Clarity Human Services: February 2025 Feature Updates

This month's release includes new Program Restriction functionality, INVENTORY updates, and Client Contacts functionality on the new Clarity interface.

Release Schedule: 

• All Training Sites: February 10, 2025
• All Production Sites: February 24, 2025

February 2025 Updates - click on a link to jump to the update!

• New! Program Restriction Functionality
• Update: HMIS Program-Specific Data Elements included in the Clarity Operational API
• Update: Custom Housing Inventory Fields on Bed Screens Used as INVENTORY Filters
• Update: Search Feature for INVENTORY Filters
• New! Unique ID for Beds
  • Data Analysis Update and Required Action
• New! Client Contacts Functionality in the New Clarity Interface
• Update: Social Security Number Masking
  • Pentaho Reports Update
• Update: Social Security Number "Invalid SSN" Pop-up Functionality
• Update: Field, Screen, and Template Updates
  • Clarity Human Services Required Action
  • System Administrator Field, Screen, and Template Updates Guide - February 2025
• Update: Logic for Prioritization
• Update: Referral Access Rights and Restricted Referral Fields
  • Clarity Human Services Required Action
  • Data Analysis Update and Required Action
• Update: DIT to Allow "99" in CSV Files
• Update: Manual Personal ID Management
  • Data Analysis Update
  • Pentaho Reports Update

Data Analysis Release Notes:

• Data Analysis Release Notes 02/24/2025
  • Prior to February 3, 2025, Data Analysis Release Notes and the Data Services Change Log and Known Issues articles were found in the Data Analysis section of the Help Center. Starting February 3, 2025, they will now be located in the News and Announcements section of the Help Center here.

Pentaho Reports Release Notes:

• Pentaho Release Notes - January 2025
  • Prior to February 3, 2025, Pentaho Release Notes were found in the Report Library section of the Help Center. Starting February 3, 2025, they will now be located in the News and Announcements section of the Help Center here.

New: Program Restriction Functionality

There is a new section in the client NOTES tab for PROGRAM RESTRICTIONS. This feature allows a user to document when a client has been denied future services at one or more programs. Program Restrictions will be available as a new type of Eligibility requirement, with the added ability to use Profile and Program Restriction Eligibility with Direct Referrals.

A new article with full details has been added to the Help Center and is available here. The new article notes that functionality will not be fully available until February 10, 2025 (for training sites), and February 24, 2025 (for live sites). 

Clarity Human Services Required Action: None.

Updated: HMIS Program-Specific Data Elements included in the Clarity Operational API

The Clarity Operational API can now add, retrieve, edit, and delete HUD HMIS Program-specific Data Elements (PSDEs) and custom fields within a Clarity Human Services instance’s enrollments. Client Assessments now have dynamic retrieval of custom elements and PSDEs. Screen metadata including the HMIS Data Element ID and Name (such as HMIS Data Element #4.19.1 AssessmentDate) can also be retrieved from existing Screens. Lastly, a “deleted” property was added to the ClientAssessment type, for filtering out deleted Assessments.

Clarity Human Services Required Action: None.

Updated: Custom Housing Inventory Fields on Bed Screens Used as INVENTORY Filters

With this update, end users will be able to filter the list of beds on the INVENTORY Dashboard by custom housing inventory fields from the Bed Screen. This will narrow down the list of beds to meet specific criteria.

When a custom housing inventory field that has been placed on the Bed Management Screen is selected as a filter, the list of beds/units in the left sidebar and the map of beds/units are filtered according to the selected field, consistent with existing custom housing inventory field custom filters.

End Users with the appropriate access can use these steps to include a custom housing inventory field as a filter in INVENTORY:

• Add a custom housing inventory field to a Bed screen. 
• Edit the custom housing inventory field
• Toggle on Display on Inventory Card
• Toggle on Include as an Inventory Filter
• Click SAVE CHANGES

Clarity Human Services Required Action: None.

