PHC events in Minneapolis
• Data limitations
• HMIS matching and longitudinal data
• Using HMIS data for PHC planning and 10-year
  planning
• Conclusions and questions

3
(No Transcript)
4
Homelessness in Minnesota

• Geography 13 Continuum of Care regions,
  including metro and rural areas
• Point in Time Count
• Statewide from October 26, 2006
• Count- 7,713
• Estimate- 9,200 to 9,300
• Total Population 5,167,101 (U.S. Census 2006)

5
Homelessness in Minneapolis

• Geography 1 Continuum of Care region, Hennepin
  County.
• Point in Time Count
• Statewide from October 26, 2006
• Count- 3,998
• Total Population 1,122,093 (U.S. Census 2006)

6
Operation Community Connect in MN

• Operation Community Connect Rural
• Aitkin
• Kanabec
• Isanti
• Mille Lacs
• Pine
• Chisago
• Rice
• Clay
• Moorhead (Project Homeless Connect)
• Total Served 635 households

7
Project Homeless Connect in MN

• Project Homeless Connect Urban
• Minneapolis (Hennepin County)- April 28, 2008
• Total Served 2,570 Households
• St Paul (Ramsey County) June 10, 2008
• Total Served 1,033 Households
• Duluth (St. Louis County) October 24, 2007
• Total Served 344 Households

8
Evolution of Minneapolis PHC

• First event December 2005
• 500 guests, 50 Volunteers, 40 service providers
• Recent event April, 2008
• 2880 Guests, 1300 Volunteers, 140 agencies with
  over 350 service providers

9
Evolution of Minneapolis PHC
10
Services at Minneapolis PHC

• Mental Health assessments
• Chemical Dependency assessments
• Housing programs
• Employment programs and Employers
• GED and Community college
• IDs and Birth Certificates
• Early Childhood Family Education
• Daycare
• Veterans Services

11
Services at Minneapolis PHC cont

• Youth-specific services
• Haircuts
• Footwear
• Medical
• Dental
• Eye care
• Chiropractic
• Transportation Assistance
• Lunch

12
Common Intake Form

• Multiple counties worked to develop and utilize a
  common intake form used at all PHC/OCC events
  statewide.
• This allows for statewide demographic data
  regarding who is accessing services.
• Informs local plans and allows for longitudinal
  tracking of guests.

13
Data Limitations

• Use of unique IDs - The Bob/Robert conundrum
• Lack of bed coverage in some CoCs
• Example Hennepin County
• 35 of emergency shelter beds, 83 of
  transitional housing beds, 55 of permanent
  housing beds
• Intake forms completed by volunteers
• Reliance on self-report from guests

14
Demographics at Minneapolis PHC April 2008
event

• 2,570 households
• 2,888 individuals
• 1,690 single adults
• 164 couples or adults with other family status
• 663 parents or guardians
• 318 children
• 53 unaccompanied youth

15
Demographics at Minneapolis PHC April 2008
event

• 22 not currently homeless
• 25 1st time homeless
• 14 multiple times homeless
• 21 long-term homeless
• 18 homelessness status unknown/missing
• 16 American-Indian
• 52 Black/African-American
• 21 White
• 5 Other/Multi-racial
• 6 Missing

16
Why use HMIS to evaluate PHC events?

• Provides more information about who is attending
  the events are they already accessing services?
• An indicator of effectiveness of events by
  tracking later use of services by PHC guests
• Plan for future events, especially programmatic
  changes based on guests needs
• Informs 10-year plans

17
Example of matching Hennepin Co.

• 3,427 guests attended either the October 2007 or
  April 2008 PHC events in Hennepin
• Of those, 169 guests were not in HMIS prior to
  the event AND received services within 30 days
  after the event from a provider participating in
  HMIS
• 42 received FHPAP services
• 49 received emergency shelter
• 27 received transitional housing
• 31 received permanent housing
• 60 received other support services

18
Example of matching Hennepin Co

• 729 guests identifying as long-term homeless
  attended the October 2007 or April 2008 PHC Event
  in Hennepin Co.
• Of those, 521 guests were not in HMIS prior to
  the event.
• Of those, 35 guests received a service in HMIS
  within 30 days after the event, and 19 of those
  received a service of permanent housing.
• Three months after receiving permanent housing,
  18 of those 19 guests are still in the same
  housing program. The other guest left their
  housing program for a Section 8 voucher.

19
HMIS Matching and Analysis
20
HMIS Matching and Analysis
21
What does this data mean?

• Evaluates the outcomes of PHC events
• Provides anecdotal evidence for successes of
  the events
• Provides data on the number of follow-up services
  provided after the event
• Informs 10-year planning by providing additional
  information to communities about their homeless
  populations needs, demographics, and use of
  services

22
Questions?