Street Outreach: Basic Overview

This article will review basic components of the project type "Street Outreach".  HUD's definition of street outreach is work done exclusively with clients living in places not meant for human habitation.

Basic Components of Street Outreach HMIS records

Project Start Date

For Street Outreach projects, the project start date is the date of first interaction with the client. Street outreach projects may record a project entry with limited information about the client, but over time, the data must be edited for accuracy and completeness of client data as they engage the client and learn more detail.

Current Living Situation (CLS)

A street outreach project is expected to record a Current Living Situation (CLS) in HMIS anytime a client is met in person, including when project start date or an engagement date is recorded on the same day.  This is defined as an interaction between a worker and a client designed to engage the client. The CLS may occur in a street outreach setting or in a service setting such as an emergency shelter or drop-in center.  All CLS, after the project start, will each be recorded within a interim assessment.

Date of Engagement

The point at which the report building or relationship results in a deliberate client assessment or the beginning of a case plan. This date may be on or after the project entry date and must be prior to project exit. This data element is also used to gauge when data quality is applicable to a client record for Street Outreach; if this is filled out, all the data elements on the Project Start assessment should be complete!

Project Exit Date

The date that the client is no longer considered to be participating in the project, such as: client enters another project type, client enters housing, client is engaged with another outreach project, client is deceased, or client has not had a recorded contact (Current Living Situation) in the past 90 days.

Annual Assessments

All clients with a project start date over 365 days are required to have an annual assessment completed within 30 calendar days of that project start date.

Recording Entry/Interim/Exit vs. Recording Current Living Situation ("contacts/interactions")

Entry, interim and exit assessments are all recorded within the Entry/Exit tab of the client HMIS record. These assessments capture specific details about the client’s current situation at the time of project start date, date of engagement, any time there is a change to the client’s situation, and project exit date.   

 

Clients may choose to not share all information needed at the time of project entry. Caseworkers are expected to try to collect as much information as possible to build a client record at entry. Example: A client refuses to share their name and asks to be called “Reddman”. The caseworker would list the client’s partial name as “Reddman” in HMIS and add any alias with any additional details to uniquely identify this client for the future – such as “teen in Tarheel hat near the Cape Fear River Bridge”. Information that is not collected, refused by the client, or the client does not know is required to be recorded.  Overtime, the client may share this missing information.  Information obtained overtime, which was true at the time of entry, (such as name, date of birth, gender, etc.) will need to be added by using Back Date Mode for the date of project start and updating the in the missing information on the client profile &/or the project entry assessment.

 

Current Living Situation updates are recorded each time a caseworker interacts, in person, with a client. During the recording of an entry, update or exit, the date of CLS update is recorded within the entry, interim or exit record.

 

Funder Specific Details

While there are several components of street outreach that are standardized across street outreach projects, there are some “funder specific” requirements for specific street outreach projects.

PATH Funded Projects

1. Date of PATH Status Determination

The point at which the PATH-funded worker can determine if a person is eligible for the PATH program. Also referred to as “Enrollment”.

2. PATH Street Outreach vs. PATH Supportive Services

• • PATH Street Outreach will exclusively work with clients living in a place not meant for human habitation (i.e. street, abandoned buildings, vehicles, public places)
  • PATH Supportive Services will exclusively work with clients living in a place meant for human habitation (i.e. shelter, doubled-up, or at-risk of homelessness)

3. PATH projects are required to enter PATH services 

4. PATH projects are required to enter PATH referrals 

 

Clients appropriate for PATH services:

• • Clients living in a place not meant for human habitation 
  • Clients living in a place meant for human habitation
  • To be PATH eligible, client MUST be experiencing homelessness AND have a serious mental illness

Exit PATH clients when:

• • Clients attain stable permanent housing
  • Clients transition into mainstream resources
  • Clients leave the program or passes away
  • Clients have not been contacted in 90 days

ESG Funded Projects (or private/local funded)

Clients appropriate for Street Outreach services:

• • clients who are STREET HOMELESS (living on the street, in vacant buildings, cars, parks)

Exit Street Outreach clients when:

• • Clients move off the street to shelters, transitional housing, other temporary housing (such as “couch surfing”) or any permanent housing
  • Clients is involved with another street outreach program
  • Client passes away
  • Clients have not been contacted in 90 days

ARE YOU LOOKING FOR MORE RESOURCES? BELOW ARE SOME SUGGESTED RELATED ARTICLES!

Video: Monthly HMIS Training: Date of Engagement and Current Living Situation

Slides: Date of Engagement and Current Living Situation

Program Specific Overview: PATH

Recording Current Living Situation