Updated: Search Feature for INVENTORY Filters

With this update, a search box has been added to each filter in the INVENTORY Dashboard. The search box allows the end user to easily search filter values instead of scrolling through all options.

Clarity Human Services Required Action: None.

New: Unique ID for Beds in INVENTORY

 Data Analysis Required Action Included!

For units with beds in INVENTORY, there will be a new unique ID for each bed created. This will allow for accurate tracking and reporting of beds in separate units that have the same Unit Configuration Type (UCT). If the UCT, with beds enabled and set up, linked to the unit changes, the bed IDs in the unit will change.

A new bed_identifiers table has been created with the following fields:

• id
• ref_unit
• ref_bed
• ref_unit_configuration

When the current UCT for the unit has beds enabled, the system will add a record to this table with id, ref_unit, and ref_bed. When the current UCT for the unit has beds disabled, the system will add a record to this table with id, ref_unit, and ref_unit_configuration.

The ref_bed_identifier field will be added to the unit_status, unit_availability_status and unit_occupancy tables so that bed status, availability and occupancy can be reported independently of the unit.

Clarity Human Services Required Action: None.

Data Analysis Updates

• A new "Total Beds" measure has been added to the "Inventory Building - Units" measure in the Inventory and Project Descriptor models. This measure performs a sum of the beds of each unit.
• A new "Bed ID" dimension has been added in the Inventory and Project Descriptor models to expose beds which have their own bed identifier because they are part of a unit with the "Enable Beds" toggle switched on.
• Three new views have been added to the Inventory model: "Bed Status", "Bed Occupancy" and "Bed Availability Status." These views bring status info about the unit and their respective beds for the unit configurations with the "Enable Beds" toggle switched on.
• The "Bed Status" view has also been added to the Project Descriptor model.
• Both Inventory-based LookML dashboards were updated to account for the new “Inventory—Building Units—Total Beds” measure and the new “Bed Availability Status,” “Bed Occupancy,” and “Bed Status” views. The updates make the dashboards more flexible in analyzing bed status, availability, and occupancy when the individual bed tracking functionality is enabled or not. More information about the two Inventory-based LookML dashboards can be found at the following links: Inventory Module - Bed/Unit Occupancy Overview - UCT Program Linked and Inventory Module - Unit/Bed Availability Dashboard - UCT Program Linked.

For more information please see the Data Analysis release notes.

Data Analysis Required Action: 

• Any Looker content using the “Unit Status” view to analyze Bed Status information needs to be updated to use the “Bed Status” view instead.
• We recommend reviewing all INVENTORY looks, especially those reporting on units with beds enabled, to determine if any improvements can be made due to the addition of new and updated fields.

New: Client Contacts Functionality in the New Clarity Interface

We’re excited to announce that with this update, the new Clarity Human Services interface will include Contact tab functionality. 

End users with the appropriate access rights can view and manage the client’s contact information in the new Clarity interface.

A new Help Center article is already available with details on all functionality here. The new article notes that functionality will not be fully available until February 10, 2025 (for training sites), and February 24, 2025 (for live sites). 

Coming Soon! Streamlined Data Entry

We’re excited to share that we’ve been hard at work on several “under the hood” improvements to make your experience smoother, faster, and more intuitive in the new Clarity Human Services interface. While these enhancements aren’t live yet, we’re thrilled with the progress we’ve made in reimagining our data entry screens. The upcoming updates will introduce both functional and aesthetic improvements, and we can’t wait for you to experience them.

Clarity Human Services Required Action: None.

Updated: Social Security Number (SSN) Masking

With this update, the user is able to tell when an X or x is used in a SSN as a placeholder for an unknown number and when a known number in a SSN is hidden from view.

