The Mental Health Center of North Central Alabama, Inc. participates in the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) for clients residing in a HUD funded living facility.  All participation is completely voluntary and is contingent upon obtaining appropriate consents. 

A national effort is underway to end chronic homelessness by 2012. In twenty-first century America, people shouldn’t have to live under over-passes or seek shelter in cardboard boxes and garbage dumpsters. Public and private agencies across the United States are uniting to find a solution. Crisis Services of North Alabama, Inc. (on behalf of the North Alabama Coalition for the Homeless) coordinates the HMIS Program. This system enables homeless service providers to collect consistent, more complete client information and better coordinate available resources for men, women and children who are experiencing the devastation of homelessness.

Congress first directed the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to collect data from every local community in the FY 1999 HUD Appropriations Act and has indicated that jurisdictions should be collecting an array of data on homelessness, including unduplicated counts, analysis of service utilization and the effectiveness of the local homeless assistance system.

To learn more about HMIS and its potential national impact, please access the following:

National HMIS Standards: http://www.hud.gov/offices/cpd/homeless/hmis/index.cfm