Docs Category: CAS FAQ

ATTN 8/3/21: The known issue involving the VI-SPDAT was resolved as of 8/1/21. Previous guidance given on 6/23/21 on this page for the VI-SPDAT workaround is no longer needed.

I only have a client’s name, and there are multiple records displaying in HMIS with a similar name. I don’t have any other information to allow me to deduplicate or determine if the client is one of these existing records. What should I do?

Enter the client into HMIS with a new record. Note the client ID so that you can return to this specific client as you build rapport with the client and record more information. Once you have enough information to determine whether this is a duplicate, you can go back and compare this client’s record to other clients with a similar name. If you see a client that is clearly a duplicate, submit a Spiceworks ticket and we can merge the records. The HMIS Team also regularly merges records for clients who are clearly duplicates. Ultimately, it is better to have a new, duplicated record of that client which we can correct over time than to not have a record of that client in the system.

I encountered a client for the first time, but when I found them in HMIS, they already were enrolled in CAS. What should I do?

Confirm your organization is Dallas & Collin Counties CAS. Then complete a CAS Update Assessment for that client on their CAS enrollment. If you have new documentation, upload it! Do not complete a new enrollment or new VI-SPDAT. Your documentation upload will help the client stay active on the CAS Queue, and your update assessment will ensure that we have the data we need to match your client to the most appropriate intervention.

If I’m enrolling my client in CAS, or Coordinated Entry, why do I also need to enroll them in my program?

Coordinated Entry (CE) is a shared program across the whole community with the goal of facilitating collaboration between programs to connect the client to housing. The purpose of the CE program, and the data collected for it in HMIS, are different than the purpose of your program. For example, a street outreach program will provide services to clients unique to the program that are not provided by Coordinated Entry. Both program’s enrollments and services need to be tracked in HMIS.

Program-specific data elements also differ across program types, and your program will be required to collect data that is not required by Coordinated Entry. Completing the entry assessment for your program ensures that this data is collected.

Can I use the “default last assessment” button on my program enrollment after enrolling a client into Coordinated Entry? 

Yes, you can use the default button on any assessment in the system. Remember that this is only a tool to have the system pull the most recently recorded information for the client. It does not take the place of a conversation with the client. You should always confirm with the client that the information is correct.

If I placed a client on the CAS Queue, how will I know when my client is referred to a program?

Access Point case managers are strongly encouraged to attend weekly Access Point case conferencing calls in support of their clients. Case Managers can also view a client’s referral status on the CAS Queue, and view a client’s CAS referral details once a referral is made to aid in case conferencing and collaboration with the referral provider.

After the diversion assessment, if a client or family is at risk of homelessness, can I still add them to the CAS Queue? 

No, if the client/family is diverted, they are not enrolled in Coordinated Entry and not placed on the CAS Queue. The purpose of the CAS Queue is to identify and track individuals experiencing homelessness and connect them to housing, so a diverted client/family would not go on this list.

Is there a way to turn off notifications after I have enrolled a client?

There is not a way to turn off all notifications inside ClientTrack. If you enroll a client but are not the best person to receive notifications about their status, you can reassign the case manager on the client’s enrollment to the person who should receive those notifications.

I have enrolled a client in Coordinated Entry. When do I exit them? 

Clients should be exited from CAS if:

• They are no longer in need of permanent housing resources.
• They have left the CoC geographic area.
• They are enrolled into a permanent housing (RRH/PSH) program.

If your client has been inactive for longer than 90 days, you should leave enrolled and inactive in CAS and:

• make effort to locate and/or contact your client
• document due diligence to contact via Case Notes

What is the Intake Status?

Your client is added to the CAS Queue when they are enrolled in Coordinated Entry. After they are enrolled, a CAS Admin must review their record and determine if they are ready for referral or if additional work is needed before the client can be referred. The client’s status in this process is tracked by the Intake Status on the CAS Queue. You can review your client’s status on the Queue at any time by viewing the CAS Queue. For information and actions needed for each status, see below.

Pending

Your client is enrolled in CAS and on the CAS Queue (HPL). Their record is pending because a CAS Admin needs to review it for completeness before they can be referred. No actions are needed from you at this time.

NOTE: Case Managers should NOT change a status from Pending to Pending Second Review.