• When an X is used to mask a number in the SSN, an * (asterisk symbol) is used instead of the X. For example, if a client’s SSN is 999-99-8304, on the profile the user sees ***-**-8304. 
  (Note: this is a fake SSN used for explanation purposes only.)
  • If an X or x is entered by the user for any of the first 5 digits of the SSN, the system still masks the first 5 digits of the SSN on the client profile with an *. For example, if the client’s SSN is xxx-99-8304, the SSN appears on the client profile as ***-**-8304.
  • If an X or x is entered by the user for any of the last 4 digits of the SSN, the system still shows the last 4 digits of the SSN on the client profile as it is currently shown. For example, if the client’s SSN is 999-99-83xx, the SSN appears on the client profile as ***-**-83xx.
  • This update does not change what the user sees when they hover over the SSN and click on the "Edit" link. All digits of the SSN are visible when they click on "Edit."
    
    

When a system administrator views a client profile audit log, there is the ability to tell the difference between an X used in a SSN as a placeholder for an unknown number and an X that is used to hide from view a known number in a SSN.

• In the client profile audit log, when an X is used to mask a number in the SSN, an * is used instead of the X. For example, if a client’s SSN is 999-99-8304, in the audit log the sysadmin would see the following:
  ssn: ***-**-8304
  ssn1: ***
  ssn2: **
  ssn3: 8304
  • If an X or x is entered for any of the first 5 digits of the SSN, the system still masks the first 5 digits of the SSN in the audit log with an *. For example, if the client’s SSN is 999-xx-8304, the full SSN appears in the audit log as ***-**-8304 and ‘ssn2’ appears in the audit log as **.
  • If an X or x is entered by the user for any of the last 4 digits of the SSN, the system still shows the last 4 digits of the SSN in the audit log as it is currently shown. For example, if the client’s SSN is 999-99-83xx, the full SSN appears in the audit log as ***-**-83xx, and ‘ssn3’ appears in the audit log as 83xx.

Clarity Required Action: None.

Pentaho Report Updates

All impacted reports have been updated to mimic masking updates for SSNs in the Clarity Human Services interface. 

Pentaho Reports Required Action: None.

Updated: Social Security Number "Invalid SSN" Pop-up Functionality

The Social Security Number (SSN) functionality has been updated to remove the invalid SSN pop-up when an X or x is entered.

The pop-up ‘The SSN entered does not conform to Social Security Administration guidelines… ’ will no longer appear in the following cases:

• When a user enters an X or x for any digit of a client’s social security number and does not enter any other non-numeric characters for any digit of the SSN.
  • If the user enters an X or x for all 9 digits of the SSN
  • If the user enters an X or x for one or more than one digit of the SSN and numerals for the remaining 8 digits of the SSN
• When a user enters an X or x for some digits of the SSN, and a different non-numeric character (such as an r or a T) for the other digits of the SSN.
• When a user enters a combination of Xs or xs, numeric characters, and non-numeric characters (such as an r or a T) for the digits of the SSN.

Clarity Human Services Required Action: None.

Updated: Field, Screen, and Template Updates

Clarity Human Services Required Action Included!

Updates have been made to “System” Screens to more closely align with HUD HMIS requirements. An instruction guide for System Administrators can be found here:

System Administrator Field, Screen and Template Updates Guide - February 2025

All Enrollment Screens/Approximate Date this Episode of Homelessness Started Field

With this update, all “System” 2024 Enrollment Screens have been updated so that “Approximate date this episode of homelessness started” is “Soft Required” instead of “Required.” The instructions can be found in the System Administrator Guide.

VA Project Status Screens

The “Disabling Conditions and Barriers” label on the “System” 2024 VA Project Status Screens will be updated to remove “Is the Client an Adult or Head of Household? Equals Yes” from the display constraints so that the label appears on the Project Status Screen for all clients. The instructions can be found in the System Administrator Guide.

RHY Case Status Screens

The “System” RHY Program Template has updated Case Status to “Every Year” to maintain consistency with HUD Data Standards. The instructions can be found in the System Administrator Guide.

