Coordinated Entry Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
The new CE workflow began on 11/30/2022.
Coordinated Entry Information – VESTA MA Support (zendesk.com)
Q: How often can we change the Quick Screen?
A: The Quick Screen may be recorded once every 30 days. However, if there is an issue with the Quick Screen it can be deleted by one of the HMIS Admins.
Q: I created a Quick Screen for my client, but the information is not correct, how do I update it?
A: The Quick Screen form cannot be edited; it must be deleted. Contact support@vestama.zendesk.com for assistance.
Q: How often can we change the CE assessment?
A: The CE Assessment can both be edited and deleted by a Supervisor-level user at any time. There is not a timer for X number of days to wait until a change can be made.
Q: The CE portal, who will have access to this, and what clients should be placed in it?
A: DV clients looking for PSH/RRH housing, clients with ties to BoSCoC. DV clients, those in shelters that are not participating in VESTA, and applicants who are currently homeless outside our CoC’s geography but have ties to the CoC (as confirmed by the CE eligibility subcommittee) Housing Navigators will be the only ones with access to enter people in.
Q: What happens if two clients have the same score and only one unit is available?
A: The clients records will be reviewed and the client that has the longer Length of Time Homeless will be placed in the unit.
Q: I often receive self-referral call or referrals from other agencies I work with. When received, I would complete the CE Assessment Applicant and forward it to our Navigator to send on the Charlie. How has this changed with the new CE workflow?
A: You should ask the client what shelter they're in and have that shelter screen them (or street outreach project) but if they are homeless and not in shelter and not connected to street outreach, they should connect them with CE Housing Navigator. The CE Housing Navigator can add the client to VESTA via the Alternate CE Portal project and the quick screen will be completed by the CE Housing Navigator. The clients that score 16 or above, or if youth client 24 years old or younger, can be sent to the CE project for the full CE assessment.
Q: My clients is not showing up as Chronically Homeless even though I set the CE record this way, why?
Here is how the CH status in CE is determined per VESTA. The specific details (such as data collection stage requirements, what project(s) the information must come from, the specific forms.
Chronic Homelessness is calculated at the shelter or outreach project that sends the pending intake to Coordinated Entry project. The complication is that the “Special Needs and Disability Review” section of the CE assessment comes from the coordinated entry enrollment.
There are of course two pieces to the determination of chronic homelessness. The data collection stage for 3.917* Prior Living Situation which includes length of time homeless questions and is always at intake. Special needs could be the latest update form for chronic homelessness at a point in time, otherwise it too is at intake.
Make sure your Outreach and Emergency Shelter teams know that keeping those fields related to prior living situation updated and accurate, is very important and directly impacts the Chronically Homeless status in VESTA.
*See pages 100 – 110 for 3.917 Prior Living Situation and pages 84 -87 for Disabling Condition
https://files.hudexchange.info/resources/documents/HMIS-Data-Standards-Manual.pdf
Q: Who are the CE Regional Housing Navigators?
North Shore
Marielis Batista, marielis@emmausinc.org
North Middlesex
Shawn Jalbert shjalbert@commteam.org
Metro
Mario Jaime mjaime@shcinc.org
Leon Moore lmoore@shcinc.org
West
Christa Pichler, cpichler@smoc.org
Maria Larsen mlarsen@smoc.org
Q: What cities and towns are in which regions?
Coordinated Entry preferred areas map – VESTA MA Support (zendesk.com)
This information is also located in the CE Policies and Procedures document found at this link:
CE Policies and Procedures 2022 – VESTA MA Support (zendesk.com)
Q: Can my EA clients participate in the CoC CE project?
A: Yes, but if they are not disabled in the EA shelter, which would mean the client isn’t CH, which would mean they are not eligible for CoC PSH, and EA clients are not eligible for RRH since HomeBASE is available to them.
Q: Can my client be added to the CE list if they are already on the CHAMP (Common Housing Application for Massachusetts Programs) list?