Incomplete Documentation

Your client’s record is missing something necessary for referral. It could be any or multiple of the following depending on program type of the program the client is being matched to.

Rapid Re-housing (RRH)

• Documentation of Homelessness
  • Action: Upload DOH or be sure the HMIS record of Bed Nights or Current Living Situation is accurate and updated.
• Client ID
  • Action: Be sure to upload an ID. Some apartments don’t take paper IDs, so you may need to assist the client in obtaining a state-issued ID.

Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH)

• Universal Data Assessment
  • Action: Edit the CAS Entry Workflow and be sure all questions are answered completely and accurately.
• Client ID
  • Action: Be sure to upload an ID. Some apartments don’t take paper IDs, so you may need to assist the client in obtaining a state-issued ID.
• Documentation of Homelessness (at least 12 months)
  • Action: Upload DOH or be sure the HMIS record of Bed Nights or Current Living Situation is accurate and updated.
• Verification of Disability
  • Action: Upload VOD in the form of Dr.’s letter or SSI awards letter.

Pending Second Review

Case Managers can assign this status to a client using the Case Manager Review to communicate to the CAS Admin that the requested actions from the Incomplete Documentation step above have been completed and that the client is ready or another status review.

NOTE: Case Managers should NOT change a status from Pending to Pending Second Review.

Approved

Your client is ready for referral. No other actions are needed for now. When you receive information about referral or eligibility decisions, notify your client within 24 hours and perform a warm handoff with their housing case manager.

What documents are required for my client to be referred?

Please read the CAS Queue Status Guide for a list of documentation under the Incomplete Documentation section that summarizes the needs for clients being referred to RRH or PSH.

Should I upload this document under Client Files or Document Check?

Use Client Files for things like IDs, SSC, etc. which the client may need in a number of given scenarios. This will allow any HMIS user who can see the client’s record to access their critical documents. Because it is easy to lose track of these types of documents over time, this document management is just one way that we can use ClientTrack to provide additional support to our community.

Use Document Check for documentation of homelessness or disability documentation, especially documents with medical information or diagnosis, as we want to provide as many layers of protection for clients’ information as possible. Since only trained users of CAS have access to Document Check, uploading these documents here allows that extra security. Documents uploaded here also display for CAS Admins to review before referral.

What should I put in the comments section of a document upload? 

Include your agency and the time period for which the document is applicable, especially for documentation of homelessness. If there are multiple documents of the same type (for example, 3rd party letters) for one client, a short label to distinguish the documents from each other is helpful. For example “MDHA – Dallas Library – Apr 2020-May 2020” or “The Bridge – Parkland Hospital – March 2021”. These types of labels in the comments will allow anyone to easily distinguish between documents when there are multiple documents uploaded for a client.

How will we be notified when we get a referral?

ClientTrack will send a notification to your designated CAS Contact via email and ClientTrack notifications. Agencies may need to determine internal policies about how this contact person communicates referrals internally and to whom. Any HMIS user at a given agency can navigate to the incoming referrals page in ClientTrack to see referrals sent to that agency.

Will we automatically get referrals, or will we still need to request them?

Referrals will be pushed based on the available units displaying in ClientTrack for your program’s housing facility. Providers should regularly check clients in and out of units to keep their available inventory accurate and up to date. If units will be taken by clients who are not being referred from CAS, providers should reserve the unit by creating a reservation for the client.

Our housing inventory fluctuates and the number of units we have set up in HMIS may not always be accurate. How do we communicate that to CAS Admins?

MDHA is working on a new process for housing facility setup to alleviate this issue. Until that new process is in place, providers should regularly attend the weekly HPL meetings to communicate directly with the CAS Admins about extenuating circumstances that would cause the inventory displaying in the system to be inaccurate.

Over-referring: The system allows CAS admins to over-refer to a program in the even that a unit will become available soon but is currently full.

Under-referring: The only way for CAS admins to know that they should not refer to available units is for that agency to attend the HPL meetings to communicate the discrepancy in their availability. If a program is consistently “under-referred”, meaning units are consistently being left as “available” in the system when there is no actual availability with that program, the HMIS team may request that those units be taken offline so that the system can be used the way it is intended, and CAS admins can use the available units to know which programs can receive referrals.