YHDP Template Screens

An update to the 2024 screens in the “System” YHDP program template has been made so that the data collection requirements are consistent with the requirements in the YHDP HMIS Program Manual. The instructions can be found in the System Administrator Guide.

 

Clarity Human Services Required Action: Please see the System Administrator Guide and the HIV/AIDS Field requirement in the box above.

Updated: Logic for Prioritization

Prioritization status has been updated to more closely align with HUD’s CE APR definition. With this update, when an Assessment is completed at the global-level, but otherwise meets criteria for Prioritization Status = 1, the system stores as Prioritization Status = 2.

• The relevant database table reflects: Prioritization Status = 2 ('Not placed on prioritization list')
• The assessment audit log reflects: Prioritization Status = 2 ('Not placed on prioritization list')

If the Assessment is later linked to a program enrollment, and all other conditions are met, the status updates to Prioritization Status = 1 within the database table and audit log.

Clarity’s CE APR Report already reflects this logic; this update is designed to ensure Prioritization Status consistency system-wide.

 Clarity Human Services Required Action: None.

Updated: Referral Access Rights and Restricted Referral Fields

Clarity Human Services and Data Analysis Required Action Included!

The Access Right Referrals - Send Referrals to Other Agencies was renamed Referrals - Send Restricted Referrals.

• In the Access Role Audit Log, where list_referral_send_to_other_agencies is listed (either On or Off), the item shows as list_referral_send_restricted_referrals

The field Allow Referrals from Other Agencies was renamed Allow Restricted Referrals from Other Agencies.

• In all relevant Audit Logs, where other_agency_referrals_allowed is listed (either On or Off), the item shows as restricted_agency_referrals

With this update, program visibility on the client Referrals and Eligibility Determination pages is based on the Public Listing setting, the updated Allow Restricted Referrals from Other Agencies field and its dependent field Agencies Sending Referrals settings (Program Set up), and the Referrals - Send Restricted Referrals Access Right (Access Roles). No changes were made to  functionality for users with ‘Referral Match Maker’ enabled in their access role.

The following settings determine visibility -

• the user can send referrals to the program/unit/bed through the client Referrals tab and the Eligibility Determination page with the following settings:

Public Listing Setting (Program Set up)	“Allow Restricted Referrals from Other Agencies” Setting (Program Set up)	“Agencies Sending Referrals” Setting (Program Set up)	“Referrals” (User’s Access Rights)	“Create Referral” (User’s Access Rights)	“Referrals-Send Restricted Referrals” (User’s Access Rights)	Is Program visible on client Referrals page and Eligibility Determination page for User?
Public	OFF	N/A	ON	ON	OFF	Yes

• the user can send referrals to the program/unit/bed through the client Referrals tab and the Eligibility Determination page with the following settings:

Public Listing Setting (Program Set up)	“Allow Restricted Referrals from Other Agencies” Setting (Program Set up)	“Agencies Sending Referrals” Setting (Program Set up)	“Referrals” (User’s Access Rights)	“Create Referral” (User’s Access Rights)	“Referrals-Send Restricted Referrals” (User’s Access Rights)	Is Program visible on client Referrals page and Eligibility Determination page for User?
Public	ON	No Agencies Selected	ON	ON	OFF	Yes

• the user can send referrals to the program/unit/bed through the client Referrals tab and the Eligibility Determination page regardless of which agency they are logged in under with the following settings:

Public Listing Setting (Program Set up)	“Allow Restricted Referrals from Other Agencies” Setting (Program Set up)	“Agencies Sending Referrals” Setting (Program Set up)	“Referrals” (User’s Access Rights)	“Create Referral” (User’s Access Rights)	“Referrals-Send Restricted Referrals” (User’s Access Rights)	Is Program visible on client Referrals page and Eligibility Determination page for User?
Public	ON	1 or more Agencies Selected	ON	ON	OFF	Yes

• If the agency the user is logged in under is selected for the ‘Agencies Sending Referrals’ field, the user can send referrals to the program/unit/bed through the client Referrals tab and the Eligibility Determination page with the following settings. In this case, the programs/units/beds that the user can see and send referrals to is limited to the programs/units/beds  that have the user’s agency selected in the ‘Agencies Sending Referrals’ field.

