Relationship Fields Guidance: Convenience vs. Universal Data Element

In ServicePoint, there are two places to record the relationship of each individual to the head of household. To ensure you understand the difference between these two places, we wanted to provide some guidance and clarification.

Convenience Field

When structuring a household on the household tab, you will be prompted to enter data for two Head of Household-related fields, "Head of Household" and "Relationship to Head of Household." These fields are referred to as "convenience" fields because it allows you to record a specific relationship between each household member and the head of household, such as "Self," "Wife," "Son," "Daughter," "Grandfather," etc. Data entered into this field is not required, and is solely for convenience purposes to identify those specific relationships. Here's a screenshot of those fields in ServicePoint:

To update the convenience fields, you need to identify the household linked to your project. Go to the Entry/Exit tab of the Head of Household's client record, click on the pencil to the left of the project start date, and the Household ID will be displayed toward the top left corner. You can then go to the Household tab and edit the household with the corresponding ID number.

Universal Data Element

When entering a client into a project, you will find the other Relationship to Head of Household field in the client demographics section of the entry assessment. This is the Universal Data Element which has been defined by HUD in the HMIS Data Standards. This field is required, even for single individuals, in order for reports to be run properly. Here is an example of the field in ServicePoint:

To update this field in ServicePoint, it is best to go to the Entry/Exit tab and click on the pencil in front of the project start date. Then make the edits within the entry assessment for each client.