.png){kind=logo}
Data Elements: 4.13 Engagement Date
Data Element
This is the date the client became 'engaged' in project services to develop a plan to address their situation after one or more contacts with a street outreach project or night-by-night shelter. Only one date of engagement is allowed between project start and project exit. This date may be on or after the ‘Project Start Date’ and if the client becomes engaged, must be on or prior to the ‘Project Exit Date.’ If the project has not developed this intensive relationship with the client before exit, ‘Date of Engagement’ should be left blank.
Data Element Type
4.13 Engagement Date is a Program Specific Data Element for Street Outreach, Emergency Shelter – Night-by-Night and Services Only projects.
Collection Point
4.13 Engagement Date is recorded with the date the client became 'engaged' in project services.
Why It Matters
Street outreach workers often need time to build rapport with clients before clients feel comfortable sharing personal information. The workflow in HMIS (Homeless Management Information System) allows clients to have a Project Start in street outreach without being asked for all their information until a client is ready to share their information. As a street outreach worker builds rapport with a client, the client may elect to engage with the program. Once the client engages with the program, the Date of Engagement must be entered into HMIS. It is only at that point that a client becomes engaged with the program that all required information must be collected from the client and entered into HMIS.
Data Quality
The Data Completeness Report looks at the Engagement Date to see that it is between the project start and project exit dates. Enrollments in a Street Outreach project without a valid Engagement Date will only appear in the Detail SO (Street Outreach) Not Engaged Tab of the report. These records are NOT scored and are NOT included in any aggregate scoring in this report.
To correct: ensure that any client that appears in the SO Not Engaged tab is truly NOT engaged. If a client is engaged, enter a valid Engagement Date either in the Project Start Assessment or Update Assessment to ensure they will be included in other reports. Remove date (if no Engagement Date) OR enter a valid date.