Public Listing Setting (Program Set up)	“Allow Restricted Referrals from Other Agencies” Setting (Program Set up)	“Agencies Sending Referrals” Setting (Program Set up)	“Referrals” (User’s Access Rights)	“Create Referral” (User’s Access Rights)	“Referrals-Send Restricted Referrals” (User’s Access Rights)	Is Program visible on client Referrals page and Eligibility Determination page for User?
Public	ON	Agency Selected is Agency User is logged under	ON	ON	ON	Yes (but, user is limited to the program(s)  that has the user’s agency selected in the ‘Agencies Sending Referrals’ field.)

• The user will not be able to see or send a referral to the program/unit/bed from the client Referrals tab or the Eligibility Determination page with the following settings:

Public Listing Setting (Program Set up)	“Allow Restricted Referrals from Other Agencies” Setting (Program Set up)	“Agencies Sending Referrals” Setting (Program Set up)	“Referrals” (User’s Access Rights)	“Create Referral” (User’s Access Rights)	“Referrals-Send Restricted Referrals” (User’s Access Rights)	Is Program visible on client Referrals page and Eligibility Determination page for User?
Public	ON	No Agencies Selected	ON	ON	ON	No

• the user can send a referral to the program/unit/bed from the client Referrals tab or the Eligibility Determination page if they are logged in under that agency with the following settings:

Public Listing Setting (Program Set up)	“Allow Restricted Referrals from Other Agencies” Setting (Program Set up)	“Agencies Sending Referrals” Setting (Program Set up)	“Referrals” (User’s Access Rights)	“Create Referral” (User’s Access Rights)	“Referrals-Send Restricted Referrals” (User’s Access Rights)	Is Program visible on client Referrals page and Eligibility Determination page for User?
Agency	N/A	N/A	ON	ON	ON or OFF	Yes

 

Clarity Human Services Required Action: If there are users who had the access right “Referrals - Send Referrals to Other Agencies,” (that with this update is renamed to “Referrals - Send Restricted Referrals”) and those users should not have this access, please disable “Referrals - Send Restricted Referrals” for their access role. 

Data Analysis Updates

The label and LookML field name for "Other Agency Referrals Allowed" has been changed to "Restricted Agency Referrals" in the following Buildings, Units, Unit Configuration Beds, and Programs view in the Inventory and Project Descriptor Models. The new fields have been aliased to the old field name. References to the fields named “other_agency_referrals_allowed” will redirect to “restricted_agency_referrals” in Looker.

Data Analysis Required action: Any use of these fields’ LookML field names in Looker API calls or in data exports will need to change the name of “other_agency_referrals_allowed” to "restricted_agency_referrals."

Updated: DIT to Allow "99" in CSV and XML Files

With this update, when the HMIS Data Dictionary allows the value “99” (Data not collected) as an option for a data element, incoming values of “99” are stored, and will not be converted to “null” upon import. 

These data elements will no longer be stored as null, and will now be stored as “99”:

• Clients.csv: NameDataQuality, SSNDataQuality, DOBDataQuality
• CurrentLivingSituation.csv: CurrentLivingSituation
• Exit.csv: Destination

Currently, these are the FY24 HMIS data elements that allow a ‘99’ value in the HMIS Data Dictionary and that this will apply to in Clarity:

