Which of the following is a standard HMIS data element that must be collected?

• A. Program Entry screen
• B. Move-In Date
• C. Housed with...
• D. Current Living Situation assessment

Answer: (A)

In HMIS, the moment a client enters a program is when the essential data needed to create and initialize their HMIS record are collected. This intake information is typically captured on the program entry screen, which is designed to record the key details required to start tracking the client’s participation, services, and housing outcomes within the system. Because this screen represents the official entry point into the program’s HMIS data, it is the standard place where mandatory data elements are entered and locked for the client’s record.

Move-In Date, Housed with..., and Current Living Situation assessment are important data points in many contexts, but they are not the universal, standard data elements that must be collected at the initial entry across all HMIS programs. They may be collected later or in specific circumstances, but the program entry screen is where the standardized intake data are gathered to establish the client’s record from the outset.