The System Mapping Guide and Tool

  • HIFIS
  • Reaching Home

The System Mapping Guide and Tool

Note: The audience for this e-course are Reaching Home Designated Community Entities (DCEs) in BC.

The System Mapping Guide is a new Reaching Home resource that communities can use to help them plan for Coordinated Access and HIFIS implementation. It provides step-by-step guidance on mapping a homeless-serving system and using the results to inform HIFIS configuration. The guide comes with a System Mapping Tool that was modelled after the Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness’s Provider Participation Tool (PPT). Some communities may already be familiar with the PPT given that it forms part of the coaching and related suite of tools offered through Training and Technical Assistance (TTA) funded by Reaching Home for DCEs.

Communities are encouraged to review the following two sections in detail:

  • BC Community Entities: The Path Forward (pages 4-9) outlines immediate next steps, three broad potential scenarios DCEs may find themselves in based on their BC Questionnaire results, and potential options for moving forward with the implementation of Coordinated Access and HIFIS in BC.
  • Annex A. BC Questionnaire (pages 41-46) will help DCEs use the information gathered through their System Mapping Tool to determine which of the three broad potential scenarios they are in and, relatedly, what their next steps are for HIFIS implementation.

The Questionnaire is included in the System Mapping Tool under the tab “BC Questionnaire”.

On April 20, 2021, ESDC’s Homelessness Policy Directorate hosted a webinar to launch the System Mapping Guide, System Mapping Tool, and BC Questionnaire. A recording of the webinar is below.

Additional HIFIS Resources are also available to support this work:

  • Webinar: HIFIS Demonstration for BC Trilateral Working Group (recorded March 16, 2021)
    • Provides an overview of HIFIS including key features and functionalities from both an operational and administrative perspective.
  • Data Sharing and Data Security in HIFIS Frequently Asked Questions
    • To ensure communities are equipped with the necessary information regarding data sharing and data security when implementing the Homeless Individuals and Families Information System (HIFIS), this Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) addresses common questions regarding how data in HIFIS is collected, shared, and used.
  • (Coming Soon) Multiple HIFIS Installations – Some Considerations
    • A document that outlines key considerations when multiple HIFIS installations exist in a community.

Next steps

Communities can use the System Mapping Guide and Tool to help them complete their Questionnaire.

When the BC Questionnaire is completed, results can be submitted to Service Canada and the Homelessness Policy Directorate. A meeting will follow with ESDC officials to discuss the items identified in Annex A of the System Mapping Guide, based on the results of the Questionnaire (see pages 43-46).

For more information, please reach out to your Service Canada representative.