ADAP	GeneralHealthStatus	NoRyanWhiteReason
AfghanistanOEF	HousingAssessment	NoSCHIPReason
AntiRetroViral	IncomeFromAnySource	NoStateHealthInsReason
AskedOrForcedToExchangeForSex	IndefiniteAndImpairs	NoVHAReason
AskedOrForcedToExchangeForSexPastThreeMonths	InsuranceFromAnySource	OtherTheater
BenefitsFromAnySource	IraqOIF	PregnancyStatus
CoercedToContinueWork	IraqOND	RaceNone
ConnectionWithSOAR	KoreanWar	ReferralSource
CurrentEdStatus	LaborExploitPastThreeMonths	ResourcesToObtain
CurrentLivingSituation	LastGradeCompleted	RunawayYouth
CurrentlyFleeing	LeaseOwn60Day	RyanWhiteMedDent
CurrentSchoolAttend	LeaveSituation14Days	SchoolStatus
DentalHealthStatus	LengthOfStay	SexualOrientation
DesertStorm	LivingSituation	SSNDataQuality
Destination	MentalHealthStatus	SubsequentResidence
DestinationSafeClient	MilitaryBranch	TCellCountAvailable
DisabilityResponse	MonthsHomelessPastThreeYears	TimesHomelessPastThreeYears
DisablingCondition	MostRecentEdStatus	TranslationNeeded
DischargeStatus	MovedTwoOrMore	VeteranStatus
DOBDataQuality	NameDataQuality	VietnamWar
DomesticViolenceSurvivor	NoADAPReason	ViralLoadAvailable
Employed	NoCOBRAReason	WhenOccurred
ExchangeForSex	NoEmployerProvidedReason	WorkplacePromiseDifference
ExchangeForSexPastThreeMonths	NoIndianHealthServicesReason	WorkplaceViolenceThreats
FormerWardChildWelfare	NoMedicaidReason	WorldWarII
FormerWardJuvenileJustice	NoMedicareReason
GenderNone	NoPrivatePayReason

Clarity Human Services Required Action: None.

Update: Manual Personal ID Management - Improvements for System Administration/Reporting

With this update, the system will store information about clients that are manually linked and unlinked to a Personal ID.  A new table was added with the following fields:

• Client ID
• Agency ID
• Previous and current Personal ID
• Whether is was Linked/Unlinked 
• Date and time of activity
• User who performed Link/Unlink

Each time a client is linked or unlinked to a Personal ID, a new record is created. The addition of this table makes information available for reporting for clients that are manually linked or unlinked to a Personal ID.

Clarity Human Services Required Action: None.

Data Analysis Updates

A new“Client Linking History” view has been added to the Client Model.  This new view exposes the dimension group “Added Date” and the dimensions “Operation Type”, “Previous Personal ID”, “New Personal ID”, “Count of Previous Personal IDs”, “List of Previous IDs“, and "User Created".

For more information please refer to the Data Analysis Release Notes. 

Data Analysis Required Action: None

Pentaho Report Updates

The [STFF-104] Staff Client Data Activity report was updated to include a new activity type - Manual Personal ID Management. This new activity type includes when users link and/or unlink a client using the Link/Unlink Tool in Clarity Human Services.

Pentaho Reports Required Action: None.

We Welcome Your Ideas

We encourage you to suggest improvements and new features for our products. You can create feature suggestions or vote, watch, and comment on existing suggestions at ideas.bitfocus.com. Refer to our Feature Suggestions article for additional details.  

New and Updated Help Center Resources

We will either update or create the following articles in response to this Clarity Human Services update on Monday, February 24, 2025.

Reminder: the feature updates will be available in all Training Sites on Monday, February 10, 2025, and in all production Sites on Monday, February 24, 2025.

Updated Articles	New Articles
How To Set Up A Program: Detailed Instructions	Client Contact Tab (New Clarity Interface)
Clarity Human Services Operational API Early Access Program Info and FAQs	Program Setup: Program Restrictions
INVENTORY Dashboard
INVENTORY: Beds
Creating and Editing Fields
Configuring the INVENTORY Dashboard
The Link/Unlink Tool
Introduction to Fields
Client Profile SSN Validation and Partial SSNs
Prioritization Status
Rights Glossary for Access Roles
Importing Data using the Data Import Tool (DIT)
Program Setup: Eligibility

Published 02/03/2025