Client Personal Identifiable Information (PII) and HMIS Messaging
Personally Identifiable Information (PII) is any information about an individual which can be used to distinguish, trace, or identify and individual's identity - including personal information which is linked or linkable to an individual.
Personally Identifiable Information should be kept in a secure location at all times and is only accessible by authorized persons. When communicating via email, even when contacting HMIS support, PII should never be shared - the obly acceptable information is the Client Unique Identifier found in Clarity.
When contacting HMIS Support (HMISsupport@end-homelessness.org) or anyone via email, please DO NOT send clients' Personal Identifiable Information (PII).
Examples of PII (not an exhaustive list):
- Full or partial name
- Social security number
- Date of birth
- Parent/child's name
- Veteran Status
- Demographic Information
- Contact Information
Information you can send in Clarity:
- Clarity Unique Identifier
The Clarity unique identifier is found on the client's profile page under the client's image:
Clarity Messaging
Clarity allows users to communicate privately through a secure internal system.
This is the only acceptable method of sending PII.
Click on the envelope icon at the top right of the Clarity screen. This brings up your inbox, where you can read messages or send new ones.
To send a message, click on "New Message." Make sure the CoC is set to "Cincinnati/Hamilton County CoC."
Via the drop-down box, select the agency, then the recipient. Type your message, then click "Send Message." Clarity users have the ability to send message to all authorized Clarity users within our community.
Receiving Messages through Clarity Messaging
Clarity users will receive an email from the Clarity system alerting them that they have a message. You will also know you have a message if there's a number on the envelope at the top right of the screen. Click the envelope to open the message screen. Click the "Read" icon to open the message and reply to the sender.
More information about messaging can be found on the Bitfocus Clarity help website.
Contact Information
If you need help, or wish to offer suggestions or feedback, please contact the Cincinnati/Hamilton County HMIS Support Team at HMISsupport@end-homelessness.org or by calling 513-263-2790 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. Monday through Friday excluding holidays.
When contacting HMIS Support, please do not include any Personal Identifiable Information such as social security numbers, birth dates, etc. Acceptable information is the first name and last 4 digits of SSN, or Clarity Unique Identifier found on the Clarity client's profile page.