Completion of data on the Households tab is the second step in adhering to the Golden Rule of Data Entry in HMIS.
NOTE: The Households tab is ONLY for Family Programs. Households are units in which multiple Client Profiles are organized into.
Ensure the Client Profile Tab is complete prior to completing the Households Tab.
Search for Previous and Existing Households FIRST
Duplicate data is a major data quality issue. Just as you search for existing clients before creating a new client profile, you must also search for existing households before you start a new household.
There should only be ONE current household, unless the client journey reflects an individual being part of 2 different households serviced by your program at the same time.
- Navigate to Households Tab
- If the client is not currently attached to a household, you will see a warning.
- Expand ‘Previous Households’ to verify if client was previously involved with a household.
- You may see the household you need listed and can edit it rather than create a new one.
- If no previous households are associated, you will see a warning.
- Press ‘Search Existing Households’ to search for any currently existing households that your client may be affiliated with.
- If there is NO existing household the client is affiliated with, you will see ‘no matches’ and may proceed with starting a new household.
- If there IS a previous household, jump to ‘Modify Previous Households’ for instructions.
Start New Household (If No Previous Households Exist)
1. Under the Households tab, press the Start New Household button
Indicate Household Type.
- Search (using less is more approach) for family members related to the client profile you are currently in.
- Press Search button.
- If Client does not appear under the Client Results section, press the Add New Client With This Information button.
6. A warning window will appear double checking you have confirmed there are no duplicate profiles for the client you are creating
7. Press Continue button
8. You will now see the newly created client under the Selected Clients section:
9. Press Continue button
10. The Household Information window will appear. Indicate your original client as the Head of Household by selecting YES from dropdown.
- Note: The ‘Relationship to Head of Household’ will automatically update to ‘Self’. The new client you just added to the household will automatically update to ‘No’ under the ‘Head of Household’ column.
11. Update the Relationship to Head of Household column for the new client you just added to the household and press Save & Exit button:
12. You now have 2 members in your household.
13. Repeat steps until all members of the household that are being serviced by your program are listed and then press Continue.
Since families are diverse and dynamics shift often, you may press ‘Manage Household’ to edit the composition of the household.
How to Modify Previous Household (Rather than Start New Household)
If there is an existing household, follow these steps to move it from Previous Households to Current.
- Press the Household ID of the household that best represents your client’s current situation.
- Edit the Household Type if needed.
- Press ‘Add/Delete Household Members’ to search for and add household members to the household.
- Expand the black arrow next to ‘Add Clients to the Household’ to begin searching clients.
5. Once the household reflects all clients being serviced by your program, press ‘Continue’.
Please note this is one article of the Household Tab Series. For more information, please review the following articles:
2. Understanding the Households Tab
3. How to Start a New Household - current article
5. How to Change a Head of Household