HMIS Policies and Procedures - July 2026 Update - PA-510 Lancaster City & County Continuum of Care

Sep 21, 2026

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HMIS Policies and Procedures document for PA-510 Lancaster City & County Continuum of Care, defining mission, background, governance, and purpose for implementing a Homeless Management Information System. It specifies what data can be collected, minimum data entry expectations, covered geographic area, and HMIS participants, including participation requests, limits, and denials. The guide explains Empower Lancaster operation, funding, vendor selection, security and confidentiality assurances, access levels, user and agency suspension or revocation, passwords, ethics, data collection timing, and required memoranda, consents, confidentiality rules, security protocols, breach handling, administration, and supporting attachments and privacy notices.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages39

Reading Time1 h 38 min

AccessFree to download

Mission and Vision

Background

Who Is In Charge Of The HMIS?

Why Do We Need An HMIS?

What Data Can Be Collected?

What Are The Minimum Data Entry Expectations?

What Geographic Area Is Covered By The HMIS?

Who Participates In The HMIS?

Participation Requests, Limits, and Denials

Empower Lancaster

How Does This System Work?

How Is This System Funded?

Why Did The O4C Choose CaseWorthy as the vendor for Empower Lancaster?

What Is Empower Lancaster?

What Do I Need To Run This Program?

How Do I Know The HMIS Is Secure?

How Do I Know That The HMIS Respects Client Confidentiality?

Users/Licenses

Procedures

Access Levels

Right to Suspend or Revoke User and Participating Agencies’ Access

Passwords

End User Ethics

Agency-Level Implementation

When Is Data To Be Collected?

HMIS Memorandum of Understanding

HMIS End User Policy and Code of Ethics

Data Storage and Disposal

Confidentiality and Informed Consent

Public/Agency Use of Information

Federal/State Confidentiality Regulations

Information Security Protocols

Data Security Breaches

HMIS Administration

Attachments

PA-510: Lancaster City & County Continuum of Care HOMELESS MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEM Policies and Procedures Original Standards approved July 2, 2015 Update approved by LCHC Steering Committee July 8, 2026 Updates approved July 2026, July 2025, July 2024, July 2023, September 2019, July 2018, April 2016 Table of Contents I. Mission and Vision ........................................................................................................................... 4 II. Background....................................................................................................................................... 4 III. Who Is In Charge Of The HMIS? ....................................................................................................... 5 IV. Why Do We Need An HMIS? ............................................................................................................ 5 V. What Data Can Be Collected? .......................................................................................................... 5 VI. What Are The Minimum Data Entry Expectations? ......................................................................... 6 VII. What Geographic Area Is Covered By The HMIS?............................................................................ 6 VIII. Who Participates In The HMIS?........................................................................................................ 6 A. Participation Requests, Limits, and Denials ...................................................................... 7 IX. Empower Lancaster .......................................................................................................................... 8 A. How Does This System Work?........................................................................................... 8 B. How Is This System Funded? ............................................................................................. 8 C. Why Did The O4C Choose CaseWorthy as the vendor for Empower Lancaster? ............. 8 D. What Is Empower Lancaster?............................................................................................ 8 E. What Do I Need To Run This Program?............................................................................. 8 F. How Do I Know The HMIS Is Secure? ................................................................................ 8 G. How Do I Know That The HMIS Respects Client Confidentiality? ..................................... 9 H. Users/Licenses ................................................................................................................. 10 X. Procedures ..................................................................................................................................... 10 A. Access Levels ................................................................................................................... 10 B. Right to Suspend or Revoke User and Participating Agencies’ Access ........................... 11 C. Passwords ........................................................................................................................ 11 D. End User Ethics ................................................................................................................ 11 E. Agency-Level Implementation ........................................................................................ 11 F. When Is Data To Be Collected? ....................................................................................... 12 G. HMIS Memorandum of Understanding .......................................................................... 13 H. HMIS End User Policy and Code of Ethics ....................................................................... 13 I. Data Storage and Disposal .............................................................................................. 13 J. Confidentiali

FAQs

What is the purpose of an HMIS for Lancaster City & County Continuum of Care?

The document explains why the HMIS is needed and defines the mission and vision supporting implementation. It outlines the system’s role in managing homelessness-related information within the covered continuum.

What data can be collected and what are the minimum data entry expectations?

The procedures define what data may be collected and set minimum expectations for data entry. They also specify when data is to be collected.

How does the document address security, confidentiality, and data breach response?

It describes access levels, password practices, information security protocols, and how breaches are handled. It also covers confidentiality and informed consent requirements and rules for public/agency use of information.

Sep 21, 2026

Upload by Fahsai