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Waterloo Region HIFIS Working Group
2015/16 Terms of Reference
BACKGROUND TO THE HIFIS INITIATIVE
Built according to a unique model that partners the federal Homelessness Partnering Strategy
(HPS) with communities, the Homeless Individuals and Families Information System (HIFIS)
Community Coordinator (CC) project provides service providers with improved operational
capacity and the opportunity to collect data of vital local and national significance. The HPS
HIFIS team (HIFIS National) has created a database that meets a wide variety of day-to-day
operational needs. The data generated from these day-to-day operations provides clarity on
the demographic characteristics and program-use patterns of people experiencing housing
instability across Canada.
Overall Objectives of the HIFIS Working Group:
1. To optimize HIFIS in meeting the day-to-day operational needs of housing stability programs
supporting people experiencing housing instability.
2. To optimize the data collection and reporting capabilities of HIFIS to support enhanced
program and community planning in the area of housing stability.
Local HIFIS History:
Service providers in larger Canadian communities have been using HIFIS in some capacity since
1999. Locally, the database has been under development since the fall of 2002, coinciding with
the release of HIFIS 2.0. Staff from The Region of Waterloo (the Region) attended CC training in
October 2002. Following the training, two information and demonstration sessions were held
locally to inform the community about HIFIS. It was confirmed that the Region would serve in
the CC role and that HIFIS would be implemented in the Emergency Shelter programs with
which the Region had an Agreement: “Argus” – Residence for Young People (two sites), Charles
Street Men’s Hostel and YWCA Emergency Shelter.
The Waterloo Region HIFIS Working Group (the Working Group) was formed in January 2003 to
help facilitate the initial implementation process. A Data Dictionary (now the Waterloo Region
HIFIS Data Entry and Administrator Guide) was created and service providers began entering
data retroactive to January 1, 2003. Several training opportunities were provided in 2003.
Region staff and House of Friendship Kitchener staff attended a workshop provided by HIFIS
Regional in Hamilton in February. This workshop focused on the City of Ottawa’s use of HIFIS in
their emergency shelter programs. HIFIS National also provided two days of local training to
emergency shelter staff in Kitchener in June, coordinated by the Region.
In January 2004, service providers signed a Data Sharing Protocol Agreement with the Region
and began exporting data to the Region shortly thereafter. In June 2004, HIFIS National
distributed a Requirements Analysis Questionnaire. The purpose of the questionnaire was to
asses the functionality of the software and to give HIFIS National the information they needed
to be able to better respond to local needs. A foxpro specialist was hired in January 2005 to
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create a software database that would be compatible with HIFIS and would have more
reporting capabilities. This database was never completed.
Between 2004 and 2005 several service providers experienced hardware issues that caused the
HIFIS software not to function properly. Due to these issues, YWCA Emergency Shelter stopped
inputting data to HIFIS in February 2005. For similar reasons, Charles Street Men’s Hostel
stopped inputting data by the fall of 2005. The Working Group took time off during this period.
In April 2006, HIFIS 3.0 was released. HIFIS National requested that the Region submit a
proposal to fund the implementation and coordination of this enhanced software package.
When funding was approved, money was allocated towards increased coordination, training,
technical and data analysis support. A staff member from the House of Friendship Kitchener
with expertise in this area was seconded to support HIFIS on a full-time basis between October
2006 and March 2007. At this time, the Working Group reconvened and developed Terms of
Reference to guide their activities. Membership expanded to include both Emergency Shelter
and Time-Limited Residence programs with which the Region had an Agreement.
Since September 2006, the Working Group has overseen the development of policies,
procedures, protocols, tools, forms, training resources, and reports to support the
implementation of HIFIS software in local housing stability programs. Without these materials,
it would not be possible to achieve consistent data entry, generate reliable reports, or expand
to other appropriate programs in the housing stability system.
Between the fall of 2013 and spring of 2014, several Supportive Housing programs piloted the
use of HIFIS. They met separately over the course of the pilot and, at the end, decided to
integrate their use of HIFIS into regular program operations. The HIFIS Working Group
expanded beginning March 5, 2014 to include these Supportive Housing program
representatives.
