RHY-HMIS_Supporting Statement B V4

Runaway and Homeless Youth

Homeless Management Information System (RHY-HMIS)

OMB Information Collection Request

0970 - NEW

Supporting Statement Part B –

Statistical Methods

February 2021

Submitted By:

Family and Youth Services Bureau

Administration for Children and Families

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

SUPPORTING STATEMENT B – STATISTICAL METHODS

1. Respondent Universe and Sampling Methods

The respondent universe for this information collection is all the RHY funded youth who receive emergency shelter and longer-term shelter and supportive services under RHY funding and all RHY grantees to input the data and then upload their data to FYSB. ACF/FYSB will not employ any sampling methods for this information collection. Instead, each RHY grantee is required to submit youth-level data on all RHY youth on a semi-annual basis.

2. Procedures for the Collection of Information

1. Upon receipt of funding award, each new RHY grantee must contact the Continuum of Care that presides over their jurisdiction to become a member in order to use the local HMIS.

2. Each grantee is required to receive training on the use of the local HMIS to enter youth data into the system.

3. RHY grantees will gain access (login/password) to the local HMIS data entry system and will receive RHY-HMIS instructions, definitions manual, and technical assistance, as needed.

4. Each grantee will have access to both online self-directed and webinar-based tutorials for training on the use of the local HMIS and the RHY-HMIS data measures, as required by FYSB.

5. RHY grantees will be notified of the upcoming data collection period 90 days before the required date of data submission.

6. During the data submission period, RHY grantees work with the HMIS Lead to extract their data and upload their de-identified, youth-level data to the ACF/FYSB repository.

7. Youth-level data are received and validated by the RHY-HMIS contractor that works directly with RHY grantees in the event their data submission has challenges.

8. A final compilation of RHY-HMIS data are submitted to ACF/FYSB for use in reporting in the RHY report to Congress and the RHY performance measures.

9. As new RHY grantees are brought on, they will follow the same process for data collection and data submission.

3. Methods to Maximize Response Rates and Deal with Nonresponse

As awareness of the data entry and data submission process continues, RHY grantees become more familiar with the process, and training materials become increasingly refined to serve grantees, ACF/FYSB believes that response rates will continue to increase. Most RHY grantees have successfully transitioned from the previous ACF system/data elements (NEORHYMIS) to the newer RHY-HMIS data elements that were moved to HUD’s data standards and HMIS. Many grantees are working to become well versed on using the data system, and with the integration of RHY-HMIS with HUD’s HMIS, the intent was to reduce burden on RHY grantees that have both RHY and HUD funding. The procedures for notification include:

1. Grantee receive periodic reminders of upcoming data submission dates via emails from the RHY-HMIS contractor.

2. RHY-HMIS contractor staff work with grantees to resolve any identified technical issues.

3. In situations when a grantee is consistently negligent in meeting their data submission obligation, they receive notification of their obligation to submit data as a condition of funding and a corrective action plan may be put in place.

4. Test of Procedures or Methods to be Undertaken:

This is not applicable.

5. Individuals Consulted on Statistical Aspects and Individuals Collecting and/or Analyzing Data

Abt Associates, our RHY-HMIS contractor since 2019, will continue to provide quality technical assistance to grantees and remain responsible for coordinating the receipt and validation of data for the RHY-HMIS data collection effort. Additionally, we have had extensive discussions regarding the technical aspects of data system integration to ensure that a majority of our protocols will be preserved. Our principal contacts of individuals collecting and analyzing the RHY data are:

Lori Hunter RHY-HMIS Contract Project Director Abt Associates 6130 Executive Blvd, Rockville, MD 20852 (301) 347-5000 [email protected]

Resa Matthew Director, Division of Evaluation, Data, and Policy Family and Youth Services Bureau 330 C Street, SW Washington, D.C. 20201 (202) 870-1918 [email protected]