VESTA will guide you through the client intake, refer to the bottom of the screen during intake to see the steps needed. Select the “Next” button to move to forward.
If you miss a required field, VESTA will bring it to your attention.
Once the Intake is completed remember to complete the RHY Services for your client.
Use the left navigation section to select RHY Services, use the +ADD feature to record services.
The RHY service connections enable projects to report on the services that they either directly provided
youth through their project or at their organization or which they facilitated being provided by another
provider during the project stay.
Upon Exit, VESTA will guide you to record RHY Data Elements R15 - R19. This will include RHY critical issues at exit.
Also, if applicable, record Aftercare Plans once the client has exited.
Aftercare per the RHY Rule [45 CFR §1351] means additional services provided beyond the period of
residential stay that offer continuity and supportive follow-up to youth served by the program. Aftercare
entries that will be considered are those entered from the date of project exit for a minimum of 3 months
after the date of exit. Each client must have at least one Aftercare record entered indicating if aftercare
was provided (yes/no/client refused). If no aftercare was provided enter the information date as the date
of project exit and “no” to aftercare was provided.
Use the RHY Program HMIS Manual as a reference tool to provide basic guidance on data collection for the Family and Youth Services Bureau’s (FYSB) Runaway and Homeless Youth (RHY) Program.
https://files.hudexchange.info/resources/documents/RHY-Program-HMIS-Manual.pdf
RHY project funded by Family and Youth Services Bureau’s (FYSB) - partial list
Basic Center Program – Emergency Shelter provides emergency shelter and services to
homeless youth under age 18. As a requirement of the BCP grant program, BCPs must
provide overnight emergency shelter to youth. Therefore, all BCPs must be have an HMIS
Emergency Shelter (entry/exit) project set up in their HMIS to record all youth they serve
in a residential environment designated for youth sheltering. The residential
environments that are included as emergency shelters include: building-based shelter
facility; safe homes; youth respite rooms/buildings/units; host family homes; and any
other residential placement designed specifically to house BCP youth on a short-term,
emergency basis.
Basic Center Program – Homelessness Prevention services may also be provided under
RHY BCP funding. Prevention services are all activities/services provided to BCP youth who
do not enter the emergency shelter or are not residentially housed by the BCP program.
These services include case management, family counseling, food, clothing, medical care,
individual counseling, crisis intervention, and recreation programs. BCP-prevention
programs are set up in HMIS under the Homelessness Prevention project type. Not all
RHY BCP providers include Homelessness Prevention as part of their service provision. The
HMIS Lead will need to determine if a Homelessness Prevention project is needed by
determining if the provider serves youth with RHY funds outside of shelter.
A single client may receive either prevention or emergency shelter or both prevention and
emergency shelter during one experience at BCP. Below is guidance on how to approach the
distinction:
• If a youth receives services that are not shelter stays, the youth would be entered into the
prevention project.
• If the youth stays in the emergency shelter, the youth would be entered into the shelter
project.
• If a youth initially comes in contact with the program to only receive preventative services,
but afterwards enters a shelter program, the youth should be entered into BCP Prevention during the date range in which they are only receiving prevention services, and
then be exited out of prevention and entered into BCP-Emergency Shelter. It is
acceptable, if the HMIS has such capacity, to automate the prevention exit and the
emergency shelter project start.
• If the youth leaves the shelter but still receives preventative services, the youth should be
exited out of emergency shelter and the preventive services should be recorded as After
Care.
• For clients that move on the same day from the prevention program to the shelter (i.e., require overnight sheltering) recording them only in the shelter project is acceptable.
The Transitional Living Program
• (TLP) provides up to 21 months of long-term shelter and services to run away and
homeless youth ages 16 to under 22 to help them develop the skills necessary to live
independently. The HMIS project type for TLP is Transitional Housing.
• The Maternity Group Homes for Pregnant and Parenting Youth (MGH) is a specialized
type of Transitional Living Program that provides up to 21 months of long-term shelter
and services to pregnant and/or parenting youth aged 16 to under 22, and their young
families, to develop the skills necessary to move into self-sufficiency. Like with the TLP
component, the HMIS project type for MGH is Transitional Housing.
• Demonstration Grants are used to carry out research, evaluation, and service projects and
are designed to increase knowledge and improve services for runaway and homeless
youth. The project type depends on the nature of the demonstration grant. In 2016, FYSB
awarded Transitional Living Program Special Population Demonstration Project grants
targeting LGBTQ youth and youth who have left foster care after age 18 that should be set
up as an HMIS project type of Transitional Housing.
FY 2022 Resources
HUD HMIS Data Standards
https://www.hudexchange.info/resource/3824/hmis-data-dictionary/
Program-Specific HMIS Data Manuals
https://www.hudexchange.info/programs/hmis/federal-partner-participation/
See the attached file on How to create the CSV file for upload.