Activities over 2015/16 will continue to build upon these successes with planning in the
following areas:
 Use of HIFIS in the Streets to Housing Stability and Shelters to Housing Stability programs of
STEP Home (Support to End Persistent Homelessness).
 Supporting the integration of SPDAT within HIFIS.
 HIFIS 4 implementation.
 Use of HIFIS within the redesigned CHPI Supportive Housing programs beginning April 1,
2016.
Membership:
Full contact information is presented in Table 1 (see page 4). Table 2 (see page 7) outlines the
various HIFIS-related roles in Waterloo Region.
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2
Decision-Making:
The Working Group will use a consensus decision-making approach where possible. Where
consensus cannot be achieved, majority approval by vote will be used to arrive at a decision.
Majority approval is 50% + 1 of Working Group members present at the meeting.
Linkages:
HIFIS Working Group agendas and minutes are copied to the Executive Directors and/or other
staff representative(s) of the organizations identified in Table 1.
Region Housing Services staff supporting the group will ensure that relevant information is
brought to and from the Emergency Shelter and Community Services (ES&CS) Network, as
appropriate. These staff will also ensure that where possible, HIFIS data is coordinated with
other data collection requirements of the Region.
The Data Sharing Protocol is a schedule within applicable program Agreements between the
Region and service providers using HIFIS. The Data Sharing Protocol specifies obligations with
respect to the collection and exchange of data through HIFIS. It is understood that the Working
Group will, as outlined in the work plan (see Appendix A), develop and/or refine the necessary
tools and processes to ensure that the obligations in the Data Sharing Protocol can be met.
Over 2015/16, the Region continues to have two HIFIS-related Agreements with the federal
Employment and Social Development Canada. The first Agreement extends from April 1, 2014
through March 31, 2019 and provides funds for the development of custom local reports. The
second Agreement extends from June 1, 2014 through March 31, 2019 and provides funding for
the Community Coordinator (co-lead by Data Analyst/Program and System specialist and
Trainer/Technician specialist) to complete the majority of their activities as outlined in the work
plan (see Appendix A).
Working Group Protocols:
Region Housing Services staff will set the agendas, chair the meetings, and take minutes.
Regrets can be sent to: Angela Pye at 519-883-2040 or [email protected].
Original Terms of Reference were approved September 2006 and last revised and approved on
March 5, 2015.
Meeting Schedule:
Over 2015/16, the Working Group will meet as outlined below:
Date
Wednesday June 3, 2015
Wednesday October 7, 2015
Wednesday February 3, 2016
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Time
9:30-11:30 a.m.
9:30-11:30 a.m.
9:30-11:30 a.m.
Location
99 Regina Street, Waterloo, Room 210/211
150 Main Street, Cambridge, Room 163
99 Regina Street, Waterloo, Room 409
3
Table 1. HIFIS Working Group membership.
Organization
Program(s)
ES – Young Men &
Argus Residence
Young Women
for Young People
SH – Five Beds to Home
HIFIS WG Member
HIFIS ED contact(s)
LeeAnne King, Financial Administrator
[email protected]
519-650-0452
Eva Vlasov, Executive Director
[email protected]
519-623-7991
Tyler Greig
[email protected]
519-624-9305
Christine Kecser, Executive Director
[email protected]
519-624-9305 x 107
ES – Cambridge Shelter
Cambridge Shelter
Corporation
SH – Saginaw House
SH – Bridges Supportive
Housing
ES – Charles Street
Men’s Hostel
Erica Parrott, Administrator
[email protected]
519-742-8327 x 330
Annisa Rampersad, Program Manager
[email protected]
519-742-8327 x 336
Christine Stevanus, Program Manager
[email protected]
519-570-2400
House of
Friendship
SH – Cramer House,
Charles Village & Eby
Village
Dijana Vulina
[email protected]
Ron Flaming, Residential Program
Director
[email protected]
519-742-8327
John Neufeld, Executive Director
[email protected]
519-742-8327 x123
Daryl Roth
[email protected]
HUGO
SH – HUGO
Christine Revoy, Owner/Operator
[email protected]
519-590-6550
Christine Revoy, Owner/Operator
