PATH Contacts (Interactions)

This guide is developed to assist PATH HMIS users in properly recording contacts for PATH projects.

PATH Contacts (Interactions)

Contact: An interaction between a PATH-funded worker(s) and an individual who is potentially PATH eligible or enrolled in PATH. Contacts may range from a brief conversation between the PATH-funded worker and the client about the client’s well-being or needs, to a referral to service. A contact must always include the presence of the client—the facilitation of a referral between a PATH-funded worker and another case manager or service provider without the involvement of the client would not be considered a contact. A contact may occur in a street outreach setting or in a service setting such as an emergency shelter or drop-in center.
- PATH Program HMIS Manual (September 2019), page 5.

Current Living Situation: The HMIS “Contact” data element was updated in the FY2020 HMIS Data Standards to 4.12 Current Living Situation. Current Living Situation is a more robust way of detailing the data collection of contacts. Every time the PATH Program contacts a client, they will now answer certain components of the new Current Living Situation data element. While the components of the data element Contact have been modified under Current Living Situation, the PATH data collection methodology remains unchanged (collect Current Living Situation at project start and at every contact throughout the PATH program data collection process).
- PATH Program HMIS Manual (September 2019), page 11 .

Recording Current Living Situations

Make sure you've set your Enter Data As and your back date. The client's entry into the project should have been recorded in the HMIS prior to recording any contacts.
On the Client Profile, scroll down to Client Profile Additional Information + Current Living Situation.
Click Add on the Current Living Situation sub-assessment table.
Fill in the Information Date with the date the interaction took place, and ensure the Start Date matches the Information Date. The End Date field may be left blank or it can be filled in with the same date entered into the Start & Information Date fields.
In the Current Living Situation dropdown, select one of these five options:
PATH providers should only select one of these five options, none of the others in the dropdown
- Place not meant for habitation (HUD)
- Emergency shelter, incl. hotel/motel paid for w/ ES voucher, or RHY-funded Host Home shelter (HUD)
- Safe Haven (HUD)
- Other (HUD)
  If "Other (HUD)" is selected, then complete the following question If "Other", Specify.
- Worker unable to determine (HUD)
PATH projects do not complete any of the remaining questions in the Current Living Situation sub-assessment, so scroll down and click Save (or Save and Add Another, if applicable).