Data Entry: Intro to Community Services

LOGIN 

An AKHMIS username and a temporary password will be sent to a new user by an ICA staff member after they have completed all required trainings for AKHMIS access. 

The first time you login with a temporary password, you will be required to reset your password right away. The password you choose must be at least 8 characters long and contain at least one upper case letter, one lower case letter, one number, and one symbol. It must match in the two data entry fields as shown. Never save your password on a shared computer. If you need a reminder of your password, write it down and keep it in a safe place. 

DASHBOARD 

The home screen or dashboard of Community Services will always be the first screen a user sees after logging in. On the left are navigation buttons to access separate areas of Community Services.

SYSTEM NEWS 

In the middle of the dashboard is a news section. ICA posts the monthly newsletter here as well as other valuable information and updates about the system. Be sure to look for and read the latest System News whenever you log in. System News may contain new shortcuts or other updates that are important for data entry. 

GLOBAL SEARCH 

In the upper right corner of the dashboard there is a global search field where the user can type in a client's name or Client ID number to search for them. 

EDA AND BACK DATE MODES 

In the top right corner are two mode settings: the Enter Data As or EDA mode and Back Date mode. It is important to always set your EDA and Back Date every time you log into Community Services to do any data entry.  

SET EDA 

The EDA is the project the user is working in with a client. To set the EDA, click "Enter Data As".

Some examples of EDAs include street outreach programs, shelter programs, and housing programs. 

It is very important to select the correct project that is serving the client. If the users EDA is not set correctly, the clients information will not show up correctly on reports. The data entered might not even be visible to the user when they log back on. 

SET BACK DATE 

Information entered into HMIS must be date-stamped with the date the client shared the information. Setting the back date allows for information to be date-stamped. For example, if we completed an intake with a client on January 15^th, the back date must be set to 1/15 when the intake was completed. To set the Back Date, click "Back Date". 

There may be times when you need to set your Back Date many months back to enter missing data, or when making corrections to incorrect data. However, normal data entry should occur within 5 days, or within 24 hours for Street Outreach projects. 

This is important because data quality is always highest if entered while interviewing a client or soon after. As time passes, it is possible to forget what the client said or misinterpret notes on an intake form. More importantly, a clients access to services may be delayed if their HMIS data is incomplete. 

CLIENTs 

Clients is where a user searches for clients in HMIS. Its recommended that a user begin searching for a client by typing the full first and last name of the client.

If there is not a match when searching for the client's first and last name, try these additional client search tips: 

• Check the spelling of the first and last name 
• Search the first three letters of the first and last name only 
• Search for last name only 
• Swap the first and last names in the first and last name fields (sometimes a provider might accidentally create a client record by entering the first and last names in the wrong order). 
• Search the Social Security Number field by typing in either the full SSN or the last 4 digits only 

NAME DATA QUALITY   

A data quality level must be selected for the client's name. A first and last name are sufficient to report a Full name. You do not need a middle name. It is also OK if the name is not the client's legal name, as long as its the name they use. If a client has a nickname or alternative names, that information should be recorded in the Alias field. This might include a client's street name or a previous name. 

SSN DATA QUALITY 

A data quality level must be selected for the client's social security number. 

VETERAN STATUS 

Veteran status is referring to active duty in the United States military. It does not refer to time in training or undeployed time in the National Guard. The client must have a period of active-duty military service to qualify as a Veteran in AKHMIS. 

CLIENT RECORD 

At the top of each client record is a Client ID number associated with the client's name. Remember that if you ever need to reference a client's HMIS record in an email, ONLY use this client ID to reference the person to keep their name and information secure. 

Depending on the project or projects that the user has access to in HMIS, the user will see a variation of folder tab options on each client record. These tabs allow the user to navigate to the different areas of a client record

The Summary tab is where you can see a summary of data within a client record.

Video

Click to view the video: Intro to Community Services

Click to view the video:  Intro to Project Starts and Exits