&
Ben Revoy : 519-465-5976
Lutherwood
ES – Safe Haven Shelter
Lindsey White, Child and Youth Counsellor
[email protected]
519-749-1450 x 2240
Lisa Gill Tamcsu, Mental Health
Services Program Director
[email protected]
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Marillac Place
TLR – Marillac Place
oneROOF
ES – PAR
SHOW
SH – SHOW
Underhill
Residential Home
SH – Underhill
Karen Gilmet, Residential Director
[email protected]
519-571-0722
Sandy Dietrich-Bell, Executive
Kendra Foord, Services Manager
Director
[email protected]
[email protected]
519-742-2788
519-742-2788 x 202
Craig Fenwick, Program Manager
[email protected]
519-886-8200
Gael Gilbert, Executive Director
[email protected]
519-886-8200
Tanya Tompkins, Owner/Operator
[email protected]
519-884-7160
Marg Oldenburger, Financial Administrator
[email protected]
519744-6507 x 206
ES – YWCA Emergency
Shelter
YWCA
Maria Wallenius,
Manager of YWCA Emergency Shelter
[email protected]
519744-6507 x 211
Jenny Spiers,
Community Support Coordinator
[email protected]
519-747-2200 x 203
Elizabeth Clarke, Executive Director
[email protected]
519-576-8856 x 105
SH – Lincoln Road
Region of Waterloo
(Community
Coordinator)
Data Analyst
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Cathy Middleton,
Director of Women’s Services
[email protected]
519-505-5423
Angela Pye, Social Planning Associate
[email protected]
519-883-2040
Van Vilaysinh,
Manager,
Housing Services
[email protected]
5
Beth Hayward,
Social Planning Associate (STEP Home)
[email protected]
519-575-4757 x 5466
Technical/
Training Support
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Cheryl Grove,
Social Planning Associate (ES/SH)
[email protected]
519-575-4757 x 5372
Glenn Weber, Consultant
[email protected]
519-742-8327 x 403
519-883-2238
Marie Morrison,
Manager, Housing Services
[email protected]
519-575-4757 x 5042
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Table 2. Outline of HIFIS-Related Roles
Title
Name
Working
Group
Members
(see Table 1)
HIFIS
Community
Coordinator1
Angela Pye and
Glenn Weber
Trainer
Glenn Weber
Outline of Role: Responsibilities and Deliverables
Responsibilities:
- network with local HIFIS programs to share ideas, identify
issues, problem solve, establish priorities, provide feedback
on all tools and processes, and assist in implementation of
the work plan (see Appendix A)
Deliverables:
- attendance at each meeting
- updated Terms of Reference, Data Sharing Protocol, Data
Guide, HIFIS Data Collection Forms, Report Guide, Data
Integrity Guide, Administrator Binder, HIFIS Data Export
Files, Criteria and Process for Release of HIFIS Data
- effective tools and processes for ongoing operations/
maintenance, confidentiality, data integrity, and reporting
(identify needs, test draft protocols and training documents)
Responsibilities:
- local HIFIS champion, contact, and overall project
coordinator
- supports the Working Group
- primary contact with funders
Deliverables:
- present information regarding value of HIFIS and data
sharing to community stakeholders and potential new HIFIS
programs, as appropriate
- attend HIFIS Community Coordinator meetings and
conference calls
- chair Working Group meetings (prepare agendas, minutes)
- maintain HIFIS Program List, Terms of Reference, Data
Sharing Protocol, Data Entry Guide, HIFIS Data Collection
Forms, Report Guide, Data Integrity Guide, Administrator
Binder, HIFIS Data Export Files, Criteria and Process for
Release of HIFIS Data
- work plans and updates to funders
- reports for funders
Responsibilities:
- HIFIS training and/or retraining based on assessment of
local needs
- support other training activities as appropriate (e.g., site
representatives who train staff directly)
- ensure proper use of HIFIS: ongoing operations/
maintenance, confidentiality, data integrity, and reporting
Deliverables:
- assess local needs and coordinate relevant individual
and/or group training sessions to meet these needs
- complete training records for each session
1
From the Province, the Region serves as Service Manager of Homelessness and Social Housing. From
the Federal Government, the Region serves as the Community Entity for the Homelessness Partnering
Strategy and the Community Coordinator for HIFIS.
