How can I support my staff in using HMIS?

Author: ICA | Date Created: July 15, 2025 | Date Updated:

What this is

This article gives answers to common questions asked by supervisors of HMIS users.

What can I do as a supervisor of staff that use HMIS?

We love this question! Here are some ways we suggest supporting your staff in using HMIS:

• Appoint someone on staff to be your HMIS champion. Whether that is you or someone on your team, it should be part of someone's job responsibilities to pay attention to HMIS.

  • This means they subscribe to the HMIS newsletter, go to webinars, read release notes and bring that information back to your team regularly.
• Make HMIS a standing topic in your team meetings.
• Get access to the HMIS training environment so you and your team can practice.
• Make sure you have the right number of HMIS licenses in your program budget so that your team never needs to share login information. Everyone needs their own account.
• Set expectations for data entry timeliness and run reports regularly.
• Get familiar with data checkers.
• Make sure you understand how data sharing in HMIS works.

My staff is struggling with HMIS. Can we get help? 

Yes! ICA can help you and your team in a few ways: 

1. Schedule a support call with our Helpdesk. 
2. Ask for a virtual training on a topic. 
3. On-site visit. If a virtual call is not quite right, we can arrange an in-person visit to your agency and join one of your regular staff meetings or sit down with you and your staff to give technical support. 
4. Join our recurring webinars. ICA has regularly scheduled webinars focused on topics like reporting and releases. See hmismn.org for the latest. 
5. Ask for access to the training site. This gives HMIS users a place to practice their HMIS data entry in a safe space without impact real client data or program enrollments. Email the HelpDesk to request a staff set up in the training site.

What are my staff doing in HMIS?

Supervisors and agency leadership can request information about user activity. You can ask our Helpdesk for things like: 

• When did my staff last login? 
• How many client records have my staff created in HMIS?  
• Are any of my staff creating duplicate client records? 
• [anything else to add here?] 

Can I add another license for my new staff?

If you would like to add a new user in addition to the group of licenses you have now, you can. Once your new staff completes training, ICA will issue a prorated bill for the cost of that license between the date of activation and your agency’s renewal.