Disability Errors

It may take some investigation to figure out what is causing a disability error on your reports. To begin your investigation, follow these steps first.

1. Enter EDA mode to the correct project provider.
2. Search for and enter the client record (Note: You do not need to be in back date mode when editing an Entry/Exit record).
3. In the Entry/Exit tab, click on the edit pencil to the left of the Project Start Date to open the Entry Assessment.
4. Click on Save & Continue in the first pop-up.
5. Scroll to the Does client have a disability of long duration? question and Disabilities sub-assessment. 
6. If the value is simply missing, you can respond to the missing data element(s).

7. If there is an answer to the Does client have a disability of long duration? question, you may have more than one answer with the same effective date. You will need to delete responses that conflict with your response (see example in the image below). Note: You have to be in EDA mode to the provider that created the data to delete. 
   1. Click on the history bar (may be red, brown, or green) to the left of the answer.
   2. Click on the trash can next to the value you want to delete.

8. Click on Save & Exit.

Correcting Inconsistent Disability Data

If you have confirmed that the  Does client have a disability of long duration? question has been answered and there is information in the Disabilities sub-assessment but your report is still showing an error, you may have inconsistent data within the Disabilities sub-assessment. You'll see errors on your reports if your clients who have the Does client have a disability of long duration? question (in the first orange box below) answered as “Yes” but the sub-assessment question If Yes, Expected to be of long-continued and indefinite duration and substantially impairs ability to live independently (in the second orange box) has been answered as “No” or hasn't been answered at all. 

Follow these steps to check for and fix this inconsistency.

1. Enter EDA mode to the correct project provider.
2. Search for and enter the client record (Note: You do not need to be in back date mode when editing an Entry/Exit record).
3. In the Entry/Exit tab, click on the edit pencil to the left of the Project Start Date to open the Entry Assessment.
4. Click on Save & Continue in the first pop-up.

If the Does the client have a disability of long duration? data element is answered “Yes,” but no disabilities are listed with Disability Determination as "Yes" in the Disabilities sub-assessment and/or the If Yes, Expected to be of long-continued and indefinite duration and substantially impairs ability to live independently has not been answered "Yes," then this is incongruent/conflicting data. How to correct this depends on whether or not the client has a disability of long duration.

If the client does have a disability of long duration

1. If there are responses in the Disabilities sub-assessment, click on the edit pencil alongside the disability the client reported. (Note: You may need to click on Next and Previous buttons to navigate to that record). Do not click on the magnifying glass or HUD Verification; you will not be able to delete info when a sub-assessment record is opened using the magnifying glass or HUD Verification.
2. Change the Disability determination to “Yes.”
3. If the disability meets the criteria for being of long duration, the answer to If Yes, Expected to be of long-continued and indefinite duration and substantially impairs ability to live independently will need to be “Yes” as well.
4. Click on Save.
5. If you changed either of those answers from "No" to "Yes," you'll need to delete the previous responses.
6. Click again on the edit pencil alongside the disability the client reported in the list .
7. Click on the history bar(s) for the value(s) you edited.
8. Click on the trash can to delete the “No” response(s).
   1. If you do not see a trash can, you may need to be in EDA mode to the provider that created/added the data.
   2. If none of your providers added this response, you will not be able to delete it! Make a note of the client record and sub-assessment info and contact the Helpdesk.

If the client does not have a disability of long duration

1. If the question If Yes, Expected to be of long-continued and indefinite duration and substantially impairs ability to live independently had been answered "Yes," you will need to change the “Yes” response to “No” and also delete the previous “Yes” response.
2. In the Disabilities sub-assessment table, click on the edit pencil to the left of the line item you want to edit. (Note: You may need to click on Next and Previous buttons to navigate to that record). Do not click on the magnifying glass or HUD Verification; you will not be able to delete info when a sub-assessment record is opened using the magnifying glass or HUD Verification. 
3. Change the If Yes, Expected to be of long-continued and indefinite duration and substantially impairs ability to live independently answer to "No."
4. Click on Save.
5. Now you'll need to delete the previous "Yes" response. In the pop-up, click on the history bar to the left of the If Yes, Expected to be of long-continued and indefinite duration and substantially impairs ability to live independently response.
6. Click on the trash can to delete the “Yes” response.
   1. If you do not see a trash can, you may need to be in EDA mode to the provider that created/added the data.
   2. If none of your providers added this response, you will not be able to delete it! Make a note of the client record and sub-assessment info and contact the Helpdesk.
7. Once you've made the necessary edits to the Disabilities sub-assessment, confirm that the Does the client have a disability of long duration? data element is also answered “No.”

How does one determine if a disability is of long duration? 

To reference the HUD HMIS Data Standards Manual about the Disability elements:

"If the disability is present and is expected to be of long-continued and indefinite duration, the corresponding element 3.08 Disabling Condition [AKA “Does client have a disability of long duration”] should also be “yes”... It is acceptable for a client to answer 'Yes' to having a physical disability, and also answer 'No,' that the disability is not expected to be of long–continued and indefinite duration and substantially impair ability to live independently, although a disability of such type may not qualify clients for programs meant for severely disabled people and may not indicate a “disabling condition” according to the universal data element 3.08."

The 3.08 Disabling Condition data element is defined as one or more of the following:

• A physical, mental, or emotional impairment, including an impairment caused by alcohol or drug abuse, post-traumatic stress disorder, or brain injury that:

1. Is expected to be long-continuing or of indefinite duration;
2. Substantially impedes the individual's ability to live independently; and
3. Could be improved by the provision of more suitable housing conditions.

• A developmental disability, as defined in section 102 of the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act of 2000 (42 U.S.C. 15002); or
• The disease of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) or any condition arising from the etiologic agency for acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV).

So! What that all means is, if the answer to “Does client have a disability of long duration” (data element 3.08) is “Yes,” then the answer in the Disabilities sub-assessment should align with that answer. If the client doesn’t have a disability of long duration, the answer to data element 3.08 should be changed to “No,” but the answer in the Disabilities sub-assessment can remain the same.