Updated 05-2026

HMIS User Agreement

(To sign the HMIS User Agreement, the user must take the HMIS Security Training)

HMIS USER POLICY, RESPONSIBILITY STATEMENT Code of Ethics & CODE OF Conduct

The DASH Great Lakes Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) is a collaborative project of the four Wisconsin Continua of Care (CoC) – Balance of State, City of Madison/Dane County, Milwaukee City/County, and Racine City/County, two Illinois Continua of Care - Rockford/Winnebago/Boone/DeKalb CoC and McHenry County CoC, known collectively as DASH Great Lakes, the Institute for Community Alliances (ICA), and participating Partner Agencies. HMIS is an internet-based data collection application designed to capture information about the numbers, characteristics and needs of persons experiencing homelessness and those at risk of homelessness over time.

USER RESPONSIBILITIES

The specific responsibilities of HMIS users are listed in Section 2.2 of the HMIS Policies and Procedures. Additionally, users must abide by all other provisions of the HMIS Policies and Procedures Manual. This manual and its attachments document HMIS privacy, security and data standards, and requirements for data entry. If a user has a client account in the HMIS, the user is prohibited from editing their own file. Users are prohibited from editing the HMIS accounts of their immediate family members.

USER CODE OF ETHICS

Users must ensure that their clients are made aware that their personally identifying information will be entered into the HMIS. Partner Agencies may require clients to provide explicit or implied client consent. Users must follow the consent requirements of their Partner Agency. Users must allow their clients to decide what personally identifying information, if any, can be entered into the HMIS and shared with Partner Agencies. Client consent may be revoked by that client at any time by written notice. *No client may be denied services for failure to provide consent to share HMIS data. *Clients have a right to inspect, copy and request changes in their HMIS records.

USER CODE OF Conduct

ICA maintains a commitment to ethical conduct and service to its work as the HMIS Lead Agency. ICA, its staff, along with Partner Agency staff, and their HMIS users shall maintain the utmost standards of personal integrity, trustfulness, honesty, and fairness in carrying out their duties, avoid any improprieties in their roles, and never use their position to bully, harass, or abuse others.

This Code is designed to communicate the expectation all parties shall treat each other with respect and courtesy at all times.

This policy applies to any conduct or interaction that occurs at the workplace and at any location or on any platform that can be reasonably regarded as an extension of the workplace, including but not limited to the use of a telephone, voicemail, text messages, video meeting, and/or any social media or online platforms.

All parties shall not engage in abusive, violent, bullying, harassing, discriminatory or other threatening or intimidating behavior or language. Harassment of or discrimination against any person is expressly prohibited.

For the purposes of this Code, Bullying, Harassment, and Discrimination are defined thusly:

  • Bullying is repeated, unwanted, aggressive physical or verbal behavior which hurts another individual, physically, mentally, or emotionally.

  • Harassment is repeated or egregious unwelcome, intimidating, hostile or offensive actions, words, jokes or comments based on any protected class status or statuses.

  • Discrimination is unfair treatment of an individual or members of a group based on their protected class status.

HMIS USER RESOURCES

AFFIRM THE FOLLOWING

  1. I have read and will abide by all policies and procedures in the HMIS Policies and Procedures Manual.

  2. I have received training from the HMIS Lead Agency on how to use the HMIS, in addition to subscribing to and reading the HMIS email newsletter.

  3. I agree to the training requirements listed in the HMIS Policies and Procedures Manual.

  4. I agree that I will not contact the HMIS Vendor directly and will contact the HMIS System Administrator for any HMIS questions, concerns, issues, etc.

  5. I agree to not show the HMIS to anyone that is not currently licensed in the HMIS. I will reach out to the HMIS System Administrator to notify them of the request.

  6. I agree to not send personally identifying client level HMIS data to anyone that is not currently licensed in the HMIS. I will reach out to an HMIS System Administrator to notify them of any request for client level data.

  7. I will only collect, enter, and extract data in the HMIS relevant to the delivery of services for the clients with whom I work.

  8. I agree to use the data within HMIS only for the purposes of service delivery.

  9. I understand that my User ID and Password are for my use only and must not be shared with anyone.

  10. I agree to keep my HMIS user log-in and password secure.

  11. I agree to refrain from leaving my computer unattended while logged into the system and further agree to log out of the system before leaving my work area.

  12. I agree not to use the HMIS at a publicly accessible workstation or on an unsecured network.

  13. I agree to properly protect and store in a secure location client-specific hardcopy information printed from HMIS.

  14. I agree to notify my Security Officer in the event I suspect that HMIS security has been compromised.

  15. I agree to notify my Agency HMIS Agency Contact if I am out on extended leave or vacation or leave my current position.

  16. I agree to enter and maintain accurate information into the HMIS.

  17. I agree to follow HMIS data timeliness standards.

  18. I will adhere to the User Code of Ethics and Conduct.

  19. I will adhere to the User HMIS Conflict of Interest policy.

  20. I will not provide any HMIS training to other users and/or other agencies. All HMIS training will be done by current ICA staff, and I will refer any user and/or agency with HMIS training needs to ICA staff.

  21. I agree that as an HMIS User I am prohibited from editing the HMIS accounts of myself or my immediate family members (if they exist).

    Please see section 2.10 of the HMIS Policy and Procedures manual for policy violation procedures.

ICA Central Office
1111 9th St. #380, Des Moines, IA 50314

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