Shelter Worker Training

The Homeless Individuals and Families Information System (HIFIS) is a comprehensive data collection and case management system designed to better understand what is happening in your community and to work collaboratively.

The Consent module is used to record any consent given or denied by the client related to service provider services. You can indicate if the consent was given, at which date and even attach signed documents. 

The Family module is used to keep track of a client’s family members and the role each member has in the family. Family roles include dependant, family head and partner. When a client is linked to a family, they can be managed as a family unit for certain activities, such as book ins. 

The Housing History module is used to keep track of the client’s past and present housing situation.

The Financial Profile module allows users to help clients manage their finances by tracking their income, expenses, assets and debts. Once values are added, visual representations of the client’s financial profile will appear.

The Admissions module encompasses the Stays, Reservations and Bed Availability features. The Stays feature allows users to see who is currently booked into their service provider, as well as book clients or families in and out.

The VI-SPDAT helps identify who should be recommended for each housing and support intervention, moving the discussion from simply who is eligible for a service intervention to who is eligible and in greatest need of that intervention. While the SPDAT is an assessment tool, the VI-SPDAT is a survey that anyone could complete, to help prioritize clients.

Goods & Services offer ways for staff to record that they provided clients with tangible Goods or helpful Services that are not connected to an overall case plan.

The Group Activity module allows users to record group activities conducted at the service provider, such as a hot meal or support group. A client does not need to be booked into a shelter to attend a group activity.

The Incidents module is used to record incidents involving clients, other people and/or staff. Incidents refer to a specific, non-ongoing event.

The Service Restrictions module records services that a client is restricted from, which service providers have restricted them and for how long. It also records the reason why the services were restricted. Clients can be restricted from the following modules: Stays, Food Banks and Goods and Services. When a client is restricted from service, a Client Alert appears under their profile.

The Turn Aways module is used to record when a client is denied service and the reasons why they were denied.

The Reports module is used to generate reports. Reports can be high-level for system analysis (eg. monthly inflow/outflow, funding requirements), or simply provide a useful output for front line staff (eg. a bed list, case management overview).