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Ali Ryder
One of the fields in the Diversion module, Diversion Result, was originally supposed to be a calculated field, much like how HIFIS can automatically calculate activity/inactivity and chronic status.
The important reason for this is because a user might think they have successfully diverted a client, but the client goes down the street and is booked in at a second shelter. Only HIFIS has the system-level data to be able to assess "success."
The "Diversion Destination" field was the field we would use to record what the staff thinks happened.
I can tell that the Diversion Result field was based on my proposal, because I recognize the values in it. However, it was never intended to be a manually selected field. It is better to not have it at all, I think, than to have it be a user-selected field. Why? Because there are too many options for it to be user-selected, the options in the drop-down menu were strictly defined, and the average user will not understand the differences between them. So half the time someone might select "Not Diverted" when someone enters shelter but they might also select "Rapid Exit" or "Non-Rapid Exit" since these terms are actually not super well known. I foresee a lot of confusion about what these options mean, which will result in communities modifying the drop-down menu, which will cause future problems if you do intend to make it a calculated field.
I would like to request that the "Diversion Result" field be temporarily hidden. It can be re-introduced if and when there is capacity to make it auto-calculated.
For reference, here was the original information about the definitions and calculations:
Defining Successful Diversion
By the strictest definition, diversion is only successful when it results in the avoidance of shelter entry. However, this begs the question: for how long does the client need to remain out of shelter for the diversion to be considered successful?
In addition, despite the fact that diversion and rapid exit are two distinct services, the fact remains that many communities combine the delivery of these two services: they would be delivered in the same way by the same staff. How, then, can one assess the success of a diversion service for a client who is already in shelter?
There are two variables at play here which are relevant:
  • X, defined as the minimum number of days, after the diversion service is provided, that a client must remain out of shelter for a diversion service to be considered successful. Communities should be able to define this value. For instance, they may use a value as low as 1 day, or a value as high as 180 days.
  • Y, defined as the maximum number of days, after the diversion service is provided, that a client is permitted to be in shelter for a rapid exit service to be considered successful. OrgCode Consulting, Inc. suggests that the default value of Y should be 14 days, but that communities may modify this value to suit local circumstances. One participating community indicated that they would use a value of 3 days.
Determining the success of a given diversion record should be calculated as follows:
Is the client currently booked in to any shelter at the time of the Diversion date?
If no, does the client have any book-ins at any shelter that start between the Diversion date and the Diversion date + X days?
  • If no, the Status is "Diverted"
  • If yes, is the client booked out within Y days from the Diversion date?
  • --> If no, the Status is "Not Diverted"
  • --> If yes, the Status is "Rapid Exit"
If yes, is the client booked out within Y days from the Diversion date?
  • If no, the Status is "Non-Rapid Exit"
  • If yes, does the client have any book-ins at any shelter that start between the Diversion date and the Diversion date + X days?
  • --> If no, the Status is "Rapid Exit"
  • --> If yes, the Status is "Non-Rapid Exit"