A: Yes, as long as they are eligible for the BoS CoC CE, are homeless in the BoS CoC, or have ties to it.
Q: Who has access to the VESTAmator report?
A: The VESTAmator report can only be run by HMIS Admin and Sysadmin level users, so only the CE Specialist and the Housing Navigators will be able to run it.
Q: How does the VESTAmator know when there are openings in a project?
VESTA automatically knows when a project that participates in Coordinated Entry has an opening. This information is arrived at in two separate ways, depending on whether the project receives referrals from CE based on available leasing/rental assistance funds or if it receives referrals based on available units. VESTA also has information regarding the location (CE Region) of each project, as well as project eligibility criteria. This information is completed in the “back end” of VESTA by the HMIS Lead staff.
That information is combined with information entered into each program participants Rental Data Form and Move-in and Exit dates in each client's record, as well as the projects total budget for leasing/rental assistance to determine whether or not there are sufficient funds available for additional units/households.
Projects can report upcoming vacancies they are aware of within VESTA by adding an anticipated Move-out date to a client record.
In a situation where a CoC funded housing unit is vacant but not recognized by VESTA, the housing provider must notify the Coordinated Entry Specialist immediately. This notification should include information on the date the unit was vacated, anticipated date that the unit will be ready for occupancy, type and size of unit, target population, and any unique unit characteristics (e.g., stairs, accessibility) to be considered in the matching process. It is anticipated that previously occupied units will be turned over and ready for occupancy within 30 of vacancy. If the vacant unit will not be available for a new placement within this timeframe, the Housing Provider must notify the Coordinated Entry Specialist about the delay, the reasons why additional time is needed (e.g., need for extensive renovations, need to locate a new unit) and the new anticipated occupancy date. The Housing Provider is expected to provide regular status updates to the Coordinated Entry Specialist until the program vacancy is filled.
Q: My Street Outreach client is not showing up on the CE project intake list, why?
A: All clients enrolled in a street outreach project will automatically have a pending intake sent to the CE project with the highest score once the date of engagement is entered.
Q: I am updating my clients Rental Data Form; do you have guidelines and help for this?
A: Clients that have exited your project before 5/1/2022 do not need to have the rental data information filled in. Help article is located here Rental Data Form for RRH and PH – VESTA MA Support (zendesk.com)
Q: How can I verify my client stayed in another shelter in MA, outside of the BoS CoC?
A: Massachusetts has 12 CoC’s, that collect homelessness information in separate HMIS’s. As a solution to sharing data across geographic regions, the RDC was developed to aggregate this state-wide data to allow for better planning, program development, and ultimately the facilitation of quality care for homeless individuals. The client will need to sign and ROI. Contact Anthony Nappo, RDC Data Management Specialist Anthony.Nappo@mass.gov for assistance.
Q: Will the BoS CoC Emergency Assistance Family Shelter that enter data into ETO be able to participate in CE?
A: Yes! Staff at EA family shelters will be able to do add a Quick Screen for their Head of Household clients. If the clients score is 16 or above, the CE Regional Housing Navigator will see the client in the Pending Intakes list in CE and work with the Case Manager and Client to create for a full CE assessment.
Q: If a client selects a certain project during the referral process, then when referred decides it's not a good fit, will that count towards their maximum of 2 annual referrals?
A: Yes. If the rejection of the project is based on the decision that the client made, then it counts towards their maximum of 2 annual referrals.
Q: If a client becomes permanently housed with EHV, Emergency Housing Voucher, do I need to exit the client from CE?
A: Yes, once a client becomes permanently housed with an EHV you need to exit that client from CE. The client record in EHV will remain open as long as they are using the EHV.
Q: I referred a client to the incorrect project; how do I delete the referral?
A: Navigate to the client record, and on the left navigation under Coordinated Entry Event screen and use the red x to delete the referral.