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Title
Name
Technical
Support
Glenn Weber
Data Analyst
Angela Pye
Beth Hayward
Cheryl Grove
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Outline of Role: Responsibilities and Deliverables
- provide protocols and tip-sheets to support ongoing
operations/maintenance, confidentiality, data integrity, and
reporting
- Administrator Binder with training related documents
Responsibilities:
- support HIFIS programs with all technical issues (hardware
and software) related to the effective use of HIFIS in a wide
variety of functions – from daily operations through to use of
data for program and community planning
- support the creation of customized reports
- serve as liaison with the HIFIS Help Desk, accessing
available resources through the Data Inclusion Partnership
(DIP) as appropriate
- beta testing with HIFIS National as needed
Deliverables:
- download/assist with HIFIS set-up, exports, and imports
- problem solve issues as they arise
- custom reports that meet local demand for data
- Administrator Binder with technical support related
documents
- respond to HIFIS National requests for beta testing
Responsibilities:
- receive and analyze HIFIS aggregate data
- identify custom report needs
- analyze data and disseminate meaningful information to
various community partners
Deliverables:
- receive monthly data exports from HIFIS programs
- meet with HIFIS programs to identify and prioritize need for
custom reports (share this information with Technician for
implementation and Trainer for training)
- prepare reports for stakeholders, including data used to
inform program planning and system evolution (e.g., the
Inventory of Housing Stability Programs in Waterloo Region,
the Ontario Municipal Benchmarking Initiative, Housing
Stability Data Summary Report, 10 Year Housing and
Homelessness Plan)
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APPENDIX A:
Region of Waterloo Community Coordinator Activities Work Plan
April 2014-March 2019
1. HIFIS as Housing Stability System Data Collection Tool
1 Expand the use of
a. Incorporate the use of HIFIS into the 2014/15 Supportive Housing
HIFIS to other
Agreements for the seven service providers (eight programs) that
programs within
piloted the use of HIFIS late 2013/early 2014
the housing
stability system
b. Continue to support these seven new service providers in their use of
HIFIS (training, resources, support)
April 1, 2014
April 1, 2014-March 31, 2015
c. Engage the five Shelters to Housing Stability programs and two or three
Streets to Housing Stability programs in a HIFIS pilot (HPS “Housing
Fall 2014-Winter 2015
First” programs)
1.1 Provide training
and technical
support to service
providers
1.2 Support the use of
HIFIS 3.8 and any
d. Incorporate the use of HIFIS into the 2015/16 Shelters to Housing
Stability and Streets to Housing Stability Agreements
April 1, 2016
e. Incorporate the use of HIFIS into the redesigned CHPI Supportive
Housing programs for all providers who are successful (# TBD)
April 1, 2016-March 31, 2017
f. Determine other appropriate funded housing stability programs to
pilot the use of HIFIS
April 1, 2017-March 31, 2019
a. Provide direct training sessions, training notes/resources, and technical
support to all HIFIS service providers
b. Incorporate in-house training from HIFIS leads in agencies to their
other relevant staff
Ongoing
Ongoing
c. Increase reliance on HIFIS Help Desk, HIFIS e-learning tools, and other
HIFIS resources to decrease demand on reduced training/technical
support hours
Ongoing
a. Support expanded use of HIFIS 3.8 to interested programs (e.g., Case
Management module, Housing Placement)
2014-2016
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9
APPENDIX A:
Region of Waterloo Community Coordinator Activities Work Plan
April 2014-March 2019
subsequent
versions
b. Plan for the implementation of 4.0 and determine how best to set up
the database in the community (agency/separate or joined)
TBD (when available)
c. Implement HIFIS 4.0 and support transition
1.3 Continue to
a. Facilitate regular HIFIS Working Group meetings with representatives
facilitate HIFIS
from all HIFIS using programs to discuss use of HIFIS and HIFIS data,
Working Group
share resources and information, and provide training and support
meetings for all
b. Include Agendas, Minutes, and annual review and update of Terms of
HIFIS using
Reference
programs/agencies
2. HIFIS to Assist Evidence-Based Practice
2.1 Coordinate the
a. Review local data definitions and collection practices as outlined in our
collection of
local Data Entry and Administrator Guide and Data Collection Forms
