Reporting: Data Quality - How to Correct Prior Living Situation Errors

The information provided by the HMIS Data Completeness Report is intended to help you make corrections to client HMIS records within Community Services. Please contact the AKHMIS Help Desk for the fastest response to any questions.

Prior Living Situation

DNC = Stands for a Data Not Collected response

DKR = Stands for a Client Doesn't Know or Client Refused response

 3.917 Congruency Error Flags and What They Mean

• Approx Date should be on or before Start Date - Approx Date mismatch with Project Start Date/PLS - The "Approximate Date Homelessness Started" question refers to the date that a client's CURRENT experience of homelessness began.  The Prior Living Situation information for this enrollment indicates that the client was not experiencing literal homelessness prior to project entry, due to their living situation and the length of time spent there.  Therefore, this experience of homelessness began at enrollment, so the Approximate Date Homelessness Started should be equal to the Project Start Date.  The client’s record should be reviewed for accuracy of the Prior Living Situation, Length of Time in Prior Living Situation, or Project Start Date are incorrect, and if these are correct then the Approximate Date Homelessness Started should be updated to the Project Start Date
• Instances mismatch with Approx Date - The question about instances is specific to the # of instances in the last 3 years. If the Approximate date homelessness started is more than three years ago, then there is no way there can be more than one instance of homelessness in the three years prior to the project start date.
• Approx Date Missing - If approximate date is a component of the project intake assessment it is required to be answered. If they are entering a street outreach or emergency shelter directly from a housed situation, the approximate date should match the project start date. 
• Enter Total Months using Approx Date - If the record indicates there’s only been one instance of homelessness (and that is accurate) then the number of months can be calculated from the approximate date homelessness. Remembering that one day in a month counts as a month. 
• Total Months mismatch with Approx Date - If the record indicates there’s only been one instance of homelessness (and that is accurate) and the approximate date homelessness is 365+ days ago (and that is accurate), the number of months should equal 12+ months.  
• Total Months mismatch with calculated months - If the record indicates there’s only been one instance of homelessness (and that is accurate) and then the number of months as calculated by the approximate date should match the number of months selected from the drop down. 
• PLS mismatch: Update Approx Date for break in homelessness - The flag is triggered if the record indicates the prior living situation was a break in homelessness, but the approximate date of this instance of homelessness is prior to the project start date. 

Minors Aging into Adulthood

If a client is under 18 years of age but turns 18 during an active enrollment (no exit date yet), you must update their Prior Living Situation information.

• If the minor cannot be interviewed, the Head of Households information for that enrollment can be used to update the minor's record.

* Helpful hint: If a client is likely to turn 18 during an enrollment, collect and enter their data at the time of enrollment to avoid having to go back and collect the information at a later date!