Overview
This article provides a step-by-step guide for creating Public Alerts in HMIS. Public Alerts enable staff to quickly share important client information across the system, ensuring everyone stays informed and can coordinate care effectively. When used appropriately they promote timely communication, reduce duplication, improve response times, and enhance client engagement across providers.
What Are Public Alerts?
Public Alerts appear as gold banners at the top of a client's record in HMIS. When clicked, these alerts display critical, at-a-glance information. Because HMIS is a shared care coordination system, Public Alerts are visible to all staff with access to the record across all agencies by default.
If your agency needs to post an alert that’s only relevant to your own team—like a reminder about a client’s belongings, an internal follow-up task, or other agency-specific details—you can choose to make the alert private by enabling the 'Private' toggle when creating it. Just make sure you’re switched into the correct agency in HMIS beforehand, as this determines which staff will be able to see the alert when marked private.
Public Alerts are especially useful for:
- Asking for help locating a client
- Flagging communication or language needs
- Sharing safety concerns or housing-related updates
- Notifying staff of found items or client updates
For a quick reference, see the chart below:
Step-By-Step Instructions
Related Articles
Still need help? Contact COHMIS Help Desk