community data
b. Continue to provide training and resources to support data integrity
(local Data Integrity Guide, e-learning tools)
Bi-monthly with a summer
break (minimum 5
meetings/year); additional
group training/meetings as
required
Annually, at minimum
Ongoing
c. Identify gaps in local data needs and develop reports to meet those
needs
Ongoing
d. Receive monthly exports from service provider to coordinator
Monthly
e. Automatic submission of quarterly exports from service provider to
HIFIS National
Quarterly
2.2 Collect and analyse a. Determine indicators for ending homelessness as part of our local
baseline data for
Homelessness to Housing Stability Strategy
homelessness and
housing stability in b. Determine indicators of progress with local Homelessness to Housing
our community, to
Stability Strategy implementation (e.g., for the three goals, for each
support indicator
program area)
development
2.3 Report outcomes to a. Local Housing Stability System Data Summary Report to council/
the community,
stakeholders
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2014-2015 development,
then monitor annually
2014-2016 development,
then monitor annually
Annually
10
APPENDIX A:
Region of Waterloo Community Coordinator Activities Work Plan
April 2014-March 2019
CAB, housing
stability system,
and funders
2.4 Support research
about emerging
and promising
practices
2.5 Data supported
decision making
regarding program
directions and
funds
b. Local Emergency Shelter Data Summary Report to council/stakeholders
Schedule being reviewed
c. Other system and program area data reports
TBD
d. Implement use of the Community Homelessness Prevention Initiative
(CHPI) report within HIFIS
Annually beginning April 1,
2014
e. Implement use of HPS “Housing First” reports within HIFIS
Annually beginning April 1,
2015
a. Utilize HIFIS data for upcoming research reports
TBD
a. Utilize Emergency Shelter data in program planning and policy
framework development
Ongoing
b. Utilize Supportive Housing data in program planning and evaluation
c. Utilize other program area data for planning in those program areas as
available
3. HIFIS to Assist with Support Coordination for Programs within the Housing Stability System
3.1 Expand the use of
a. Support expanded use of HIFIS 3.8 to interested programs (e.g., Case
HIFIS modules to
Management module, Housing Placement) (see 1.3.a)
assist service
providers in
b. Develop Case Management reports to access necessary information
providing support
from Case Management module
c. Implement use of SPDAT within HIFIS
3.2 Coordinate and
expand the use of
Ongoing, particularly from
April 1, 2016 with redesigned
program
Ongoing as available (April 1,
2015 and forward)
2014-2016
2014-2015
2014-2015
a. Expand the Data Entry and Administrative Guide to include applicability
Ongoing
of HIFIS for other program areas
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APPENDIX A:
Region of Waterloo Community Coordinator Activities Work Plan
April 2014-March 2019
HIFIS across the
b. Develop reports to meet data needs in expanding program areas (see
housing stability
2.1.c)
system to assist
with sharing and
c. Develop consent forms to allow for the sharing of HIFIS data between
coordination of
programs
support
information
4. HIFIS to Assist with Sharing and Learning Promising Practices with Other Communities
4.1 Encourage
a. See 1.4 continue regular HIFIS Working Group meetings
information sharing b. See 2.3 report outcomes to the community, CAB, housing stability
and partnership
system, and funders
building within our c. See 2.5 data supported decision making regarding program directions
housing stability
and funds
system
d. See 3.2 coordinate and expand the use of HIFIS across the housing
stability system to assist with sharing and coordination of support
information
4.2 Leverage HIFIS as a
tool to better
a. Collect data regarding the intersection of homelessness and the health
connect with other
system and justice system to be able to encourage better partnership
systems in our
and coordination (and other systems as identified)
community (e.g.,
health, justice)
4.3 Share data,
a. Share data, learnings, and promising practices with other communities
learnings, and
through HIFIS CC conference calls, HIFIS conference attendance,
promising practices
community presentations, reports, etc.
with other
communities
b. Continue to participate in shared measurement through Ontario
Municipal Benchmarking Initiative (OMBI) (Hostels panel)
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Ongoing
Ongoing
Ongoing
2014-2019
Ongoing
Ongoing, annually
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